QPR boss Ian Holloway was disappointed that his side weren’t able to claim all three points from the 0-0 Boxing Day draw with the Blues and praised Town manager Mick McCarthy for the "unbelievably brilliant" job he has done at Portman Road throughout his five years at the club, reiterating comments he made after last season's corresponding fixture.
"Quite an exciting 0-0, don’t you think?” Holloway said. "There were a few incidents and chances. We’ve got to take some of them really but I was delighted that we held ourselves together and managed to create them.
"I think it’ll come with the people that I’ve got. I feel we’ll get used to each other and understand [one another] because we’ve had a lot to do with so many injuries to the back lads - eight of them all out - that I’ve had to change two midfield players into wing-backs and full-backs, so it’s been an absolutely hideous time for us.
"And, funnily enough, everybody’s talking about us not scoring because we will play quite well, to be fair.
"I have to say, I thought Mick’s team defended our crossing very, very well, it wasn’t the lack of movement. You could argue it was the choice of that ball but Mick’s an old hand at it, getting his team pretty well when the ball comes in the box.
"You’re not as good a player as he was and not be able to pass that on. TC’s a brilliant coach as well.
"We know it was tough but as an away performance to only get one point out of that I’m a little bit disappointed, to be honest. We looked quite a good team today.
"At Birmingham away [when they won 2-1 10 days ago, their first away win since February] we might have wilted, but we didn’t.
"We managed to do that. We believe at the moment we might be able to win. As I said to them today, ‘Let’s try and get two wins on the bounce away from home, that will feel nice, won’t it?'.
"That’s four points we’ve taken off of Ipswich. I hope by the end of the season, which is a long time off, there are plenty of games left, that whoever we’ve lost to we’ll turn round and end up with at least three points off everybody.
"To take four points off Mick’s team, and I would say deserved those points, like Mick said in the first game at our place when we won 2-1, we’re nowhere near as bad as where we are in the division at the moment. But you’ve got to take your chances.”
Holloway was annoyed by referee Andy Davies's decision to red card Scowen in the 86th minute.
"I have to say, we’ve had so many things go against us," he reflected. "Did you feel that was a sending off? Did you feel that was a foul? Why didn’t my fella get a foul up the other end 40 seconds earlier? I don’t get it.
"It looked exactly the same to me and I’ve just said that to the ref. I don’t understand. Maybe you’ve got some more bodies shouting and balling for a freekick, maybe you made a louder noise, but that shouldn’t matter, should it?
"He’s got to officiate in exactly the same way. I didn’t see any difference between the foul on my fella at the other end which we got nothing for to what Scowen was supposed to have done.
"I thought, ‘Here we go again’. Luckily it was a freekick not a penalty [as late on at home during the 1-1 draw with Bristol City on Saturday], which would have been a travesty but it’s still a red card or a second yellow and I don’t understand.
"And I’ve just asked him about that and his explanation, for me, I totally don’t agree with it. Maybe I’m biased though.”
The former Millwall, Blackpool and Leicester boss says he set his team up differently against McCarthy today having fallen to heavy defeats to his old friend in the recent past.
"I knew what Mick would try and do and he tried to do it and he got in a few times but we managed to defend that well,” he added.
"I did something different than I’ve done against him before because he’s beaten me 3-0 twice, which didn’t feel too nice, and we had a lot of the ball and a lot of the possession but that doesn’t always matter.
"So I’m pleased with today and I can’t wait to see him in a minute because he’s one of my favourites of all time. I think he’s a proper bloke, I love what he says, I love everything about him and it’s nice to see somebody stay here this long because I think he deserves to.
"Some of you last year gave him hell on legs. Get out of it! What you on about? When you can change some who are out of contract it’s easy isn’t it, if you haven’t got the money to go and buy some.
"And if you’re not given the money to go and buy some, you’ve got to do your best. And what he did, where he’s come from with this club is unbelievably brilliant.
"I was at Crystal Palace [a few] days after he got this job and I ain’t there any more, am I? And I got them promoted. We won 5-0 that day and we only had 28 per cent possession, and they were bottom of the league by a mile. And look what he’s done.
"It’s wonderful, an absolute academy of football this place but don’t live in the past. You’ve got some wonderful players, some wonderful people and I think what’s Mick doing, you should all be [more appreciative] and it was a nicer atmosphere today.
"I want a nicer atmosphere around our ground and I won’t get a nice one on Friday [at the Den] but I can’t wait. Millwall? Come on!”