Boss Mick McCarthy conceded that Town were “beaten by a much better team” following their 2-0 home defeat to Fulham and reiterated that he remains committed to the Blues but admitted it’ll be “a tough job to turn” dissenting fans around.

Chris Martin put the dominant Whites in front from a freekick on 36 and sub Ragnar Sigurdsson sealed the win with a header 12 minutes from time.

“Beaten by a much better team, that’s what I think,” a downbeat McCarthy admitted in his press conference afterwards.

Why was there such a gap between the teams? “Maybe they’ve got better players who played better on the day. I think we’ve been well beaten by a very good side.

“I can’t take any criticism away from us because I don’t think we were particularly good, but I think you have to give credit to the opposition when they’re a good side.

“It’s easy for me to come in here and blame my players and say we weren’t any good. We tried our best, as we always do, but they were better than us.”

McCarthy admitted that two wins in the last nine at home is poor and that January will be a key month for the Blues: “I would say so, we better make sure December ends up better than that, we’ve got another game yet.

“We had 18 players today and we’ve got to do better, all of us, because that was poor.”

The disappointing performance and result led to chants aimed at both McCarthy and owner Marcus Evans and the Blues manager said he can understand the reaction: “I can, I can’t complain about that either.”

While there were chants for Evans to ‘sort it out’, for the first time a section of the Sir Bobby Robson Stand called for McCarthy’s departure.

“I haven’t changed a lot, so whatever I’m doing now is not [different] from four years ago,” he said when asked about the chants aimed in his direction.

“But maybe that’s the point, I’ve been here four years. I fully understand it and it’s their right to shout, they come and want to watch and see better football than that and see us win at home, not [win only two in nine].

“I’ve no complaints about it at all. I much preferred it when it was supportive and it was ‘Super Mick’, but I told you before, I realised when that was being sung that it can change very quickly. It’s going to be a tough job to turn that around now.

“We’ve got a game on Friday and we need to play much better than that, we need to win, we need to give them a good performance and a victory. If we don’t it’ll only be worse than it has been today.”

At Wednesday’s AGM McCarthy said he has 18 months left on his contract and plans to work hard to turn things around and his position remained the same after the match.

“Very much so,” he said. “I won’t be resigning in the morning, if that’s what you’re asking me. I’ll be here on Friday for the game and will keep scrapping as I always do. It’s been made harder, that’s for sure.”

Has Fulham’s dominance made him think he might need to make more January additions than he had planned previously?

“There’s only going to be a certain amount of business that we can do anyway,” he said.

“Just because we’ve been beaten by a team that’s played really well and we’ve not well doesn’t suddenly mean we’re going to go out and get twice as many players as I thought we were going to get. We’ll try and do our business as we always have.”

He has always said owner Evans has been supportive, is January a time for him to show that backing? “I’ve told you all along, I’ve always had his support and I don’t think that’ll be any different in January.”

McCarthy says he and Evans will have their usual post-match phone call today or tomorrow: “Why would that change?”"

Youngster Andre Dozzell was given his first home Championship start of the season, was it perhaps not the right game for the 17-year-old the way it eventually panned out?

“That looks the case but had we been on top and he’d played great you’d have been saying ‘Well done Mick for playing Andre at home in that game’. Who knows?

“It’s a difficult environment for him to be playing in, that’s not a learning environment for somebody to come in and play and expect to play well. Their three in midfield were excellent.”

What did he tell his players afterwards? “The dressing room is sacrosanct for me. I guess it’s a flavour of what I’ve said here. I’ve not dressed it up in terms of ‘We were unlucky’. We’ve been beaten, we could have been beaten by more.

“And I guess we all need to pull together for Friday and have a performance and try and get a result. That’s the flavour of it. But if you ask what I said and how I said it, I’m never going to tell you that.”

Fulham manager Slavisa Jokanovic was delighted with his team’s performance and the result.

“We are very happy with how we played today,” he said. “It’s a very good Boxing Day for us, an important three points for us continuing fighting for important targets.

“We made another clean sheet, we dominated the game. At the end Ipswich hadn’t hit a shot on target, which is good news for us.

“This time we created many, many, many chances but we didn’t score a second goal in moments when we were dominating very well. But in the end we scored the goal which closed out the game.”

Photo: TWTD

GiveusaWave added 22:39 - Dec 26 Pencil Pete We make a lot of teams look like Barcelona....sadly. My expectations are low now, draw at Norwich and avoid relegation. I can't see us signing anyone decent in January, just more frees and loans. We will know Mick has really hit rock-bottom when we re-sign Tabby (no disrespect to Tabby).
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mickeyjb added 22:46 - Dec 26 And that is why I won't be back until the muppet has gone, trouble is he won't be sacked so he will spunk what cash we do have and waist the next window. We will get enough points to not get relegated and things will go on with less and less supporters in the ground. These times are the worse I've known it and yes I been around a fair while and date I say it worse than RK and PJ!!!

