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

muccletonjoe added 08:10 - Nov 20 Just a load of mindless barracking of the manager. The normal on here. No solutions nothing constructive at all really. After beating sheffield away what was he supposed to do? Make half a dozen changes?. 11 people responsible for that display and none of them are mick McCarthy. Yes he put the team out but every single poster on here would have started with the same players or very very similar. These ao called professional footballers have hidden behind mm far too often . Its high time they manned up and took the blame for what was a dreadful display.

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martin587 added 08:12 - Nov 20 You are so arrogant with your comments after and absolutely dire performance.My suggestion to you MM is walk away and save our club from oblivion.
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rollercoastertown added 08:24 - Nov 20 Are resolute Forest back line...... You mean the one with the second worst defensive record in this division Mick?
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sidtheswan added 08:44 - Nov 20 It wasn't the fact that it was a bad day at the office it was the fact that it was another bad day at the office in a long line of them. For the first time I thought the players weren't actually playing for the club or the manager. When it gets to that stage it is time for the manager to go. The reason for this is that if you really sit down and analyse the team half of them are not good enough at this level and you need fresh eyes to see that. The performance yesterday was shocking apart from Bart and it is sad that 2 of the few who are good enough at this level are on loan. Personally I would not shed a tear if MM went and took Chambers Bishop Knudsen Skuse Sears Ward Varney Gerken and a few others to Colchester as that would solve both teams problems!

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Kuqicoo added 09:42 - Nov 20 There's been too many 'bad days at the office' for me now I'm afraid. Sadly a large number of them have been on TV so the whole country can see how poor we are. How will we gain or even keep support especially from the younger generation when we consistently play like that? We clearly have not moved forward from a couple of years ago. We seem to be moving back again. I wanted mick to succeed but we just seem to be drifting. There's just a feel of no ambition.

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blue75 added 09:48 - Nov 20 Kuqicoo sorry finger slip should've been up not down.
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clivebleedingthomas added 09:51 - Nov 20 After sixty four years of supporting the Town, the opening goal I witnessed in yesterdays match must be one of the worst we have conceded. We kicked off with a back pass to a defensive player not noted for his accurate passing. This despite having three players to the left who could have received an attacking pass. Knudsen hoofed the ball forward, won in the air by Forest, quick break forward and we were caught wide open to concede within the first twenty seconds. To compound our defensive flaws, just on half time we concede a goal that a Sunday league team would be having an inquest about. How can it be that a side that defends so well in an away match at Sheffield two weeks ago, can be so clueless at home. No wonder there are so many empty seats; no excitement, no cause to applaud our team's craft. I sat in the waiting room at the train station afterwards, a group of youngsters decked out in blue and white had been taken to the game as "a day out". I wonder how many many will want to return. When is someone at the top of this club going to realize how much damage is being done to future prospects of a loyal supporter base?

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superblue70 added 10:04 - Nov 20 Kuqicoo, sorry down marked you by mistake totally agree mate. Swn98 are you for real? Are you talking about the same players making the same mistakes week in week out yet still being picked by MM, he's weak as a manager scared to take a chance, but why were rubbish and boring anyway so why not take a gamble, play kenlock play dozzell give youth a chance in place of the same losers we watch every week and we all know who I mean. Swn98 I down Mark you without even reading your posts because I know the rubbish your going to post, just go back to carrot road and leave us alone .

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Swn98 added 10:12 - Nov 20 Superblue that is the most ignorant arrogant post I've ever read I've supported town since 1975 been all over Europe and all over the country so please disagree with me we all have our own views but DON CALL ME A FECKIN BUDGIE
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blueherts added 10:38 - Nov 20 The manager is there not only to pick the team but prepare them mentally and get some passion and desire I have said for a while now when ME gave Mick his nice little contract mid way through last season the pipe and slippers came out ME is clueless - and bar one good season - when we threatened with pa offs the last 18 months we are in decline - The worrying thing is that is as good a team as we could put out - maybe bar Webster - we were woeful at the back , dreadful up top and toothless in the middle No one is pushing them for places so most of the players now have their pipe and slippers

