Town boss Mick McCarthy hailed what he felt was a huge win after the Blues defeated QPR 3-0 at Portman Road.

“It was a huge win!” the Town boss responded when it was suggested that it could have been a huge win in terms of the number of goals.

“The irony is that poor old Alex Smithies cost them the second, which probably enabled us to win the game as comprehensively as we did, but then he’s kept it from being what could have been an embarrassing scoreline.

“It would have been nice revenge that on Ollie because he slapped me by 5-0 at Crystal Palace in my second game. I’ll take three though, not that I hold a grudge at all, or remember! He’s a really good pal of mine, Ollie.”

McCarthy had praise for second goalscorer Luke Varney, making the first start of his current spell with the Blues, for a display which he believed typified the performance, even if he guessed supporters might not all have been happy to see the 34-year-old in his starting line-up.

“He was fab today,” he said. “I bet people weren’t thinking that when they saw the teamsheet.

“I don’t think there was anything wrong with the performance [last week against Forest], we just gave two goals away. There’s a difference.

“Were we abject? Did we run hard against Forest? Yes. Did we have loads of crosses? Yes. Nothing dropped for us in that game, it was one of those games where we gave two poor, poor goals away and it cost us.

“I didn’t think the performance was that bad, but when you lose at home, that’s what everybody thinks.

“We’ve not been bristling with confidence here and I know exactly what I’m going to get out of Reg Varney, I know exactly what I’m going to get out of Chambo, I know exactly what I’m going to get out of Dougie.

“I thought if they played 3-5-2 I’d need a more substantial, tougher midfield with Dougie and I knew that’s just what I’d get and they’d handle the three in there. Bish wouldn’t with them, none of the others would, Kevin Bru, it just doesn’t happen.

“Dougie and Skusey are a real good force playing at that. Yes, we might lose a bit of that sexiness but who gives a f–, I want to win and I get sick of that.

“We played well today, we’ve had to play well and we’ve had to defend. I thought Reg epitomised everything I would want about a team of mine.”

McCarthy bristled when it was suggested there might have been an element of fortune about the Blues’ goals.

“It’s funny when we’ve scored three goals you say there’s an element of fortune,” he said. “You never mentioned it last week to me about their element of good fortune. It’s bullshit really, it’s complete double standards that.

“It’s a bit like when all of my players are injured and nobody mentions it, but if I’m going up to play Blackburn and they’ve got five strikers missing, you’d be saying, ‘They’ve got strikers missing, they’re not doing very well’.

“But, hey ho. If they were three lucky goals, I’m delighted. It’s about time we had a bit of luck because if we hadn’t have had bad luck this year we’d have had none so far - disallowed goal at Wolves, disallowed goal against Norwich, penalties at Reading, injuries to David McGoldrick, blahdy, blahdy, blah. I can mention them now we’ve won. It doesn’t seem like a moan, does it?”

McCarthy admitted the Blues needed a performance for fans, who had shown their frustrations after the previous two games.

“Of course we did,” he added. “The fans don’t come to see us play badly and lose. And I felt sorry for them. I hardly felt great myself going home after Rotherham and Nottingham Forest.

“If anybody thinks I enjoy that they’re much mistaken, I go home and have a rotten weekend.

“Well, I’m going home for a good weekend and I hope everybody who has seen us play thinks, ‘Fair dos’. Ipswich can be a happier place this week than it has been.”

McCarthy was pleased with Tom Lawrence, who scored his second goal for the Blues and whose set pieces were a threat.

“They are. He’s good, I’m delighted with him,” McCarthy continued. “He’s a good player. Tom.

“I remember him playing against us for Yeovil when we beat them 1-0 down there. I think we’d been to Middlesbrough on the Saturday or one of those bonkers trips that we had.

“I’d seen him before but he was outstanding that night against us, really played well. And I’ve tried to sign him on a number of occasions since and it’s not happened. I’m really pleased that he’s here because he’s a really good player.

The Blues boss was also happy with Cole Skuse's display with the midfielder's shot leading to Lawrence’s goal and who had what would have been a rare goal of his own ruled out.

“We got the second because he took his shot on,” McCarthy added. “He didn’t play it wide or chip it in the box, he took a shot and it’s hit somebody and it bounced in the box and Tom scored.

“Skusey’s been different class, I thought it was a really good performance by him today, at both ends of the pitch.”

QPR boss Ian Holloway defended his keeper Smithies, despite his error on the game's decisive goal.

“It was bizarre. It should have been a lot closer than that," he said.

“The second goal was an absolute calamity. The ball spins off the goalie’s head and there’s no one there to help him.

“After that, wow, awful. People who are uneducated are going to blame my goalie — but I don’t.

