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McCarthy Bitterly Disappointed But Pleased With Performance
Sunday, 22nd Oct 2017 15:30

"Bitterly disappointed" Town boss Mick McCarthy felt his team were the better side for the majority of their 1-0 East Anglian derby defeat to Norwich City at Portman Road but were unable to take their chances. James Maddison netted the game's only goal in the 59th minute.

“I’m pleased with the performance,” McCarthy said. “When you concede a goal and you’re playing against a team which can become compact and sit in, it’s hard to play through them. They did it well, to be honest, they’re a threat on the break.

“I’m pleased with my team’s performance, I’ve got no qualms about that, I’m just bitterly disappointed with the result.”

Asked whether he felt there was a lack of cohesion to his side’s display after going behind, he added: “I think that they’re a good side and when they can sit in and become organised and leave Cameron Jerome up front they’re very hard to break down and that’s what we’ve seen throughout all their performances.

“I tend not to look at my team and think there’s a lack of cohesion but I’ll take your opinion. And we still had a chance when Waggy shot over the bar.

“They’re a good side, they’ve got good players and for the majority of that game we were the better side and we just haven’t taken our chances and they have.”

Neither side had too many chances with the goal Norwich’s only real opportunity, while Jonas Knudsen hit the post for Town and David McGoldrick headed over in the first half.

“[Finishing] was quite clearly [the difference]. They scored and we didn’t,” McCarthy continued.

“We started the season and we were scoring goals. Today we haven’t. They’ve had the one moment of quality with Maddison when he’s finished it, got himself in a good position and he’s managed to score which we haven’t done today.”

Regarding the McGoldrick header, he added: “It was a great chance, maybe if it was Joe Garner that was heading it it’s in the net.

“But it’s the hardest part of the game, that’s why they pay fortunes to strikers, to score, but it was a good chance.”

Asked whether he was concerned that when his side don’t win they currently lose - the Blues are yet to draw this season - he said: “We’ve had six wins, six defeats, I have to tell you at the end of it I’d take 23 wins and 23 defeats with the tally of points that we’d get.


“If we’re benchmarking in terms of what we’re going to get and it ends up being near the 70 points mark, however we get them.

“However we could manage to get 70 points, to that level, we’d have done really well and we would be borderline play-offs depending on how it all goes.”

Town have lost six of their last eight in the league, is he concerned? “Yes, of course I am. I’m concerned we’re not winning games any more.”

However, he says he’s less worried that the downturn in form will lead to fans returning to expressing their frustrations from the terraces.

“I’ve been fully aware that that would return or materialise if some stage if we didn’t win games, whether it’s the first game or if the run of form doesn’t [improve] that will be evident again,” he admitted.

“But that doesn’t concern me. The concern is that we’re not winning games, not what people might think of me or might say or might shout. That’s of no concern to me at all.”

Despite the lack of victories McCarthy says he’s been happy enough with his team’s displays, but says that ultimately counts for nothing.

“That doesn’t really matter, you’ve got to win,” he said. “A scruffy old win not playing well would suit me fine.

“As has been proven in the past, if you’re playing well then keep playing well and you’re more likely to win games than not. I’d like to play well in the next three games and I’ll take what we get out of them.

“They’re extremely tough games. Burton’s going to be a tough game, we saw that last year when we were there. They’re scrapping away, they’ll be competitive no doubt, then we go to Cardiff, who were the leaders, and then Preston here. Really big games for us.

McCarthy says he’s hurt by the defeat, although he knows it will be even more painful for supporters: “I’m not pleased about it. I’d love to have given them something to shout about, to have be happy about and I think I certainly did my best and the players did their best today, but it just didn’t happen for us.

“It hurts me to lose any game but it’s never, ever going to hurt me as much as it hurts fans who have supported the club for 30 years.

“But as a professional and somebody who is very proud about what I do and how I do it, then, yes, I’m extremely disappointed and I’m always hurt when we lose.”

