Town boss Mick McCarthy was delighted with his whole team’s performance as the Blues beat Preston 1-0 at Portman Road, Grant Ward scoring a 15th minute winning goal.

“I’m delighted with Grant but I’m delighted with the whole team performance, I thought it was excellent,” McCarthy said.

“I thought we played really well in the first half and I thought we had to have a right, royal scrap in the second half and we’ve stood up to it. It was a real blokes' performance.”

“I thought they were really competitive as well. You can’t knock Simon’s team’s performance in the second half.”

He added: “I’m delighted with them all. I thought it was a really good performance. I thought we played some good football in a really tough environment in that game because that was a physical game and we had to stand up to it, as they have, and we’ve managed that. We’ve done well.

“And I think a clean sheet is great in that game. I thought it was really solid from everybody, I thought they all had a good performance.”

The Town boss was pleased with Brett Pitman’s display, the striker having come into the side as a late replacement for Daryl Murphy, who is joining Newcastle.

“He was great, really good, I thought he was excellent,” McCarthy added. “He won his headers, he’s not as quick [as Murphy] but he’s got plenty of savvy and he’s technically very good, Brett, and he brings other people into play.

“He’s a different sort, but played very well, I thought he was excellent. What’s lovely about it is that he’d not been playing and he got a shout as he came in, he’s trained properly, he kept himself right and he’s reacted in the right way.”

The Blues manager was also pleased with Tommy Smith’s performance, the New Zealand international having come back into the team for Adam Webster.

“I knew the sort of game it would be and I think Adam’s been excellent but I thought he might be playing against Jermaine Beckford and I just thought Tommy was the right man for this game today, him and Christophe Berra, and that proved to be right, thankfully,” he said.

McCarthy is pleased to be going into the international break with a victory: “It’s a long two weeks if you get beaten, especially being at home. I thought it was a really good performance. I’m delighted with the 1-0, but I think we were slightly better than that.”

He continued: “It’s horrible if you lose the game and it is a long time, you’re constantly thinking about it, the result, the performance. It’s funny, when you win, you’re not. You don’t think about it, you’ve just won. It’s nice to go into the break.”

McCarthy, who said he will give his players some time off during the break, explained his second-half argument with the fourth official as he sought to make a substitution.

“We decided to take Freddie off because the only way I thought they were ever going to score was an aerial challenge and Reg [Varney] is different class at that, he can defend corners, throw-ins, corners,” he said.

“But Pits was running out of gas, so TC and myself had a discussion and I changed my mind.

“But the fourth official wouldn’t let me change my mind. He said, ‘No, you’ve made your mind up, he’s coming off!’. ‘I can change my mind!’ I said, what happens if somebody gets injured? Would I have had to take the other one off as well?

“To be fair to him, I don’t know how long he’s been doing it, he’s under pressure as well, but I reacted fairly angrily, I said, ‘You’re not taking him off!’. ‘Yes I am, he’s coming off now!’. ‘You can’t, I can change my mind!’. That was why I stood in front of him!

“So I’ve got a warning for my reaction. I did say, how would he expect me to react when he’s actually saying one of my players is coming off?

“I don’t know, he might be better at substitutions than me, maybe he can ring me next time we play and tell me who I should take off.

“It all turned out all right because we won and we can laugh about it. He’s under pressure as well, the kid.”

Preston boss Simon Grayson conceded that his team was second best on the day.

“You know when you come to Portman Road against a Mick McCarthy team you’ve got to compete, you’ve got to battle, and really over the course of the game too many lost the individual battles," he said.

“There wasn’t a great deal in the game but we didn’t do enough off the ball or on the ball to get anything out of the game, which is disappointing because we set good standards last week at QPR and today we slipped below them.”

