Boss Mick McCarthy felt there was little in the Blues’ 2-0 defeat at Blackburn until former Town striker Jordan Rhodes netted the opening goal in the 64th minute.

“We were equally as good or equally as bad as the opposition up until the goal going in because it wasn’t a great game, but we were the away side,” McCarthy said.

“I actually thought in the second half we were all right, in the first half I was quite happy with it. We let them off the hook, we just blinked first.

“But that’s an £8 million striker’s goal. It was a good touch from Gestede, it was poor defending from us but there’s poor defending lots of times in games and it’s whether you punish it, and he did, and that’s what you get.”

The Blues manager says he’s aware that fans will continue to talk about Rhodes as the one that got away having been sold before he established himself at Portman Road after coming through the academy.

“I know and West Ham fans talk about Bobby Moore and City fans talk about Mike Summerbee and Colin Bell, it’s just the way it is. It’s just a bit more recent and more raw for them, I guess,” he said.

“He’s a very a good player at this level, there’s no question about that. If he can do it in the Premier League then he’s going to be a top, top striker.

“But I don’t think he’d had a kick really up until that. That’s the difference between winning games and not; when you’ve got a striker who can put one away. And it wasn’t a great chance. He’s hit it from 18 yards but the bounce has just beaten Gerks.”

Coincidentally, the man who sold Rhodes to Huddersfield for a fee which eventually rose to just over £1 million, former Town boss Roy Keane, watched the game in his capacity as the Republic of Ireland assistant manager.

McCarthy was unhappy to let Rudy Gestede score the second from a freekick, but believed the quality of the ball into the box made the goal.

“I’m always disappointed to concede from a set piece but, do you know what, it was a fabulous delivery,” he added. "If you put a ball in like that, it’s difficult to deal with. They’ve got big players.

“Of course, I’ll hold my own post-mortem and recriminations if there are any in private. But it’s a fabulous ball, score off them. If you put balls in there, you score off them.

“That’s what I’m on about, taking your chances. Were our deliveries into the box equally as good? No.”

McCarthy swapped Paul Anderson, who travelled but was left out of the 18, and Stephen Hunt, who was on the bench, for Anthony Wordsworth and Frank Nouble, who had impressed him during recent games.

“Frank’s ripped it up and changed the game for us on a couple of occasions and Woody I thought was excellent in his two games,” the Town boss explained.

“I just wanted to change it and, to be fair, I thought they both, certainly Woody, played well. I took him off to put fresh legs on. Big Frank didn’t have the same impact but you can’t do it every week.

“Frank wasn’t playing as a winger,” he continued, outlining the system with which he started. “We were playing 4-3-3, so he wasn’t really playing as a winger. We were playing with three strikers, Woody was the other one but he was kind of helping out Chambo on that [right-hand] side.”

McCarthy will now look for his side to get back to form at Huddersfield on Tuesday: “It’s always important to bounce back because you don’t want to get beaten in two games on the bounce.

“But as games are running out, it’s not going to be easy. I think Huddersfield lost to Bolton today but they’re a decent side, it’ll be a hard game.

“We’ve got to travel back, travel back up again, that doesn’t help. Neither does staying up here for three or four nights. It’s just a difficult set of fixtures.

“When was the goal scored? In the 64th minute? There was nothing in the game, I think they were just getting a bit frustrated with the game, to be honest.

“We’ve got to come back and do it again. Six games to play, see how many points we can get. We’re not in the best place to get in the play-offs. Reading are in that and it’s up to them, they’ve got to win it or lose it, it’s theirs to lose now.”

Blackburn manager Gary Bowyer was delighted with the victory after four successive draws.

“We always knew it was going to be very difficult against Ipswich and Mick McCarthy’s team. They never stop. A clean sheet and the two strikers scoring is very pleasing for us," he said.

“I thought it was an outstanding goal, it was a good through ball from Rudy Gestede and Jordan Rhodes has taken it with his left foot and it’s a fantastic finish. It’s difficult to find more words to say about him other than 'phenomenal' or 'outstanding'.

“I thought the whole team worked ever so hard and on the back of the game on Tuesday the effort from everyone was superb.

"[For the second goal] the delivery came from Craig Conway and the big man [Gestede] was there. We needed that second goal because Ipswich don’t let off.”

Photo: Action Images

manualthetisfanclub added 18:52 - Apr 5 Without trying to be negative, which I'm sure I will get hammered on here!,but we've had a good season considering the shower we've put up with in previous seasons,we've reached our level,close but not close enough with the players and budget we've got,big mick has performed miracles with these hard working players,just think hopefully mr Evans maybe lets him have a bit more cash,few more players we can push on step further next season IMO .not negative just think their are stronger sides than us and 5 points is a lot to make up,relying on other results .

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Garv added 19:06 - Apr 5 “We were equally as good or equally as bad as the opposition up until the goal going in because it wasn't a great game, but we were the away side,” Is that meant to be a plus?
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battyblue added 19:40 - Apr 5 Why does woody have to play out off position to help out cambo he shouldn't need helping out if he cant do the job(which clearly he cant) put in someone who can ie Richardson or Hewitt and put Woddy where he belongs in the center where he helped us win two vital games its not the time in the season to start putting more round pegs in square holes .
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TimmyH added 19:58 - Apr 5 Totally correct @battyblue - it's almost a snowball effect, put 1 player out of position you then have to put another out of position to combat it, it's largely been like that this whole season with regards to the midfield. Not even sure if Williams is starting in his best position.
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blueboy1981 added 20:05 - Apr 5 ........ some of MM's comments defy belief - of course there was nothing in it until their goal - it was 0-0. It's what happened after that was the problem - we lost again for being too bl**dy negative and playing players out of position for the umpteenth time this season. That's the truth of it all.
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smithy91 added 20:10 - Apr 5 How many times have we heard a post match press conference like this? sounds so excusey...basically as blueboy said you keep playing players out of position just to accomodate players who can seemingly do no wrong! Why do some fans seem to accept this because we have had a better season, because in the long run this will undo our progress/good runs over and over again. Also why does he change a flippin winning team, thought that would be fairly basic thing to grasp if players are all fit!