Midfielder Cole Skuse added: “It’s a tough one to take. I thought we were arguably the better side and created the better chances so that’s frustrating.

“We blinked first so to speak and once they got their goal they sat back and made it very difficult. Now we have to bounce back and put things right next weekend.”

Norwich head coach Daniel Farke, whose team are up to sixth, enjoyed his first experience of the East Anglian derby.

“It was brilliant, I think the crowd was great for both teams, a brilliant atmosphere with lots of support," he said.

"The game was full of passion and full of emotion and that’s what you’re always searching for as a football player and even as a manager, you’re a competitor and you’re looking for such a big game.

“And when you have a win in such a big game it’s always the sweetest feeling, especially when it’s such a close game and complicated game.

“Sometimes you have an easy game wth a 5-0 or something like that but to be honest 1-0 after such a big fight feels even sweeter and it’s great today.”

Farke admitted he had concerns regarding the frequency with which Town created chances in the first half.

“It’s so complicated to play against Ipswich because they always use these long balls and are able to create really a good surrounding for the second ball and they have many offensive players on the pitch who are able to score, even on the wings. It’s so complicated to defend.

“You have to accept this style of football and you have to be prepared for fighting for the second balls and to track the deep runs.

“In the first half I got the feeling that we were a little bit too nervous in possession, we were copying their style using long balls and fighting for the second ball.

“We spoke about it at half-time we had to be braver in possession and play more ground passes and more with ball circulation and good positional play and better structure in our possession. I think we did that in the second half.”


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jas0999 added 15:34 - Oct 22
He really doesn't care does he? No idea what this game means to the fans. Just two shots on target. A terrible second half showing, lacking quality and fight. Seven defeats in nine. Dearly me. How is he still here? Good performance? Wow.
51

steve1968 added 15:36 - Oct 22
What game was he watching !!!
18

yungblue added 15:37 - Oct 22
The amount of times he says before and after games ‘they're a good side, they have good players'.

How he still has a job here is scandalous. I hope ME is just seeing out his contract and start again next year. A very stale, boring season ahead I feel.

The sooner MM leaves, the better.
42

ITFC_Cotton added 15:38 - Oct 22
Going nowhere under this regime, simple as that.
43

Edmundo added 15:38 - Oct 22
The problem is still the lack of attachment to our club: 69 points okay? Give me a flipping break. Good performance? Stop lying. Feeling like last season
MM just running down his contract, content to top up his pension. He has no intention of building anything here. Just a job to him
43

ADR added 15:38 - Oct 22
There is no possible way anyone could have been pleased with the second half performance. Something or someone needs to change as it is pointless carrying on this erratic, inconsistent and unentertaining way. The club will drift in to footballing oblivion (if we haven't already).
41

sereneblue added 15:39 - Oct 22
And your resigning when?.
10

groovyASH added 15:39 - Oct 22
I'd agree with him on the first half performance, but certainly not the second. As soon as we went behind we defaulted to direct football and Norwich soaked it up all day long. We are ineffectual when going behind and rarely look like getting back into it when we do.

We need to take our chances and we had them in the first half.
14

irishtim added 15:39 - Oct 22
Have always been a MM fan. But time to go. Who can do better? But need to freshen it up.
1

Mark added 15:43 - Oct 22
I don't know how MM can be pleased with the performance. The first half was okay, but second half we were second best and looked beaten as soon as the goal went in.

