Town boss Mick McCarthy says today’s 0-0 home draw with Cardiff City was the type of match the Blues might have nicked all three points from last year. Despite recording their fourth home draw in a row - and their second successive 0-0 at Portman Road - McCarthy was pleased with his side’s performance and to have kept a clean sheet.

“We’ve got attacking players on the pitch, it’s just not happening for us at the moment but we’ve got a chance to build on it if we keep a clean sheet,” he said.

“If we’re one down and we have to get back into a game all the time that puts added pressure on them. I’m pleased with the clean sheet, delighted with the clean sheet, as I’m sure the lads are.

“We’ll just have to keep working and turn it into a win. Last year we would probably have nicked that, I keep saying that, but it’s just not happening at the moment.”

He added: “We’ve played well against a good team, they’re a good side. I’m not coming in here saying we deserved to win by a hatful, it was going to be a goal either way.

“They’ve only conceded 11 goals, they’re a tough nut to crack and the more we pushed the more you leave yourself a little bit open to the break and we got done a couple of times. But overall I thought we played well, it was a good performance.”

McCarthy feels his team has been more like themselves in recent games: “We’ve been far more competitive.

“We didn’t start competitive [today], it took me and TC to start barking at a few, I think, [for them to start] chasing things and hunting things down and competing for everything, because that’s the league.

“And when we did it, we got to grips with it in the first half, I thought we played really well and it was a far better performance.”

Striker Daryl Murphy came close to breaking his duck for the season when Cardiff keeper David Marshall tipped his header on to the woodwork, while the Irishman had a couple of other chances but found himself closed down before he could get in a shot.

McCarthy says it's no surprise that last season’s 27-goal top scorer might be lacking in a bit of confidence.

“It doesn’t matter what job you’re doing, if it’s just not happening for you at a certain period of time then your confidence will hardly be flowing,” he continued.

“He needs to find one from somewhere, he had a couple on his right foot where he’s checked back and tried to put it on his left and they defended them well.

“On a different day, maybe when he’s scored 20 goals, he swings his right foot and it flies in the net. But that is football, that’s strikers.”

McCarthy’s continued faith in Dean Gerken paid off with the keeper impressing and arguably Town’s man of the match: “I was asked a question the other night about being loyal to people and he was one of them.

“He’s been outstanding Gerks, he’s been fabulous. I’ve felt sorry for him with goals going in because they’ve not been his fault and he’s played well again today, as has their goalkeeper I might add.”

He added: “Gerks is a good goalkeeper. I’m very fortunate I’ve got two very good goalkeepers.

“And when one gets in it’s hard work for the other one, however it happens. Whether it’s because he got injured or there was a bereavement or somebody gets injured while his wife’s in hospital watching the game and he gets carried off on a stretcher with oxygen on his mouth.

“It’s been bizarre how they’ve [lost their places], neither one of them has been left out because of poor performances. I’m very fortunate goalkeeping area.

“Malcolm Webster, the goalkeeping coach, should take a lot of credit for that, he was the one when we brought them in that recommended them and he works with them.”

McCarthy had no issue with the second half penalty claim which saw Kevin Bru booked: “No. I had a complaint because I thought it was a foul on Murph [outside the area] before and I was appealing for the foul when Kevin went down.

“We were all having a look at it and it was one of them that could have been given, so I said ‘Kevin, was it a penalty?’ and he said ‘No’, so that cleared that up.

“I don’t want to be coming in here and bemoaning it and I don’t want to be going to the referee and bemoaning it because it was one of them that you can see it and see it, you can keep looking at it and you could make a case for it being a penalty.

“But I don’t want to be making a case for it, I want to know the truth and he said no, so it’s saved me all that embarrassment and growling at people.”

The Town boss praised the Portman Road crowd for the backing they gave his side: “They were brilliant, I think there was an added bit of support for us all there today, it was lovely.”

McCarthy says his side suffered no new injury problems with Jonas Knudsen expected to be available again after the hamstring problem which saw him miss today’s match.

However, he says Teddy Bishop is still a little way off a return to the senior side: “Bish has no chance for Tuesday, he’s only had the 90 minutes for the U21s and that doesn’t equip him well enough to play in the first team on Tuesday.”

The Blues manager says that despite the disappointment of not ending the winless run, the result and clean sheet are something to build on when Bolton are at Portman Road on Tuesday: “Absolutely. Providing we keep going like that and scrapping away and playing like that because we played well and we created some chances, something will drop for us. It’ll turn.”

