Town boss Mick McCarthy admitted it had been a frustrating transfer window and a frustrating night having been unable to make a permanent addition to his squad - although striker Dominic Samuel and midfielder Emyr Huws joined on loan from Reading and Cardiff respectively - while the Blues were been comfortably beaten 3-0 at home by Derby County and man of the moment Tom Lawrence suffered an ankle injury.

“Yes, it has been frustrating,” McCarthy said regarding the transfer window in which he had hoped to make the permanent signing of a striker to replace Daryl Murphy and had a number of bids of more than a million pounds turned down.

“It’s been a frustrating old day and a frustrating night as well, even more so.”

Regarding the match he was disappointed with his team’s performance: “We were beaten by the better side but we certainly helped them along with the first two goals that we gave away.”

Were there any positives he could take from the display? “Not really, I would say the positives were Grant Ward coming on and how well he played in the second half and I thought Kieffer Moore played well when he came on, he affected the game. Apart from that, no, I don’t see too many positives out of it.”

He added: “Everybody wants a reaction to it [on Saturday against Reading], it’s been a bad night for us, we don’t want another one like that.”

McCarthy says he doesn’t yet know the extent of Lawrence’s injury: “I’ll know better tomorrow, he’s rocked his ankle, how bad it is I’m not quite sure yet.”

“He was the only one carrying the threat at all in the first half and it was a blow to lose him tonight and it would be a huge blow if we lost him for any length of time.

Huws and Samuel are McCarthy’s sixth and seventh signings of the window with McCarthy believing the squad needed freshening up.

“I think we all need a bit of a livener, fresh faces and hopefully they’ll liven the place up,” he said.

McCarthy confirmed that skipper Luke Chambers was the subject of interest from Nottingham Forest: “He wasn’t talking to Nottingham Forest but they were interested in him.”

How far advanced did that get? “It got knocked back [by the club]. How far it got with anybody else, I don’t know.”

You weren’t willing to let him go? “No, not at all. With the position we’re in with our defenders, yes I know I’ve got Tommy Smith maybe coming back and Steven Taylor, but it wouldn’t have been right, just for tonight and Saturday’s games.

“Whatever they do, Tommy might come back on Monday and play [in the U23s] but he’s been out for a long time.”

Did it get to the point of Chambers talking to Forest, where he played before he joined the Blues in 2012? “I don’t know.”

Speaking to BBC Radio Suffolk, he added: “There has [been some interest in him from Forest] but we weren’t prepared to do it, simple as that.”

Might it happen in the summer or would you like to tie him down on the one-year option or beyond that? “Well, that’s the contentious issue because they’ve come in and offered him a contract, I believe, and we’ve not yet done that yet. We’ll have to wait and see.”

According to the Nottingham Post Forest had agreed personal terms with Chambers, whose contract is up at the end of the season but with the Blues having an option to keep him for a further year.

After their home game against Rotherham, which they won 2-0, Forest's interim manager Gary Brazil said: "Luke was somebody we tried very hard to get."

TWTD understands the Blues were eyeing Celtic centre-back Efe Ambrose - who subsequently joined Blackburn on loan - as a potential replacement for Chambers had he moved on.

McCarthy says his list of strikers who he wanted to add on a permanent basis was exhausted so he moved onto his loan list and signed 22-year-old Samuel.

“We couldn’t do anything permanently so we took a loan and hopefully he’ll bring something to us.

“He’s had loan spells one at Coventry, one at Gillingham, scored on both occasions and did really well, so hopefully he’ll do that here.”

The Blues boss says his team will have to be much better in the run of very difficult fixtures during February.

“Exceptionally tough, very, very tough, it’s a tough month for us,” he admitted. “We’ve got to play better than that, that’s for sure.

“We didn’t play well tonight, I thought Derby did and that’s a recipe for disaster if you don’t play well or defend well against a good side.”

Derby manager Steve McClaren was delighted with his team’s first-half display and felt they might have added to their lead after the break: “I think the second half could have been even better as well, we missed opportunities.

“But I was delighted in the second half that there was no complacency, we kept a clean sheet. I could see them wanting to fight for that and I think that’s important, not to get sloppy, complacent and to keep going all the way, which they did.

“I’ve been disappointed with the starts in recent games but I was delighted with the start in this game, and I think that’s important.