Photo: TWTD

jas0999 added 19:01 - Aug 27 Preston were dreadful. We were decent first half, bit dull second. Overall thoroughly deserving of the three points.
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Moisha added 19:13 - Aug 27 I think with the Murphy situation and on the back of two good performances but only 2 draws today was about the 3 points. We move on to Reading after the international break
5

Garv added 19:16 - Aug 27 Good first 20, awful 70 after that. Ward looks a very savvy signing.
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stevieiriswattii added 19:19 - Aug 27 McCarthy - 'I'm delighted with the whole team performance, I thought it was excellent. I thought it was a really good performance. I thought we played some good football.' What on earth was McCarthy watching? A win is a win, but that was not excellent, that was awful football.
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RegencyBlue added 19:26 - Aug 27 It wasn't as bad as some are saying but it wasn't great either! We give possession away so easily and so frequently that we invite almost constant pressure from the opposition. We then sit deeper and deeper as a result which puts us under even more pressure. Preston were awful but remained in with a chance until the end because of our inability to kill teams off!
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Swn98 added 19:53 - Aug 27 The team were set up in a manner to beat Preston which we did not pretty but another 3 points. What some of the pessimists on here don't take into account is that bar 2 disgraceful decisions we would be nearly top, onto Reading.
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Mark added 20:10 - Aug 27 We played very well overall for the first 30 minutes then defended well after that. Overall pleased with the 3 points especially with Norwich losing! Pitman was very good early on and understandably looked tired second half. Varney came on to replace him, and he looked even more tired than Pitman after a few minutes! We really (really, really) need to sign a couple of new strikers by Wednesday.

2

fents71 added 20:34 - Aug 27 I do wonder at times what goes on in MMs head. As garv said, looked good for first 20 minutes and then just back to awful clueless football. I really thought after the Ward goal we'd push on and win comfortably but how wrong was I!? I would love to know what we do in training all week. Attacking and shooting isn't on the agenda I'm sure. We just sat back in the second half and allowed Preston to come at us for 45 minutes. We can't be this poor......can we? I love my club and have supported them for 40 years. This is a very challenging time to be a Town fan, especially when your travelling 200 miles round trip every home game. Really hope it gets better soon #itfc

7

htb added 20:48 - Aug 27 Today's attendance around 1,200 than our lowest attendance of last year. MM pre season spoke about playing a more entertaining brand of football. Our ball playing centre half has shown little sign of it and has now been dropped. Today's performance as dull as normal not sure where this club is going other than more and more supporters staying away. Please Macarthy go. You do not know how to set up a team to play good football and entertain, you are killing this club.

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Penguinblue added 21:21 - Aug 27 No one challenges the crap that McCarthy speaks - if there is any other management at the club not only have they discarded any responsibility for good football or entertainment, they are also happy to forgo revenue as supporters vote with their feet. When opposing managers say 'you know what you will get from a McCarthy team' they are not being complimentary - they are just referring to the hoofing and negative approach he loves so much. Time is up

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Keaneish added 21:25 - Aug 27 There is so much nonsense in this interview it really beggars belief and the more he talks the more idiotic and contrived he sounds. Firstly, i think everyone agrees it was not an excellent performance. Secondly, praising Pitman like that is cringe worthy given we're now reliant on him in the absence of Murph. Thirdly, calling Varney "different class" harps back to the days of Tabb and the insistency on building up confidence of the lesser players in the squad is such an old trait it must have the opposite effect these days - transparent and contrived. Fourthly, 'he didn't think Webster could handle Beckford'? He put Webster in against Jerome last week who is vastly superior to Beckford these days! I interpret that as: Brett, i need to keep you onside as i need you more now than ever. Reg, you're one of the weaker members of the squad but i need some experience in my ranks given how youthful and inexperienced the squad is so i'll big you up as much as i can to keep you interested in your bit part role. Adam, i won't tell you this but i've messed up throwing you straight in. Bad management. You're not ready for the step up. All Town affiliates and fans, i did my job today, we got a result and a clean sheet. Call it what you like, it matters 'owt to me. I've done the bare minimum (again) but i'll dress it up and call it "excellent" for PR purposes. Yawn.

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Cloddyseedbed added 22:24 - Aug 27 1st 30 minutes ok. Great goal, Sears and Douglas should have scored too. After that 2 poor teams on display. We signed a fantastic defender who likes to pass the ball we were told, he's now dropped after not showing that in any of the games I've seen and back comes Tommy, who was solid. Grant scored a great goal and then drifted out of the game. Sears is not a left winger and is struggling now after being ruined, I feel sorry for the lad. Murphy wanted to go, I'm not surprised. It seems the supporters now have worked out the style of player and style of football has not changed and will not change, it's the only way the manager wants to play. Not good on the eye. Pitman and Varney are not the answer up front either MM and the over the top praise also made me cringe. We now hear Leon Best maybe offered a deal, wow, that will really draw the crowds. The team may have a few new faces but the entertainment factor is the same......dour.

