Town boss Mick McCarthy accepted “a big part of the responsibility” for the Blues' 1-0 home defeat to Rotherham United, Leon Best having scored the winning goal for the Millers a minute before the break.

Unusually, McCarthy made his way straight down the tunnel after the final whistle signalled boos and chants of ‘What a load of rubbish’ from the home support.

“We deserved to get booed but I don’t have to listen to it,” he said. “We’re going for the EPPP in the academy, well that summed it up because it was a ‘piss poor performance’.

“I take a big part of the responsibility because I left the team as it was from Tuesday night having played.

“Whether we hadn’t got the legs or the energy in them for some reason. I watched the game back on Thursday and I thought we played well enough in the game.

“And in hindsight, which is 20:20 vision, maybe I should have changed it. Liam Feeney livened it up. I take a large part of the responsibility.

“In hindsight I wish I’d played a different team, we’d played better and we’d won. Hindsight is 20:20 vision.

“I left the team as it was because we won the game, consistency, leave it as it is. And you know what, if I change it and we play badly and we get beat, it’s the other way around. I have to take responsibility for my actions, which quite clearly I have.”

Regarding the boos and ironic cheers earlier in the game, McCarthy added: “I said the other day, I think people are maybe getting tired of me. Happens, doesn’t it?

“We all want to win, don’t we? And when fans have paid good money to see us play well and win, which we haven’t done, of course I accept them.

“I’m not claiming to be a victim of my own success at all. I just think that it starts, I think people are a bit more tolerant, then you have a couple of bad performances and it doesn’t start going right and they just get tired of seeing us play that way, which I would if we played like that, but we haven’t played that way all the time.

“And I just think people start to get a bit more intolerant of results and performances, but I get being intolerant of that today, because I’ve already said it was ‘EPPP’.”

He says he picked the side he did because of the way he anticipated the game going: “I could see what was coming. As it turned out, we were one down from our own freekick, which we shouldn’t be.

“I sensed the way it was going to be. It wasn’t going to be thrilling or pretty or wide open and expansive and I didn’t want to be in that position where we’ve conceded because we’ve had to defend against long throws, freekicks, corner kicks and we’ve done all of that. And then we’ve conceded a really poor goal.

“A very good goal on their part, I might add, because [it is] if they catch you on the break and do you.

“What I didn’t want to do was be 1-0 down with a nice, pretty team on the field. You can always add and try and create something later in the game, but it’s just not worked out. I’ve had the plaudits in the past, I’m now getting the brickbats, so be it.”

Do fans’ reactions like the one on the final whistle put him off doing the job? “No, not at all.”

What disappointed him most about the performance? “I’m going out for a bite to eat about half-past eight, I might still be here then if I start telling you that.

“All-round, I don’t think any of us, and that stems from me picking the team and how we played and how we’ve set up, to the players, I think none of us have really come out with any glory.”

He added: “[I’ve seen the highs and the lows] and I’m sure I’ve got loads more to come, both of them. Let’s hope more highs than lows.”

Millers' boss Neil Warnock was delighted with the win which took his side out of the bottom three and up to 20th.

“They’ve done ever-so well," he said. "We are limited. The Championship is my cup of tea really. We’re getting out of the lads probably what they didn’t think they could do, and it’s lovely to see them.

“I said to them that I’m going to come in for 14 games and I’m going to enjoy all my time here. There’s no pressure on me because we’re enjoying it.

“I asked them to give me their best and their all and you saw today that you can’t ask any more than that, can you? The tackles and headers, trying to keep the goal intact.

“And really the goalkeeper, Lee Camp, didn’t really have a shot to save, aside from one or two difficult balls into his body.”

Photo: Action Images

ChrisFelix added 12:33 - Mar 20 Over the years I have had my fair share of disappointments following Ipswich. The semi final defeat at Stamford bridge 1975 & the Easter saturday home defeat to Arsenal 1981. On those occassions it was mainly do to lack of available quality players caused by injuries to key players. Yesterday it was pure bad management because we certainly had better players available on the bench. As with The Brighton home gane Mick picked the WRONG starting 11. Isnt hind sight a fantastic thing

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essexboy added 13:08 - Mar 20 MM,during this two week lay-off,you need to look back and reflect on the terrible Tacticle errors and team selections you have made over this season.With Eight games to go change it around and prove to us you can pick an attacking team with a better midfield,and without square pegs in round holes.I Dare you.!,
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Elto added 13:42 - Mar 20 Almost 24 hours on and I still can't fathom MM selecting the team he did. He just set himself up for a fall and he has fallen, quite considerably in my view. My son and I are on a mission (misguided) to attend every league game this season. We are on target but I'm not looking forward to April and I'm glad we have a 2 week break. It's hard work supporting this team right now and I'm tired of it. Really tired. I'm going to bed.