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brittaniaman added 10:42 - Nov 20 WE LOOKED OH SO RUSTY THIS EVENING ???? International breaks or Sky TV do us no favours ??
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Tractorboy1985 added 10:48 - Nov 20 Enter Ryan giggs.......
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Swn98 added 10:58 - Nov 20 Agree muscle however your better commenting on the forum much Moor balanced discussion where if they disagree as they might you will get constructive reasons for the disagreement. Not as I've just been accused of being a budgie cos I put a different opinion on here to the main stream.
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bobble added 11:24 - Nov 20 Is george burley still alive?
2

cantona11 added 12:06 - Nov 20 And all these characters we have in the dressing room i didn't see one of those step up and encourage the younger lads Berra,Skuse,CHAMBERS,Mcgoldrick,and the fact Chambers was shouting at Emmanuel after the first goal and puts his head in his hands after the first goal not on he is the worst right back in the league by far (and to all the people that say he is not a right back he is a pro and has played there long enough to know what he is doing there drop him now ) and don't blame Knudsen he has been one of the bright light in the team and we should have dealt with the for the first goal !! Bishop was playing so deep and not the player he was before his injury it's been beaten out of him like Ward he looks lost and is scared to go fwd anymore as he has been told to defend and if not will get shouted at MM does not like wingers he would get Ronaldo to defend not good enough Lawrence was superb again and should have got at least one pen and we never shoot getting it down the wing to cross and oh dear Murphy has been sold and we don't have a big man in there so it got cleared or that pansy in goal caught it after fighting off his broken back caused by someone's shirt touching him in the first half I don't know the answer to what is next but there are no good managers out there without jobs .

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TimmyH added 12:08 - Nov 20 Since New Years Day 2015: All competitive matches including League, League cup and FA Cup. W:34 D: 28 L: 33 - you can't get duller than that, sort of suits McCarthy's personality. Where's the progression there?
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Bluetone added 13:22 - Nov 20 Plain to see McCarthy has lost the dressing room; few of the players other than a few of the undroppables want to play for him.
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Palestine added 13:35 - Nov 20 A couple of years ago I was musing that - even if MM got us promoted, it would be utterly pointless as as a team that cannot retain possession at all, playing like that would get destroyed in the Premiership, so what is the point. A kind of 'are results more important that style?' question. Now that thought seems utterly redundant - there is no chance we can get promoted, rather it is - can we stay up, even though we make all the sh*t teams look good? Frankly, if you can't get results, or organise the team properly, then having MM as manager seems silly as it ticks none of the other boxes. I'm just glad I'm far enough away to have moments of madness where I consider watching this garbage. Feel so sorry for those that are sitting through this, considering the glorious history and football of this proud club.

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ChrisFelix added 14:35 - Nov 20 The Forest centre forward must have thought Christmas had come early. As well as Chambers AWOL as usual, Ward & Sears were still on international break. We go from hoof ball to no target man
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roytheboy added 14:43 - Nov 20 Not good enough, Williams and McGoldrick were the only Town players who looked worthy of being on the pitch, not enough investment in quality Mr Evans and Mick you have a lot to answer for too, changes required urgently.
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Bluroo added 16:08 - Nov 20 I'd take relegation if it means Mick goes and we build again with a young dynamic manager.
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Swn98 added 16:19 - Nov 20 Blueroo would you even if we don't come straight back up not guaranteed you know I doubt it somehow
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superblue70 added 16:41 - Nov 20 Swn98 you should try facing the pitch one week you might see what the rest of us see mind you it is 40 odd miles from where you sit to PR hahaha
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Swn98 added 18:02 - Nov 20 Superblue (by name only I might add) if you can't bring anything constructive to the debate don't bother!!!!
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jocasaja added 19:47 - Nov 20 I have always been a real rosy eyed optomist and backed the team and manager to the hilt. But for the first time in over 20yrs I feel ashamed to say I am an Ipswich Fan - so very very mediocre- No idea, No fight, No Passion, No Pride, No Class, No atmosphere...yawn yawn ..Oh Dear - Really no clue as to where we go next ???
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