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McCarthy: Top Two Now Unlikely
Saturday, 14th Mar 2015 15:46

Boss Mick McCarthy admitted that the Blues are now unlikely to finish in the top two following this afternoon’s 4-1 defeat at Middlesbrough.

“It depends on the other results, but if we end up eight points behind two teams or three teams, I don’t see there’s any chance we’re going to win three more games than any of the others,” he conceded after the lunchtime game.

The later results confirmed that Town, who are still in seventh, are indeed eight points behind three teams, new leaders Bournemouth, second-placed Watford and Boro. The Cherries beat Blackpool 4-0 at Dean Court, while Watford beat Reading 4-1 at Vicarage Road.

Elsewhere, Norwich and Derby drew 1-1 at Carrow Road, Brentford - sixth a point ahead of Town - lost 2-1 at home to nine-man Cardiff and Wolves - eighth, two points behind the Blues - drew 1-1 at Brighton.

The Blues manager was disappointed to concede Boro’s two first-half goals from corners: “It wasn’t like us, that’s been one of our strengths. From the two corner kicks, they’ve worked the two corners well. We know how to defend them and we didn’t defend them.

“The first one, we didn’t defend the header. Having got back into it, I thought we were the better side in the first half and I don’t watch with rose-coloured spectacles.

“We were done again from another corner kick, but I still thought we played very well. And then it’s bad defending for the other two goals that’s cost us.

“If you give goals away to anybody it’s going to be difficult but certainly to a team like Middlesbrough.

“I’ll take responsibility for way we were in the last 15 minutes because I’ve put strikers on and I’m trying to get back in the game.

“We lost our shape and our discipline a bit and they had more chances than they would have done and it looked a bit shambolic, but I’ll take the responsibility for that.”

Keeper Dean Gerken suffered a blow to the head in the incident which saw Daniel Ayala score Boro’s first goal in the fourth minute and was stretchered off.

“I’m hoping that he’s OK, he’s gone to the hospital for a scan,” McCarthy said.

“I’d love to be able to give good news to his wife because she had a baby yesterday morning and I’d imagine watching that game and seeing him stretchered off with oxygen on his face was extremely difficult and upsetting for her, as it was for all of us, but especially for her. He was taken straight off to hospital.”

Gerken, who was playing only his second game since being recalled to the side, travelled back to Suffolk on Saturday evening.

Despite automatic promotion now seeming unlikely, McCarthy says the task now is to stay in the hunt for a play-off place.

“I am focused on that, absolutely,” he continued. “I never thought it was going to be easy here.

“I thought we played really well, I was delighted with our performance in the first half but not the goals we gave away. We’ve got to go again [at home to Bolton on] Tuesday. Still focused on it.”

Boro boss Aitor Karanka, whose team are away at Derby on Tuesday and Bournemouth next Saturday, was delighted to get the trio of big games off to a winning start.

“I’m very pleased, we’ve played against a very good team, a strong team,: he said. "They’ve finished the game with four strikers and it’s difficult to play against them.

“Now the main thing is that we are eight points above them and they are in seventh position, so that’s very good for us and it’s a very good way to establish [ourselves in a] big week.”


Photo: Action Images



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Blue_Meanie added 15:50 - Mar 14
No sh1t Sherlock
10

OldClactonBlue added 15:53 - Mar 14
Top two unlikely!
The Play Offs are unlikely too, and have been since MM insisted that hoofball was the answer.
19

BriggEnd added 15:53 - Mar 14
Disgraceful Gutless spineless performance you have lost the plot mick we are now playing like a relegation team.
Should have gone all out attack from the start instead of going 3 upfront when we were 3-1 behind.
This team is a shadow of what it was since the derby game in december.
Absolute shambles some heads need banging.
16

bluefeast added 15:53 - Mar 14
Change the team in order to give complete balance ,then if we lose it will be palatable as opposed to the whole of 2015 playing the problem square pegs round holes Never in 13 seasons have we a better chance of top 6 and if we dont make it having been 10 points safe at the end of Dec within the top 6 then it will be an enormous shame and the blame if thats important will be MMs. As for our recent loan signings what the hell are they all about.
19

Sergio added 15:54 - Mar 14
"I don't see there's any chance we're going to win three more games than any of the others,"

