Town boss Mick McCarthy was annoyed that his much-changed side failed to take their chances and conceded a poor goal and were beaten 1-0 away by Rotherham United.

“I’m annoyed that we’ve lost, that’s my assessment,” McCarthy said. “We got away with it because Gerks made a good save [from Danny Ward’s early penalty] and I said to them at half-time, we’d have had burning legs and burning lungs because they hadn’t all been playing.

“They’d got over that and in the second half I thought we were better and we made chances and I think we should have been in front, but we contrived to find another way to give a goal away.

“It was a good finish by him [Tom Adeyemi] in the end but it shouldn’t have got to that. I’m a bit miffed about it.

“It was difficult to get back into it because there wasn’t long left and they got a real kick out of it and they could sit back and they’ve got a fair bit of pace up front, to be fair to them. We didn’t take our chances and they kept doing us on the break.”

McCarthy felt his team gelled as the game progressed after Rotherham had had the better of the early stages.

“We had got beyond that at half-time,” he added. “OK, we lacked a bit of cohesion with the way we were passing it but I thought we started to get that in the first half and in the second half we did have it and we were better. But we didn’t take our chances when we got them and managed to give a goal away.”

Is that perhaps inevitable when there are so many changes to a team? “It’s not inevitable. It didn’t look inevitable until that goal went in. If we don’t take our chances, if we don’t score, don’t get beat, but we did.”

McCarthy cited January signing Danny Rowe’s performance as a plus to be taken from the match.

“We had three midfielders at the start and Toums, Bish and Doz didn’t dominate that, their lads in midfield coped with that,” he said.

“I changed it to 4-4-2 and I thought Dominic Samuel showed a bit at times but Danny Rowe I thought was a real bright spark out of all of it, a positive.

“He came and he had a slight knock, then he came in and he was impressing everybody. Then he got injured again.

“And for the last two or three weeks he has been great in training. I was that close to playing him at Burton, but it wasn’t a debut day that, at Burton, and as it turned out that proved to be right. Newcastle wasn’t either.

“Today was and he’ll be pleased with his debut, I think. I am, I’m certainly pleased with him, he’ll be a player for us.”

Regarding Andre Dozzell, he added: “He’s a good player Dozzer, I’m not sure we dictated that midfield even with the quality we had in it. But he’s got some lovely subtle touches and he’s developing.

“There lies the problem, he is developing, he’s not the finished article yet, but when he is he’ll be a very good player.”

Was it a difficult decision to make as many changes as he did? “For the reasons I gave on Thursday it was, but the other side of that it wasn’t because I wanted to give some of them a chance.

“They’ve travelled up and down the country most of those but have not had much game time, sometimes sat in the stand, sometimes sat in the stands, watched all the others play.

“It was their opportunity, albeit slightly unfair, I get that because there were nine changes. It’s like playing a League Cup tie.

“I wasn’t being disrespectful to Rotherham, not in any way, shape or form. I was being respectful to my team and my squad and giving them a game and pretty much for most of it it was even-stevens.

“But I should congratulate Warney [Rotherham manager Paul Warne], I’m pleased for him because it’s great for him, it’s done him a whole world of good, I would imagine, in terms of him getting the job, keeping the job and for positives for next season.”
"
McCarthy was pleased with Dean Gerken’s performance and penalty save: “There’s never a bad one, is there? It was a really good save, he’s a good keeper. He was ready to play.

“Bart has been brilliant this season, and pretty much a lot of that is down to Gerks because of the way they train, the way they work together. He gives him a lot to think about.

“He’s got to be on his toes, he’s got to play well, if he doesn’t Gerks comes in and he does that. He’s done nothing wrong, Gerks.

“He’s been pretty much a big part of how Bart’s played. And, of course, he’s come in and done well having not played in however long. He looked as if he’d played last week and the week before. He was very good.”

Millers boss Warne was pleased that his side had ended a run of 17 games without a victory, having been given the manager's job on a permanent basis earlier this month.

“It’s obviously nice to win a football match, it’s nice to keep a clean sheet, which is obviously important," he said.

“Ironically in the last four games since I’ve had the job, while the effort was there, I didn’t think we had as much quality as in the other three.

“I think that just shows what football’s like in the Championship. In the other games I think we deserved more points, we didn’t get them.

“Today, I’m not saying we didn’t deserve to win, but I could have seen the game go in any way.

“I’ve told the players I’m really proud of them the way they kept a clean sheet and got over the finishing line but I think they have to believe in themselves a bit more because they’ve got more to give.”

Photo: TWTD

IpswichT62OldBoy added 13:29 - Apr 23 AAAAAAARRRRRGGHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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bressinghamblue added 14:00 - Apr 23 Mick can be annoyed all he likes. He's the manager. That means the players are his selection, the tactics are of his making, the motivational speech is his to give, and he is the person who leads the coaching team to impart all those years of wisdom into the team he has selected with a view to beating this particular opposition. Not good then, is it? He should look in a mirror, give himself a good stern talking to, tell himself that he's just not been good enough and that he's not been up to the job for 24 months now. And then, he should ..... LEAVE!

