Boss Mick McCarthy felt that while it was difficult to take the Blues losing to local rivals Norwich City, there was no disgrace in how his side played against the recently relegated former Premier League side. Lewis Grabban's 24th minute goal was enough to give the Canaries the victory.

“It was a hard-fought game,” McCarthy said. “They had the goal and we didn’t. It changed the course of it, as it always does.

“It changed the momentum, I thought they were better than us for 10 minutes after that and being one in front allowed them in the second half to try and catch us on the break, which they almost did a couple of times.

“But we had a gilt-edged chance when we were playing well through Daryl Murphy. He’s just looked at it and he knows he should have scored.”

He had no complaints regarding his team's endeavour: “The effort and commitment is always there from the players.

“I thought we rushed it and tried to get back in the game too much, we didn’t have too much quality in the first half. In the second half we were better.

“But we were playing against a good team, a team that’s come down from the Premier League with good players in it and has signed some good players.

“They’ve got a good squad, it’s no disgrace how we played against them, it’s just difficult when it’s our nearest and not so dearest.”

McCarthy says he always expected the opening few games of the season to be tough: “When I looked at the fixtures when they came out I didn’t think for a minute that Fulham at home, Reading away, Birmingham away and Norwich at home was going to be easy. I always thought it was going to be hard and that’s how it’s proved to be.”

Regarding Norwich’s goal, he said: “Somebody shouted ‘keeper’s’, I don’t know who shouted it. I haven’t got an ear-piece into the six-yard box to find out whether it was and who said it, but no other player should shout it except Gerks."

He added: “It wasn’t Gerks, Skusey’s marking Grabban, so I don’t know, might have been Grabban that shouted it, could have done. None of our players should shout that."

“It certainly looked like a mix-up. We didn’t deal with it well enough. We dealt with the first corner kick but we didn't deal with the ball coming back in.”

Despite Christophe Berra being on the floor not far from goal when Grabban scored, the video evidence still suggested that the goalscorer may have been offside, however, McCarthy was more concerned with his team’s defensive failings.

“If [it does still look offside] then it’ll give me something to whinge about,” he continued. “But in reality we didn’t deal with it. I’m not blaming the officials and I think if you look you’ll find that Berra and Michael Turner are lying on the floor about one yard out.

“I’ve got complaints about how we dealt with it, not how anybody refereed it, which is unusual for a manager.”

He admits he’s been less than happy with the goals his side has given away in the last couple of matches: “In the last three games we’ve conceded very poor goals from our point of view.

“It’s not like we’ve conceded as a back four that can’t defend, it’s been individual errors, the one at Reading, the two at Birmingham and the one today, so we’ll have to get better.

He says he expects the Canaries to be amongst the promotion challengers come May: “We’ve played a team today which will be competing at the top with an opportunity. Without a doubt, they’ve got a very good squad.”

Asked about the very different budgets Town and Norwich - recipients of £60 million in parachute payments over the next four years - are forced to work within, McCarthy added: “Financial Fair Play, that’s bollocks, isn’t it?

“We’re operating within it and they’ve just got a different Financial Fair Play [situation], as have Fulham and the other teams who have come down. It makes it all the more rewarding when you do well without it. And that’s what we’re going to have to do.”

Norwich boss Neil Adams believed his team was worthy of the victory: “It was a well-deserved win.

“I thought we needed to be better in the first half. I said to the players at half-time that we didn’t really move the ball as quickly or as effectively as we’re capable of.

“Even though we were winning the game, I still felt we could have been a little bit better.

“To the lads’ credit they did step it up more in the second half. I thought defensively throughout the game we were excellent and we probably could have gone and added another two goals in the second half.

“We missed some good chances but it was good to restrict Ipswich to few chances if any at all. Overall I thought we deserved to win the game and I’m delighted with the victory.”

Adams apologised for failing to shake hands with McCarthy and his assistant Terry Connor after the match.

“I want to apologise to Mick and Terry,” he said. “I was out of order I didn’t shake their hands. Completely unintentionally, I was too caught up in the moment, so hopefully you’ll all report that.

“I realised when I was on the pitch that that was out of order and I should have shown more respect to them and shaken their hands before I went off on my celebrations. Hand on heart it wasn’t intentional.

“I wouldn’t have been too happy if that had been flipped, so big apologies to Mick and Terry, they’re good people and I apologise unreservedly for forgetting to shake their hands at the final whistle.

“Terry actually came onto the pitch and shook my hand and I realised then I’d forgotten and thought ‘I’ve made a big mistake here’.

“My fault, it certainly wasn’t intended and hopefully they’ll accept that with the grace that they have. I was out of order, not intentionally, I just forgot.

“I don’t want to argue with Mick, there’s only going to be one winner there, isn’t there?”

