Boss Mick McCarthy says the Blues greater success on the road this season rather than at Portman Road isn’t down to any tactical tweaks he has made.

Town have won 17 of their 31 points so far this season away from home, including victories from their last three trips.

If the Blues win their fourth away game on the trot in the league at Fulham tonight it will be the first time they have done so since March and April 2004 when Walsall, Wimbledon, Rotherham and Gillingham were beaten.

“If you’ve noticed I haven’t set up any different over the last six games or whatever it is,” McCarthy said.

“If you’re forced back like they were against the MK Dons, which we were because they were good with the ball, they kept it, we’re pretty good at that if we have to sit in and defend. If you open up they’ll play through you.

“We have got threats on the break, there’s no doubt about that. The goal that we scored was of real quality.

“I think it manifests itself. I’m not setting up to sit back with Ainsley, Freddie, Brett and Murph on the pitch, that’s hardly likely.

“But when you’re in defending and you get into that defensive mode, we’re pretty good at it.”

McCarthy had praise for left-back Jonas Knudsen's performance at Milton Keynes: “He was excellent, but he’s not played badly. He got done against Middlesbrough, but I could go through all my team and somebody’s done something, whether it’s somebody missing a shot at goal, somebody not picking a pass out, somebody letting somebody run, a defender letting something in.

“I’m trying to pick on Gerks and I was going to say a goalkeeper but I don’t think either of them has done too much wrong, maybe Reading away, the mix-up between Skusey and Gerks and that’s about it.

“Everybody’s made a mistake but they’ve all continued to play well. I was delighted for him, he did have a good game and he had one at the far stick which he defended brilliantly. If you pick it up and don’t make the same mistake, I’m cool with that.”

Knudsen blocked what looked to be a goal-bound strike in the closing moments and McCarthy added: “As I said, it was just well he did as if he’d have ducked and it’d gone in the top corner he’d have got hit harder! They’d have been queuing up to do it! He’s tough, by the way. He is a tough lad, a smashing lad.”

Meanwhile, McCarthy reflected on Ireland’s Euro 2016 group, which was drawn on Saturday evening.

“I can’t imagine it was going to be easy, but it’s always the same, you turn up full of hope and expectation and then you get Italy, Sweden and Belgium,” he said.

“If you turn up as the underdogs, we, Ireland, have been a blooming good underdog ever since I’ve been involved.

“Whenever we’re the underdog that’s when we’ve produced our best results, so maybe that will be the case.

“And yet, it’s almost impossible to get knocked out of the European Championships this year because you can finish third and still get through to the last 16! It’s a good opportunity, isn’t it?”

Photo: Action Images

Raymond added 07:51 - Dec 15 Agreed, we haven't changed anything. We've just played inferior opposition away in recent weeks and managed a couple of wins. When reverting back to playing teams higher up the table we have been comprehensively beaten.
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