Caretaker-manager Ian McParland admitted that Town’s 7-0 FA Cup embarrassment at Chelsea was the worst result of his coaching and management career. The match, the Blues' worst ever defeat in the competition, looks likely to be McParland’s one game in charge with Town set to name Paul Jewell as their new manager on Monday.

McParland says it won’t be easy for the team to get over such a heavy loss: “I’ve been a manager and a coach for years, and I’ve never been beaten like that. It hurts my pride. They’ll bounce back, I’ll bounce back. It’s up to the players.

“Let’s not forget who they are playing against. I think there are Premier League clubs who came down here and lost by seven and eight last year. We’re maybe in good company. Let’s not forget the other teams which have come down here and got a good hiding. But it doesn’t make it any easier for me.”

The man known as throughout football as Charlie says he thought the tie could go one of two ways before kick-off: “I knew what was going to happen today. We’re a few players down, the boys are a bit shellshocked with the manager going on Thursday and even with our strongest team we’d have had a struggle on down here because we’ve huffed and puffed in the Championship.

“I thought we would either give a good account of ourselves or we could take a good thrashing, and unfortunately it was the latter.”

McParland says it’s impossible to say whether the game would have gone better had Roy Keane still been manager: “It’s hard to say whether it would have been any different had Roy still been here. I’d like to think it would have been. Who knows?

“For half an hour we were doing OK, we were in the game. Then we gave them three quick goals, three bad goals, especially the own goal, and we crumbled a little bit. Our players were chasing the Chelsea players about, top class players, and they got tired. The way we conceded goals wasn’t good.”

The 49-year-old coach had sympathy with Town’s 3,000-strong travelling support: “I feel sorry for the Ipswich fans today.

“They’re a good bunch of fans, it’s a good football club and I just hope the new man that comes in can deliver some success and put smiles on their faces.

“The fans were fantastic today, they came and enjoyed their day. I think they enjoyed it a little bit better than me.”

McParland, who expects to leave the club when the new manager is appointed, says he knows nothing of the club’s timetable, but feels the incoming boss has a difficult task on his hands: “I think he’s got a very tough job. He’ll be sitting up there watching and I hope he’s in by Wednesday [before the Arsenal Carling Cup semi-final].”

Chelsea manager Carlo Ancelotti says his recently struggling team will benefit from the display and victory: “We needed to have this type of performance and the result was good.

“There were a lot of things we did well in this game - the performance of the team, a lot of strikers came back to score - Anelka and Lampard.

“But obviously we don’t have to get excited because we have to give the same performance next week against Blackburn. With this victory our confidence will improve.”

The Italian felt the game was a contest for the first half hour: “In the first 30 minutes I was a little bit worried, there was less confidence in our play. But when we scored the first goal, everything was OK.

“In the first 30 minutes Ipswich played a good game, after that they defended well, they had two good opportunities, one shot from distance, one from a cross.

“They played a good game for 30 minutes, after the first goal it was easier for us to play our football, to counter-attack and to score more goals.”

Photo: Action Images

moomoosereni added 23:19 - Jan 9 Jewell not my first choice as mentioned before, but so long as we can all appreciate whoever takes this job on has a very tough few months ahead then we can all get behind him! When you look at Jewells records with Bradford and Wigan it is impressive. Both he turned up at with little money to his disposal and took them to the premier league, and on both occasions quite impressively too. Whoever is in charge, provided its not another public relations signing then i'm behind them.

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south_aussie_blue added 23:20 - Jan 9 Disgraceful
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katemoss added 23:32 - Jan 9 At least the manager starts with a clean sheet, not one of these players is good enough. Especially Norris.
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big_gaz67 added 23:41 - Jan 9 NSL - The reasons we didn't get promoted were losing at home to Watford and QPR in the same week and Royle's baffling tactic of playing the inept Diallo which meant Fabian had to play left back which gave the happy hammers a 2 zip lead in the play offs.
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devontractorboy added 00:02 - Jan 10 We need a five year plan, give the new manager a good chance & most importantly ME to support him in clearing this absolute shower out! They're not all Keane's purchases though & if players pulling on the shirt can't play with fight or pride then they need to go, whoever signed them!!! I will say that I thought Keane left like a gentleman & I'm sure he is disappointed he couldn't get success, some of the well paid mambers of our squad should be ashamed of themselves though, gutless...played like schoolgirls!!

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stinkiusminkius added 00:11 - Jan 10 Even more depressing, having seen the highlights. Leicester played with passion and no little entertainment against a better-form Prem team. Whereas we looked a mess. And to make it worse on the highlights were all the plaudits for a truly exciting and entertaining young prospect - a certain Andros Townsend. The more i think about it, the worse keane gets. Please give me some fresh hope with this new manager.

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ian_marshall added 00:13 - Jan 10 1st time posting! I'm not really sure if I want jewell but if its him ill give him my support, like most of you I just want something to cheer about and to come away from PR happy after watching some good football
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hollywoodginge added 00:26 - Jan 10 It's Paul jewell as new boss, Mel Henderson has reported it in the daily mail, he doesn't get it wrong, his article was posted at 1900hrs this evening.
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urbanblue added 05:48 - Jan 10 Lets get things in perspective here ! Chelsea, one of the best sides in the country, Europe, even the world. Been on a bad run but containing a couple of fringe players desperate to stake their claim, playing Ipswich, a struggling championship side, no flair, containing a loanee, youngsters, and journeymen. Managerless. half the side just knowing they have no future at the club AND with a cup semi final a couple of days later (Not many of you have mentioned that !) Were we really surprised ? I am town through and through, but find myself not being as upset as i thought i would be at this result. I was hoping that the players would shed 'the cloak of fear' that it seems they've been playing under with Keane. It didn't happen, so now we know that, probably , a lot of this squad has to go under our new manager. I actually do not feel so negative about our immediate future as some on here do. I think we have some great youngsters coming through (Hyam, Brown, O'conner, Murray ) and with the right person at the helm, and some astute signings we will be on our way. It sounds like we competed for half an hour but to let in 2 quick goals is an awful lot to come back from in the circumstances i mentioned above. I know some will say they should have done it for pride, but i'm afraid playing for pride, and the badge went at our club some time ago. It wouldn't surprise me either if Smith and Delaney were 'rested' for the Arsenal game in answer to some of you wondering why they wern't selected. So, lets all look forward to the future, whoever the new man should be. It looks like Jewell. Wouldn't have been my choice but will have my backing 100% if he is the man.

