Town boss Mick McCarthy admitted that QPR were the better side as they beat the Blues 2-1 at Loftus Road but was unhappy with the home side’s opening goal with referee Andy Davies having missed a handball by former Blues loanee Massimo Luongo in the build-up.

Asked whether it looked like handball to him, McCarthy said: “It did to me, it did to the QPR bench, who were laughing at the decision once it’s gone in the net. It’s handball, I’m relying on the officials to give it.

“I’ve spoken to the referee, I’ve been to see him, he was gracious enough to accept me. I’ve been in and I’ve told him what I think of the decision and what it’s done to the game because the game was pretty much going nowhere and it’s just before half-time.

“I know, we’ve lost the game and I seem like a right moaning old git, but it’s handball.”

He added: “I thought the first half was just a scrap, pretty much, I think they were the better of it. I think the goal before half-time has knocked the stuffing out of us a bit.

“I thought we started the second half all right but the defending for the second goal was really poor. And 2-0 up here, they’re a good side.”

Regarding his decision to play Dominic Iorfa at centre-half alongside Jordan Spence rather than Jonas Knudsen, who returned to left-back, he said: “I’ve not got many defenders to pick and choose from, to be honest.”

Iorfa has said he sees himself as a centre-half long-term and McCarthy says the on-loan Wolves man has the attributes to play there: “He does and if that’s where he wants to play, he’s certainly got all the tools to play there. We’ll see, see how it pans out, that one.”

McCarthy admitted that Bersant Celina’s terrific late goal made his team’s display appear better than it was: “It put a gloss on it. The goal from Bersant was brilliant and it put a gloss on the performance it doesn’t really deserve, they were better than us.

“I’m pissed off at the helping hand that they got, certainly. We all know that if we’re at Portman Road and we get a goal just before half-time we come out a much better team, and that’s how it proved to be.

“[Bersant] showed what his qualities are and he’s done himself a lot of good in terms of being in the team.”

Everton loanee Callum Connolly made his debut at right-back and spent much of the game battling with Mackie

“He did,” McCarthy continued. “Jamie Mackie’s pulled on to him and he’s had a tough baptism with us because he’s played in the league before.”

Having won their first four league games the Blues have now lost two in a row, but McCarthy says he wasn’t getting carried away by the start.

“I’ve not been conned by it, I don’t think we’ve got a top-two team that’s going to be there all season long,” he said.

“But there’s no point not enjoying it when you are there and you are getting results and are scoring goals. But we’ll have to be far more resolute than we were today and I think tougher and more aggressive.

“Those have come and gone and we’ve got the points, they’re on the board and we’ve now got Bolton at home. We need to have a response for that one.”

Did he feel there was enough of a response to the Fulham defeat in terms of being tougher and more aggressive? “I think we’ve done that, but I think they were better at it than we were. I’m not going to keep whinging about that.”

McCarthy says skipper Luke Chambers continues to make progress and isn’t ruling him out of next week's home game against Bolton.

“He’s been back on the grass training, making noises. We’ll see how he goes on this week,” he said.

“We’ve lost three good centre-halves and we’ve cobbled together a back four and it doesn’t make it any easier, but we’ll see whether he’s fit.”

Rangers boss Ian Holloway admitted his side were fortunate with their opening goal.

“It was tough, it was close, it was a very good game, I felt," he said. "There was a period in the first half when we were a little bit open, they were a little bit open and it was very exciting.

“I thought the crowd helped us, I felt we had a bit of fortune, a massive stroke of fortune where the referee should have seen handball.

“We were just about on the halfway line and the ball’s popped up off of Massimo Luongo and I think he’s just moved it with his hand past the fella it was going to hit.

“I thought I could see his movement and I think the fourth official should have seen it and he should have the power to tell the referee, but he says he didn’t see it.

“Mick saw it, I saw it and that’s one of the ones you get away with. Did I ask him to do that? You could say did he deliberately cheat, he’s hit it with his hand but the referee’s paid to look at that and see it.

“And I tell you what, I’d be fuming if I was Mick. Tiny little things like that. We had a meeting in the summer and they were talking about 'game-changing moments' and that’s a 'game-changing moment'. That referee missed a slight handball which everybody else seemed to see.

“That’s what they’re paid to do, they’ve got eyes everywhere, they should see that. Luckily for us today we managed to capitalise on that and then get the second goal because up until that point anybody could have scored.

