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McCarthy: They Absolutely Bashed Us
Saturday, 26th Aug 2017 18:44

Boss Mick McCarthy admitted that his side were “absolutely bashed” by Fulham, who left Portman Road having beaten Town 2-0, the second-placed Blues’ first Championship defeat of the season.

“Call the police, there’s just been a murder gone on the pitch,” McCarthy said ruefully after the Cottagers repeated the scoreline and performance from last season’s corresponding fixture on Boxing Day to claim their first Championship victory of this campaign.

“I think sometimes you have to take your hat off to the opposition and say, ‘Well done’. It’s easy for me to criticise ours, we’ve had a brilliant month, 12 points from our games and we’ve come up against a team today who were just streets in front of us and have absolutely bashed us, with the ball, without the ball, they were just very good.”

McCarthy dismissed the suggestion that his injury and illness-hit squad had run out of steam at the end of a tough first month.

“It’s a one-off performance,” he said. “I had the 10 that played last week and played ever so well, Fulham are just very good. They’re tops.

“They’ve spent a few quid, they’ve got some good players, to be fair. And in the end I end up with square pegs in round holes because we’ve had a great performance with our front four [at Millwall and at home to Brentford], all the strikers on the pitch and Wardy.

“He’s not a central midfield player and Waggy’s not a wide right player particularly and Freddie does his wide left role, but that team had to play [rather than me changing it making] it more negative to try and play against them.


“I thought we’d have played better, I don’t think we did well with the ball. My disappointment was that we didn’t make the most of the scant opportunities that we had. Even when we won it back we gave it back too easily. That would be my criticism.”

Does he mean he had to play that team due to the lack of personnel or because of the performances and results in previous games? “A bit of both, I’ve got 10 fit first-team players, you’ve seen the bench.

“Am I going to put in any of those that were on the bench instead of the players that were on the pitch? No. But maybe if Emyr and Tom and people were fit, and knowing full well how good their three midfield players are, I might have been able to combat that a bit better. But that team’s been great, so I can’t complain.”

McCarthy sees Fulham, who finished sixth last season, as one of the division’s play-off contenders: “No doubt. I think they’ve just been in our coaches’ office, I think I missed Slavisa, which I’m sad about because I like him and it would have been nice to see him.

“They’ve said they’ve done both sides of the game today. One thing they’ve been criticised for has been that they’re playing all the nice football but not doing their pressing and their tackling and the work rate. Well, I think they had everything today.

“Both centre-backs were pretty solid and they’re a really good team. I do think they’ll be promotion candidates again.

“They lost in the play-offs last season, we finished 16th and they were play-off candidates. It’s a bad day today but I go back to the month we’ve had, we’d have taken 12 points.”

He added: “But that doesn’t stop it being a disappointing day today. I think it just shows how far away removed we are from them.

“But they’ve spent a few quid, the two lads up front cost £13 million between them. They’ve got a really good squad of players, they were excellent today.”

McCarthy hopes to have some of his injured players available again after the international break when the Blues face QPR at Loftus Road.

“Tom Adeyemi will be playing [for the U23s] on Tuesday, Luke Hyam will play again and then will play again at Hillsborough and some of the others will get a game, Danny Rowe and Bersant Celina will get a game in those matches. But I’ve no sign of the centre-backs coming back, so I’m still hoping to get one.”

Is he confident of getting someone in before Thursday’s 11pm transfer deadline? “Yeah, of course.”

Fulham boss Slavisa Jokanovic was pleased with his team’s performance but more that they had taken their chances.

“We played a very good football match,” he said. "My team dominated the game, played with confidence, moved the ball and created the chances.

“I believe we should have scored some more goals in the first half, we haven’t been clinical at the beginning of the Championship.

“But we scored the second goal at the right time to minimise our risk and to win the game we tried to control and kill the game.

“After the start of the season when we didn’t find a way to win a game, we can be very happy with our performance but the end product is more important and that we go back to London with the three points.”


