Town boss Mick McCarthy felt there wasn’t a lot in the Blues’ 2-0 defeat at Huddersfield until the home side took the lead just before half-time, but admitted the Terriers’ second goal 12 minutes after the restart put the West Yorkshire side’s victory to bed.

“I thought we’ve been beaten by a good team, that’s what we’ve been beaten by,” he said. “But I think up until 43 minutes there wasn’t a lot in it.

“They had the ball, we didn’t have many chances but neither did they. We got done by a bit of a wonder goal, to be honest.

“The game is generally getting the ball off them and stopping them playing and then playing when you’ve got it. Our problem was that we didn’t play particularly well when we had it but we did stop them playing.”

He admitted it was a blow to go behind despite having managed to do that, adding: “But we had to be better with the ball [in the second half].

“We hadn’t created many chances but it was 1-0 and I don’t think the second half started at any great rate either. Then they get a freekick and they score from the resulting melee afterwards.

“And unfortunately that kind of put it to bed because we were struggling to get chances out of it, although Jordan Spence, who I thought was good today, if we’d scored from his run and shot, and who knows. It’s fine detail.”

Despite the result, he felt the first-half performance showed a reaction to the FA Cup exit at the hands of non-league Lincoln.

“Without a doubt,” he said. “I was never worried about getting a response from Tuesday night, whatever happens in the FA Cup, I’ve no idea.

“But the lads have been great all season in terms of the way they go about their job, their professionalism, their work-rate.

“Yes, we could be better with the ball, [but] no question I was pleased with the response from the lads.”

He dismissed the suggestion that the failure to make much impact having gone two behind was down to a hangover from Tuesday or a lack of confidence given this season’s struggles.

“We’re playing against a team who are playing very well in the top six and they are full of confidence,” he said.

“And the place is bouncing as well, even driving up you could see that, the number of people that are here. That has a really positive effect on the team.

“It’s not quite the same for us, but I’m not suggesting we lack confidence, no, not at all.”

Town are entering a tough run of games and he admits that the prospect of relegation remains a concern when the Blues - who are nine points from the bottom three - aren’t winning games and sides below are gaining points.

“It depends what happens next week, I guess,” he continued. “If we go to Preston and win and suddenly we might be 12 points clear of the relegation zone and suddenly we start looking upwards again. But while teams start catching us up it always becomes a worry, of course.”

McCarthy was happy with debutant right wing-back Jordan Spence’s display: “I was really pleased with him.

“Josh Emmanuel has done nothing wrong but Josh was just knackered on Tuesday night, having played Saturday-Tuesday, he’s not gone through that yet, Saturday-Tuesday, Saturday-Tuesday. I was happy with Jordan, he played really well, I thought.

“If I’ve got fresh legs and fresh legs who can play as well as that I don’t see any reason I wouldn’t use them.

“Developing players [is one thing], we need to pick up points, we need to be hard-nosed and that’s what we’ll have to be for the rest of the season.”

McCarthy was also pleased with substitute Kieffer Moore, who was also making his debut: “I thought Kieffer did all right actually, I was pleased with him. What is he going to do? He comes on as a sub, you’re 2-0 down.

“He had a good turn in the box and didn’t quite catch it right. He held it up a couple of times, he won a few headers.

“If he does that well having come on for 20 minutes, he did OK, Kieffer, I’m happy enough with him.”

Owner Marcus Evans was at the game before leaving five minutes prior to the end, as he usually does, but McCarthy says the two didn’t meet up.

“No, I’ve got things to do, I’ve duties to perform, I’ve got to speak to the radio, the TV and other media,” he said. “I spoke to the players, so no I haven’t spoken to him yet.

“I didn’t even know he was here. If he’s here to watch my performance and see what the fans think of me, great, that’s fine. But I don’t think so somehow.”

In addition to the lengthy list of injuries keeper Bartosz Bialkowski missed today’s game through illness.

“It doesn’t help but we’ve struggled with injuries all season and I could do without the sickness bug hitting us between now and next week,” McCarthy added.

Regarding the long injury list, aside from Teddy Bishop, who will play for the U23s against Liverpool at Tranmere tomorrow, he says no one else is close to a return, including David McGoldrick, who has been out with a hamstring problem: “No, he’s not been on the grass yet.”

Huddersfield manager David Wagner was pleased that his side, who are up to third, got back to winning ways having lost at Sheffield Wednesday last week.

“I think after the first five, maybe 10 minutes it was a very strong performance from the lads," he said.

