Daryl Murphy, whose first goal at Portman Road this season put Town on the way to their first home league win of the campaign, has provided an insight into how new boss Mick McCarthy prepared his team for that long-awaited success against Burnley.
Murphy, who is on a season-long loan from Celtic, revealed McCarthy stopped short of making the squad sit through a full re-run of last Tuesday’s 5-0 defeat at Crystal Palace.
The Republic of Ireland international said: "The manager picked out some incidents he wanted to highlight and made us watch them. He went over the mistakes that we had been making, silly little things that can be cut out. We went into detail about them.
"He showed us things on the video and then went over them in training. They might only be little things but if these mistakes are not being made it will prevent the stupid goals we have been giving away.”
And so it proved at Portman Road as McCarthy made it two wins from his three games in charge to lift Ipswich off the bottom of the Championship.
Thankfully, with a precious 1-0 win at Birmingham also in the bag, the thrashing at Selhurst Park was sandwiched between two victories that have boosted confidence in both the dressing room and the stands that things are definitely on the up.
Nigel Reo-Coker, like midfield partner Richie Wellens the previous week, spoke out after the drubbing in South London. Not only did his words ring true with other members of the squad, they helped to lift the spirit leading up to the win over Burnley.
Murphy added: "We definitely agreed with what Nigel had to say. Everyone had to look at themselves in the mirror after that performance. It just wasn’t acceptable.
"Embarrassing, I think, was the word he used and it was. We were all embarrassed after it and I don’t think anyone spoke on the bus on the way home. It was a bad atmosphere but then you are back in for training and you have to pick yourselves up.
"You can’t mope around the place with your head down. You have to brighten up and be ready for the next game.”
Murphy is delighted to be working again with McCarthy, who was in charge at Sunderland when he signed him from Waterford in June 2005.
He said: "He’s still the same man he was back then, very ambitious and gives 100 per cent in everything he does. He’s as tough as ever, which is what I think you need as a manager.
"There are also times when you need to talk to players individually and put an arm round their shoulder, and he can do that as well.
"I’ve never made any secret of the fact that I want to play up front but if he wants to change the formation I’m happy to go along with that.
"I think I give more to the team when I am playing as a striker rather than left midfield.
"I think I’m more involved in the game and when the ball is played up to me it’s up to me to get hold of it and bring other players into the play.”