Caretaker-boss Chris Hutchings felt he was let down by his more experienced players as the Blues slumped to a dismal 3-0 home defeat in what’s likely to be the former Chelsea full-back’s only game in charge.

Hutchings admitted that it was very much a below par display: “It wasn’t very good, obviously there was a lot of anxiousness about.

“Any manager or coach will say to start the game brightly or sharply, and we conceded after 46 seconds or whatever it was. That puts you on the back foot straight away.

“Then for 10 minutes we came under the cosh a little bit and as the game wore on we got back into it a little bit, but didn’t create too many clear cut chances and were wasteful with a few freekicks.

“In the second half, it was pretty even. I thought they scored a little bit against the run of play in that particular phase. I’m not saying we were dominating the game in any way shape or form because we weren’t.

“Then we’ve obviously tried to make changes to try and get back into it and it opened up a little bit more.

“The things that we’ve been working on very briefly in the last couple of days, about trying to get down the line, we’ve let their wideman cut inside and score, which is very disappointing.”

He says the more senior players were outshone by the youngsters: “One or two of the older players haven’t performed anywhere near what they can do, but I was pleased for Luke Hyam and Josh Carson, they were the only bright sparks, showing a little bit of effort and commitment.

“I don’t think we got it from one or two of the older players, but we conceded in the opening minute and confidence in sport is a massive thing. Whether that affected one or two remains to be seen, but it was very disappointing.

“I thought Josh and Luke stuck to their task well and showed a little bit of enthusiasm and a little bit of workrate.

“Sometimes when you put younger players in you could ask for a little bit more quality but I thought those two did all right today.”

He says words were had in the dressing room: “I was angry, disappointed, that should go without saying.

“The players are disappointed, one or two things have been said that will remain in the dressing room. It’s not good getting beaten 3-0, I’ve got to come up here and defend that.

“I told them they need to look at themselves in the mirror. I don’t pass it out of play, I don’t pass it to the opposition, and the players that haven’t performed anywhere that they can know that.”

Asked whether the players are waiting for the new manager to come in, he added: “I don’t think they’re waiting for something to happen because they should be professional people and have that desire and drive to perform for anybody. It’s their job, they get well paid for it and that’s what they should do.

“They haven’t [performed] for a while, and that’s why they’re four points adrift at the bottom of the table.”

He says they should be able to cope with the speculation that’s currently surrounding the club, and believes that self-belief is the biggest issue: “I think what it is is a lack of confidence, like in any sport.

“When you’re down you’ve got to show a bit of balls and come back. Some can, some can’t, sometimes it takes longer than others to come through periods like this.”

The Sir Bobby Robson Stand chanted ‘You’re not fit to wear the shirt’ at one point in the second half, and in some cases Hutchings found it difficult to disagree based on that performance: “I didn’t hear that, but that’s their opinion. They probably are right for one or two.”

He admits that whoever comes in has a difficult task: “It’s going to be very hard whoever takes over, but you have to grind it out.

“If you can get new players in, I think that’s what’s needed, if I’m totally honest. But that remains to be seen.

“You never want to take over a team at the bottom of the table but it’ll be an opportunity for someone.”

He says he’s yet to decide whether to bring the squad in for training tomorrow, as has often been the case after defeats and is in the dark about where things go in the immediate future: “I don’t know. I was just told to try and prepare for the game. We’re just taking things day by day as all the staff do.

“That’s what happens at football clubs. The manager goes and someone has to take charge of the team and the day to day running of it, the training, and you get on with things. It’s not a nice scenario, but that’s how it is.”

Massimo Luongo played for parent club Tottenham’s U21s this morning, but Hutchings says he’ll be back at the club on Monday: “Being a loanee, they have called him back to play as he wasn’t in the squad and we’ve allowed him to do that, but he’ll be back on Monday morning.”

Wednesday boss Dave Jones believed the result had been coming: “We’ve felt that for the last five or six games. We’ve stuck to what we believed in and kept believing it would turn and unfortunately for Ipswich today, they probably got the full force of us.

“On Wednesday [against Blackburn], the one thing we didn’t do, and the only thing we haven’t done over the last four or five games, is put the ball in the back of the net. We’ve dominated games.”

Photo: Action Images

righty added 20:33 - Oct 27 I dont know about letting Hutchings down I think they let themselves and most of all the supporters down
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Stato added 20:50 - Oct 27 I never wanted Jewell and like Jas I got a fair bit of grief for daring to criticise. I now don't want Curbishley or McCarthy but expect to be disappointed. I also don't want Clegg or Evans. What I do want is to see a squad assembled before the season kicks off and for all involved to ensure that next year that happens rather than telling us fans that prem clubs won't let players go. I want a manager who will regularly play 4-4-2 at home, a chief exec who understands professional football better than the olympics and an owner who cares more about our proud traditions than owning a tax vehicle.

