Town boss Mick McCarthy hailed a performance and result which he felt reflected his four years at Town more accurately than some other recent games as the Blues defeated Sheffield Wednesday 2-1 at Hillsborough.

“I’m delighted with that,” McCarthy said. “I thought it was a good display by virtually the same team that played last week. Really very, very pleased, of course, and even happier still with the result.”

After an evenly-balanced first half, Wednesday started the second period the stronger before the Blues got on top.

“That’s normal when you’re away from home,” McCarthy reflected. “I didn’t think we’d be the dominant team all that game, they’re a good side with good players, who rotate particularly well and pass it well.

“But we negated that for most of the time, I thought. They didn’t have that many chances.

“And as the game went on, when it got stretched we caught them on the break a number of times and didn’t really make enough of it, which we should have done, until we got the winner. I’m very pleased.”

He added: “I told you on Thursday [at the pre-match press conference] that I don’t worry about my ability or my confidence in the players and they’ve backed that up today with a really good performance.

“I thought we played well enough last week, we were just on the back of two horrible goals we gave away and it was hard to play then.

“We’d had one win in seven [before the Rotherham game], it doesn’t get any easier under those circumstances, I thought we were excellent today, I was really pleased with that performance.”

Regarding Tom Lawrence’s excellent opening goal, his first for the Blues, McCarthy said: “I said to him before the game that all he needs to cap off his performances is a goal because I think he’s been excellent for us, a really good signing, really good performances.

“I don’t think I’ve left him out, I think he’s played every week. He got his goal this week and it was an excellent goal.”

Skipper Luke Chambers netted the winner, diverting a Christophe Berra header which was going wide.

“He intercepted a header which was going over the North Stand by Bez,” the Town boss continued. “Nevertheless, they were both in there and attacking it and it was great when it went in the net.”

McCarthy felt the display typified what his Ipswich Town teams have been about over his four years in charge far more than some other displays.

“If anyone wants to judge me, crack on,” he added. “But that performance today and that result reflects my time at Ipswich, my four years and 202 games far more than performances they choose to carp on about.

“That is more like my team, that is more how I’ve been than some of the other performances, Brentford away, Leeds away, that reflects me far more. A nice result.”

He was pleased to be able to field a 4-4-2 formation with widemen, having not been able to name the team he ideally would have wanted to in recent weeks.

“I’ve had it here before, I had Tabby and Ando, although I’m not going to say they were flying wingers, but we were playing 4-4-2.

“I’ve not been able to play 4-4-2 really, I’ve had Pits injured, Reg Varney injured, Didzy injured, we sold Murph, Besty came in.

“So to play two strikers from the start when we’ve only got two it makes it pretty difficult then to make substitutions.

“That’s my preferred way of playing, sometimes I’ll choose differently if we have to stop the opposition but it proved fruitful today.”

The result meant McCarthy’s remarkable unbeaten record as a manager at Hillsborough continued.

“Apparently, maybe they should make me the manager here!” he joked. “No, I forgot, I’ll be with [Ipswich] for another couple of weeks now.”

McCarthy's only managerial defeat to Wednesday came as Millwall boss in a League Cup tie at the Den in 1995.

The win and performance see the Blues go into the international break with the mood much more positive than it was going into the game.

“Of course it is,” McCarthy continued. “Had we been going into the international break, we were all having a couple of days off whatever happened, but the difference is that I’m going to enjoy them now.”

Wednesday boss Carlos Carvalhal thought his side were under par: “We didn’t perform at our levels, that was the problem today. I hope this game will be an exception in the run that we have because really we were playing, very, very well in the last seven or eight games.

“Today we didn’t perform to our level. We know we were playing against a team that don’t concede many goals, they play very compact, they have very good discipline.

“We knew that before the game, we prepared for the game, we took a goal with a mistake when we were planning to attack, we conceded a goal in a fast attack.

“After we try to find a way to score and we scored to make it 1-1. In the second half we started well in the first minutes, pressed a little more but really we don’t act today like a real threat to Ipswich.

“We were losing energy, we were trying but we were going against a wall and, of course, when you go against a wall and you try to break lines you open up spaces for the counter-attacks.

“One of the counter-attacks we made a fault we can’t do and from the fault they scored to make it 2-1. I think it’s very heavy the score, we didn’t deserve to lose the game, but we didn’t deserve to win also.”

Photo: TWTD

BlueMachines added 20:10 - Nov 5 The other thing you always hear from the opposition is "you know what to expect from a MM team". In other words bloody predictable!!
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Vizslaraner added 20:22 - Nov 5 Yes we won and being a Town die hard that's great. However, the arrogance and sarcasm is there this week. Funny how he was humble last week. There have been too many false dawns before and by no means is this turning the corner
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blue75 added 20:29 - Nov 5 Great result today but just so, Mick can't use his line about fans shutting up when we win. Our style was still negative today going on the stats. So it'll take a bit more than a Berra mis hit bouncing off chambers head, to convince me that Mick can do something he has never done in his career change his style of play.
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BillBlue added 20:30 - Nov 5 DirtyOldNodger - Oh dear, not arrogant? "“If anyone wants to judge me, crack on,” he added. “But that performance today and that result reflects my time at Ipswich, my four years and 202 games far more than performances they choose to carp on about." He quotes three games in four years so it is the other 199 games "they are carping on about" and you don't think that is total arrogance. For goodness sake read the article! I agree with SereneBlue, won one game, just one game and off he goes again. THAT is arrogance! -

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Swn98 added 20:34 - Nov 5 He can only select a team from the fit players available he has done that and got through a tough patch without too much damage so on wards and upwards
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jas0999 added 21:02 - Nov 5 This is a good result. No doubt. But Mick is doing himself few favours. Folk, who pay their hard earned money, are entitled to an opinion and sadly, which ever way you look at it this has not been a great season to date. A couple of good results, but primarily poor ones with little or no entertainment. It's been dull. Good to get three points today, but the way Mick is talking, we are only supposed to judge him on this. No, 2016 hasn't been great at all.