“I was pleased with what we were doing and I was pleased with how we competed with Mick’s team because we needed to.

“I thought we defended brilliantly today against a team which has hardly missed. They’ve taken nearly every single chance they’ve created and we didn’t let them create too many. There was only McGoldrick who tried to take Alex Baptiste on and he didn’t beat him.”

Photo: TWTD

jas0999 added 18:20 - Sep 9 We deserved to lose. It's quite a worry when your manager seems quite happy that the 'game was going nowhere' before their first goal. Here is a novel idea, pick your creative players, drop those with little / no impact and attack from the off. Look to win. Even in our four opening wins, we didn't do that. This report could also have been a copy and paste from last seasons debacle. Not good.

25

yungblue added 18:21 - Sep 9 MM loves a game that's a "scrap", and "work hard". Wouldn't it be refreshing to have a manager where we see "creativity", "guile" "intelligence". Only 40 games to go and we hopefully will see the back of MM and a new start and new era at Portman Road.
25

carsey added 18:21 - Sep 9 Play the best players in their natural positions from the start don't wait until we are 2 goals down before making changes Dinosaur
20

jas0999 added 18:22 - Sep 9 ... also no point moaning about not having many defenders to choose from! Good grief, we've had since May to sign some! Smith and Webster injuries known for weeks!!
21

yungblue added 18:22 - Sep 9 Just 34 weeks to go!!
8

RobITFC added 18:23 - Sep 9 I think that is fair comment ? Celina needs to start against Bolton and hopefully when we have a full squad to choose from we can then think a top 10 finish is possible.
8

blue75 added 19:03 - Sep 9 The nowhere comment is up there with Newcastle away game when he gave up at 1-0. Nice to know ifora decides where he plays seem Connolly was signed in desperation like ke the polish fella was. Yes we have 3 first choice CB's injured but god you make it easy for people to slate you and you're tactics!!
10

SheptonMalletBlue added 19:04 - Sep 9 McCarthy full of BS as usual
7

toxtethblue added 19:15 - Sep 9 Inept and toothless. No movement no creativity no incision. Not enough passion. They are not a good team Mick, bored of that line. We just made them look good.
15

Mark added 19:31 - Sep 9 “We've lost three good centre-halves" Five good centre halves with Berra and Taylor being released and not replaced. A very depressing afternoon with Ipswich losing and Norwich winning, and a shame to follow our great start with recent poor performances and defeats.
9

itfchorry added 20:32 - Sep 9 Nothing has changed - McCarthy Out
4

Karlosfandangal added 21:41 - Sep 9 Funny how Mick is now the worst manager in the world yet after 5 wins he was the best. It seems that on here if Ipswich are not winning and playing world class football it's all doom and gloom. All the mangers who come to town say Ipswich are a tough team to win against. Most town fans were expecting bottom of the table or mid table at best this season now it Top 2

4

algarvefan added 23:05 - Sep 9 Let's be fair, we were a bit lucky for the first 4 games and now,as happens, things have turned a bit. We are at best a mid table side, we have key players out injured and a manager who in my opinion is just payslip collecting until his pension kicks in at the end of the season. I like Mick I really do, but he is taking us nowhere, it's time to look for new blood who will shake things up. I think we have the players to compete but not currently the manager.

8

Sparkerino added 08:42 - Sep 10 They were quicker, won 90% of 2nd balls, and had more intensity. Defence did well, as they were under the cosh a lot, and I liked Iorfa. But there was just no creativity and the front players often surrounded by 3 QPR players with no options. So I was surprised it took MM till the 75th minute to bering on Celina. Before that it was pretty tough to watch #toolittletoolate

6

Popeye added 09:06 - Sep 10 We need a manger who can bring the best out of the players we have, isn't afraid to make substitutions in order to win a game rather than accept a loss or a draw. A manager who actually sign players and gives them a chance rather than farming them out or not picking them at all (Moore and Rowe) and has more than one loan option up his sleeve. MM is a dinosaur who hasn't or is unwilling to move with the times, he's the wenger of the championship, a club going nowhere under his leadership. The sooner the blinkered owner and MM lovers realise it the better. Four lucky wins and now we've been found out by two decent but not brilliant sides who we should be able to match but with skuse a player who offers nothing and hasn't scored for 15 seasons what chance have we, the midfield is still to static. Ok injuries haven't helped, but when everyone is fit I expect a top six finish because on paper this is probably the best squad we have had in a while.