“I’ll blame everyone else bar him because by the end it could have been 5-0 but for him.”

Photo: TWTD

bobble added 07:18 - Nov 27 Take us in to the top 6 six and we will start loving you again mick, the pood old wallabies were ripped up by the referee in dublin so a nice healthy win for town is good news.
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bobble added 07:23 - Nov 27 Mick sems a trifle paranoid today.......
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hello66 added 08:30 - Nov 27 Nothing changes after just one game we all know that, sounds like Lady Luck was on our side today talking to friends, that just about still attend because their season ticket tells them to go .... but all of them giving it up next season ..... a couple stopping direct debit after Xmas ! He is now the most disliked manager I can remember, his respect for the fans and this club are zero, all he really cares about is obtaining his monies from his current contract, by either seeing it out or being sack ! ...... wow I used to be ecstatic if we won ..... but knowing this win extends his position and reading his feedback just makes me feel low ..... as I say to my children when feeling low , I can't change anything or take the pain away, I just know that you will not feel like this for ever ! ....roll on new manager it will happen it's just when. 😜

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Dissboyitfc added 08:46 - Nov 27 What have we become when someone posts," only 3 points behind norwich" like thats an acheivement . We will remain in the championship as long as he is charge! Cant stabs the man and his arrogance towards the fans. To say he doesntgive a f@&k about the football and his job is to win games is laughable, he sets his teams up not to lose. I expect i will be marked down. But consider the facts, our leading scorer in Ward with 5 and 3 of them came in a hatrick in one half! QPR you let us down! MM and itfc are not a good fit! MM out

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muccletonjoe added 09:05 - Nov 27 If we are winning , not many people will be moaning about the starting 11 . Trouble is we can not find any form , will we follow this up with 3 points at Bristol ? Anyones guess really
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ChestnutSe added 09:05 - Nov 27 It was a good game today and an enjoyable afternoon down at Portman Rd. well done MM and the team for a good performance and a good win. It could have been more at the end. QPR probably had the better if the possession in the first half. They were big and physical and I can see why MM went with the team selection he did. It was good to see Varney up front who contributed with a real physical threat and good in the air. My mate and I were saying who might be our MOTM and there were plenty of contenders which just illustrated to me that for Town to win we do need a strong performance from nearly all the team. In no particular order I would say Bart, Webster (good to have him back), Berra, Lawrence, Skuse and Varney were the stand out performers today. Just my opinion though and I am sure others will have different views. Good response from the crowd today as well. Onward and upwards. COYB

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tallguy6767 added 09:19 - Nov 27 Funny how McCarthorse can get away with all those expletives in his interviews. Well heres a few of mine Mick..... F**k off you arrogant pig headed obnoxious T**t..... !One win and he thinks he's a messiah! Still worse manager in my 40 years of following the Town! You are responsible for the fact that so many long standing supporters are not going anymore
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geminimustang added 10:12 - Nov 27 tallguy6767 "worse manager in my 40 years". MM & TC saved ITFC from certain relegation 4 years ago,got the team into the play-off's,narrowly missed the play-offs the following season.Short memory,perhaps?This season has been poor but without £M's being invested,ITFC are a mid-table team.Benitez,Klopp,Conte wouldn't be interested coming to ITFC with the salary and non-existent budget.Give MM,TC & ME this season to improve and if it doesn't,ME should make it clear,MM won't have his contract extended.No need to bad mouth each other's comments on the forum.

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tallguy6767 added 10:43 - Nov 27 Geminimustang...you have your opinion and I have mine ! End of !!
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martin587 added 10:48 - Nov 27 MM is not the worst,and he's far from the best we've ever had,I'm certainly not a fan of his.But one thing we must not forget is the fact that the owner has given very little money to buy players,whatever the reasons and MM has managed to bring in a few Gems. I personally think his style of play does not suit the players.We must remember quite a few of the players are here also because nobody else wants them. Until we can put a run of wins together nothing will change so the Ball lies in the hands of MM and the players. If not,it will be another boring mid table battle again.!!

