Boss Mick McCarthy admitted Town are in a “relegation scrap” following their 3-1 defeat at Cardiff City, the Blues having dropped to 17th, just five points above the relegation zone.

“We were well beaten,” he reflected on the defeat to the Bluebirds, who came from behind to win after Luke Chambers had put Town in front. “We were poor and I thought they were good.

“I guess [Cardiff boss] Neil [Warnock] will say that you go out and beat somebody and you make them play poorly, badly, you don’t let them get going.

“I thought they were very good but I didn’t think we were anywhere near what our standards have been.”

The Blues boss, who was celebrating his 25th anniversary as a manager, felt Cardiff’s second goal five minutes after the break was a key moment.

“We won the first header, then it got headed back on top of us and we didn’t win the first ball, we didn’t win the second one and it ended up in the back of our net. It was really poor from us, poor defending.

“All three. We’ve not defended well for any of them. We didn’t get organised for the set piece, having talked about it. They won’t score an easier equaliser, that’s for sure.”

He added: “We didn’t start well at all, we gave far too many freekicks away, they were putting it in freely from the edge of our box.

“Having got the goal, you never know what’s going to happen, we thought we might get a response and I think we did actually, it was OK then.

“It was their goal, we’ve allowed them to stick the ball in the box, which was really poor. But you could see it coming, they were putting a lot of pressure on us.”

At half-time McCarthy switched from 3-5-2 to 4-4-2 but he admitted the change didn’t work.

“Because what we were doing wasn’t working,” he continued. “The way they were playing, I think our back three defenders were almost being occupied by one striker and it wasn’t working. But it didn’t work the other way around when I took him [Tommy Smith] off either.

“[The second] was an awful goal to concede. We’ve got a back four and we weren’t really organised, it’s not like we haven’t played a back four. To think that we can’t play a back four is ridiculous, we’ve played that for pretty much four and a half years since I’ve been here.”

With eight games to go the Blues look to be one of seven sides battling to avoid finishing 22nd, which would see Town drop into the third tier for the first time since 1957.

“We’re in a relegation scrap, I’ve never denied that,” he said. “I’ve been asked that in press conferences all the time and I’ve always said I’m looking over my shoulder or in the wing mirrors at teams behind me not up in front of me.

“I’ve not been shying away from that ever and we can’t afford to play like that because there’s always somebody that slithers into that bottom three and always somebody that scraps their way out.

“And it’s funny, when you’re trying to scrap your way out, it’s amazing how much fight you have in you and when you’re going the other way it can be quite the opposite.”

Having been the ones fighting their way out of trouble in his first season in charge, the boot is now on the opposite foot.

“It is,” he admitted. “We all need to regroup I think in the week prior to the games that are coming up, they’re huge games, Birmingham and Wigan. We’ll certainly need to compete better and play better than we have.”

Given the Blues’ form, does he feel it’s a good or a bad time to have a break with no game next weekend due to the international fixtures.

“It doesn’t matter, we’ll find out when we come back against Birmingham whether it’s a good time or not, when we have those two games,” he reflected.

“It’s just important that when we do come back everybody’s in it together and we make it a really tough place for people to come, Portman Road. They’re huge games, massive games for us.”

McCarthy says he understands the frustrations felt by fans: “Do I look happy? I’m not happy with it at all and I’m not happy that people aren’t happy with me or with the players or with the club.

“I fully understand the dissenting voices but we’ve just got to make sure we’re staying in this league.”

The Town boss says it’s not easy to work out why form has fallen away after the promising displays in February.

“It’s more than frustrating, it’s bloody annoying,” he added. “Why have they not continued? It’s difficult to put your finger on it because we were playing particularly well, playing well with the 3-5-2. It wasn’t great last week and it wasn’t great today.”

Despite the result, McCarthy says he still plans to give players some time off during the international break.

“I will be, yes,” he continued. “There’s no point in bringing them in and hammering them, that’s not going to do any good.

“I think we need to be fresh when Birmingham and Wigan come to our place, we need to be full of running.”

Warnock was pleased that his team's performance brought them three points.

“We’ve had our opportunities with a little bit more nous we would have had nine points from three games," he reflected.

“As I said to the players just now, if you’d have told me when I walked through the door that we’d have 51 points with eight games to go, I’d have snapped your fingers off.

