Frustrated Town boss Mick McCarthy was left bemoaning conceding two "awful" goals as the Blues were defeated 2-0 at home by Nottingham Forest in front of the Sky cameras. Britt Assombalonga netted after only 17 seconds, the fastest goal in the Championship this season, then added a second in first-half injury time.

“A bad day at the office? That probably sums it up,” the Blues manager admitted. “It couldn’t have been any more awful, the [first] goal we conceded, that’s for sure.

“I was asked on Thursday about having a fast start and I said that that wouldn’t matter if we started as we did against Rotherham [when Freddie Sears scored after three minutes] and it ended the same [in a 2-2 draw].

“But I didn’t expect them to have such a fast start. It was a real awful, awful goal for us to concede, and it was always going to make it tough.

“Both goals were awful, probably worse than the Rotherham goals. So, from a team which had seven clean sheets out of 11, we look like we’ve no chance of keeping one playing like that.”

He added: “Mistakes are made and if you make mistakes and they capitalise on them, which they did [you concede goals], perhaps before we weren’t making the mistakes.”

“It was a catalogue of them, a sequence for both goals. They were really poor goals to concede.”

Having gone behind and then conceded the second goal McCarthy says it was never going to be easy to get back into the match against a resolute Forest backline.

“It was always going to be difficult to get through them and we rallied in the second half,” he continued.

“Whatever we say about the first goal, giving that away, the second one was just abysmal, to concede that before half-time.

“If we come in at 1-0 then we can do something about it. We still attempted to do something about it, but it makes it far more difficult and it gives them that opportunity to have that siege mentality and they did. But all round, it’s a bad day at the office.”

The Town boss was at a loss to explain how the Blues had been so impressive as they won 2-1 at Sheffield Wednesday a fortnight ago and then so poor today.

“If I could explain that I’d be doing very well,” he said. “I find that very difficult, to try and explain how well we played and how disciplined we were [at Hillsborough] and how tough and resolute we were and then give two goals away like we did today, is as far removed as you could ever get.”

Having won at Wednesday the Blues had a chance to build some momentum against a Forest side, which had won only once in 12, hadn’t previously recorded a victory on their travels or a clean sheet anywhere this season.

“It’s hugely frustrating,” admitted McCarthy, who revealed that striker Leon Best missed out on a place on the bench having suffered a minor knock.

Forest manager Phillippe Montanier felt the goal in the 17th second goal was key and said he hadn’t taken such an early lead in a game for many years.

“When I was a player we scored after 10 seconds and I had to wait 25 years to see the same situation,” he said.

“It was very good. It is very important when you play away to open the score but it was a tough second half.

“However, we defended very well and we conceded only two shots on target and we had many opportunities of scoring.”

Photo: TWTD

surgery added 20:41 - Nov 19 You arrogant fool
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prebsa added 20:43 - Nov 19 Arrogant man get him out of our great club now!
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ronnyd added 20:44 - Nov 19 Well, for a Muck post match interview that that was very short but not sweet. Time to go.
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Smithy added 20:45 - Nov 19 just a normal day at the office at PR these days
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BoredWithThisNow added 20:47 - Nov 19 Deluded twerp
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jas0999 added 20:48 - Nov 19 Oh, so after Sheffield he wanted us to believe he was a genius and stuck two fingers up at the fans. Now, it's just a bad day at the office. Deluded.
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havinit69 added 20:51 - Nov 19 I know that Mick is going to get a lot of criticism on here and I'm not saying that he shouldn't. But the players have got to step up. A truly terrible performance made up of a host of individual errors. A change of management isn't going to turn us in to promotion chasers. Marcus Evans and his millions may have saved the club from going in to liquidation again but as long as he controls the purse strings we are going no where fast. It may be time for a change of manager, but don't expect any change on the pitch until we get a new owner, or he invests in to the squad.

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blue75 added 20:53 - Nov 19 Well done Mick you're a genius to make Freddie a utility player takes some doing!! I could bring up all the crap I watched tonight but I have already wasted my early evening watching it. Anyone who still supports McCarthy must be a naaridge fan as no town fan should ever think this is acceptable.
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backwiththeboysagain added 20:54 - Nov 19 Arrogant to$$pot. League 1 beckons at this rate
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Bluetone added 20:54 - Nov 19 The club and fans deserve an early christmas present from you McCarthy - - - - your resignation.
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superblue70 added 20:55 - Nov 19 Bad 2 years at the office I'd say . Just f off McCarthy before everyone else does you arrogant tozzer
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H1960 added 20:55 - Nov 19 Bad day at the office Mick, trouble is you seem to have to many, time to go for the sake of our once great club
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Killieblue added 20:56 - Nov 19 Re Smithy comment, think we need a new man in the office
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christiand added 20:56 - Nov 19 Seem to be having more bad days at the office than good this season!
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Kingfisher49 added 20:58 - Nov 19 Bad day at the office it certainly was. Best way to make it better is to clear your desk and go and teach your negative trash to some other players elsewhere. Thanks for your efforts but your time is up at Portman Road as we need a different more positive approach.
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ArnieM added 21:03 - Nov 19 Knudsen was "involved" for both goals today. He was abysmal. Will he get dropped though? No of course he won't. I wouldn't give any Town player above a 5 today. And The sad thing is I should have put a few bob on us capitulating like we did. This game was set up for our fall 1. We rarely win after an international break. In fact we are usually utter crap. 2. Forest haven't won in their last 11. Their due a win then. 3. Mick fields his most creative team, and we gift two absurd goals, and creative vurtually no clear cut chances ourselves. Game over. 4. The game is on sky . Nuff said.

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H1960 added 21:06 - Nov 19 Last one out of the door remember to turn the lights off
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sereneblue added 21:06 - Nov 19 GO. Your an embarrassment.
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surgery added 21:09 - Nov 19 Can you imagine the defensive eleven against QPR after this debacle?
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GiveusaWave added 21:10 - Nov 19 ArnieM Bialkowski deserves an 8 at least, as he saved us from getting a good 6 or 7-0 hammering at home. But agree with rest of what you've said. I thought we would be competitive today and might grind out a draw. I certainly didn't see us being outplayed so completely. I've been one of many who have encouraged passing football and I know a few people said it wasn't a good idea as we did that pre-season. Seems the others are right. We need a replacement for Murphy like the desert needs the rain.

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mantreeblue added 21:11 - Nov 19 Clear you office asap as we want Jorge Sampaoli.
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itfchorry added 21:12 - Nov 19 Please Leave
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blueboy1981 added 21:14 - Nov 19 Problem is - if he leaves, he will be laughing all the way to the Bank - therefore he couldn't care less, is about the truth of the matter. What a situation ? - for us.
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multiplescoregasms added 21:19 - Nov 19 So Dino, nothing to say about the 2 shots we had on target all game? Ok, so it's agreed we had 7 clean sheets in 11, and to be fair that's not bad at all. But if you don't have the attacking side of the game, you aren't going anywhere. If this is not addressed in the next transfer window with permanent signings instead of loans and freebies, it will be an utter disgrace. Someone sort it out, or just feck off.

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norfolkbluey added 21:22 - Nov 19 Well, well,,well. No surprises here for the Ipswich fans but most likely for the Forest fans after a really bad series of games. How long have we waited for a decent run of games. One step forward two back and gradually falling down the table. Play offs, don't make me laugh!Yet another season next year in the Championship if we don't get relegated!!! Too many of our players are more concerned about showing off their tattoos on sky than being professional footballers!

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