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bluefeast added 15:41 - Mar 20 Top 6 all inventive and creative managers , with square pegs in square holes. Mick you've got sort out why we are all over the shop with square pegs in round holes , silk purse exists within the club ,stop picking the sows arsenal !
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Seasider added 17:49 - Mar 20 Mick says it wasn't going to be pretty,wide open and expansive.He knows of course because he chose a team to play the opposite way;and look what happened.He didn't want to be 1-0 down with a nice pretty team on the field,well he wasn't as the ugly team was on the field when they scored.Never ever seen an MM team play pretty expansive football anyway,boring yes.. If he had set up to play this way,who knows,we might have scored,perhaps unusually more than 1 goal,and gone on to win;but I don't suppose he wanted to upset his close friend 'Colin'who must have gone home to his native Yorkshire a happy man. I think the Ipswich fans are very loyal,and polite compared to many others;so if they vent their anger and frustration,then their patience must have been severly tested Think this website,the EADT and Radio should conduct a poll to gauge current opinion on Mick McCarthy.Supporters should let the club know how they feel in any way they think fit,and should also ask questions where there are any Q&A sessions as I have.Wont be at the next one;but hope someone will ask Simon Milton if the alleged swearing incident by him at yesterdays match was true,likewise with Chambers who seems to have started to make a habit of this. No doubt Mickmac is good at getting clubs out of relegation trouble,wonder if he would fancy trying it again at Bolton?

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harlingblue added 00:10 - Mar 21 Why don't we pick our best footballing team and let the opposition worry about us? We are becoming boring and predictable, this years games at home have been turgid and with no flair, even when we have won.
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Bluroo added 10:32 - Mar 21 How much do we pay this has-been to "leave it alone because it was alright" ? Anyone of us could manage Ipswich from a deck chair on a beach with that level of tactical input. The game has moved on, its fast, dynamic, and strategic. Good old fashioned commitment and effort are par for the course, but it's all Mick seems to have in his locker. It comes to something when you're not bothered that the team you love loses matches, if it's ultimately the only way to end this prehistoric-hoofball era. Only problem is we haven't got a manager choice right since 1994 and we won't get the next one right if our business strategy is not to get relegated ahead of trying to get promoted.

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Razor added 10:50 - Mar 21 One or two points. Yes MM we are getting tired of you and 3 more years of this is just so so depressing. Mick had the right team on the pitch after 72 minutes-----took some time!! Veery sorry to hear about Simon Milton-----thought he had more class than that and as a servant of the club who is always asking for money a public apology would be appropriate. I am not an accountant but as Evans clearly does not actually want to invest any money in the club by buying players is it some form of tax dodge why he continues to stay here----I just wish he would go and we get an owner who actually cares and wants to move the club FORWARD. Going to see Didds tonight in under 21 game if he shows up----will he save MM?

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ITFC1985 added 11:21 - Mar 21 The most annoying this is we will probably get something at Wolves which will keep us (the fans) clinging onto the faint hopes of the playoffs for another week at least. I find it embarrassing that we are still in with a chance of getting into the top 6 we are by far the worst team in the top ten. We huffed and puffed through tuesdays game (against the majority of Blackburns 2nd string) and we huffed and puffed again Saturday. You cant expect to win games when you play Hyam, Skuse and Douglas, we need to start playing Pringle and Bru just to add some creativity in the middle then you can bring on defensive options to see games out. Its just so boring and predictable watching us lump it forward, teams defend it too easily however Mick has no plan b at all.....

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Pilgrimblue added 12:54 - Mar 21 We got what we deserved from MM, yes he saved us from Div 1 but then we all got carried away thinking he could take us up. Big mistake not selling Murphy or McGoldrick that would have given Town funds to build but MM thought he could get away with another year. He may have signed/loaned some ok players but he doesn't use them and instead prferes to keep playing the same old way with players in wrong places using poor tactics. Until he goes I wont be watching any more hoof ball. Players like Bru/Pringle/Foley must wonder waht they have to do to get selected

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