“A good message to the team that if we are on the front foot and aggressive you can win the game in the first 20 minutes, which we did.”

Photo: TWTD

Taricco_Fan added 23:44 - Jan 31 Struggling to see where a point will come from in February.
5

runningout added 23:50 - Jan 31 We are going to struggle in League 1
5

itfchorry added 23:50 - Jan 31 Growing personnel that can't be wrong about your Football Management skills / 1- Ipswich Fans 2- Wolves 3- Sunderland 4- Roy Keane
12

smellmycheese added 23:53 - Jan 31 PLEASE do one
6

StowTractorBoy added 00:01 - Feb 1 Mick McCarthy must take full blame for this result. Ok the players he selected may not be good enough but the formation was just completely wrong. Why does he suddenly prefer 3-5-2 when 4-4-2 is tried and trusted. Berra nor Knudsen just cannot play in this system and was a disaster waiting to happen and when you add the dreadful team selection we were never going to win this one. Digby is never a Championship player and what has Josh Emmanuel done wrong to be replaced with Spence who has little or no Championship experience. Sears has been ruined by the Manager and if he is not careful he will also ruin the Club by taking us into Division One which I believe is a real possibility. Very sad times at our beloved Club.

19

Warkys_Tash added 00:06 - Feb 1 McCarthy is as sick if the situation as us fans no doubt. For me Evans is the rot in this dire situation. Say or think what you will of McCarthy but he has been totally left hung out to dry by the obvious lack of backing by Evans. If we survive relegation this season, MM will leave in the summer to be replaced by another with no money to spend & we will get relegated. I feel for MM, he has just run out of steam, there is only so long you can keep polishing a turd. What a dreadful waste of yet another season. It's so depressing :(

8

Warkys_Tash added 00:21 - Feb 1 Nottm Forest reportedly are in massive debt yet sign Zach Clough on a 4yr perm deal & Mccormack on loan!!! Who do we get? A load of rubbish that NO-ONE wants. I knew we wouldn't sign anyone decent but this is the lowest I have ever felt about my club & we have plunged to new depths. Dark times indeed :(
11

blackcat added 00:26 - Feb 1 MM seems intent on killing any hope in the team, Why on earth make those changes from a reasonable if slightly sad result on Saturday, I just cannot understand his thinking, keep the same team and play the same formation give the players a chance to build on that draw with a tough home game but ultimately winnable one. NO destroy the small hope we had yet again.. For this reason I shan't be investing my hard earned here for the foreseeable, so I'm out!

8

Woodbridgian added 01:45 - Feb 1 Says everything that we were beaten to allegedly one of our key targets in Matty Taylor by Bristol City. Could understand if it was by one of the so called big spenders but Bristol City!!! if that's where we now are then there is no hope. The running of the club from the top down is a complete joke.
5

casanovacrow added 02:22 - Feb 1 I always thought you needed permission from the players club to talk to the player?
2

blueherts added 04:36 - Feb 1 Our club is in turmoil an pwople wonder why we cant attract players ! Work it out . Would u want to join a club run by Evans and managed by MM ?
5

battyblue added 04:58 - Feb 1 I don't think Luke Chambers enthusiasm will be very high after having his move to forest blocked by the club, and i don't believe town are worth watching anymore,thanks McCarthy for destroying what was a happy friendly club.
11

Hegansheroes added 05:29 - Feb 1 itfchorry, add Brian Clough to the list and that was years ago
1

prebbs007 added 05:55 - Feb 1 Are you still here you dinosaur tw&t ??? WTF are you doing ? Have you no moral fibre or common decency at all. WALK away !!! The tax dodger won't do the right thing so you have to. NO ONE wants you here. The fans have proved it, lowest attendance this CENTURY !!!!!! The players have proved it with displays of such ineptitude they clearly don't wanna play for you and now your lies your stubbornness your contempt your hoofball your utter incompetence and your drivel must end. You are now despised by everyone and because of you and your joke of a boss we will be relegated and the laughing stock of football. Now Fark Off.

5

jas0999 added 06:33 - Feb 1 An owner who has delivered short term injury prone cheap options. A manager past his sell by date. Yesterday was, as expected, a complete disaster on and off the field. No one at the club cares. I'm sure Milne will spin a laughable yarn, I just hope people don't fall for it. Despite having since 1 September, the club and in particular Marcus Evans has failed to replace Murphy a cheap short term loan not being anywhere near sufficient in my book.