“You’ve got to give them credit, they’ve listened and learned and you can see they’re enjoying it, they’re winning their battles in every department.

“And there were some good goals today as well, I thought. A good atmosphere with the fans, just what we wanted before the international break.”

He added: “We wanted to change it slightly today, we were outnumbered in midfield today but we said let’s have a gamble.

“Last week we went with a different system and it was boring, I didn’t enjoy it at all, even though we should have won. I want to enjoy it if I can.

“I thought today it was a gamble because they could have picked us off in midfield but I thought we created more with the strikers on the field than we would have done like we did last week.

“I’m pleased that we scored the goals because that’s what we set out to do today, to be a bit more positive. Whenever the full-backs could get on that’s what I wanted them to do today, to get bombing on as much as they could.

“I thought they both did ever so well apart from the break away from the freekick when they should have scored [through Grant Ward], I thought we should have been stronger there then, but we’ll learn from that.”

Photo: TWTD

Mick_Mills_Tache added 19:12 - Mar 18 We've been in a relegation scrap for the majority of the season to be honest, Mick. We're lucky that Rotherham and Wigan look certain to go down - are we better than Wolves, Birmingham, Forest, Bristol, Burton or Blackburn? I honestly don't know if we are! They all score more goals than us which, ultimately, is what is going to save you. So many failings over the past two seasons. I said mid way through last season that we'd be fighting relegation this (as did a few others). Mick should have gone at the end of November. A new manager should've come in, assessed the team through December and then strengthened in January. Our owner/board are both clueless and neglectful. Should never have given Mick the chance to decide his own future. I can not see ST sales going north of 8,000 next season (that's me being optimistic!!) R.I.P. Ipswich Town F.C.

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walberblue added 19:13 - Mar 18 Stick with the 8-2-0 Mick
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bluemike1969 added 19:14 - Mar 18 We are a laughing stock and it's all down to you Clear your desk out and piss off. The fans hate you and the players don't respect you. Give someone a chance to keep us in this division as you are an inept fool
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Mick_Mills_Tache added 19:16 - Mar 18 Oh yeah, I'd also like to know where the McCarthy sympathisers are? Swn, bohslegend, etc? "Where are you, let's be havin' you" (in the words of that drunken cow up at Carrot Rd).
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Knightsy added 19:25 - Mar 18 No Sh*t Sherlock.....MM Out , Evans Out, Milne Out
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cornishnick added 19:26 - Mar 18 What's the biggest risk? Sacking him now or keeping him? I honestly don't know.
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lightingblue added 19:27 - Mar 18 We ,are mistakes I am eliminating from my under 9mteam
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lightingblue added 19:28 - Mar 18 On and I tell um when they make a mistake and how they will,learn from it. These are pro footballers
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Bluesquid added 19:28 - Mar 18 “It was their goal, we've allowed them to stick the ball in the box, which was really poor." We've been like this for two seasons now. The defensive players backoff, standoff, ball watch and give too much space allowing crosses to come in. Micks just noticed it today and that's just one of the reasons he has to go. Should of been booted out months ago. Mick out!
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Knightsy added 19:32 - Mar 18 Looking at the remaining fixtures we will be lucky to get 8 Points out of 8 Games left.
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muccletonjoe added 19:36 - Mar 18 If we dont beat birmingham or wigan , we deserve to go down. No ids or buts or 10 paragraphs of blather. That is the size of it.
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cartman1972 added 19:41 - Mar 18 'we didn't play to our standards'???? Yes we did, we are rubbish and we played rubbish. 2 wks for chairman to show some balls and sack him......the only good comparable to a team that has gone down to league 1 is Southampton.. Look at them now, might do us good. Until he leaves the club I've lost all interest after 40yrs.
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Facefacts added 19:49 - Mar 18 He hasn't a clue how he is going to keep us up. Can only play one way. So why not appoint a caretaker or player manager for the rest of the season. He is crying out to be sacked. Has nothing to say. Now is the time for Marcus to find a new manager so that the supporters can at least get behind a new interim appointment then look again in the summer, Marcus. There is money available to sack Mick as you did not buy a marquee striker in January.