A totally predictable score with Norwich winning 1-0 away a few times recently and Ipswich seemingly unable to complete even at home against the better sides in the table. It still feels absolutely horrible though. Ipswich fans are having to get very used to losing at the moment and the form since late-August has been relegation form. Thank goodness for those early-season points, bizarrely at a time we were injury ravaged.
20

Rensham added 15:43 - Oct 22
“It hurts me to lose any game but it's never, ever going to hurt me as much as it hurts fans who have supported the club for 30 years."
But you are the manager of Ipswich Town, how can you excuse yourself for not hurting as much as the fans? The result is the only thing that reflects your abilities and success or failure. If you can't be bothered why should the players or the fans.
14

Edmundo added 15:44 - Oct 22
WE NEED A CHANGE FROM OWNER TO MANAGER IN THE CLUB. DON'T FORGET TO GIVE THEM S^/$# AT THE AGM IN A FEW WEEKS.
10

Kesgraveblue57 added 15:47 - Oct 22
McCarthy is a total dinosaur time to move on, we were outclassed by a mediocre team and McCarthy was pleased with that performance The man is disrespectful to the fans he picks his cheque up every week and couldn't care less
23

Bluetone added 15:49 - Oct 22
In McCarthy style speak compared with the supporters and ardent fans he doesn't give a flying one. How Evans can tolerate this cretin is a bloody mystery.
16

Dissboyitfc added 15:55 - Oct 22
I was reasonably pleased with first half. I am definitely a Mick out fan, however had knudsen's shot gone in and Mcgoldrick done better with his missed chance then we would have gone in at half time leading 2-0. But we didnt score and they did, reverted to type in second half.

Celina should have been on earlier, that was MM's fault. I wonder what's his problem with Celina? Could it be because he is a skilful footballer? I know he looked good when he came on.
16

Bert added 15:57 - Oct 22
At least what he says is thought through which cannot be said for the usual knockers.
-20

baxter7 added 16:00 - Oct 22
Just go mcarthy fed up with the crap you come out with please evans get him out of our club and take skuse and chambers with you
12

therein61 added 16:01 - Oct 22
Dear Santa, please can I have Micks resignation
17

sowedika added 16:03 - Oct 22
Seems to be pleased with a lot of the recent defeats
11

blue75 added 16:10 - Oct 22
I said when we were scoring for fun we'd see how good this team is when we're struggling for goals and today we know. McCarthy's one trick pony came out again we're not winning so I'll change a couple of players but not the system that isn't working and carry on blindly! Looking forward to people defending the lack of ideas our manager had today.
18

jalapenosteve added 16:11 - Oct 22
Pleased with that performance????? Missed first half chances, failure to mark, inability to cross the ball...... It was awful man!
14

cat added 16:13 - Oct 22
He don't give a flying one as he will pick up his wages and move on to the next game. Why would MM give a sh!t about our club, specially with the majority of the fans loathing him anyhow. This was our best chance to put one over them ‘average' budgies for years, although it was a semi decent performance by most of the players (exception the usual suspects) we are still poor in comparison and after 5 years in charge, the tactically inept Dino needs to start looking in the mirror and realise that not all clubs in our division are “good teams” and he's actually a massive part of our problems!!
20

TimmyH added 16:13 - Oct 22
We haven't the quality to break most teams down when they sit back...second half we pressed deeper but to our detriment couldn't control the ball as it was bouncing all over the place. You can't defend the players or yourself Mick when it takes nearly 80 minutes to have a shot on goal!!!

You've given the supporters little cheer Mick against Norwich and couple that with only 6 points from 24 of late and it's time to go.
14

ChestnutSe added 16:24 - Oct 22
Sack the manager, sack the owner, sack the players, sack the fans - that should do it.

I actually thought it was a really entertaining game that just flew by. The players were obviously up for it and, first half especially, it was a really good atmosphere.

I was disappointed with McGoldricks performance, not up to his usual standard and I expect he was even more 😔. Adeyami looked good but got crocked fairly early on with a couple of dodgy tackles from Norwich.

Disappointed to lose but I won't be throwing myself under a bus just yet. Apart from Fulham and perhaps Bristol all the games seem to have been pretty close and could have easily been draws.

They had few chances and to be fair so did we but you do have to take them then when they come along or the best you can hope for is a draw.

Realistically ending the season in sixth spot was always the height of our potential and that still looks possible to be.
4

BluePG added 16:24 - Oct 22
Go! Now!
16


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