Boss Mick McCarthy couldn’t hide his anger and frustration after the Blues’ 3-2 FA Cup defeat at Preston.

“I’m annoyed that we’ve lost,” he said. “When we got in front we were controlling the game and we’ve let them off the hook. We’ve conceded three poor goals from our point of view.

“I thought we were all right in the first half. When we got in front, as I say, I thought we were controlling the game, but we just didn’t defend the corner kick particularly well.

“It’s not too often I’ve been this way, so they’ll have to stop doing those things. I try to be consistent in what I’m like but I was annoyed with that today.”

Despite fielding a much-changed side, McCarthy believes the team should have been strong enough to win the tie: “Except for the three lads who didn’t get on the pitch, I didn’t see any kids, I didn’t see any inexperienced players, it was a good team that played.

“For the most part I thought we played well but we conceded some really poor goals from our point of view.

“We were doing all right, they got a corner kick, we don’t defend it and it ends up one-all. Then we get back to two-all. We had the best chance to win it, maybe Hunty’s not played that many games, on a different day [maybe he scores].

“We let them off the hook, even the ball that comes in, it’s not cleared properly, so you can sense I’m slightly annoyed and frustrated by it.”

McCarthy dismissed suggestions that the FA Cup run would be an unwanted distraction: “Do I look like I’m happy to be out of the cup?

“I wanted to win and I couldn’t do a lot about the four injuries anyway, so that was beside the point, and I was always going to change the goalkeeper. We just haven’t defended well enough.”

McCarthy will now turn his attention to the battle for a top six place and Saturday’s game at Millwall: “We got in the play-off positions and I’ve said all along that I’m not really bothered about being there now, it would be nice at the end of the season.

“But we’ve got a big important game against MIllwall, Ollie’s there, it’s his first home game, I know all about that, they’ll be ramping that up and we’ve got to go there and certainly defend better. That’s something that we’ll have to focus on.”

He says at least some of the players who missed out today will be back: “I haven’t spoken to them today but I expect Cressy and Luke Chambers will be fit, Murph, I don’t know. Skusey I expect him to be fit but he hasn’t trained this week yet, I think he’ll do something tomorrow.”

Preston boss Simon Grayson was pleased to progress to the fourth round where his side will face Nottingham Forest at the City Ground: “We’re delighted to be beat a good Championship team, who made a few changes like we did. It was a typical cup tie, especially the second half.

“I thought there wasn’t much between the teams in the first half, both teams passed it around quite nicely without having too much end product in the final third, but it livened up with a few mistakes in the second half and I’m delighted we’ve come out winners.”

The introduction of striker Joe Garner from the bench proved to be a match-winning move with the 25-year-old netting a 20-minute hat-trick, but Grayson says he only made the same change as McCarthy.

“You’re bringing Joe Garner on and he’s the top scorer, so it isn’t a gamble,” he said. “Mick’s decision to bring David McGoldrick on wasn’t a gamble because he’s their leading goalscorer and he scored tonight.

“You make these decisions to try and get back into the game, we had to show character after going a goal down because Ipswich could have passed the ball around and made it difficult for us but we got back into it and the game livened up in the second half. We made a few mistakes but so did Ipswich and it’s contributed towards a good night.”

In November Grayson tried to sign Town midfielder Anthony Wordsworth on loan and doesn’t rule out another move for the 25-year-old, who is currently out with tonsillitis.

“Since that conversation I had with Mick we signed Neil Kilkenny, but I know he’s been ill over the last few weeks and not featured for Ipswich,” he added.

“We’ll just see where we are with which areas of the pitch we need to strengthen, but he’s obviously a player I’ve admired and thought about taking.

"Obviously it didn’t happen at that time, but we’ll see what happens between now and the window shutting.”

Photo: Action Images

bluefeast added 10:11 - Jan 15 we are not doing better than last season. Look at our last 10 games and points hall from this season and last season ,we accumulated more last season over the corresponding period. You can only rely on out working sides before they suss your weakness. WE do not attack in waves ,we defend and then try to. So stop thinking we will be top six with this lot ,we will be 12th or 13th possibly as low as 15th or 16th.

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BriggEnd added 11:31 - Jan 15 I agree with you bluefeast 100% time to get real we are not a top 6 side this season by a long way if we finish in the top half that will be progress and on to next season we go. The amount of games we have lost from a winning postion is a shambles we carnt win games 1-0 or go on to kill teams off with the amount of chances we create. In truth we are a very inconsident team from back to front this season. Keep the faith next season fingers crossed mick will do it for us !

