Boss Mick McCarthy continues to believe the Blues’ run of being on the wrong end of poor or controversial refereeing decisions will turn around eventually, Town having had goals wrongly disallowed at Wolves and at home to Norwich and having had a contentious penalty given against them in the final seconds to condemn them to a 2-1 defeat at Reading on Friday.

Asked if he felt his side are due a decision going their way, he said: “I’m not sure. I did ask the other day, I sent a message, ‘Am I wasting my time?’ because we come in here and put a lot of work in and there have been some pretty awful decisions which have cost us so far this season.

“But I am of the kind that believes it will turn around. I’m starting to wonder when though!”

He added: “We drew at Wolves and had a goal disallowed, we drew against Norwich and had a goal disallowed. And we got two points from two games and two really good performances.

“Let’s see if we can beat Derby and get three out of two games. It’ll beat that but I’ll still be raging at that point [Town missed out on at Reading]”

Regarding Jonas Knudsen, who was penalised for grappling with Joey van den Berg for Friday’s late penalty at the Madejski Stadium, a clearly still irked McCarthy said: “I gave him a big man-hug on Sunday. He’s all right, he’s like me.

“He was upset by it, he was angered by it but he’s a real winner, Jonas, and he’s a scrapper and there was no chance that he was ever going to fall over because he’s too much of a competitor for that.

“As I said, he got mugged a bit, but it was almost orchestrated when I watched it again. It was like putting a play on.”

McCarthy, whose side might be well above their current position of 15th had a couple of those decisions gone the other way, added: “Without a doubt I could see it coming.”

The Town boss didn’t speak to referee Jeremy Simpson after the game and has no intention of doing so in the future.

“No, no, no, and I don’t think I will never speak to him again,” he said. “I wouldn’t have gone anywhere near him on Friday night, not a chance. Whether I thought we’d been mugged out of it, I certainly wasn’t going to let him cost me money as well, that’s for sure.”

Given the circumstances surrounding the penalty and with officials taking a tougher stance on man-handing at set pieces, does he expect players to appeal that they’ve been held or pulled at every corner or freekick this season?

“That’s what was happening the other night,” he added. “I think we were conned out of it. I think the referee bought the con, they were screaming, falling over, running into Jonas.

“I said to Jonas, ‘Maybe you should have fallen over’ because he [Van den Berg] barged into him. If Jonas had fallen over maybe we would have got a freekick. Or maybe he would have got free and headed it in the net and then I’d have been giving Jonas stick for that.

“It really was annoying. Beyond that. I was in a murderous rage over the weekend, I have to be honest.”

McCarthy has said he goes to see referees before games on a regular basis, will he now ask them how they’re going to approach grappling at set pieces?

“No, I won’t,” he continued. “There could have been penalties in both areas on Friday night and to decide a game like that and in that manner was not right in my view. I thought there was a sting going on there, they should have had the music playing.

“No, as to whether I speak to any of them again I don’t know given the way I feel at this moment in time.”

Photo: TWTD

Keaneish added 06:09 - Sep 13 Laughable. Clear penalty and the more you insist it wasn't, the more foolish you look. I've noticed over time that when manager comments get more absurd, it tends to be the beginning of the end. Here's hoping.
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dugoutdave added 07:18 - Sep 13 MM you are starting to make yourself sound like a prat now. There was absolutely nothing contenscious or controversial about the penalty.Jonas was wrestling him and holding him back.I agree with you openly supporting your players but theres a point at which it all starts sounding desperate. If you can't see it was a clear penalty it shows why you also cant see Chambers is no RB, that Sears needs a rest and that your basic team selection is wrong. Blunt Yorkshire man yes but reasoned? No.

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Portman51 added 07:33 - Sep 13 Both Reading penalties were spot kicks all day and to even debate them is laughable. As for the disallowed goals, yes, it's hard to take but errors in our favour will come and MM won't be whining then. In any event the decisions cost us a goal each, not a guaranteed three points, especially the Norwich one in the third minute of the match. Going into every game hoping to nick a goal and then defend it will get us nowhere and is boring as hell to watch.

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SouperJim added 07:42 - Sep 13 If you give a penalty for that, you have to give 3 or 4 every game. Consistency?
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Sospiri added 08:35 - Sep 13 Both Reading's penalties were bang on, ours was soft. We got the benefit, if anything. Move on please Mick.
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poldark added 08:49 - Sep 13 Excuses excuses that's all you here from McCarthy just has to admit he is at fault not referees or anything else just him clear off McCarthy
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essextractorboy93 added 09:05 - Sep 13 The first Reading penalty and our penalty were very soft, ref obviously knew he'd made a mistake and evened it up. Their last minute penalty definitely was a foul and Knudsen should have known better after the ref focused his attention after speaking to Berra. However referees aren't consistent in giving fouls for similar offences. If they were truly consistent then we would see 5 or 6 penalties every game but they pick and chose what they see. Don't get me wrong it is a foul so the ref has made the correct decision but we should see a lot more penalties given if referees apply the rule correctly.

