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McCarthy Disappointed With Defending
Saturday, 23rd Nov 2013 18:21

Town boss Mick McCarthy was disappointed with the way his side conceded two goals as nemesis David Nugent struck twice for Leicester to see the Foxes come from behind to win 2-1 at Portman Road.

The Town boss felt his players worked hard but was unhappy with both Nugent’s second-half goals: “There was no question about that, but they’ve punished us with two well-taken goals and our contribution to those goals was huge, I have to be honest.

“But when it comes, Nugent’s first strike, how many players in this league would have finished that on the run when it when it was bouncing back to him? I don’t know. Great strike.

“And the second one, it’s cobblers what we did in the build-up to it, tiny little error after error after error.

“But they then punished us and that was the difference. If you do it against good teams, you’ll get beaten and that’s what’s happened.”

It’s not the first time Town have fallen to a narrow defeat against one of the division’s top teams this season but McCarthy says it’s no consolation that his side are running the better sides close: “Someone just asked me whether I take comfort from that and, no, I don’t because we played well in the first half, it was a good performance.

“I don’t think the shape of their team was causing us any problems, we’d done really well and probably had had an equal measure of it, more so because we had scored. I was really annoyed after that [because of the goals] we gave away.

“The first one we’re closing the keeper down and it ends up in our net from an innocuous clearance. And the second one we’re in possession of the ball and attacking them and it ends up in our net. That’s not right.”

Asked about Nugent’s remarkable record against Town, McCarthy joked: “I’m f------ delighted for him!” he joked. “Let’s hope they get promoted and then he can p--- off out of my sight, that’d be great that, wouldn’t it? We’d only have to play against him once more, wouldn’t we?

“He’s a good player,” he added more seriously. “He’s a top class striker and in this league he’s one of the best.”

As for his own striker David McGoldrick’s seventh goal of the season, a striker similar to several others he has netted at Portman Road this season, he added: “He scores goals, that’s the main thing.”

The Blues boss felt Town had chances after they went behind and he’d been pleased with the way they began the second period: “We had a good header at the far post and we had chances before that.

“I thought we started the second half really well, Tunners had a really good chance, it just got under his feet and he scuffed it a bit.

“The goal came from us closing the goalkeeper down. Their keeper kicks it, he doesn’t make a good kick and it ends up in the middle of the park and then ends up in our net. That’s unacceptable, as good a finish as it was, we should have defended it better.”

McCarthy says Town need to return to keeping clean sheets as regularly as they were at the end of last season: “We’ll have to try and get back to that. We’ve scored more goals, ironically, but they were good finishes, they made us pay, that was the difference.”

Leicester boss Nigel Pearson, who was on crutches having undergone a knee operation in the week, said: “I thought in the first half we struggled to find any rhythm. I think their goal unsettled us a little bit, to concede so early in a game was a bit of a setback, but at 1-0 you’re always in it, especially with the players that we have.

“We’ve got some pace within the side and I think in an away game in particular that gives you an added bonus because you can play counter-attacking football a bit more.

“It was an interesting game, I think both sides tried to win it. I don’t think it was a cagey performance from either side, both sides tried to win.

“We were disappointed with how we played in the first half because we made too many unforced errors and we looked a bit lacklustre, but in the second half we upped our game quite a bit and I think that allowed us to gain the three points.”

Regarding match-winner Nugent, he added: “I think it’s 13 in 12 games [against Ipswich]. He obviously enjoys playing here.

“Good finishes, he always looked dangerous, he attacked the box pretty well today and I know he’ll get the headlines in terms of getting the goals, but the most important thing for us is that we’ve won the game.”


Photo: Action Images



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Leather24 added 18:31 - Nov 23
"Lets hope they get promoted and then p*ss off out of my sight" sounds like Mick has given up on the thought of promotion then
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bluefeast added 18:31 - Nov 23
Don't play centre halves at full back so obvious and predictable , let's face it we have no wingers in our team either. Tabb , tunnicliff mediocre , Anderson missing , chambers terrible , Mingus terrible. Be honest MM ,our players are still just work horse mentality
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bluefeast added 18:33 - Nov 23
Change the system and give opposition something to worry about. 442 with our players is predictable , change please and cause opposition problems.
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irishtim added 18:34 - Nov 23
Bloody Nugent.
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bluefeast added 18:41 - Nov 23
I'm bored one win in six is poor . Get our inventive players on the pitch from the off. Then maybe our defence will have more time to read the game as we will be causing opposition problems.
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TrumptonBlue added 18:47 - Nov 23
Tunnicliffe seems to miss a sitter every week.
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runningout added 18:50 - Nov 23
got to applaud David Nugent... Another winnable game Lost... Our defence had a dodgy day... Needs to sharpen, as I hope they know
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NoCanariesAllowed added 18:59 - Nov 23
Went with a couple of Leicester fans today and they thought we were unlucky. There genuinely wasn't much in that today considering Leicester are so high in the table, much as was the case at QPR etc. - but it's those little things that make the difference in a league this tight. Still, despite poor recent form, we're still in the top half. Again, that tells you a lot about this league.