“Very energetic, very focused, very concentrated. We scored two wonderful goals and defended very well.”

He added: “In my opinion a very good performance and a massive three points for us.”

Photo: TWTD

Norwichbeater added 19:50 - Jan 21 Can you imagine any other clubs supporters putting up with this. We should all hold our heads in shame. Me included.
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runaround added 19:52 - Jan 21 Same rubbish comments from Mick as always when we lose. Not much in it, wonder goal, scrambled second etc etc. There's nowt in it because your team do nothing to try & win it! Wrong tactics yet again from yesterday's man. Replaces Emmanuel because he had fresh legs available but wouldn't do that with his favourites Berra, Chambers, Skuse etc would he? His "I'll decide when I leave" comments from earlier have further alienated fans & it's obvious his time here is up & obvious he knows it too. Yet him & Evans are both too stubborn to make the move so we're left in this awful limbo. Fans disillusioned, angry & cancelling tickets, players with rock bottom confidence directionless & leaderless. People thinking we are far too good to go down have their heads in the sand as currently I struggle to see us getting many points playing like this. Even if we do stay up the damage of just letting things slide is dangerous to the club. Evans needs to grow a pair and make the change. Thanks for what you have done previously for club but last 12 months haven't been good enough. Please do what's right for this great club & go

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SheptonMalletBlue added 19:53 - Jan 21 If he's here to watch my performance and see what the fans think of me, great, that's fine. But I don't think so somehow.” Arrogant tw*t!!
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heathen66 added 19:57 - Jan 21 I am sorry ??? .....the lads have been great all season in terms of the way they go about their job, their professionalism, their work-rate....urm...no they haven't otherwise we would be nearer the top of the league, unless as has been said before they are only doing as they are told And here lies the real issue "Our problem was that we didn't play particularly well when we had it but we did stop them playing.” This seems to be your one and only game plan...to stop them playing !!! You need to set up the team to assert ourselves on the opposition and therefore let them worry about us. We are too worried about what the opposition is doing and when we have the ball we are unsure what to do. We are set up so defensive but concede goals far too easily, therefore this approach is not working. The best form of defence is attack (apart from if you are playing Lincoln :-))

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christiand added 20:08 - Jan 21 First goal put the game to bed Mick!
8

Keaneish added 20:10 - Jan 21 "The game is generally getting the ball off them and stopping them playing and then playing when you've got it." EH? Isn't it the other way around? At least, this is what i've been taught for the last 30 years... Play and play to keep the ball. If and when it breaks down, look to win it back. Some might say this is just semantics but its really revealing with Mick. Defensive first, work hard, get their heads down and earn the right to play rather than go out there, stamp your authority on the game and look to play them off the park. YAWN. Change the mindset and approach and the performances and results will change.

23

KenHancocksBoot added 20:12 - Jan 21 Strange that every game we seem to play a good team and lose. We were a good team once. That we are no longer is purely down to no leadership off the pitch and no leadership on it. They say a fish rots from the head. Same applying at Portman Road. Unless ME acts soon, all we will have left is the carcass of a once great club
15

PSGBlue added 20:20 - Jan 21 Just shows Mick's and the team mentality at the moment. How can the game be 'put to bed ' after only 57 minutes. What does that tell you about our team, for christ's sake Mick it's only Huddersfield! Mick out!
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Cakeman added 20:27 - Jan 21 Waiting for McCarthy to go is like waiting for a tooth to be pulled at the dentists. You are in pain for an unknown time until you are called to the chair for the pain to be relieved. Sadly for us Town fans it is going to be a long time in the waiting room!
13

blue added 20:50 - Jan 21 No matter going 2-0 down heads up play to the whistle we can score 3 and win the game .No excuses relegation battle coming soon.
8