8

muccletonjoe added 09:33 - Sep 10 Dont know the people who have posted on here know about the game nut what i do know is they need to learn how to lose gracefully. Wanting to sack the manager after every defeat is laughable.
6

paddypowell added 10:10 - Sep 10 i think the 1 mistake mm made was to get rid of taylor the player with premiership experience he would have bolstered our back 4 and the youngsters would have learnt from him,so get off mms back and wait till the more eexperienced players are fit then judge him on the results
2

Bluewelshman added 11:24 - Sep 10 Fun fact...Ipswich has not won a game in September since 2013...makes you wonder.
1

Bluewelshman added 11:40 - Sep 10 I think we all have to take a walk down real street, as you can't blame MM for the terrible luck that we've had with our defensive injuries, and the issue with Goldson was out of his hands. What we can blame him for is not picking a more attacking team, and resorting to sitting back holding out for a 0-0 at half time. I still think MM is still a better manager than others we could get, but he has to get over this "he works harder than him in training" prejudice, as some players do tend to save there best for the match. I am still hopeful for a good finish this season, so let's keep cheering and supporting the club, and not resort to slating the team and manager as we go through this sticky patch. COYB

0

heathen66 added 12:44 - Sep 10 You are right Bluewelshman, you cannot blame MM for the injuries, because as we all know this is part and parcel of football, however what you can blame MM (and Evans) for is not replacing Berra (should have sold him last January) and Taylor in the months May - August (4 months). Should never have let the Goldson situation to have gone to the last day of the transfer window. Agreement or no agreement there should have been a plan B or even a plan C instead oi again waiting for one of his mates to let us have a player he does not want. This club is very naive when it comes to transfers (Allowing Murphy to leave with no replacement, Allowing a current international CB to walk away and then not being decisive in getting any CB in a 4 month window. I also do blame MM for poor tactics (and not just the last 2 games). Gave Celina 15 mins yesterday when he should have changed it on 49 mins when we went 2-0 down, but instead done nothing until changing like for like (out of position strikers in wide positions). Easy subs are also Micks traits...as youngsters and not so senior platyers are always the first to be substituted e.g. Downes, Ward and Waghorn, add to that Kenlock Emmanuel Bru (last season).

4

Pilgrimblue added 14:55 - Sep 10 In actual fact our defence did petty well as they were under siege for long periods. But once again our midfield couldn't keep possession and that was despite Downes best efforts. Skuse was awful. Unless there was a player next to hi he just hit it first time hoping a team mate. And as for Ward he constantly gave ball away. Premiership player, do me a favour! Their midfield got the ball down and easily found their wide men who gave the forwards plenty of chances so it no surprise when they scored. If we'd had the same supply maybe Garner would have scored but their defence didn't have much to deal with. Better had Waggy been there to help and not out on the wing! If MM wants to play 532 then pick a defender NOT Skuse. Even 442 Skuse is a liability. With everyone back our best should be Hews Downes Celina and Ade but MM wil always pick Skuse first.

6

dukey44 added 16:28 - Sep 10 Crying out loud we only just started season and already the manager is saying the same old TOSH??? They were better than us???? All you lovers of Mick please explain ? I'm lost for words already he's using same old tactics and excuses?
7

Pilgrimblue added 19:56 - Sep 10 And YES they were so who's fault was that Dino! Holloway knows how to set up his teams but you are stuck in dark ages
3

TotalBlue added 22:52 - Sep 10 I must admit I really like Holoway he is a tough manager and also honest lets face it no one is going to turnround and say excuse me ref you got that wrong don't allow the goal. I still have faith n Mick but when he does go when ever that may be PLEASE PLEASE Marcus make a move for him lets face it he has applied enough times
-1

dirtydingusmagee added 09:03 - Sep 11 Sadly it looks as if little has changed after all as far as McCarthy is concerned. I thought as we had got some wins under our belt and were flying high [lucky or not] he would be more positive, but it looks to me its not the case, and he will take us slip sliding back down the table with his old ways .Last season he was saying ''they were better than us ........bla bla bla, well yes ,we were close to the bottom,.

2

Blogs 295 bloggers

Ipswich Town Polls