Cardiff manager Russell Slade was pleased with his side’s continued solidity at the back but disappointed with their lack of penetration at the other end of the field.

“Somebody’s just told me that it’s the first time since 2005 we’ve had four clean sheets on the bounce,” he said.

“We’ve got that side of it right at the minute, clearly our problem is at the other end really.

“I think we had one more shot than Ipswich today, a couple of good chances in the second half Sammy Ameobi, Craig Noone in the dying minutes could probably have gone with his head rather than attempting to volley.”

He added: “I do see it that as a good point. Ipswich is always a difficult place to come and it’s been a difficult place for Cardiff to come. I think we’ve lost 21 and won 12, history will tell you, I was just looking in the programme.

“It’s always a difficult place to come and Mick McCarthy’s sides are always very difficult to play against.

“They’re fighting to turn their form around. Don’t forget, they were in the play-offs last season, that was the standard and we came here and got beaten 3-1.”

Photo: Action Images

LordMamu added 18:30 - Oct 31 Boring...
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toxtethblue added 18:40 - Oct 31 Same old Mick - "theyre a tough team, we played well, I'm happy with a point..." Meanwhile we drew at home again and are 14th.... zzzzz
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Stato added 18:43 - Oct 31 Can't wait to hear from the we love Mick brigade most of whom are as stubborn as he is and few have enough about them to say bored to death now. Some of us have been bored since day one and numbers are growing.
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RonFearonsHair added 18:53 - Oct 31 Much better today. Good support and a much better vibe around the place. Positivity is what we need right now. It should be rocking when things start to turn.
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Cloddyseedbed added 18:54 - Oct 31 If your happy with that philosophy I'm not. Nicking a point at home against Cardiff.
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cats_whiskers added 18:55 - Oct 31 Ref: we love Mick brigade They are now out knocking on peoples doors “Trick or “Treating”
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jas0999 added 19:05 - Oct 31 I'm pretty sure Mick has just accepted that this club won't be moving forward under him or indeed any other manager. Cheap freebies, loans, inexperienced players and a 8K signing in the summer sums it up. I wonder if the owner has given up as well? I think most have! Team not good enough. Investment in quality required but not likely. Mid table. I'm sure that will satisfy some. Not me!

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DebenBlue added 19:05 - Oct 31 Mick, 24 hours ago you stated this was a must win game, now you are happy with a point. What has changed. If we had gone for it today and drawn 3-3 I wouldn't be disappointed, but we didn't. So lacklustre and negative at home. 1 win in 10, 1 goal in 5. Somethings got to change MM, otherwise the slide backwards will continue.
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battyblue added 19:14 - Oct 31 more sh-te from a manager who speaks it and plays it week in week out.
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alfromcol added 19:16 - Oct 31 Entertainment value - Nil, Zilch, Zero 16000 Tuesday!
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prebbs007 added 19:30 - Oct 31 An absolute pile of rubbish. We created nothing of note. Murphy is a total liability. Twice through for one on one with keeper but was so slow to shoot and tried to turn back on left foot and easily stopped. Seen 100ft oil tankers turn faster. Wins so little in the air now and brings nothing to the team. Pitman must have his place. Sears playing left wing. Chambers still a joke of a full back. Skuse total passes to player in blue 1 Didz totally off key today and Mick you truly are becoming a stubborn joke. 80 mins before a sub when it was totally obvious we could have stayed out there all day and not scored with Murphy on the pitch. Disgusting. Absolutely no hope whatsoever of being in top 2. Very little chance of top 6. At mo will do well to be top half. Shocking Woeful Boring Tosh. Will be lucky to get 15000 Tuesday and that should tell ME all he needs to know. Changes now before it's too late. They're a good side though Mick and any point in this division is a good point. Bore off !!!!

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Bluetone added 19:33 - Oct 31 “If we're one down and we have to get back into a game all the time that puts added pressure on them. I'm pleased with the clean sheet, delighted with the clean sheet, as I'm sure the lads are. “We'll just have to keep working and turn it into a win. Last year we would probably have nicked that, I keep saying that, but it's just not happening at the moment.” He added: “We've played well against a good team, they're a good side. I'm not coming in here saying we deserved to win by a hatful, it was going to be a win either way. “They've only conceded 11 goals, they're a tough nut to crack and the more we pushed the more you leave yourself a little bit open to the break and we got done a couple of times. But overall I thought we played well, it was a good performance.” McCarthy feels his team has been more like themselves in recent games: “We've been far more competitive. You just don't get it McCarthy quote "Last year we would probably have nicked that, I keep saying that, but it's just not happening at the moment.” even if we had it would still have been a dull boring game all down to a "Johnny one note" manager's same old tactics. .