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TimmyH added 20:24 - Apr 5 actually under the impression we started 4411 (according to this site) but Mick says we started 433 with Woody started on the right of the front 3 to help Chambo - now I'm really lost! a left midfielder playing up top on the right!!! so what formation did we finish it in? Huddersfield next and Mick says 'they're a decent side' not sure about that Mick they're about 16th/17th - 'it'll be a hard game' certainly will be Mick they haven't won in 7 games and we all know we like helping out teams on poor runs. The omens are not good!

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blueboy1981 added 20:34 - Apr 5 ........ we have had a better season - GRANTED - but here we are in 9th position after playing NEGATIVE tactics, and players out of position far too often. Any positive play has been more by accident rather than design it has to be said. Just think what may have been achieved had we not 'thrown' points away by doing so - we all know it's happened if being truthful - and not just occassionally either !!

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itfc1981 added 20:40 - Apr 5 "But that's an £8 million striker's goal". Sorry Mick Town said thats a 800k striker!
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blueboy1981 added 20:44 - Apr 5 ....... before every game the opposition gets 'talked up' by Guess Who ? I assume we have to see a point at Huddersfield as being extremely optimistic - and a win - beyond all comprehension, because they are a 'decent side', 'hard game', 'travel' and /or 'staying away'. Not forgetting 'difficult set of fixtures'. You couldn't make some of this up - it's already been said and I guess he must believe it. I guess Huddersfield are already confident of a result - as much as I hope not.

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bluefeast added 20:50 - Apr 5 I dont think skuse and hyam should start together on tuesday. We need to win and that means we need to score which means we need midfield players who get ahead of strikers. Simple
0

NoelTheDub added 21:01 - Apr 5 Everyones in it Mick at 0 0 problem is we as usual go 1 down and you play out of position players with 1 up front what your plan is I dont know,because we try shut up shop and let all teams come at us we are walking on water every week and hoping our defenders and holding mids hold out but when we go 1 down you try be positive and sometimes we get lucky so why o why do you not do it the other way round ..

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Cheshire_Blue added 21:14 - Apr 5 We lose a game so you can count on the empty vessels making the most noise!
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Bown added 23:10 - Apr 5 i have seen Paul Tayler in Colchester town centre tonight
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Lightningboy added 23:15 - Apr 5 Shouldn't have changed a winning line up last week Mick. 1 point from 6 now..who knows,might've been 12 from 12 if you'd not potched?
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JWM added 23:39 - Apr 5 Some of you need to get a grip and get a life!
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blueboy1981 added 00:08 - Apr 6 JWM .......... keep hitting the minus button - he who expects so little / if anything of note. Ever thought it may be you who needs to get 'the life' ??............
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JWM added 00:14 - Apr 6 I am more than happy with mine Blueboy and thanks for asking!
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afrodids added 10:47 - Apr 6 We have 3 RB at the club at the moment however we still play a centre half at RB says it all really! A Top 10 position is all we can hope for now which is an improvement on the last 5 years. Roll on next season onwards and upwards. COYB
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runaround added 10:56 - Apr 6 Mick seems to be far too happy with 0-0 away from home only reacting to push on if we concede rather than being proactive & attacking the home team, so scared of losing we end up losing anyway. Reading have some very tough fixtures coming up so there is a chance to catch them but we have to win the vast bulk of our remaining fixtures starting Tuesday. The "if they offer us an away point we won't get on the bus" mentality from Mick has to be put aside & we need to go for it, no time for negative tactics anymore

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rolly added 10:59 - Apr 6 How any of you cannot be happy with how we are playing atm or where we are in league is beyond me. MM has done a great job and for the first time in a while we have a group of players that seem to want to play for the club and the manager!
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essextractorboy93 added 11:39 - Apr 6 It was just a very disappointing performance yesterday. Williams was a bright spark and was the only one who was going to make things happen. Blackburn were very poor first half but they took their chances. The game was even until they scored as Mick says we were playing poorly, giving the ball away far too easily.
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ChrisFelix added 13:38 - Apr 6 Looking at our recent record at Blackburn I always knew it was going to be a difficult game. All season we have struggled with the leagues top strikers , ie Nugent & the guys from QPR & Wigan. Rhodes can be added to the list. No good keep moaning on about the loss of Jordan Rhodes, lets hope the same doesnt happen to Jack Marriott.This lad appears a born goal scorer. The game at Huddersfield is another where our recent past has been poor, I can remember Marcus Stewart scoring against us several years ago. However as with Brighton we can win after several lean years

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brittaniaman added 20:23 - Apr 6 I hope the Dark Lord was proud of himself today by selling Jordan Rhodes at a cut price instead of loaning him out ????? When ever the name Keane is mentioned he reminds us all how he helped to ruin our club !!!!!!!!!!!
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blueboy1981 added 20:58 - Apr 6 Fatcatevans ............... obviously a very satisfied customer, and minus button fanatic ........... !!
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