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TB42 added 22:52 - Dec 26 No amount of money spent on new players in the January transfer window willl make any difference. McCarthy will continue with his favourites irrespective of form, will continue to field players out of their favoured (and strongest) positions and stifle any form of creativity. Note to Marcus Evans if you are reading this; don't waste your money!!!!
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heathen66 added 23:11 - Dec 26 I believe Mick is trying to get the sack, as there can be no other explanation. He has 18 month to work if he stays, but if he can get sacked then he will get the 18 months paid up and not have to come into work They were better than us, but it was mainly due to us allowing them to be We again set up not to lose with a 4-5-1 formation which at times was a 6-2-0-1-1 formation. It was far too easy for Fulham to knock the ball about at the back and then stroll past our 2 pedestrians in the centre. We had no outlet and just invited them on...it was all very simple for them It seems Chambers and Knudsen have created new roles for themselves sort of Left Left Centre Back and Right Right Centre back, with Lawrence and Sears ate RB and LB. Same again Friday I am afraid !!!

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Cakeman added 23:38 - Dec 26 Our club is a total mess! Manager now finally admitting he has a hard task changing supporters opinion of himself and the awful state we are in. Could not comment on our owner because he will still not face the public to explain anything. Current squad of players are arguably the worst we have had for decades. Many of which would not do well in non league football let alone the Championship. Over priced tickets. More empty seats than occupied ones. Young players having enthusiasm drained from them if they do get a look in with first team football. Sorry but negative thoughts go on and on.

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Carberry added 23:46 - Dec 26 WHERE'S EVANS?
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Seasider added 23:50 - Dec 26 Marco007 got the score right,but JAS thought we would win.Wishful thinking i'm afraid. My heart sank when I saw that Douglas had replaced Williams,what is the man thinking by playing this Carthorse. Could have been 6-0 as Bart made two great saves,and Fulham missed two sitters;although I think he was a little bit at fault for first goal.Still my m.o.m Cant ever remember Ipswich having so little the ball at home in the 55 years have been watching them. McCarthy only seemed concerned about the two goals;not a word about lack of midfield,or the fact that only effort on Buttons goal was from one of his own defenders. Think it was the Fulham fans saying McCarthy will be sacked in the morning.If only,it would bringa fair number of fans back,otherwise could be back to 15k for next home game. The Dino doesn't have any fears about being sacked though,saying that he will be here on Friday. He also seems to think that he still has 50% support,and says that if 70% supported him,that would do, as 30% against wouldn't bother him.Think its more like 80 =20% against you Mick;so you are deluded with this,just like you are with thinking replacing Williams with Douglas instead of McGoldrick would bring a home win,unless of course you were setting up for a 0-0 draw? I have come to the conclusion that as well as being stubborn,arrogant and boring;he is also incapable of coaching a team to play expansive football.Having him bawling out from the touchline cannot help the players,who, as Mick Mills says,seemed programmed to play as instructed;and not deviate from this pattern by using their initiative. Also interesting to that points wise we are doing no better now than during Paul Jewells tenure. MC CARTHY OUT OUT OUT

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d0nk added 00:10 - Dec 27 Beaten by a better team???its fu#king fulham for gods sake not bloody barcelona!! Piss off Mick, your bloody deluded and totally lost the plot, you have also lost the fans. The players are there to get results, unfortunately the manager isn't .
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midastouch added 00:17 - Dec 27 Our American cousins are showing us the way are they not? https://www.facebook.com/Fire-Mike-McCarthy-310362632339772/ How long before a disgruntled Town fan with a Facebook Account does likewise?
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blues1 added 00:34 - Dec 27 Jas0999. As always when we lose, it's Evans fault. So presumably when we win he's responsible for that too. But no1who blames him when we lose even mentions him when we win. No1 disagrees that we could do with spending more and there are plans to do so in Jan. But imo, even if McCarthy had £100m to spend, nothing would change. He'd still play the same negative tactics. And his favourites would all still play. What Evans does need to do is come out in public and tell everyone his intentions and the exact position the club is in. But 1st of all needs to get rid of McCarthy. McCarthy himself has stated that this is the best squad he's had since being here so clearly he's the reason they're not performing. Too many of them appear scared to play their own game. Conditioned and ordered to do as they're told. And that, regardless of how much money we've spent, or not spent, is the only reason for the current performances and results. I believe that giving the money to McCarthy to spend would possibly only make things worse. We need to get a new manager in place asap and provide him with the funds to get his players in. We prob only need 2 to 3 additions to improve things, with the right kind of football to be played. As things stand, and we all say we need a new striker, but if we spent a few million to acquire one, it'd change nothing, as our strikers get no service. And that's down to the style of play. Nothing else.