Questioned about the incident and Adams’s apology, McCarthy said: “He should have [shaken hands]. Sky have just asked me and I said it’s nothing to do with them whether he shook my hand or not.

“Whether they show that or not I don’t know. I tend to deal with my matters with other managers individually and on my own.”

He added: “He’s got a good team, they’re a good side and they’d just beaten us and if it’s a lesson in etiquette then the first person he shakes hands with [should be] me and [then] with TC.

“I’ve had to do it, I’ve had to do it at Leicester when we’ve been beaten 6-0 and 5-0 [at Palace] and that’s what you do. If that’s a lesson today, then fine.”

Photo: Action Images

essexboy added 19:36 - Aug 24 It would cost too much to sack MM,and even more to get a better manager.Lets face it,this club is broke and going nowhere fast.The team Has not improved from the end of last season.We sell cressy and what do we get,Nothing.Ok a few players have had contracts extended and a few free players bought in,but none are any better than what we already have at the club.Why send JM out on loan,surely it would be better to play him now.push DM into a forward midfield roll with JM and DM up front.For me Skuse is having a bad time and should be rested.Chambers is NOT a fullback,and give Gerkin a rest,he has made too many mistakes.I have supported this club for over 60 years and Saturdays game was one of the most gutless performances I have seen in a long time.Where is the passion.! Ok it's only the forth game but unless things change quickly and a very midfield player with vision is got we are going to be in serious trouble.Just my views but I'm sure many of you think the same.COYB.

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Lightningboy added 19:40 - Aug 24 @oldblue...agree with a lot of what you say mate. Mick has come across as being stubborn and slightly childish with some of his comments re doing exactly the opposite of what some supporters are calling for during games..you're 55 Mick,not 12. He seems to be in a world of his own where he'd be happy with boring 1-0 wins at home and 0-0 draws away. Yeah Mick did a cracking job 18 months ago sorting us out after the Jewell shambles but that style of football doesn't sit with ITFC fans long term..we have become dreadful to watch. Take last season's two best results - beating Brighton away then Derby at home a few days later..Wordsworth started both games then didn't even make the bench the following game! It seems Mick's ego may be holding us back as much as his lack of tactical style? Burley would work wonders with our current squad.

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Dozzells_Bobblehat added 20:13 - Aug 24 Blueboy - I do find it hilarious that you and others are smugly saying I told you so after 4 matches!! Slightly more so in your case as you were an MM fan in your previous life as H32 but then changed avatars so u could slag him off and not look stupid ( failed). Saturday was very poor agreed and a huge improvement is needed but all this Mick hates creative players is crap, he builds the team around McGoldrick and two of his summer signings are young, pacey wingers. Add a Williams type loan signing and we would be a decent side. He has just signed a new deal so won't be sacked so how about getting behind the team not on their backs.

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bomber21 added 20:15 - Aug 24 ;There was no disgrace in how his side played against the recently relegated premier league side.McCarthys words.I was facing the pitch,which way was he looking.Strange bloke.
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Dozzells_Bobblehat added 20:20 - Aug 24 As for the Taylor fans amongst you, I don't care how good he is, for off field reasons I wouldn't have him here either. Good riddance.
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yorksblue added 20:23 - Aug 24 Old blue. Remember that Stockport game. Place was like a morgue. Brett Angel if I'm not mistaken. Long journey back to yorks after that
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kesgrave_bluey added 20:31 - Aug 24 @boooble what happens when McGoldrick is sold in this transfer window?
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essexboy added 20:56 - Aug 24 It seems that some of you are so blinkered you fail to see the reason why we have not improved from last season.we need investment if we are to succeed,and I'm afraid that will never come.ME is not going to invest,he has lost too much money with the other poor managers he employed,and parachute payments to clubs relegated have a far better chance than us so we must accept it.Football is a business now and ME will not throw money away with the FFP rules anyway.It's fine young players coming to the club but you need experience as well and a good player at that,something we don't at the moment and until that happens we will always struggle.Remember our strikers are only as good as the service they get.And at the moment there is not a sign of anything like that from what we have.

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blueboy1981 added 21:22 - Aug 24 Bobblehat ........... keep being satisfied - and WRONG in your statements. The way we are going the likes of you and blue moon 09 will have all the space and attention at Portman Road you clearly deserve !!! ....... I'm sure the Club will survive with your collective support !!! Only fools will see this as being right for the long term benefit of our Club. Take no notice of me - just watch the future crowd figures if this brand of Football continues under the current regime - it will tell it's own story - sadly. And you'll be proved - WRONG - yet again.