luckydiddy added 20:54 - Jan 21 In his own words … “I thought we've been beaten by a good team, that's what we've been beaten by,” he said. “But I think up until 43 minutes there wasn't a lot in it. So until we were beaten then … stating the bleeding obvious? Perhaps you haven't noticed yet .. but you don't actually get any points in the league for losing. If chasing the game Douglas's career stats do not suggest he is the person to turn things around. He doesn't score many nor have many assists. “They had the ball, we didn't have many chances but neither did they. We got done by a bit of a wonder goal, to be honest. Why are we always being done by “wonder goals?!” “The game is generally getting the ball off them and stopping them playing and then playing when you've got it. Our problem was that we didn't play particularly well when we had it but we did stop them playing.” There is so much wrong here it beggars belief … Firstly you didn't stop them playing .. they broke your set up, tactics and team down and scored. Secondly as others have pointed out I was always coached .. the team gets the ball .. the team keeps the ball (opposition really can't play then) .. if opposition do get the ball .. get it back. He admitted it was a blow to go behind despite having managed to do that, adding: “But we had to be better with the ball [in the second half]. Well .. you were losing at the end of the first half .. so it is a bit obvious you needed to be better in the second half. ....“And unfortunately that kind of put it to bed because we were struggling to get chances out of it, although Jordan Spence, who I thought was good today, if we'd scored from his run and shot, and who knows. It's fine detail.” Yes you would only have lost 2-1 then. Despite the result, he felt the first-half performance showed a reaction to the FA Cup exit at the hands of non-league Lincoln. And this is because we lost, failed to score a goal, failed to keep a clean sheet, defence caught out yet again, at least 8 shots all game is an improvement on the Lincoln game (BBC says it was 7 in that) Great response all round! “Without a doubt,” he said. “I was never worried about getting a response from Tuesday night, whatever happens in the FA Cup, I've no idea. The last part of this statement … finally the penny drops! MICK OUT .. MILNE OUT .. EVANS OUT OUT OUT!

11

blueboy1981 added 21:03 - Jan 21 ......... lost count of how many times this season he has said 'they are a good team' - seems the only bad team is yours Mick........ ever thought of that ?? Even Rotherham 'were good' - according to the gospel of Michael....... !!!
16

SickParrot added 21:06 - Jan 21 Dino Mick says HE will decide his future at the end of the season. So if he isn't sacked before he will F off when we are relegated cos he doesn't fancy managing a league 1 Club!
4

BlueMachines added 21:07 - Jan 21 There was nothing between us and the opposition, except the goals they scored. That's the name of the game Muck. Scoring more goals than the opposition. You same the same thing week in week out. Muck out.
7

blueboy1981 added 21:11 - Jan 21 ....... anyone else think this 'bloke' has totally lost the plot, and spoken nothing but garbage for so long ? It's the same old sh-te after every game - and rarely, if ever, makes sense. Has anyone ever been paid so highly ? - for doing so little, and not having to perform, or achieve anything . His role is a results, and customer facing business - one could be forgiven for thinking so, that's for sure.

11

Essexnblue added 21:11 - Jan 21 Lets get something straightened out, the guy (his mate is on the support staff) sitting next to me told me before the teams were announced that Emmanuel was still stiff on Thursday and was very doubtful and Bart wasn't at training yesterday due to a virus and others had previous throughout the week. So despite all of the rubbish being spouted about the club and its management the players were genuine today. The football was better than at Lincoln and I always felt that we had a chance as they hold onto the ball but don't really create anything much. Thought Chambers was good today as was Spence COYB

1

BlueArrow added 21:14 - Jan 21 Well Mr Evans you were at the game what did you think. Were you as sick ad Bart and the rest of the Town fans that you had to leave early. Please make some sort of comment so we al know
6

jpring89 added 21:17 - Jan 21 YOURS AND EVANS MANAGEMENT HAVE PUT US TO BED. IM EMBARRESSED TO BE A TOWN FAN AT THE MOMENT WERE THE BIGGEST JOKE IN THE FOOTBALL LEAGUE.
11

runningout added 21:20 - Jan 21 many Decent additions needed quick, not hopeful discounted rejects
4

DoseOfReality added 21:26 - Jan 21 ME do something quick .. MM deluded & doesn't care Sack him & get someone in & BACK THEM OR CLEAR OFF Why on earth did you get involved if you can't afford or are too tight
4

Help added 21:33 - Jan 21 Can I ask you one question Mick. What do you and the players do in training?
7

sixtyblue added 21:42 - Jan 21 The only thing needing put to bed is you Mick.Do your dreaming at home have a few nightmares like supporters are having over your inability to even admit the job is too much for you. The proof is there for no all to see both you NF the team are both walking into oblivion.
7

NoelTheDub added 21:53 - Jan 21 If iv got fresh legs i will use them is that why you bring on Douglas he hasnt bloody got any legs you plonker.
5

BillyBaxterwasbest added 21:57 - Jan 21 You are a moaning lot of children, grow up and stop throwing your rattle out of the Priam. Life long fans should always encourage. You cannot have the good times all the time. GROW UP!
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jas0999 added 21:58 - Jan 21 Utter tosh! Evans allowing MM to get away with this is criminal. Yet, Evans not devoid of blame either. Shambolic stuff.
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