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Penguinblue added 00:48 - Dec 27 Just checking late to see if he has gone. Sh@t No McCarthy OUT
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madmouse1959 added 02:27 - Dec 27 I would not even trust McCarthy even if he WAS given funds to buy players. He now knows he has to buy better players because most of the town wants him out. His arrogance and laid back ho hum nothing interviews has really got up my nose week after week.
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therein61 added 07:03 - Dec 27 Totally inept from A-Z our club is in free-fall due to an over paid man who cannot motivate players(apart from his chosen few) and is losing supporters at an alarming rate! at any other club he would have been long gone!! yet for some reason the man appears to be fire proof
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ericgatesrules added 07:59 - Dec 27 I haven't made any sort of comment for some time...until now. Enough is enough. We are going backwards...in more ways than one. Sorry Mick, I have pretty much supported you since your first game v Birmingham City but your time is definitely up. Will Marcus Evans have the balls to make the inevitable decision and give a new manager the Jan transfer window to do 'something'. Gary Rowett for me. Depressing times tho.

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H1960 added 08:36 - Dec 27 @blues1 great post i couldn't agree more, if the squad was utilised properly things would drastically improve imo, McCarthy has to go now (if the Evans, Milne and co ad would have been gone by now
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H1960 added 08:38 - Dec 27 Meant to say Evans Milne & Co grew some balls
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Trigger67 added 08:43 - Dec 27 Just watching the MOTD re-run and I am now convinced, Eden Hazard plays a different sport to Jonathan Douglas. Hazard plays football, beautiful football. What sport is Douglas playing? Shadow boxing? (He never gets near enough to an opponent to get a tackle in). Or maybe he is an aspiring volleyball player using the halfway line as an imaginary net, given he never moves more than 5 yards either side of it! I have been watching Town for nigh on 50 years now and I don't remember a worse excuse for a footballer. Sorry Mick but I also have been a loyal supporter of yours until this point. Yesterday's performance was abject. 6-0 would not have flattered Fulham. And Why? Because you put Douglas in the middle whilst Bru sits on the bench. You start with Pitman as your central striker who can not head a ball to save his life, has no pace and an appalling first touch. He starts ahead of McGoldrick? Or Best? And I won't even waste time talking about the right back. He might be a good leader of the team but he is no more a right back than Edwards was, someone you immediately moved out of that position when you first arrived using exactly this rationale? Sorry, I just don't get the difference. Knudsen is clearly out of form at the moment but young Kenlock continues to be a benchwarmer despite putting in a standout performance when given the chance at Birmingham. How can I continue to support you whilst you continue to make selection mistakes like these week in week Out? I have 2 season tickets but the way I feel right now they could easily be empty now until the management is changed.

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BlueandTruesince82 added 08:48 - Dec 27 But who do we want instead? Nit saying it's not time for a change, it's I'd but to who? Viable options ( IE affordable) Rowett, thats all I have. Or some bloke from the continent we've never heard of which certainly isn't MES style
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Dissboyitfc added 08:49 - Dec 27 And given the fact he played Douglas they had 11 against our 10. And the people asking for Rowett, should read his philosophy on Football. He describes his brand of football as "destructive football " and believes in " perspiration over inspiration" . A massive no thanks to Rowett people, would be more of the same and a change for change's sake. We need the right change. I would offer the job to Klug until end of season, this season is over, dont even think we will get a cup victory!

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yorksblue added 08:59 - Dec 27 Why promote from within? The whole club needs a major overhaul from top to bottom.
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brian_a_mul added 09:02 - Dec 27 I love MM and all he done for the club from top to bottom, he has given us a team to be proud of. He kept us competitive for all his time which is why the last few months have been worrying. I hate saying it, I really do, but it's time for something different.
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bobble added 09:19 - Dec 27 Tony popovic is the man we need to replace mick
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Dissboyitfc added 09:39 - Dec 27 Yorksblue... why promote from within? well our club if allowed would still have one successful department and that is Klug and his e work with the youngsters. I would rather see exciting young players, think our league position would be better and our crowds would be better too!
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runaround added 09:39 - Dec 27 Time to go Mick, every match you are still here just makes matters worse. You are stuck in a footballing time warp. Football has moved on & ITFC needs to move on too
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muccletonjoe added 09:53 - Dec 27 Nothing to say that hasnt been said over and over week in week out. Pretty obvious that as long as mm is here we will have skuse and douglas in the side and nothing will change. Now a case of come back when he is gone if you dont want to see these sort of performances
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