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wellhungphil added 09:23 - Sep 13 Agree with those saying there was nothing controversial about the penalty that Knudsen conceded. It was stupid and reckless play by him, and he should be fined and dropped for costing us a point, however deserved or undeserved that point would have been. The ref made it very clear he wasn't taking any bull. So keep your hands off the attacker, "Knuddy", and play within the rules!

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Ferguson added 09:29 - Sep 13 I'm with Mick on this one. We've arguably been mugged of 6 points this season, and I'm sorry but I've long believed that the pressure is on referees to be significant in televised games and be part of the drama as well as helping the game to flow. I'll never forgive Clive Thomas for his decisions in the 75 semi as long as I live. His mistakes then and modern referees mistakes now, of course, are amplified by technology that allows us to see from multiple angles what actually happened. Hence my support for the use of this techology in controversial situations. The other issue er seems to be the notion of "Winnning" a penalty as an acceptable part of the game. In 50/50 decisions I think the advantage should go to the defence so that defenders don't get "mugged" by opposition forwards who know that a touch can be enough to "win" a penalty in today's game.

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JimmyJazz added 09:33 - Sep 13 Don't fall over - yes. How's about don't try and give the opposition a big man-hug in the penalty area? Did you tell him that? Sure van den Berg played for it. He chose the least experienced defender to see if he would hold onto him. That's called being street-wise
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BackTheBlues added 10:10 - Sep 13 First two penalties are laughable... Never getting out the way of the ball to hand from less than 5 yards when turning your back! Anybody who's played will know that! Our Penalty - the bloke hasn't even touched Pitman! The Penalty at the end however... Firstly it was a penalty! Absolute stupidity from Knudsen after the same corner had been stopped TWICE! However... There is an argument for - what about all the fouls on Ipswich players in the Reading Box? Most notably on Berra in the first half? Consistency on these Penalties this year will be worse than not giving them. But we need to be less naive in giving them away!

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Seasider added 10:12 - Sep 13 This attitude of my players brilliant, never make a mistake,and they all played well,and I will never change them;is becoming a bit tiresome,and costing us points. Think McCarthy is starting to get desperate,always blaming ref. Expect same team out tonight as usual.Will he never learn
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Garv added 10:15 - Sep 13 Even before the clamp down on box wrestling began, that would have been a penalty. Ridiculous play. Mick seems overly bitter to me. Also assuming we would have won the games against Wolves and Norwich is pointless and a bit childish.
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Surco72 added 10:20 - Sep 13 A manager looking for things to blame is in trouble , they were both penalties simple as . Perhaps if we had an attacking game plan some creative players managed more than a few shots on target in games we may score more and not bitch about being unlucky and how the refs are picking on us . If you play a basic in your face , physical game you will concede more fouls , free kicks and penalties as that is what refs are looking for . Reading had double the amount of passes we had and possession and we fouled them by double and conceded twice as many free kicks , its not rocket science

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iaintaylorx added 10:46 - Sep 13 I wonder if he would think the same if it was us who got the penalty. It was a clear penalty, so what is he on about. The referee gave a warning the Berra and McShane just before the corner was taken and then Knudsen goes and does that. It's embarrassing. Would love to see Emmanuel and Kenlock some time soon, as they cannot be any worse than Jonas and Chambo there!!

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poldark added 11:47 - Sep 13 Backtheblues you clearly don't know the rules regarding handball Wards hand was away from his body and stopped the ball going in its intended direction so I'm afraid it was a penalty read the rules of the game. As for Pitmans it was a poor decision Bishops was much more a penalty and as for Knudson just an idiot
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BackTheBlues added 12:29 - Sep 13 poldark - you seriously telling me if you play on a saturday or even coach that you'd be happy with that penalty being given against you? Don't be so ridiculous! Rewatch the highlights - the bloke had spun almost 180 degrees to get out the way of the ball hitting him in the face and his arm flung out! That was never a penalty 10 years ago and 9/10 times still isn't!

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jjhbruno added 13:17 - Sep 13 Refereeing Woe may turn but our run of woeful football looks like it never will...
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Knightsy added 18:21 - Sep 13 Don't know what is worse the report or the same crap from MM
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