6

Mogidiah added 22:25 - Aug 27 I've been reading this site for years but never felt the need to comment, but here goes. How short are the memories of some people here, have the Keane and Jewell days been forgotten already? MM came in when things were absolutely dire, Keane had destroyed any youth system that we had, then Paul Jewell and Simon Clegg ran our team like an athletics club. Invested money was wasted, no player signed by Keane proved value for money, nor did the man himself. Jewell inherited a sinking ship and was unable to right it, granted his hands were somewhat tied by Clegg. MM saved us from Relegation and on an absolute shoestring of a budget has had us there or thereabouts for 3 seasons on the trot? Are you fans or idiots? We're not Man United, or Barcelona, and our club is being run in a sustainable fashion. The results today prove money spent doesn't translate to points in the table. Just look at QPR. If your so fickle as to want MM out when he saved us from League 1, and has achieved tremendous things in his time here. I will take 3 points over pretty football any day of the week, as should any true town fan.

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muccletonjoe added 22:29 - Aug 27 What a load of garbage. Why dont you lot go and watch something you can understand?
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RoyalAscotBlue added 22:30 - Aug 27 Dear oh dear oh dear. So we managed to stop one of the worst teams in the league from playing, and nicked a one nil win, at home. The few that went were not entertained at all but Mick is delighted. Ward continues to impress though, so at least we have that to be thankful for. Good luck Murph, you have served this club well. Perhaps we could use the money to get a rightback.

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stevieiriswattii added 23:40 - Aug 27 In response Mogidiah, By all means express your opinion, but if someone has a different argument, that does not make them an idiot. I appreciate the Mick steadied the ship and saved us from relegation, but he has achieved nothing tremendous. With the style of football we are playing, we will not be promoted, nor relegated. Forever in the championship, forever hanging on to one goal leads, forever watching the ball sail up in to the sky & into the stands. At some point, we may have to try something different, i.e. playing 'pretty' football, with or without McCarthy. The ever decreasing attendances will eventually require this.

7

Swn98 added 06:57 - Aug 28 Cloday I believe that Webster was dropped because Tommy was deemed to be able to fight the aerial bombardment better which he did surely that's good management.
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Ashinbarnsley added 08:50 - Aug 28 We won people it's a results business we keep winning fans will come back. Would you rather have 80% possession and lose or 30% and win, no brainer for me up the blues!!
3

Cloddyseedbed added 08:53 - Aug 28 S98 if you think so.
0

ssmith added 09:45 - Aug 28 Think Mick's trying to paper over cracks , Preston were awful , we were good for twenty minutes or so then not much better then them for the rest of the game , desperately need at least two or three new players this week
1

battyblue added 09:56 - Aug 28 Deluded McCarthy.
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sirmichealmills added 11:15 - Aug 28 Until the club wake up over match day ticket prices, the idea that there's thousands of people with loads of money roaming round Ipswich town centre, wondering what to blow £30 on is laughable... No one can with a straight face can tell me that its value for money on a matchday.
3

hancockingoal added 12:57 - Aug 28 We are at home to a poor side but big Mick still plays defensive minded mid fielders, the emphasis on not conceding. Surely this was an opportunity for both Bishop and Dozzell? Can't fault Pitman or Sears, they get no service and have to scrap for everything! With our style we will desperately miss Murphy. Until we can find a creative midfield 'general' and I doubt there is one available on our budget? It will be a case of 'same old, same old'

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Hockley added 20:59 - Aug 30 This was a solid display by Pitman who can surely go on to cement a regular place in the side and have a good season. Really cannot say the same about Teddy Bishop. I know the lad has been out for a long time but we virtually played with 10 men during the 20 or so minute that he was on the field. I think that he only touched the ball 2 or 3 times. The lad has class and skill but you also need fitness, endeavour and bite in this league. Maybe a longer spell in the Under 23's will do the trick.

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