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runningout added 21:52 - Nov 5 Great result, but so much room for improvement, it's rediculous ..
5

grumpyoldman added 22:09 - Nov 5 So if 442 is his preferred way of playing with two strikers why did he persist with playing one striker up front and the other one wide, leading to Sears going a long time without scoring. Analysis of his teams will show very rarely does it contain two out and out strikers, when Murphy & McGoldrick played one was usually playing in behind the other. Why didn't he use Varney and Sears or Sears & Best. He had the wide players and two strikers available earlier in the season but didn't play them, so more BS being from MM.

13

ricardo55555 added 22:29 - Nov 5 With a low budget trust in Mick!
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htb added 22:46 - Nov 5 Pleased to see a good win, but still find MM an arrogant boring idiot . Having already having had to endure 4 years of his boring hoof ball I have given up my 4 season tickets of many years and find myself caring less and less. Can't wait for the day he is gone.
9

braveblue added 22:54 - Nov 5 He really can't let it go. Another pop at the fans. If he hadn't played with two holding midfielders for so long he may have been more popular!!
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Carberry added 23:07 - Nov 5 This is really sad, a good result but a sour note from the manager afterwards making those remarks. His relationship with us is like the attitude he has to our style of play, nobody likes it but I don't care.
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Tractorboy1985 added 23:26 - Nov 5 I'm sure I read blueboy1981 would not post again about 3 weeks ago??? F off mate! We won.. What's the point in slagging the manager off this week? He's not my cup of tea all the time and I'm frustrated as any other fan but u my friend are a grade A TOOL finding negativity after a win! FOBB
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bobble added 23:39 - Nov 5 To win respect he needs to win more games like this.
6

Ardentitfc1978 added 04:29 - Nov 6 I still with MM and the current squad. Top 6 I still believe. Come January to add on a striker and an attacking midfielder. Very good 3 points and well done all. COYB !!!
2

geminimustang added 05:47 - Nov 6 The fans can have a pop at him but he can't have a pop back at the minority who won't accept he's had to get through a period where injuries have dictated the team and,in turn,most of the tactics.I accept he's made mistakes,that's life.ITFC are overperforming due to a lack of funds that MM & TC have received over the past 4 years.I'm not knocking ME for that either.They're running a business sensibly.Newcastle will walk this league as 50K+ gates provide the income that allows them to spend.15K gates get you mid-table.

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muccletonjoe added 07:19 - Nov 6 A variety of opinions on mick. The fact is he has dropped douglas and got didz back from injury. Now hopefully bish will improve with regular games and if not williams is a very good second option. If the team is right then eventually mm and his critics will agree to disagree. : )
1

richnblue added 07:20 - Nov 6 Just seen this on the abc... "That performance and result today reflects my time at Ipswich. That is more like my team and how I have been." Possession Home61% Away39% Shots Home14 Away9 Shots on Target Home3 Away2 Corners Home8 Away2 Fouls Home9 Away14 Enough said..
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jonbull88 added 07:28 - Nov 6 Great result, glad mm stayed with an attacking team. Same team vs forest and we might start getting somewhere.
1

grumpyoldman added 08:35 - Nov 6 Geminimustang, do you actually read what MM says, he quite often takes a pop at supporters. As for the injuries, Williams was injured when signed on loan, players he signed not given a run and Lawrence not given a starting place to begin with. Other managers at other clubs have less money but their teams play a more attacking style. If you believe that making the playoffs once is overachieving you have a different view to me of achievement.

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Warkys_Tash added 09:20 - Nov 6 BlueBoy, I like Mick but agree with your comments. Comments like his come from a man who is annoyed with the fans reactions to poor football & poor results. He doesn't like being questioned. He likes being proved wrong even less. This result is not a reflection of of his time here in my opinion more a reflection of what can be achieved when we play attacking football. He has been more negative than positive in his time here - everyone knows that, including himself. Yes, key players have been unfit/unavailable but there has been no excuses to continually play Douglas/Skuse partnership & Sears in midfield like he has. Thank goodness for the Newcastle fan on Twitter, eh?! If he plays attacking like today & we don't make the play-offs then fair enough - ALL we ask for as fans is to give it a right go.

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grumpyoldman added 11:17 - Nov 6 Today is the fortieth anniversary of Ipswich beating WBA 7-0, Paul Mariners debut. Those really were the days, attacking football and entertainment. What I wouldn't give to see those days return, under MM more chance of pig flying, and I don't mean a police helicopter. It was the only match I missed that season, I wanted to bring the ceremony forward so me and my family could still get to the match, but oh no my future mother in law and her daughter would not agree. Selfish or what?

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Swn98 added 11:39 - Nov 6 Grumps enjoy your nostalgia I'm afraid in real life time waits for no one.
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Wickets added 12:52 - Nov 6 Well done Mick it's taken about 2 years but i think you have finally realised that " he's been great Dougie" strolling about our midfield has not helped. We rarely win with him in the side.
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arablue added 13:00 - Nov 6 Mick, there is something called HUMILITY, and exercising this in the face of victory is what makes one a better man..you need to work on that..
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