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Swn98 added 18:51 - Aug 26
Spot on Mick we were second best in every dept.
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Mark added 18:52 - Aug 26
I agree with McCarthy's assessment. It was rather a repeat of the Fulham game last season, second best all match and struggled to get the ball. Knudsen played well, but hard to think of anyone else who did in the Ipswich side and we were lucky not to lose by more against a very good Fulham side. Oh well, with the injury list we can forgive an off day and it is still an excellent achievement to be in 2nd place going into the international break (especially with Norwich in the bottom three). Before that I hope we can use the final few days of August to bring in one or two more players to help the squad, particularly in central defence.
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algarvefan added 19:02 - Aug 26
I never think you can argue if you are beaten by the better side on the day & today we were. Hopefully we can start to get a few fit during the international break regroup and press on again against QPR. It's nice sitting second going into the break, lets hope we can keep churning out results, made me feel proud to be a Town fan again, but Mick is right, still a long way to go!!
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blue75 added 19:04 - Aug 26
Yes McCarthy they've spent money and we've got more injures than you can shake a stick at. So why was sessegnon unmarked most of the game. You were out witted and we were out played had we tried to play a bit of one touch ourselves I could've taken it!! At 0-2 you'd given up you knew you couldn't get your team to attack enough to win hence only 2 shots on target, in the last 4 league games that would've been at least a goal, you can't rely on us scoring nearly every shot we have.
People can defend McCarthy but deep down if you study our games this season if it wasn't for barts saves we wouldn't have a win even with mcgoldrick, garner and waghorns goals. Yes it's been an awesome August for points has the football been that good I think not let's get to 50 points and see where we are. Deep down I think we all know where that'll be.
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christiand added 19:05 - Aug 26
Yes round holes filled with square pegs, but you've got Rowe who is a winger but you don't play him because you prefer work rate- he could do a job for us out wide. You've got Celina who is a winger and he rarely gets a look in because you don't think he works hard enough, but is a quality player and has a bit of pedigree. Waghorn and Sears aren't wingers. Let's be honest against Brentford we got lucky, but you have got options in their rightful positions, but choose not to play them. Nevertheless, Fulham are a side a level above us whether we are full strength or not. A decent start MM, but have fears you'll just fall back into your old ways play your favourites and out of position, however I live in hope rather expectation.
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jas0999 added 19:29 - Aug 26
Completely agree. Great to get twelve points. But nonetheless this is a warning - there are much better teams than the four we beat at the start. Injuries to one side, we were completely outclassed today. September a tough month and a better analysis of where we are. Let's hope we push on, but twelve early points could be critical.
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jas0999 added 19:31 - Aug 26
Further, essential we don't lose Bart. Top draw again today and without him, we may be looking at just three points rather than twelve!
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ivegottheblues added 19:37 - Aug 26
Not sure why blue75 is getting all these minuses when his assessment is spot on. It seems some people have got carried away with the euphoria of us winning games despite being outplayed on occasions.
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Bluesquid added 19:59 - Aug 26
"They've spent a few quid, they've got some good players, to be fair."
"But they've spent a few quid, the two lads up front cost £13 million between them".... blah blah f**king blah!

How unlike Mick to use that old chestnut!

When we get a poor result it's the first thing McCarthy reaches for...the old "They've spent a few quid" line.

But when it's against a team that hasn't spent alot then its "He's great that striker isn't he? I tried to sign him once..."

Some things never change do they? lol
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Brownie added 20:03 - Aug 26
Big picture time..

Great start to season overall. Well done to MM & everyone for that. Two weeks to get as many players back playing and we then move on.

Long-term we will see. I'm not changing my opinion and neither am I changing my support for the team.

COYB!
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henryblue added 20:25 - Aug 26
The thing is nobody on here seems to mind watching Knudsen whallop it into absolutely nowhere as long as we win and then he's heralded as a hero. We also seem happy to watch us get attacked over and over again in our own back yard as long as we win, and perhaps that's how we have to play if we want to succeed in this league on our budget. I don't care how we win as long as we do win but unfortunately when a side turns up at Portman Road that can properly play football then we are in huge trouble. Brentford outclassed us but the footballing gods happened to look down on us that day, today is a reality check. Fingers crossed we can get back to winning ways but 30% possession at home is frightening... coyb
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topguy added 20:27 - Aug 26
At the end of the day MM used a side that just beat a similar system, that's logical but they didnt perform and the widemen got dragged inside leaving one on ones, you learn very little from a win, you learn a lot from a defeat, will there be changes to the system more than likely, I don't see waghorn being used as a winger much longer, and a CB will be brought in, if that means the bench for a striker so be it or revert to 433 time will tell.
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Taricco_Fan added 20:45 - Aug 26
I would have gone with a more conventional 4-4-2 and played Rowe - Skuse - Downes - Ward as the midfield four. Two natural wide players and two natural central midfielders, then have Garner and McGoldrick up front.

We allowed Fulham far too much of the ball because of our lightweight midfield. Expecting two forwards (Sears and Waghorn) to deputise as midfielders against such quality opposition was asking for trouble.
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Taricco_Fan added 20:48 - Aug 26
...or play Celina. He looks like he has an abundance of talent when in possession and might help unlock defences in games like this.
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nineteenseventyeight added 20:50 - Aug 26
Is it Iorfa or I awful?
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smurfsareblue added 21:34 - Aug 26
Dissapointed today. Fulham were a good team but we did not perform. Defence poor. Iorfa big and strong and gets up the pitch quickly but no end product. Poor corners, too much play bypassed midfield. Passing poor totally outclassed.

However must say we have half a team out. Looking forward to getting hyam back to add a bit of bite to midfield and adeyemi is a big fella also plus Hughes adds a bit of class. Need short term defensive cover. Congrats for muddling through last 4 games - we have overachieved but can say nothing more than well done.