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ITFCwiggo added 20:51 - Oct 27 Today was the biggest shambles I have witnessed at our great club since I started supporting the club 30 years ago. Hutchings was never going to be any better than Jewell, JET and Reo-Coker played well on Tuesday and were dropped today and Murphy was brought in again -Why? Hyam and Carson did their best but our tactics were ill thought out and hopeless!! IMO all PJ's coaching staff need to go! Fed up of hearing Mick McCarthy or Alan Curbishley are what is needed! They are experienced but last appointments were failures! We need someone who understands this club and its traditions and what it should mean to pull on that shirt! George Burley as Director of Football with Matt Holland as Team Manager and Mick Mills on coaching staff! Lets hope by next home game the new gaffer is in place and he has started to stop the rot and sent the loanees like Murphy, Henderson, Campbell and Wellens back to their clubs!

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Tractorboysi added 20:54 - Oct 27 I doubt Chopra will have the balls to criticise the fans tonight on twitter, the club is in a complete mess and half the senior squad need to take a damn good look at themselves, my Sunday league side would have put up more fight today.
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masetheace added 20:57 - Oct 27 At half time a fellow supporter of long standing described the selection and tactics today like rearranging the deck chairs on the deck of the Titanic . And so with the aid of some bizzare subs and positional changes in the second half it duly sank without trace . The worst I've seen since Brett Angel scored two for Stockport on a wet Tuesday night decades ago . I really fear for our future whoever is put in charge . Major surgery is desperatly needed

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PSGBlue added 20:59 - Oct 27 I am a bit concerned that Marcus Evans is still on holiday, so according to Hutchings. With the club in crisis, shouldn't he be back here sorting out this mess, or has he told Clegg to get it sorted by the time he gets back. I am sure that if his business was in the same shape as Town, then he would be be back like a flash. As I understood it, we were due to have a new manager in place by next Sat. The whole Evans/Clegg partneship is not filling me with much hope. Today's performance must be one the worst yet. Hyam played an average game, he just looked good when compared with rest. I hope whoever comes in, comes in with a big broom to sweep away the most laklustre Ipswich team of all time. Defeats to Birmaingham and Palace and we will be well adrift. Even Sir Ferguson may not be able to get us out of this mess! £500 for a League one season ticket, you are having a laugh Mr Evans!

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BIGDAZ added 21:02 - Oct 27 Wonder how many candidates have changed their mind after that display. That was the worst I have seen them play in a long time. with the exception of hyam I did not think anyone else cared.
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TimmyH added 21:06 - Oct 27 Sometimes you get strange results and a sort of turn around as soon as the manager is fired or resigns so I thought that today and stupidly predicted we would win 2-1 - how silly of me! This team is an utter shambles, bereft of any passion, skill or confidence and now 4 points adrift of the next team and could have been more thanks to Bristol City. The team on paper or even in the squad is not that bad but unfortunately what Paul Jewell has managed to do this season is under mine a lot of players confidence regularly taking them in and out of the 11 and some forgetting altogether and never having a settled team in part due to the ridiculous amount of loanee's, but that is only part of the problem there are no doubt a number of players just on cruise control and only to happy to pick up their weekly wage and move on to the next game. I wonder if these players really even care about the club they play for or could even tell us some of the legends of the past that played in their position for the club - I bet some couldn't! I hope who ever comes in to manage this lot and it's a big task not only has some sort of clear out but also whoever stays and comes in, gives them a rigorous run down about the club and the badge they are playing for and a 100% take no sh%t attitude. By the way does anybody know if this is a club record for number of games without a home win???

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Hatman added 21:10 - Oct 27 1 silver lining seems to be Matt Holland's presence. There was a player with pride and passion for the shirt, hopefully he's on the brink of coming back to Portman Road with his ex-gaffer who did a fantastic job building Charlton up from third tier to mid Prem, and saving West Ham from the foot of the table to mid Prem..., please please please CURBS and HOLLAND - get them in ME/Cleggy.

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Blue041273 added 21:10 - Oct 27 The game was lost in the team selection. Playing one small guy up front on his home against a back four containing three giants was ludicrous. Until we start playing a viable attacking game we will have no chance of getting a result. PLUS. What do they actually work on in training? Certainly not dead ball chances. Our free kicks and corners are hopeless and we get absolutely no advantage from our throw ins as nobody wants the ball and the poor s*d that gets it is dispossessed immediately. Certainly not basic defending; our back four don't tackle, don't win headers, and constantly get caught out of position. Hutchings had a chance to really make a statement today but bottled it with his team selection . This was just a PJ team with a different name tag.