5

62WasBest added 07:10 - Feb 1 Can never follow this "fresh faces" argument. It sounds as if the object is just to gamble on getting anyone in just to so as to be seen to be doing something. It's a bit like the way firms constantly re-brand products to try to generate more interest. What happened to the idea of developing and improving teams by trying new approaches, new strategies and tactics? Or are modern footballers so inhibited by the way they have been coached that they cannot change the way they think about the game. Or have some managers just fallen into the trap of thinking that it is the players that aren't up to scratch, rather than realise it is they and their methods that may not be?

2

Ipswichtown4life added 07:11 - Feb 1 you needed a target man... why didnt u go for matt smith? he was peanuts and defo would of helped holidng and scoring... donkey
1

Sixto6 added 07:14 - Feb 1 I wouldn't be surprised if this month we hear that mick will move on at the end of the season, probably agreed a couple of weeks back hence why no big money was spent on permanent signings! Just an idea ?
2

DurhamTownFan added 07:14 - Feb 1 Last sentence by mclaren sums up MM's tenure. How many games in four years have seen us go all out to win it in the first 20 mins?
2

blue75 added 07:23 - Feb 1 You can't expect to get any result but a defeat if you play 5 at the back then have Bru and Skuse sit just in front of them, then play Lawerence behind the front 2 leaving all that space for Derby to play in!!!! Suicidal
1

sereneblue added 07:45 - Feb 1 I think it's time to be a man and fall on your sword.
2

Dissboyitfc added 08:03 - Feb 1 Some of the blame lays with Evans for sure, but for those defending MM using Evans as the reason things are going wrong i say this. Evans doesnt pick the team, choose his underperforming favourite mates,the formation and team tactics. When plan A goes wrong there is no plan B or C, again this not down to Evans. Good/ great managers can change games with wise decisions/ subs. MM gets a team playing well in a system then alters it and the players next game. Yes Evans is to blame as well but the lions share is firmly at the feet of MM. Evans could have given MM 20 million, he would still play it wrong with selection. formation, tactics and mates. We are going steadily backwards, MM neads to go because if he doesnt come the 5th anniversary of MM's first game we will be in a worst position, much worse than when he took over!

10

SpiritOfJohn added 08:06 - Feb 1 We seriously undervalued Murphy and cannot afford to replace him. We should have been targetting in form players from League 1 or 2 instead of wasting effort trying for Hugill. Signing more loanees who are not match fit was not the answer to our woes. At least we kept Bart and Lawrence so we may be able to collect enough points to avoid relegation.
2

midastouch added 08:17 - Feb 1 Rotherham, Burton, Blackburn, Wigan, Forest, Bristol City and QPR are all still a shorter price to get relegated than Ipswich, although that might not be the case by the end of this month. Ipswich are 10/1 to get relegated. I backed them at 14/1 to go down as I lost confidence in McCarthy a long time ago but it would be scant consolation winning some money for something so detrimental and sad for the the club. If we do go down the club have only got themselves to blame for a string of poor decisions. A new manager should of been installed before the Jan transfer window. Evans must have calculated that other teams are so bad that McCarthy should still be able to scrap enough points for us to stay up. But I'm still not certain. All we need is a really bad Feb and we're going to get sucked in much closer to the drop. If Evans is so tight he's prepared to gamble our future on a failing manager just so he hasn't got to pay his compensation package, then what does that tell you about how committed he is to our club? His stock and standing with the fans continues to plummet further and further every day! The only thing I would say about the lack of signings is that if we do get away with it and stay up, I'd rather the money be held back for a new manager as I don't trust McCarthy in the transfer market! But we're walking a tightrope and if we don't get away with it the money saved from not sacking McCarthy is going to see tiny in comparison to the loss of revenue of being in League 1!

5

dirtydingusmagee added 08:40 - Feb 1 just F##k off ,the team has been a shambles, ''tactics'' have been a shambles, transfers have been a shambles your pathetic statements have been incomprehensible .You have been MORE CONCERNED about getting back on the piss.JUST DO ONE.
6

Blogs 295 bloggers

Ipswich Town Polls