Winning three games before the end of the season would be nice!
19

bluefeast added 15:55 - Mar 14
@)!% form table has us 2nd from bottom ,whos fault is that..
1

bluefeast added 15:56 - Mar 14
2015 form table has us 2nd from bottom ,whos fault is that..
12

NoelTheDub added 15:57 - Mar 14
BriggEnd
You got there before me.Mick you talk some bull dont know what you have been looking at over the last few months to think we could be a top 2 team they are on a different planet football wise.
5

higgistockwell added 15:58 - Mar 14
blue meanie you beat me to it,i think we can say goodbye to the play offs now as well,even if we were to get in them we would not win them
1

yorksblue added 16:00 - Mar 14
All that needed to happen was for more of the 1st half display in the 2nd, minus the kamikaze defending. Why change, when we were bossing it? Your tactics well and truly baffle me, I'm afraid.
3

Bob7881 added 16:01 - Mar 14
MM Jump in your nice red sports car and do one.
-8

louis246 added 16:01 - Mar 14
How deluded is he/has been all season?
-2

grumpyblue1966 added 16:05 - Mar 14
All the excuses that we have a small squad but Bournemouth have been unbelievable we always make excuses the only thing I want more than anything is for marcus evens to pee off any Arabs out there
0

shortmarine1969 added 16:06 - Mar 14
4 Wine in 15 matches since Jan 4th says it all..poor form , poor loan signings..needed to strengthen to give the team a real chance of pushing on. So either MM or MM were prepared to do bugger all. Chane blown and will be lucky to make the play off,s and a personally do not think we would beat any of the teams over two legs who are going to be in the play off,s
4

bluefeast added 16:07 - Mar 14
I dont think we will make the play offs looking at the rest of the matches others have to play. We are now 4 points outside of 6th place. Thats horrendous from where we were on Jan 1 ie 10 points ahead of 7th. Thats a 14 point turn around. Shame on you MM for square pegs in round holes.. Terrible management decisions and changing players positions today was a joke. Tabb really positive centrally vs Brentford ,you put him left mid ,absolute madness and thats just one of about 8 obvious management decisions today.
12

bluefeast added 16:07 - Mar 14
I dont think we will make the play offs looking at the rest of the matches others have to play. We are now 4 points outside of 6th place. Thats horrendous from where we were on Jan 1 ie 10 points ahead of 7th. Thats a 14 point turn around. Shame on you MM for square pegs in round holes.. Terrible management decisions and changing players positions today was a joke. Tabb really positive centrally vs Brentford ,you put him left mid ,absolute madness and thats just one of about 8 obvious management decisions today.
3

shortmarine1969 added 16:07 - Mar 14
4 wins that is.!!
0

rambohambo added 16:08 - Mar 14
we need money thats a fact , but i remeber mick saying after his first season after taking over, we be safe this season then the style will come next , WE HAVE NO STYLE no through balls no speed , we have tabb taking set pieces what the hell has happened !
6

itfc1981 added 16:11 - Mar 14
DROP SMITH. For the sake of your CV. Go 433 and we might have a chance to win some of the last 6 games.

Clearly play-offs are gone now 4 point gap already. Build confidence for next season.
3

essex57 added 16:11 - Mar 14
Ah well happy days Championship football again next year back to the real world still at least we will not have ro put up with all the glory hunters um wonder if MM will still be willing to be in charge.......still you get what you deserve.
3

ITFCsince67 added 16:13 - Mar 14
What about the shocking tackle by Bamford on Christophe Berra?
How the hell was he on the pitch.
Sky never mentioned it.
8

TimmyH added 16:21 - Mar 14
hmmmm...Mick only takes the blame for the last 15 minutes, I think you should take a bit more responsibility than that, the last upteem games you still play the same back 4 and start to shuffle players around in the midfield (largely out of position). Still waiting for a decent midfield loan player which can create...no point getting strikers on loan if there is no service. Be a man Mick and make wholesale changes for the Bolton game starting at the back.
8

goat_man added 16:30 - Mar 14
Really....you think?
Ipswich are by far the most boring team in the country. Season 14 at this level here we come!
4

No32 added 16:32 - Mar 14
It wasn't Bamford - it was Vossen
3

essex57 added 16:34 - Mar 14
The worst thing about todays game apart from the result was to see the man who ruined the spirit and spine of our club Roy Keane on tv ugggggg
6


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