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menacinho added 19:35 - Oct 31 If MM thinks that was good enough today, he's either lying, deluded or easily pleased. The second half was awful, no shots on goal at all when we should be battering the door down. So little invention going forward, just lots of hoofball. Need to start taking the game to teams at home; at the moment we are simply not doing that.
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neillrumsey added 19:39 - Oct 31 MM assessment of Cardiff is so much different to mine. Today I saw a poor Cardiff side who love to kick the the bal high and long much like ourselves. For me the only difference was that man for man try were so much stronger physically. MM get the on the weights
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gazmangaz added 19:43 - Oct 31 Evans pumps money into the club to keep it afloat and we're supposed to be grateful ? He wouldn't need to keep drip feeding just enough to keep us where we are if he was to bite the bullet and invest for promotion, would probably need a new manager though !
4

ChrisFelix added 19:48 - Oct 31 Poor referee, although Murphy was shocking the treatment he was given was more strictly or Twickenham. Why do the officials allow this
1

Bluetone added 19:49 - Oct 31 I see Essex57 McCarthy's long lost love child is about again.
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cats_whiskers added 19:57 - Oct 31 I wonder why "ESSEX57" spends his time on here down-marking all who voice an opinion on McCarthy Yet hardly ever makes a sound comment... You are so IMMATURE and Get a LIFE and your probable other alias "TCisMYcatsNAME" Hope you enjoy you sweets you've shared between you
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Gravitas added 20:41 - Oct 31 Disappointing outcome but improved performance from last home game. Excellent performances from Gerken, Maitland-Niles and Berra. Wish something would go right for one of our strikers. Great support throughout from the crowd.
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Lathers added 20:54 - Oct 31 The issue with us is simple:- MM hasn't got a clue what his best starting XI is. He has stated many times since he joined that he doesn't like managing big squads and for him he now has a big squad. He has tried giving everyone a game and it has backfired. He also isn't used to having flair players at his disposal and he is finding it hard to integrate these guys in to the gritty workman like displays we've got used to over the past 2 years. Problem for us now is that he doesn't know which style to play and we are caught in the middle. We are not seeing the old MM gritty team grinding out a 1-0 and we are not seeing an entertaining team. I think MM is lost and I am really worried that even he doesn't know how to turn things around.

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Talbs77 added 21:35 - Oct 31 I'm not normally one to comment on hear and would like to say I have huge respect for what MM has done at the club. However I fundamentally disagree with his evaluation of the game I saw today. Would love to see stats on shots on target but I thought it wasn't a good game or performance. We lacked invention, drive, cutting edge, we just looked like we didn't know how to break Cardiff down and what worries me is it was the same against Huddersfield etc. The pressure is building and he desperately needs a win Tuesday or he's in trouble, I think he already is, but no win Tuesday and he will be bigtime. I hope he pulls it round as have a lot of respect for the man.

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BrettenhamBlue added 22:01 - Oct 31 The game I saw and the game that's being talked about here are not the same game. On a different day we could have lost this game 3-0. Gerken pulled off some astonishing saves and our back 4 played superb. The football we are playing is dire. Cardiff really showed us what football should look like. Great counter attacks and great possession football. Some of their one-touch football was a joy to watch. But have we become a team that relies on entertainment from the opposition? Don't know what else to say. Just hope Mick turns this around starting with a last gasp 1-0 win against Bolton.

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billlm added 22:05 - Oct 31 Anker cant be bothered to read most of it, me n the guys on the way said from the ground he'd harp on about the clean sheet enough said boring
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prebsa added 22:17 - Oct 31 The title says it all. "We'd probably have nicked that last year" stop looking in the past mick! Look at what is wrong now! It's like playing Murphy cos he scored loads last year! He can't score right now so don't play him! I wouldn't worry about essex57 people you can almost guarantee he will downmark anything you say his account on here is pretty much worthless. We can all have our opinions but to Essex57 it's always wrong.

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Cheshire_Blue added 23:38 - Oct 31 Thank goodness the 99.9% of supporters who do not bother to comment on here are unlikely to share the views of most of the 0.1% who do!
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