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Vic added 11:42 - Jan 15 Glad to hear Mick was cross, and didn't try to excuse things. He's very fair to the players and rarely criticises them so it's good that he gave them a rollicking after this result.
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Pilgrimblue added 12:12 - Jan 15 MY thought exactly, we should have made sure we won at home and thereby avoided any replay!! I couldn't believe how poor we were and it was all MM's fault that he picked players that weren't match fit. Time and again he's refused to bring on Hunt/taylor in league games so when he made wholesale changes it wasn't a surprise that the performance was so poor. As for the away game, why is it that our mistakes are punished but there's weren't? Obvious really, they had a player that can score. MM stubbornness in using a midfield that is so devoid of goals is plain to see. The loan players are out there but MM can't find them while others can. Something is wrong so when i hear that MM is frustrated and angry then i say "not as much as the fans". Get it sorted MM by sending Hyam out on loan where he might learn to go forwards, get JET back and return Anderson, get rid of Nouble and Lee and then find us a decent attacking midfielder plus two young forwards currently underused in the PL (or maybe call Marriott back as he couldn't do any worse!!)

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Cheshire_Blue added 13:34 - Jan 15 Two goals away from home should be enough to win a game. It is clear where the weakness was last night and the back four all season has not been up to last years standard. The best central defensive partnership is Smith and Chambers and we should be building around them. Instead of making room for Berra we should be looking for a good right back to replace Stearman. Mings was poor last night and gave me the impression he was not fit from the start apart from being directly responsible for the winning goal. If you are serious about the Premier League,Mr Evans (which I doubt), it is time to back MM with funds as we are going nowhere with the present squad,despite the sterling efforts of MM.

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bluey123 added 13:42 - Jan 15 1 win in 8 playoffs you must be joking just enough to avoid relegation I think that's all there is to look forward too McCarthy and Evans OUT NOW
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runningout added 14:21 - Jan 15 I could have kept Preston out last night, and supported McGoldrick with a couple of goals too... Take it from me, I'm s*ite
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bohslegend added 16:01 - Jan 15 Feeling better now?? All the merchants of doom. Ranting. Loving it. Feeling smug. All the calls for a creative centre midfielder - name one that we could get for free? Coz lets face it, we've no money to spend. And while we're on that subject, aren't we doing ever so well considering we've spent NO MONEY on players this season??? Someone said 'why are Bournemouth better than us?' - look at the table again sunshine. 16th with -13 GD. Kesgraveblue said MM picked the team to get beaten. Really?? Do you really think he sent a team out to lose its second game in a row on purpose? Think about it before you stand over that claim. Others are complaining that MM said he was angry. The same people were on the forum after the game saying he better tell the truth, that the players were awful. He did and then these moaners complain about it. unreal. So with a small squad that MM assembled for NO MONEY, we were tight for players in the cup against a good League 1 team that we haven't beaten in Deepdale since 1980 (and have always found difficult to beat - even through blue-tinted glasses in the glory days) and we lost. Are we the only 'BIG' team to lose against a lower division team? Get some perspective you fickle, xbox-playing know-it-alls. If we finish Top 10 this season that will be some achievement considering where we are coming from. And, that will be progress. In Mick We Trust! COYB!

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WorcesterBlue added 17:28 - Jan 15 All fun and games on here as usual I see. Everyone is entitled to their opinion without copping abuse imo. I have frequently expressed the opinion that our squad is relatively poor and along with others identified where improvements might be needed (not that everyone agrees with each other). We are over performing in the league and I suppose the question we all have is where next? Will we carry on grinding out results or are we going to start to add a bit of class? Is there really no money or are we able to pay the odd small fee? Is this year a holding year with a more concerted push planned for next? All interesting stuff but so long as we carry on slowly sorting out the mess of the last 5 years and building the academy, I will be happy ......ish!

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Pilgrimblue added 18:39 - Jan 15 I'm hoping that MM is so angry that he'll do something about it. The squad is too small and has no attacking midfielders so please sort it
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jas0999 added 19:31 - Jan 15 Not the end of the world, but as I keep saying, this squad isn't big enough to cope with so many games and a promotion challenge. In my opinion Evans is using the FFP as an excuse for no further investment. But he saved us years back and invested in the last two managers - heavily. Sadly they were poor managers. Interesting that people are blaming the defence, but no mention of Loach. Appreciate it's unpopular saying anything against him, but sadly the defence do not have any confidence in him. This could also be a factor. Despite the last home game, Gerken has been decent, so hopefully that's end of discussion re the keeper debate.