Frankly, I'm not thinking about the top six this season - if we finish no lower than where we are now, I'll be satisfied with that as progress from the last four years of relegation panic and a sign of positive, patient building under Mick.
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Garv added 19:09 - Nov 23
Supporters disappointed with attacking.
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CustardCream added 19:15 - Nov 23
Jed Wallace and a pacy winger in January please
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WillsbridgeBlue added 19:26 - Nov 23
I'll say it again,I f*cking HATE that pric* Nugent. He must be a SCUM fan & really hate us because he can't stop scoring against us! 2 weeks ago in his last game he couldn't hit a cow's ass with a banjo & didn't score but typically today he's done us again! Will our defenders ever learn against him. Another let down after taking the lead against a good side & we can't keep clean sheets like at the back end of last season. Pity we couldn't keep hold of Stearman & kept a settled back four who were playing well. Not sure re Berra, Chambers & Smith is probably the best partnership in the middle of defence. Hopefully Cresswell back will improve things from next match. MM needs to improve squad & could even shift some out to make way if being honest. Plus we need to be more positive & attacking,especially @ home. I also think our midfield is weak with not enough quality & a prolific goalscorer like that sh*t Nugent would be useful. McGoldrick is a class striker but we're relying on him too much & he's not as prolific as we need. Taylor - not sure as not played enough for us & what's his best position? Murphy is hit & miss but works hard & Nouble is well @ the moment not worth a wa*k! Hopefully with a good backing @ Charlton we can pull off another good away win. Mid table again for us I think @ this rate!
COYB!!
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blueboy1981 added 19:26 - Nov 23
....... I should think he IS disappointed with his defence. - NUGENT had enough time with both his goals to almost un-stitch the net.

Not as if we don't now him - IS IT ???
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TimmyH added 19:38 - Nov 23
Not much of an excuse Mick is it to say 'We're running the better sides close' as I'm sure if you look back at the results quite a few other clubs are too! you very rarely see another team tonked.
First things first Mick sort out the RB problem and that might mean Berra benched, also how much protection are players like Skuse/Tabb/Hyam giving the back 4 as it strikes me somebodies not doing their job properly, 2 clean sheets in 17 games obviously backs this up. Great strides made by Mick last season on this front but this season...maybe we should give Mick a £1m bonus to get us into the play-offs (he'll really have to work for that).
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Paulc added 19:50 - Nov 23
RB is still a huge issue, Smith struggled today probably due to the last week's exertions. Berra was indifferent. Mings had an ok first half but not so good in the second.

our biggest problem for me is ideas going forward. We often play back out of midfield rather than look for a forward move, then pass it along the back 4 times then hoof it up. If you're gonna do that take the gamble and do it quicker from midfield.

how many times did the ball go up to Murphy for him to do his job by flicking on, only for there to be no-one running off him (that's your job Nouble by the way).

And as for Taylor, he let the side down today, he hurt his shoulder not long after coming on, he struggled on with it clearly in pain, then once the 3rd sub was made he could barely run, there was one instance where he could have got behind the full back and couldn't even move. He really should have told the bench.
it's not a disaster by any means, but very frustrating to say the least.
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DurhamTownFan added 20:15 - Nov 23
Right, so if we keep conceding goals, does Mick then decide to go even more negative and defensive in his formations and selections? I fear so.

how many championship sides keep clean sheets week in week out, bar qpr? Because there's so little to choose between sides, especially when you can't spend much money like us.

Imo, the only way is to just give it a go qnd attack teams. If you sit back you invite pressure and if you drill it in not to concede people get nervous and play badly.

Give it a bloody go, Mick!!
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craigyboy10 added 20:35 - Nov 23
Leather 24

Lets face facts we are a working progress, to obtain promotion this season is very unrealistic, we just need to have a stronger season that recent seasons, which so far we are, I've never looked at us and thought we are contenders for this league, but who knows next season?

We need to build a team and it takes time, time and time again I hear about that Leicester team how they have played together for a couple of seasons now, and look this season they look like there getting the just deserves, that could be us, that's what we must aim for.
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TimmyH added 20:45 - Nov 23
and then there is Burnley....
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No32 added 20:59 - Nov 23
I don't think MM has any right to be critical of the Defending to be honest, because it's his making...>! We started off with a solid foundation Smith / Chambers at CB and Cresswell at LB.

Having shoe-horned his mate Berra into the team has upset what should be seen as the crucial backbone of the team - the CB partnership is his own fault.

Chambo is NOT a RB. And Berra was dreadfully exposed for his reaction time and pace today against a decent winger and CB in Doyle & Nugent.

Stearman was a huge loss - but over the last 5 years when playing the likes of Edwards at RB - is a glaring display that we NEED a proper RB, or at least to persist with the likes of Hewitt who IS a RB, not a CB covering. Skuse at Blackpool underlines the issue. Why are we paying Vaselli's wages If he has no hope of showing us what he can do as a natural back - and ultimately sending out Hewitt?
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blueboy1981 added 21:23 - Nov 23
...... oh, and Webster - Don't you think it's time you taught Gerken how to 'kick a ball' - some of his kicking today was diabolical for a keeper at Championship level.
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Vic added 21:56 - Nov 23
TimmyH - think you'll find that Mick was saying exactly the same as you!! ie, that it is indeed no excuse and that the do indeed need to get back to getting clean sheets.
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Walk_the_Wark added 22:37 - Nov 23
Blah Blah Blah----- MM OUT PLEASE!!!!!
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billlm added 23:24 - Nov 23
no offence to chambera really like the guy but we need a rb dyer run him ragged all game
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runningout added 23:48 - Nov 23
I'm sure Mr Nugent is so upset you dislike him WillsbridgeBlue..........
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bluelodgeblue added 08:52 - Nov 24
We are work in progress anybody thinking we should be in the top 6 (inc MM) must be from planet ZOG!
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muccletonjoe added 09:54 - Nov 24
Don't you think it is about time you realised mick mccarthy that we are not capable of holding onto 1 - 0 scorelines against teams like leicester and send your team out to have a go at the opposition or their are going to be a lot more disappointments
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