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docsavage52 added 21:13 - Oct 27 Why is he still in charge, his tactics are the same as Jewell, and what interest has he got, unless he gets the managers job............SACK HIM
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40miles2town added 21:15 - Oct 27 11 players went missing at todays game load of rubish , and who ever gets the job work with the players that want to play for ipswich and if the loanes dont send them back players who are in the final year of there cotracts sign or go
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40miles2town added 21:17 - Oct 27 11 players weny missing today . dont care who gets the managers job just get rid of the players who dont want to be here
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blueash78 added 21:21 - Oct 27 warkthisway So you think abuse is ok? Unbelievable.
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scooterblue added 21:23 - Oct 27 can anyone tell me what Lee Martin actually does on the pitch every week that warrants him to be an automatic pick and not get subbed?. he is like many a complete waste of space but somehow play's every week .
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Lukeybluey added 21:26 - Oct 27 Whats happened to the lad Byron Lawrence? I thought he was dubbed the Jack Wilshere MKII? If thats the case, why isnt he playing? If i were the next manager i'd send all loans back to their clubs, sell martin, chopra. By a 6'5 hard as nails centreback. A decent rightback and a tall 6+ striker. Then build from there in the summer. Because i feel the majority of the current squad are taking us for mugs, we dont need them sorts! F£$K off!

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Talbs77 added 21:28 - Oct 27 I have just read the comments on the 4th page on here, and I'm really struggling to put it any better than you guys have. I think your points regarding players comittment to the club (which is usually a cliche with clubs at bottom of leagues but I actually think its true with this lot), the formation, moving deckchairs on the titanic are 1000% right. The only minute extra point I would add is in my opinion Chopra should be no where near the blue shirt. In my 25 years supporting our team rarely have I seen more disgraceful, unprofessional and selfish behaviour from an ITFC player this week, but he's not the only one. I really dont know post that catastrophe who the hell can come in and sort it all out, I just dont know and am open to anything, dont mind admitting it all feels so desperate now.

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scooterblue added 21:30 - Oct 27 i wonder who we're going to get in the johnstone paint trophy next season?
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marcus9 added 21:39 - Oct 27 i agree with talbs77 the general lack of commitment is disgusting i am no m mcarthy fan but he would not tolerate the likes of chopra etc something needs to happen quickly.
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Lukeybluey added 21:41 - Oct 27 agree talbs77. very desperate.
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Marcus added 21:50 - Oct 27 Very matter-of-fact analysis. Reminds me a bit of the very blunt Dale Roberts.
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SickParrot added 21:50 - Oct 27 Today was probably the worst home performance I have seen in 40 years. The passing was predictable and innaccurate, movement off the ball was poor, we were second to every loose ball, free kicks and corners were wasted and there was an apparent lack of energy and commitment from most of the players. The players we have are better than this, so this level of performance is either due to a total loss of confidence or because they do not care enough, or a combination of both. The new manager inherits a squad of average ability players that lack self confidence, who have a losing mentality and a poor team spirit because of the number of transient loan players. We have sunk so low that it will be difficult for the new manager to keep us up but let us hope that we appoint the right man this time. What about Dynamo - Magician Impossible?

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rollercoastertown added 22:00 - Oct 27 Complete shambles today, loanees don't care, (why would they, league one football is not going to happen to them!). Hutchings proved he was tactically inept and gutless, players failed to show fans any respect. Rant over. Where do we go now? Time for reality check, Evans and Clegg going nowhere. Any new manager has a mountain to climb, personally I would like McCarthy on 3 year contract, if we do go down, I think he will be the man already in place to bounce us back up. Fully appreciate many disagree and have their own opinions. Whoever gets the unenviable task needs us fans, wether we agree or not whe appointment, our only saviour is uniting and supporting them. Today was, a new all time low, like so many others I found it so hard to stomach today, but now we have to play our part, when the loanees return, the board retire, the players move on, it will be us left here with our club. The time has come for us to lead the way and show these people what IpswichTown is. Let's bring the atmosphere back, let's not go down quietly, let's lead our club back to where we belong.

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Edmunds5 added 22:02 - Oct 27 i disagree that no one will want this job, there isn't huge pressure and where we are in the League now, what a challenge for someone to get us our of such a dire situation. IF he keeps us up it will be as significant as winning a promotion for me. he would go achieve great status from Town fans purely for that, well from me anyway. This situation tests a managers strength of character and bottle, anyone who is put off by this situation shouldn't be a manager.

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Jesney_Havoc added 22:17 - Oct 27 Fail. Epic Fail. Whatever next ?
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