Boss Mick McCarthy says the Championship is already starting to show its bonkers side after the first weekend of the season. Despite losing 2-1, the Blues manager was pleased with his team’s performance at Reading on Saturday and believes they’ll be fine if they continue in a similar vein.

He feels Town will probably play worse and win during the 45 league games ahead: “Without a doubt. And Reading will play better and get beaten, there’s no question. The league is already shaping up to be bonkers again.

“I watched the Derby-Blackburn game and I thought Blackburn were fairly comfortable and in control, then somebody gives away a daft freekick and from that daft freekick somebody has a daft handball and they’re 1-0 down.

“Then Derby should have won the game and, I didn’t see the equaliser, but it was a fabulous goal, apparently. It’s just the league — you’re playing well and suddenly you find yourself [drawing the game or losing].

“A bit like with us, we should have been more in front. We certainly shouldn’t have been 1-1 at half-time the way we played, but we were.”

Overall he says he was pleased with the display at the Madejski Stadium: “It was a good performance, that’s not me just thinking that, I don’t see games through rose-coloured spectacles because when we play badly I say that and I’m the first one to admit it.

“After 10 minutes while the game settled down, we were the dominant side. They’ve not had a shot at our goal that I can recall, so that pleased me.

“I was disappointed with the goal, we shouldn’t have conceded the goal, although I know you can say that about every goal. It was an own goal, but it ends up going in a yard from the goal-line, which can’t be right.

“And then in the second half I thought we matched them up until they scored. That was their little bit of luck, a deflection.

“It’s great, you come down from the Premier League, you’re needing to win because the pressure’s on and you get that little bit of good fortune.

“We should have been in front, I thought. The game opened up then, there were a few more chances for them and likewise we could have earned the draw with Ando’s header in the last minute.

“I thought we were excellent. I thought we matched them all over the park in every department.”

McCarthy had praise for the 2,550 Town supporters who made the trip to Berkshire: “Fabulous away support. I’m just glad that we created a bit of a buzz around the place because that’s the way it feels.

“Towards us the end of last season, they showed their support for us and that was lovely.

"I think most people will think we’ve done some good business in the summer and because of last season I’d guess there’s a nice thought about the team and about the players and a feeling that we could actually progress.

“I know some will have come away disappointed and feeling that everything’s not right, but I would have thought the majority will have come away thinking that they’ve seen a really good team performance, one that we can be proud of.

“And if our ambition is to do anything it’s to play against Stevenage, Millwall, Middlesbrough, Sheffield Wednesday, Donny, all the other teams at that level at full tilt with that energy and with that quality.

“I think Reading will be in the top six without any doubt and if we can play against other teams like that then we’ll be all right.”

Photo: Action Images

bigolconnor added 07:58 - Aug 6 we are well short of a premiership squad but McCarthy will get the best out of the squad that we have and hopefully we will get the number two spot. I don't see us winning the playoffs. Second will do just fine.
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Karlosfandangal added 09:05 - Aug 6 We don't need a premiership squard we need a championship squard, MM can build that squard next year
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Hatman added 09:45 - Aug 6 I watched the game with a Reading fan and I turned to him on 40 mins to say my only concern was we weren't further ahead as we deserved at least 2 - 0 for our first half superiority, and he agreed. Low and behold we found ourselves going in 1 - 1 which was a travesty. Reading did come much more into it in the 2nd half, but we created clear cut chances, Tabb could have had a 2nd, McGoldrick came very close twice, one fantastic save from the Reading keeper kept them in it. Mings was the weak link, we missed Cressy. But on balance I entirely agree with MM, and have not been as optimistic about a season since Big Fat Joe...

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FenboyBlue added 09:53 - Aug 6 Is Mick McCarthy really Dizzee Rascal ?
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