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bobble added 06:24 - Jan 10 you miserable bunch of whingers who cares if we lose to chelsea the important thing is we stay up this year and thats a lot more likely now keane has gone.. personally i would like a woman in charge for a change but anyone will do as long as the do not advocate fouling opposition players in their half as the main team tactic and playing 10 defensive minded players
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BrettenhamBlue added 06:50 - Jan 10 For the first time ever I agree with bobble. The Chelsea game wasn't important. Staying up is. The players played badly, yes, but I would rather they played like that in a cup game than a league match. Imagine being beaten 5-0 by Millwall at this point? Healy and a number of other players weren't fit to wear their shirts,- but they were up against the Premiership Champions and we were not expected to get a result. We need to get behind the TEAM until the end of the season or we will be talking about what team we will put out against Rochdale next season.

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muhrensleftfoot added 06:55 - Jan 10 If anyone had any doubt the sacking RK was the right thing to do, further evidence yesterday when Townsend scored & put in a sparkling performance for Spurs. One of the many bizarre RK decisions, not playing him enough. It was obvious to us fans, who know nothing, that he should have been a regular in the team. His mistake was showing flair & talent, neither of which seemed to impress RK.

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BrettenhamBlue added 07:09 - Jan 10 We all said it Muhrensleftfoot, and Keane refused to listen. Shame in some ways that that wasn't Keane's last game in charge. Would have been very appropriate! Colin Healy REALLY needs to go, I am all for giving every player a chance but every time I see him he gets worse and worse. He would be a bad player in the Blue Square Premiership....
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BrettenhamBlue added 07:12 - Jan 10 I know its controversial considering the score was 7-0, but Fulop was our best player by a mile. At the end I saw some Chelsea fans and they also said how impressed they were with him. We would have lost that 15-0 without Fulop....
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BrettenhamBlue added 07:13 - Jan 10 If I had been one of our defenders though I would have been ashamed to look Fulop in the face at the end of the match
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bobble added 08:49 - Jan 10 3 in a row thats cheeky have you seriously thought about the slight name change to RKeaneisaGone
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blueherts added 09:15 - Jan 10 Urban , Bobble spot on - Move on - game was a waste of time - result was foregone conclusion - Millwall and rest is key Hyam and Murray are great prospects - best two I have seen - homegrown in a while and with Brown and O Connor we have a core og good youngsters Bring Supps back in goal then start the rebuild Only others who put in a shift are Peters - I think Norris and Mac may be off Quite exciting really - like having a clean slate - if we go down , then so be it Other teams have and come back stronger and full of confidence Need a Manager who is not afraid to punt on a few lower league players

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Surco72 added 09:38 - Jan 10 Fulop,Brown,ODea,Kennedy,Edwards,Healy,Scotland all Keanes signings Mac,Peters,Norris,Wickham others that started and they were the ones Fulop & Brown aside who actually worked hard and looked ok ,just highlights once more what poor decisions Keane made in the transfer market and the amount of money he has wasted
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Bluroo added 09:41 - Jan 10 As soon as Keane goes its the players that are rubbish according to the armchairs.
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dirtydingusmagee added 09:41 - Jan 10 bobble, are you on '' puff'' ?
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lunatic38 added 10:54 - Jan 10 Biggest point for Me is some Premiership teams get hammered at Chelsea and to be honest what do You lot expect?? this Club ITFC has been more or less completely destroyed by a complete egotistical nut who got away with his antics for far too long and You CANNOT expect McParland to come up with a miracle in his first game in charge! Our team is very weak in certain areas and i think Healy was absolutely out of his depth exsposing our unbalanced fragile defence to an awesome Chelsea side!! and to make matters worse we have got Arsenal next! Yes expect another hiding because we have been left in such a state by the WORST MANGER this Club has ever had, and to think some of You wished the scumbag (Keane) good luck?????? When a new Manager has been appointed it wont be that we are Premiership material over night, DO NOT under estimate the damage that has been done to this Club!!!!! Be positive for our new manager, be patient and WE WILL RETURN!!!!!!!!!!! Maybe with a few signings and our football knowledge returned by just common football sense (not socially inept madness!) we could restore some pride by the end of this season and look foward to next season. I hope Roy Keane does not get the opportunity to destroy another Club (except Naarwich) and he retires from football never to be seen again!!!!!

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bluelady added 11:01 - Jan 10 lunatic do agree, but i have to say some stand in managers step up to the plate and use it as a chance to 'sell themselves' McParlan was awful, post game he was just like a wet fish no wonder he couldnt inspire the players. He said he is leaving town (obvious) but that hed like to manage elsewhere, who will want him??
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BlueVelvet added 13:20 - Jan 10 Thats why Jewell wouldn't sign until after the game - we were never going to win, and PJ wasn't going to want such a defeat on his CV. Unfortunately McP was the fallguy
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WREXHAM_BLUE added 21:36 - Jan 11 Believe me Charlie, I didn't enjoy the day one jot! COYB!
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