Blues manager Mick McCarthy says having goalscorers in his side is one of the biggest differences between this season’s excellent start and last year’s frustrating campaign.

Town are currently second in the Championship table having won all their first five games - four in the league - behind leaders Cardiff City on goal difference alone.

They are the top scorers in the division on nine with new signings Joe Garner and Martyn Waghorn, signed from Rangers for a total of around £1 million, having netted three and four goals respectively already.

What does McCarthy feel is behind Town’s start to the season, the first time they have won their first five in all competitions since 1999/00, having last been victorious in their opening four league fixtures in 1974/75?

“Having conned everybody the week before the season started by getting beaten 6-1 [at Charlton], we got the bookies to put us as favourites for relegation so nobody would take us seriously. That was a good ploy,” he joked.

“Having good characters around the place. How far were we from it last year? What did we have 16 draws? A lot of those could have been so different if we’d have put the ball in the net.

“Mind you, some of them could have been different but for Bart making a good save as well.

“But it could have been different with goalscorers and we’ve had goalscorers this year. We played Brentford and they were excellent on Saturday, who had 530 passes against our 220 or something, they had more shots, more crosses.

“But we stuck at it and were hard to beat and we scored goals, we got the finishes and that’s proving to be the difference, putting the ball in the net at the minute.”

"Town’s strikers - in addition to the ex-Rangers pair David McGoldrick has scored three - have netted those nine league goals from only 12 shots on target. Are they always that accurate in training?

“I’m not really bothered, to be honest, as long as they’re accurate on a Saturday afternoon or a Tuesday night,” McCarthy added.

“Maybe it’s a good bit of recruitment as well. We can all give people praise and they weren’t high on our list because I didn’t think they were available but once I was told they were we moved for them quickly.

“They’ve settled in, even in the pre-season friendlies our fans took to Joe Garner straight away. And you can’t not take to Waggy because he keeps putting the ball in the net.

“So it’s making the difference. But, having said that, we kept a clean sheet on Saturday with four full-backs playing at the back. They all worked extremely hard and we got away with it a little bit at times but nevertheless it was a great result.”

Did McCarthy feel his players carried out his plans to the letter against the Bees? “They did. But I think I mentioned on Friday that because of the nature of the way Brentford would play I was quite comfortable with my four defenders, all full-backs really.

“They’re quick and mobile and it wasn’t like we were going to get an aerial onslaught from Brentford, although I thought they were excellent. How the hell they’re bottom of the league is beyond me.

“We had to get some important tackles and blocks in and Bart made a couple of good saves.

“But I knew that [would be the case] and we caught them on the break, as I thought we might.

“And in the second half I thought we were very, very good in terms of being disciplined and hard to break down and then we got the one from the corner kick. Goal-line technology, isn’t it great?”

Asked whether the current injury crisis has made the squad tighter, he said: “Can’t be any tighter, I think. What’s nice is that we’ve got players who can play in different positions and it’s nice when they go and play in those positions and play equally as well and not moan about it.

“I think the other side of it is that the youngsters that came in, Flynn Downes and Tristan Nydam, have given the team a real energy, a lift and everybody’s enjoyed having them in and around the team. So that’s made a difference to us.

“And it’s amazing when you have a bit of a run, a bit of momentum going what you can achieve.”

Photo: Action Images

philco added 19:45 - Aug 21 'Having goalscorers is a big difference' says Mick. Why does he keep playing that goal machine Sears then?
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rfretwell added 20:22 - Aug 21 Philco you cannot be serious? Watch Sears closely - his workrate is astounding all over the pitch.
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Europablue added 20:25 - Aug 21 If we are scoring goals and winning with Sears in the team, I'm happy with his contribution if Mick is.
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meekreech added 20:27 - Aug 21 It appears that shots on target are not counted if they are blocked or deflected. This will give a false impression of the attacking statistics and give a lopsided picture of the game .
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mrshallisfit added 20:33 - Aug 21 Philco you give the impression of being as dumb as a bag of spanners.
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Icantbelieveyousaidt added 21:25 - Aug 21 Having seen all the games so far this season, my conclusion is this; on current form Sears deserves to be one of the first names on the team sheet. Anyone that disagrees should not draw attention to themselves, for fear of being carted of to the 'funny farm'.
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Guthrum added 21:32 - Aug 21 Sears is part of the goal-machine.
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philco added 22:06 - Aug 21 If running around the pitch chasing the ball is clasified as a good workrate then perhaps my 12 year old Border Terrier should be one of the first names on the team sheet!!
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Y2Grae added 22:44 - Aug 21 I remember when trolling was clever not just being a complete tard.... Sears is awesome and makes the team what it currently is
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madmouse1959 added 23:29 - Aug 21 Downes is knocking on the door ........
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bobble added 04:06 - Aug 22 Bart is the most important player we have , without him we already be down to the 3rd division this year
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jas0999 added 07:20 - Aug 22 Indeed. As many on here have been saying, just a modest fee can buy you quality and we've bought two strikers for half of the fee received for Murphy. Goodness only knows why Evans didn't free up funds last season. Just proves he was wrong not to. That said credit this season. Still think a top permanent centre half addition is a must BUT moreover holding on to Bart is crucial.

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blue75 added 07:34 - Aug 22 So the difference from this season to last season is Garner and Waghorn. Let's hope they don't get injured or go through a dry spell don't want to see Douglas being resigned to score the goals!!!
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cat added 09:44 - Aug 22 These 2 lads are on fire, definitely the difference this season. As Jas says though, a quality CB is a must, my big fear is once Chambers & Smith return to the side, we are vulnerable, those 2 are riddled with mistakes!! Would actually like to see Webster, Knudsen and Spence as the first choices out of the current crop, specially after Saturdays heroics, but there's absolutely no chance of that.

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TimmyH added 10:24 - Aug 22 Two astute signings from Mick, without Waghorn and Garner being fairly clinical we certainly wouldn't be looking at 12 points so far, statistics prove that.
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OldClactonBlue added 11:01 - Aug 22 More control in midfield is also essential. You can't keep bypassing that area of the pitch and get away with it. if you have control of the ball then the opposition can't do you much damage. The back four did really well on Saturday but in the last quarter of an hour we did largely just lump the ball down the field and back to a Brentford player. It worked, but it would be so much better if we just kept the ball. Still a marked improvement on last season and when some of the sick and injured return hopefully this aspect can be progressed.

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