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NoelTheDub added 21:32 - Aug 24 essexboy.. I take your point that we are smashed and there are rules we have to abide by but the few bob MM got has been spent very poorly in my view.Some examples are Salmon why he came in,Bru very weak,Banjar not seen him since half time v Fulham,Parr a good solid left back not kick a ball for some reason they are all getting a wage and not contributing nothing to the team.MM had all summer to address a playmaker even from the lower league and a bit of pace out wide or up top Ithink that is all we were short of in my book but for some reason MM plan was to take the ball off the pitch and build a team to suit this I dont have a big problem with this if the players know how to play it but when you see Murf flicking on a header and there is noboby within 10 feet of him its hard to watch along with that you have a midfield thats bypassed thank god as they only go backwards its a shsmbles at the moment and very sad to see it at our famous club.MM has lost it for some reason...

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Reecex28 added 21:49 - Aug 24 240 mile round trip to watch us play Huff and Puff Hoofball. Like it or not we are what we are - an average championship side with no money to buy the type of players to make a real difference.
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Dozzells_Bobblehat added 22:43 - Aug 24 Blueboy - when exactly was I proved wrong before?
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Lightningboy added 22:57 - Aug 24 Problem is no matter how talented or attacking the players we bring in are they soon get all that flair and skill hammered out of them by McCarthy's lack of willingness to play with any style or freedom. Saturday again we saw McGoldrick running back to defend in his own box - when we were losing - instead of concentrating his energies up the other end of the pitch..that's just crazy. Wake up your ideas Mick.

4

tallguy6767 added 00:01 - Aug 25 Fu*k off Mick !!!!
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Eeyore added 09:44 - Aug 25 I think people need to calm down. Norwich have 60 million to play with. We would be relegated with any other manager. Norwich have out-smarted our players again (remember Holt's match-winning performance!). Now we have been caught out by the oldest trick in the book: a striker shouting 'leave' or 'keeper's'. Perhaps we need to include an IQ test when interviewing players?

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blueboy1981 added 14:02 - Aug 25 Bobblehat ............. you're obviously a joker - just don't read my posts until you start seeing the light, and the obvious. That would be a good starting point, why not try it - you may feel better for it !!
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blueboy1981 added 14:06 - Aug 25 Lightningboy ......... have to say - another good point made. MM's dinosaur image increases by the game - with his 'stubborn' philosophy.
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Tommyc added 16:08 - Aug 25 Went away for weekend after game and amazed to come back and read MM assessment of game (to be fair he is usually a lot more honest) Most worrying thing was that score should have been more than 1-0 and Norwich were so obviously better than us Last season we made some acceptable progress and gave hope for this season. In all honesty none of our signings appear to be of the quality to turn us into Play Off contenders and we look mid-table at best. Agree with comments re quality of football on show at Portman Road for a few years now and think this has as much to do with falling crowds as silly prices

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madmouse1959 added 17:19 - Aug 25 Considering we are only a few games into a new season there is no excuse for a tired performance like that. The signs are there for yet another season of boring football I,m afraid. ....We need some quality players bought in.
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mattstannard2 added 21:36 - Aug 25 To be honest, I'm not shocked at this response. I'm really pleased with what MM has done, however I think his tactics are shocking at times, he seems to be quite happy to set out for a draw and if we win well great. The problem is our defence is shocking and we lack flair - hey he shipped the only flair players we had away in Paul Taylor and potentially Jack Marriott. I personally also think the goals on Saturday to me highlight that some of our players aren't good enough. If someone shouts "Keepers" in the crowd a professional footballer should be able to focus. Cole Skuse just ducked. He's not and has never looked good enough. We need a new Norris or Keith Andrews, someone whose not scared to go forwards and who gets stuck in! Sadly, for me MM will not get us promoted period. Mid table yes, stable yes but he just lacks any inspiration for me. I'd love to be proved wrong!

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RegencyBlue added 08:49 - Aug 26 MM isn't doing himself any favours with some of his recent comments - the one about doing the opposite to what supporters want being a classic example! Having said that what is killing us is the lack of investment in the squad. Evans appears to have no plan other than to hide behind Financial Fair Play and hope for the best! Just like his initial plan - throw money at it - it ain't working!!

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bluearmy4life added 11:48 - Aug 26 We were very fortunate it was only a 1-0 defeat. if Murph would of scored that header it could've been different story. It's all about if's and but's, but we weren't good enough on the day again against the arch enemy.
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Pabloisgod84 added 13:17 - Aug 26 boring midfielders means boring displays: tabb = work hard no ability skuse = work hard no ability (has even made a goal let alone score one since he signed) anderson = silghtly better but no threat. keep Hyam in there as a holding player and get a different midfield. we are crying out for a hoolahan type player who ripped us apart. MM im fed up with your dull approach to the game . pls leave

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bluesman added 10:19 - Aug 27 A disgrace but clearly not that difficult for Mick to take
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