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TimmyH added 19:57 - Mar 18 You put us in the scrap Mick...aided and abetted by your 'in bed' mate Marcus. My fear is if he gets us clear after the break and starts winning some games and ends the season better it might act as a fuse for Mick carrying on into next season and certainly ME wouldn't act. The only positive I can see if we did get relegated is that ME would have to sack Mick, unfortunately I can't see Mick being sacked or getting us relegated.

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dukey44 added 20:06 - Mar 18 I for one can't honestly see how any Ipswich fan wants Mick here?? Please close the door behind u you arrogant tw at!!!
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1RWR added 20:12 - Mar 18 Oh lord! If we're scrapping for points to stave off relegation, you know what that means......flat back 10 & 'go for a point'! Please just end this dreadful season 4 places from the bottom.
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cornishblu added 20:19 - Mar 18 They were good!!.....just signed your own resignation if that's the standard you are looking to achieve ....we made them look good in the second half.....any team that could put two passes together would have beaten Cardiff today Just Go
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MicksZzzTactics added 20:21 - Mar 18 The self-perceived football genius stating the bloody obvious , oh dear! :-) .... yawn yawn Which annoyingly brings me around to ****TODAY'S 1 MINUTE ENGLISH LESSON**** "To bury one's head in the sand" An idiom meaning = To avoid reality; To ignore the facts of a situation; And thus exclusively :-) for TWTD I hereby present the entire incompetent current 5-man ITFC 'Regime', with their beyond clueless & silly heads firmly buried in the sand!: Top left: Johnathan Symonds Top right: Mark Andrews Center: Marvelous Marcus Bottom left: Dino McCarthy Bottom right: Ian Milne Idea: Jason deCaires Taylor ... and as for the actual local "Stage Director" so to speak behind this truly artful performance, I ehhhm sort of 'Heard It Through The Grapevine' (currently sipping at a vintage 'Chianti' anno 2007 to be more precise :-) lol) that it was none other than 'The Departed" .... to Spain one .... aka @swan98!!! Lmao!!!

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braveblue added 20:27 - Mar 18 Difference since February? Skuse back in, Knudsen back at left back and setting up with 7 at the back. Skuse and Douglas did not work and yet he tries to duplicate it. Just resign. Renew season ticket - joke!!
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madmouse1959 added 20:31 - Mar 18 This article was Neil Warnock telling us how well his players won their personal battles on the pitch . Obviously a manager who can motivate his players. Can McCarthy and Conner motivate our players to play attacking football ? Every week we can only talk about how poor we were. Yes, let the players have a good rest in the international break, see you on the golf course lads.

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Tractorboy1985 added 20:31 - Mar 18 We go to villa and win.. then enter cole skuse.. the man is a total waste of space.. possibly the worst midfield player the club has ever had and on the Slide we go again.. he offers F**K ALL!!!!! Drop the donkey!! We are in serious trouble!! I do believe this club will go down if not this season but next under the most bent.. deluded.. worst owner a football club could ever have!! Thanks Marcus.. you are a disgrace with your millions you have ruined this football club.. you have no balls or clue how to run a football club!! I detest you with a passion for ruining a love of my life.. I will not fill your pocket with anymore of my hard earned cash and will do everything in my power to drum up a group to get you out of this once great club! FOMM

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Blandford added 20:32 - Mar 18 "We're in a relegation scrap" - you're joking right!!! From owner, through the management, down to the players there is not a single one of them that has shown enough balls to scrap for anything over the last eighteen months. Despite all the media spin I now believe that the only people left that actually care about the club are us fans - the ones that have the least control over whether we remain a championship club.

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Tractorboy1985 added 20:33 - Mar 18 COLE SKUSE= utter pony!!!!!
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surgery added 20:35 - Mar 18 And they have the audacity to increase the price of season tickets. How about how much will you give us for one, sensible offers only please at this stage
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BlueInBerks added 20:36 - Mar 18 Since giving up my season ticket and moving to Reading, my daughter and I only get to maybe half a dozen games a season, some home some away. More often than not the overwhelming impression we leave with is a lack of quality, in that many of our players (on show) are simply not good enough and so not have the skills to compete with other clubs in the championship who are spending more money than us. Selecting favourites or being played out of position will not help, but unless Evans gives MM some cash to replace Murphy (at least) we will find ourselves outplayed until we arrive at the position that reflects our true worth, whichever division that might be.

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