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essexboy added 20:17 - Jan 15 Walk the walk.get real mate,that's a silly thing to say.
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thebeat added 20:21 - Jan 15 I agree with big gaz67 this tie was lost before the first game when Mick changed formation to match up to Preston. Why? Let other teams worry about us, stop worrying about them. I like Mick and appreciate what he's trying to do but his insistence on playing Chambers out of position to accomodate Berra has cost us points this season.How many opposition goals have come down our right hand side this season? The majority. Hewitt made one mistake against Leeds and gets dropped and sent to Gillingham.If he doesnt trust him then get another right back in. Square pegs in square holes. We also need to start playing with 2 decent wingers to balance the side out, wingers who actually get the ball and do something with it i.e. not Anderson. We need to ship him, Wordsworth and Tabb out and use their wages on a right back and find a goalscoring midfielder and put Chambers and Smith back together, they are our best CB pairing and proved it in the back half of last season.

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TimmyH added 20:31 - Jan 15 @bohslegend - 'a small squad that MM assembled for NO MONEY' - thought he did pretty well last season in next to no time largely with the existing Jewell team with the odd addition here and there i.e. Campbell/McGoldrick, Stearman. We would have come 6th last season from when Mick joined. So results can be achieved on little money and a few loans unfortunately it was PJ's poor management that was the main problem not the players. Top 10 an achievement? not so sure.

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blueboy1981 added 21:16 - Jan 15 bohslegend - ... why keep making excuse, after excuse, after excuse - What's the point ?? Some of you will excuse anything / everything.
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blueboy1981 added 21:22 - Jan 15 Karlosfandangal - spot on mate - the majority of todays players wouldn't have coped with the game in those days. A few of them could do with a Chopper Harris or Jefferson around them to wake them up. Tired !! - absolute rubbish - but believed by some who know no better.
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neillrumsey added 21:56 - Jan 15 I am afraid that there are too many deluded fans who do not attend games on a regular basis and therefore believe the media hype that comes with being in a play-off position. Those of us who do attend are likely to say that this is a false position in a very poor league but we have earned those points through some very shrewd and good man managemnt skills by MM. Yes MM may have his faults as with all managers they cannot please all the fans and are judged on results alone. MM must be applauded for what he has achieved with a wafer thin and fairly average bunch of players. He has had no money to spend and we will be in the Championship next season. We are not and probably never will be the ITFC of the early 80's so we need to enjoy what we are seeing and not get carried away...

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oldegold added 22:11 - Jan 15 Who are you kidding Mccarthy ? You pick a sub standard team, get walked over by a modest 2nd division team and put up a mrdiocre performance and you say you're "Angry and frustrated" ? You have never given any impotance to the cups and from someone who still remembers Town's epic cup battles under bobby Robson, I think your attitude to cups stinks, frankly. You did the same at wolves sending out below par teams and then complaining. We are not idiots and prefer a challenge on all fronts. Again Ipswich Town capitulated in the cup and I am boiling mad.

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smithy91 added 01:30 - Jan 16 I think we definitely need a creative proper CAM brought in...but would McCarthy even play a so called flair player? After all he shipped out JET and doesnt seem to like Wordsworth. Also we need a decent winger or two, or start using hunt/edwards in there preferred positions more often- was this not an integral part of MM's success at Wolves?!
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smithy91 added 01:31 - Jan 16 ...the use of effective wingers
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Jimmy86 added 06:14 - Jan 16 Jas0999 whilst I agree with your point about evans using FFP as an excuse to reign in his spending I dont buy your point regarding loach. From what i heard on radio suffolk he had no chance with the 2nd and 3rd goals and it was poor defending for the first, free header from a corner will always result in a goal 9 times out of 10!!! Plus lets face it gerken is not streets ahead of loach, they're very much on a par and gerken has made just as many mistakes as loach, he just has'nt been dropped like loach was

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oldtimer3 added 15:29 - Jan 16 look when will these ex premiership managers stop thinking we are good anough to play reserve players agianst lower league clubs and progress in cup comps. our only chance of seeing premiership teams at portman road is to get into the later stages. please take note and always play your strongest team available!
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TimmyH added 16:08 - Jan 16 Some good posts by bluefeast - sadly not far from reality. I'll eat my right arm if we're in the play-off's come May with this current squad. Midfield in my opinion is woeful bar Skuse whom does the basic things well without being spectacular.
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Ipswichbusiness added 20:02 - Jan 16 I am much more bothered about our failure to beat Watford, Bournemouth and Charlton than this result.
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roytheboy added 20:10 - Jan 16 If Managers (including ours) keep saying that they value Cup Competitions and then routinely field a side that cannot do the job, then I assume that they don't really value the Cup matches at all, however saying that they do encourages Supporters to spend (waste) their hard earned money travelling miles to watch a second rate team and only seeing the best two Strikers come on when it is normally too late, we should always use our first choice keeper when he is available too,

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