Will only judge MM when full team back. Come on Marcus you can see what a few quid can do. Get a couple more in b4 end of window.

Final point on Celina. Don't know if he was trying too hard but tried to run with the ball and just kept running into trouble. May turn into a player but on today's performance for me he is perhaps an impact player from the bench IMO.

WELL CHUFFED WITH 12 POINTS THOUGH
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smurfsareblue added 21:40 - Aug 26
Bloody ref today was awful. How many times did he stop the game for the faintest of touches to award a free kick. Totally destroyed the flow of the game although most of the fulham team were faining injury and time wasting and ref did nothing to stop it.
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Mr_Jingles added 21:46 - Aug 26
Agree with Blue75. We were battered by Bristol City but got away with it. Avoiding the drop is still primary target.
-1

carsey added 21:59 - Aug 26
The problem today wasn't the ref it was that Fulham are by far a better team playing better football than us. They have a better manager with better players and ought to have scored more goals. We have been fortunate to win four games this month but it won't last against the upcoming matches in September with or without the missing injured players.
6

itfcbam added 23:25 - Aug 26
Bet the negative keyboard warriors couldn't wait for today. Those saying we should have played Rowe and Celine, yet undoubtedly had the result been the same would have said we shouldn't have changed a winning team.
Yes there are warning signs however we are at bare bones and have been unlucky with injuries. Yet we have started the season with 4 wins and only lost to a team who have massive more resources, example is 1 player who cost 9 million, that is close to our annual turnover!! My bigger concern is despite 4 wins on trot and averaging over 2 goals per game we only managed a crowd of under 17k
0

PortmanTerrorist added 08:35 - Aug 27
MM might say he had no choice but simply don't agree with his line up. It didn't work vs Brentford we just got the breaks and some good finishing.

We needed a proper midfield. Skuse looked laboured, Ward again looked like he didn't know what to do.... and we have Downes on the bench!

Yes Fulham were that good but they creaked every time we pushed forward. Time will tell if the injured players coming back will make a difference. I think they will and that Fulham won't play like that again too often this season. No other club in this league is going to let a midfielder chest a high ball down, casually bring it under control and then spend a second or 2 deciding which pass to play. Don't suppose MM will put up with that again either and there will be changes for QPR.

Great start, let's evolve, but let's not overreact like after reading
3

ArnieMsBigToe added 08:49 - Aug 27
I listened to the game on radio suffolk. It was obvious that Fulham were a different class. They have obviously spent more money than we have, and have spent it well.

What annoys me, is that the doom-mongers have just been waiting for this moment.

May I just remind you that the budgie-pluckers went to Millwall yesterday and came away with a 4-0 drubbing. 2 weeks ago or so earlier, we came back with a 3-4 victory.

I think that the international break has come at the right time. We certainly have been stuffed with injuries and it is very unfair to just dismiss this as MM + TC dinosaurism !!

Incidentally. I watched the championship on channel 5 last night and Sheffield Wednesday appears to have spent a similar amount of dosh to Fulham. Jordan Rhodes, Gary Hooper. They could well be another team to watch. COYBs!!
-1

Bildestoned added 09:06 - Aug 27
I did my usual 140 mile round trip...... groaaaannnnn. But Fulham were just really good. We weren't even that bad! I would observe that despite his many critics Skuse is becoming one of those indispensable players (see Geraint Williams) who a manager will always pick and Knudsen? What an improvement!
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SheptonMalletBlue added 09:07 - Aug 27
Very well said blue75, sums up the reality!!
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Seasider added 10:22 - Aug 27
Well Mick seem to think that you used a similar term recently when talking about last season,when they also bashed us.

Some will say Mick is being honest and he is;saying that they were better than us,going onto say that he isn't going to blame injuries etc;but citing this in playing players out of position.

Why did he play an unfit Scuse,who has been ill,in a midfield two to the exclusion of Downes?Why not match them in midfield,as he had pre match highlighted their midfield three,who simply left us chasing shadows!

Mick still hasn't wingers of the calibre that terrorised Iorfa especially yesterday.

I suppose some will argue that why change a winning team;but we had two strikers out wide,although not hugging the touchlines like Fulham,so should have changed formation.

This was a reality check,as the result and performance was no better than Boxing day,when the score was the same against a Fulham side,who have a foreign manager.

His team is also full of skilful footballers,many of whom come from abroad.Didn't Mick only the other day say he prefers UK players,as the foreign ones take longer to settle.Think you are wrong again Mick if yesterdays fiasco is anything to go by.

Has the bubble burst ?We shall see after a few more games,when some of our injured players are hopefully back;but if yesterdays display is anything to go by,the team is no better than last season.I think that performance shows that Ipswich will do very well to remain in the top six.
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