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OwainG1992 added 10:55 - Nov 27 To be fair to Mick. Say what you like about him but we always knew what he was like. He's the same Mick from two years ago just we had Murphy then knocking in the goals so all was well! We got a nice 3-0 win and I'm happy. I get a lot of people can't stand the manager but it would be nice to be positive after a victory!
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braveblue added 11:35 - Nov 27 What a git.
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Swn98 added 12:48 - Nov 27 Tall guy everyone's entitled to an opinion no need for the gutteral language there's a good fella.
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TimmyH added 12:53 - Nov 27 How on earth can it be a huge win?!?...all we ever do now is win 1 draw 1 lose 1 so how is it huge? from keeping the lions from his door maybe but it's not about you Mick!
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phillo added 13:05 - Nov 27 Tend to agree with the general considered sentiment here - good to get a win, disappointed by Micks general attitude/arrogance especially towards the fans. As others have said it's not the ITFC "way" for those of us who have been supporting this great club for anything more than 25/30 years .... but hey you don't always get what you wish for! I guess we all should accept by now our manager has a "style" of play he defaults to & doesn't give a flying f**k what anyone else thinks. He deserves respect that this almost certainly saved us from relegation 4 years ago ..... but also has to accept criticism from those who don't necessarily think it is the way to progress. Does not make anyone right or wrong .... just mutual respect for different opinions ..... and maybe an appreciation of the history of a club & the experiences of the fans. This last bit is the main bit I for one get exasperated with Mick ..... but hey ho I know I can be accused of looking back/lives by in the past (but what a past !!!!) 😀 We don't have to like it (if that's ok Mick lovers/supporters) but I guess we can't complain anymore about it ..... whilst he's here we have to suck it up & support the "club" not the personnel currently employed.

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BlueandTruesince82 added 17:00 - Nov 27 I don't understand all this arrogance towards fabs stuff? Mick says constantly that he understands when fans get frustrated that they pay their money and are entitled to their opinion. All I see is Mick taking the piss out of the press, you all take that as a dig at fans when it's nothing of the sort. Just like everyone wanging on about favoritism when EVERY manager at every club has their favourites too. It's utterly misguided and not constructive. If people don't like style, tactics etc or even the bloke himself thats fine but to level favoritism at a football manger is like complaining about a greedy yuppie. It's a fundemental part of the football mangers make up. As for Mick slapping down idiot reportes who keep asking pointless questions well good for him, the response is not aimed at us, we'll apart from when he had a pop at the bloke sat behind the dug out calling him a c#%÷ all game and frankly in that instance most of us would react the same way. Christmas most of you have a paddy when someone offers a different opinion so god knows how you'd react to a blplke hovering over as you pour overy the company accounts or try to lay your brick wall or whatever calling you na message all day. This is not a defence of Mick, I currently still remain in the thanks for all you have done but the club has come as far as it can under your stewardship camp I'm just saying many of you are perceiving slights and snubs that are not there

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Seasider added 17:35 - Nov 27 Mick doesn't give a fcuk about sexy football,and he gets sick of that,he says! Now why doesn't that surprise me.Oh btw Skusey has taken the 'Different Class'mantle ftb.Others who have had this in the past beingTabby and more recently Dougie! Agree with Blueboy that he has no PR skills,and once again with hancockingoal,who by his nom-de-plume leads me to suspect that like me he has been supporting Town for many years,as have a lot of the posters. He could,I agree,have answered in a more reasoned way;but for an arrogant man with a big ego,it isn't his way. Cromwellblue.I am not hiding behind my keyboard,as twice within the past year have faced him in a Q&A,and asked difficult questions.The first time I received a similar reaction to the press above;but the second was a surprisingly reasoned answer. We have as a Manager a blunt Yorkshireman with Irish roots,who like my late Aunt Connie says it as it is and is not bothered about offending. From an earlier interview,and past expressions;he is clearly loyal to his players,who yesterday responded well;so I am afraid,like it or not,we are stuck with this man for the foreseeable future,and as a long serving/suffering fan I will continue to go to Portman Rd as long as I am able,even if its sometimes for the apre's footy.

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Rimsy added 18:06 - Nov 27 For the first time in 40 years supporting Town, I was disappointed to get a 3-0 win. MM gets a stay of execution we can't afford.
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Brownie added 18:19 - Nov 27 Agree with a lot here. Don't get that MM insults the fans. I have never seen that. He has also in my view picked teams to win matches in the last few weeks & deserves credit for that. He does make a rod for his back with selections - Douglas, Chambers etc - but that's his job. He also says some strange things - the performance last week was dire & he knows that - but be honest he is hardly likely to slag off the team. Change the manager is my view. More importantly change the owner but that is even less likely. Reduce the prices. However how about improving this site but not abusing people with different opinions & assuming that anyone without a season ticket can't have an opinion. We are all fans so get behind the team & stop the aggressive keyboard warrior when there are different views to yours. COYB!

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Fat_Boy_Tim added 21:47 - Nov 27 In MM we trust. COYB
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Razor added 10:32 - Nov 28 Much better on Saturday----less passing the ball back across the back four and then to the keeper and in last 20 we could have had another 4 or 5---amazing what confidence can do to a team. Lets try and be positive, Webster was immense and will make us some serious money some time in the future and Pitters must be back soon so that will be good. Lets hope the feelgood factor continues this time next week!!

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