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roytheboy added 14:15 - Apr 23 Why 9 changes Mick, what did you expect, Sears should have had the last 30 minutes at least, well done against Newcastle it was brilliant, but it is totally unacceptable what you have done today, I know that you needed to see what other players could do, but 9 changes was ridiculous, you indicated during the week that you would respect the league and the supporters, which suggested to me approx. 4 to 5 changes maximum, I am very disappointed by what you have done today, it is not what I expect from our Manager.

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martin587 added 14:34 - Apr 23 Blueboy1981, Did you go to the match yesterday? If so you would have seen how inept they were.we all have opinions based on fact,not guess work as some.!!
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yorksblue added 15:19 - Apr 23 Drastic action needed at FT v Forest. Ist, sack MM, 2nd sell club, 3rd get rid of dross players, incl those who spend most of each season on treatment table, those who are too old/slow and those who are just cr*p. Not too much to ask, is it?
2

Seasider added 15:32 - Apr 23 Mick goes from the sublime to the ridiculous,not making changes however well or badly his team plays to changing virtually the whole team. This has not worked in the Cup games previously when we have had some bad results,and it didn't today.The upheaval and dis-organisation with so many changes were obvious. However he has learnt that Danny Rowe is ok,as he would have been no doubt against Burton which he had considered. It made me laugh when Bam Bam said on Radio Suffolk that Diagouraga looked as though he was towing a caravan!He should be allowed to return to Leeds;but hope an effort is made to sign Huws.Pity Jonny Williams is injured yet again,think he would be ok on a pay as you play basis either on loan or contract because with his frailty doubt if he will have many takers. Little can be taken from this result,although I still hope that Mick McCarthy is not our Manager net season.

7

woohoo added 18:24 - Apr 23 Oh dear, and there was me thinking that having beaten Newcastle, we might manage not to lose to the bottom club. Silly me.
1

raycrawfordswig added 08:04 - Apr 24 Every game we give way poor goals.Sort it out its part of your job .Clown.
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mathiemagic added 08:35 - Apr 24 What we need is for Birmingham to get relegated then have Harry Redknapp as the manager. He might just fancy the Town job.
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oldelsworthyfan added 10:48 - Apr 24 ME put MM on the transfer list along with a few others!
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Razor added 10:55 - Apr 24 Think he cheated on the loyal fans by making so many changes. Bishop looks like the next Bowditch. So mid table mediocrity has been achieved-----YAHOOOO!!!
1

Southamptonblue added 12:29 - Apr 24 mathiemagic, Redknapp would be an absolute disaster. Anyway, as his tax evasion trial demonstrated it's his dog that's the brains of the outfit.
0

Dorsetblue added 12:40 - Apr 24 I'm not a McCarthy in or out person, but this result says everything about ITFC. The first team can just about hold their own in the league but our reserve team is not good enough. Hence this result was a shot across the bows of the owner to say back us or see us get worse. 9 changes is a lot but they are all professional players and should give 100% but it is clear the whole squad needs a refresh. The only person who controls the money is Evans and we have not signed anyone for decent money for a while so the blame is not !00% Mick, Evans is clearly an issue here and Mick has worked with his hands tied. The question is does Evans mind if we lose more money to offset the profit to the debt owed by the club? My thoughts are Mick is walking in the summer and the truth is coming out, but you look at other clubs and wonder if it is for the best.

0

Churchman75 added 18:17 - Apr 24 Mick you say you are annoyed... How about having conversation with the fans who travelled up paying good money to watch the reserves play?.... Are you going to offer them a personal refund? Get in your car, head back up the a14 toward Birmingham and keep driving.
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blueboy1981 added 20:51 - Apr 24 martin587 ....... didn't need to be there - I've seen all season how inept the Manager is. Who in their right mind would make 9 changes - What did that ever have a chance of proving ? - somewhat unfair to say it proves none of them are up to the required standard. What a shambles of a line up ?? If I'd travelled that far to see the Reserves, I would have been livid - as I expect everyone, other than MM sympathisers (of which we know there are STILL some) would have been. Another kick in the 'goalies' for the Fans by MM - I'm afraid.

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blueboy1981 added 20:53 - Apr 24 Mid Table Mick - the proven Managerial capability level.
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blueboy1981 added 20:58 - Apr 24 martin587 ...... somewhat bemused by you marking my previous to last post down - can only assume you misunderstood the meaning of the post ....... ???
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dirtydingusmagee added 21:47 - Apr 24 beaten by a team with worst form in the history of the league had thEy lost ! But hey ho Mick had made the team of Easter.What a f#cking joke ITFC has become now, Evans and Mc Carthy you are a pair of tw#ts in denial . JUST DISAPEAR .
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barrystedmunds added 22:06 - Apr 24 Should we have been surprised that Rotherham, who haven't been able to win an argument, let alone a football match all season, stuff us? 'Cos not, Monotonous Mick makes 9 changes and is "annoyed " that we get tonked! I'm "annoyed" with his erratic, nonsensical, unpredictable team selections on a regular basis!
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dirtydingusmagee added 07:23 - Apr 25 back to back wins for first time this season ,then beaten by Rotherham ,absolute no hopers who have had ''relegated'' stamped on them all season .It totally sums up ITFC with Mc Carthy in charge. I WOULD SAY roll on next season BUT, I'm not even looking forward to that with him staying on .
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