"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.”

Photo: TWTD

Tractorboy1985 added 17:59 - Oct 22 EVANS SHOW YOUR FACE!!!!!!!
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prebbs007 added 18:08 - Oct 22 Biggest disappointment was the lack of passion and desire. Adeyami put in one crunching tackle & Garner was a constant nuisance but overall the scUm wanted it more, that's inexcusable. Chambers is an absolute liability and was beaten to every header by Jerome, was embarrassed down the channels and EVERY game is our weakest link. Skuse can't pass wind let alone a football and Didz had a shocker of a game, not one creative pass, too many flicks and nicks that didn't work and missed an open goal that basically cost us dearly. Would never criticise him but today he was very very poor. Waggy has been great since joining but was wasteful today, messed up a number of good openings and apart from the Didzy chance his delivery was woeful. Our fullbacks were both shown up to be what they are, very average by a number of balls played inside them with no cover from either CB. Nydam worked so hard but created zero. Our passing was dreadful and the return to diagonal 50 yard balls was clearly a tactic that the dinosaur tw&t had insisted on. Never seen Webster do that before. It didn't work once yet we kept doing it. Couldn't sell out for a derby against the scUm and that is 100% down to the dreadful manager of our football club who has single handedly driven fans away with his dull boring selections and tactics over last 2 years along with his rude couldn't care less attitude towards us. The sooner he goes the better for everyone !!!! I personally would like to see him sacked tomorrow morning but no way our non entity of an owner will do it. He's still happy to use OUR club as his dodgy tax break to offset his other dodgy businesses and because of him and the idiot manager we will continue to struggle. Can't ever see it getting better without a huge overhaul. 😡😡😡

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BlueandTruesince82 added 18:27 - Oct 22 And more Guff.
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thechangingman added 18:56 - Oct 22 I know this probably won't be a popular view, but I'll burst if I don't express it! I've endured MM's underperformance for some time now, with just brief moments of respite and yet on this forum and around the club it seems to be: get behind him when it's going well and moan when it's not. IMHO this kind of erratic response keeps him at the club. Mick has gone FAR beyond his 'sell by' date with us and I think it's time for a concerted, all-out move to get rid of him, since it's clear he'll keep milking this cash-cow until he's MADE to leave. Obviously, this is just my opinion, but I am utterly heartbroken to see my club limping along like this, with no hope that anything meaningful is going to change unless fans FORCE a change. Phew. I just HAD to get that off my chest. COYB FOREVER!! (...but without MM!)

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Trojan added 19:07 - Oct 22 After the first couple of games I was naively optimistic but not so now! How, I long for those days of the 70's and 80's but alas I don't think we will ever see them again.
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Seasider added 19:13 - Oct 22 McCarthy was pleased with his teams performance,and has no qualms about that,even saying he thought Ipswich were the better team for much of the match !!! ??? He really is a wind up merchant,perhaps he thinks that the invisible man who probably wasn't even here today,and hangs on his every word;will listen to his 3rd choice of poor managers summary,and take it as read. But surely our disinterested owner would not fail to notice that have now lost 7 out of their last 9 matches. That's relegation form to us supporters,even if Evans doesn't think so. This Dinosaur has had 5 years at the helm now and with his outdated tactics,poor positioning of players,and contempt for the fans;has managed to reduce the crowd by a quarter;which must have reduced the loose change going into ticket tout Marcus'pocket considerably. If Evans was at PR today he would have seen MM and his loyal TC standing motionless on the touchline,while their clueless players ran around like headless chickens,with little pattern to their play. McCarthy will never change,and consequently he will never get us promoted with his sterile brand of football. Evans got rid of Magic after he had managed Ipswich to their last win 3-2 over Norwich in 2009 when Town were 9th.They are now 11th after this defeat;SO PLEASE SACK THIS MANAGER NOW WHILST WE STILL HAVE A CHANCE OF RESCUING THIS SEASON<AND BRING BACK THE CROWDS AS A RESULT>

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Tractorboy1985 added 19:24 - Oct 22 MARCUS EVANS... YOU F**KING JOKE!!! SELL UP YOU FRAUD!!!!!!!!
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Cloddyseedbed added 19:58 - Oct 22 Very disappointing result, performance, tactics and end of match summary by MM. Enough is enough. Every Ipswich supporter in the ground could see we had no right back for the 1st 20 minutes, when he did move over to where he should be it was if he didn't want to be there. Spence was his name and I'd give him 2 out of 10 today in a derby game. Did MM do something about it, did he hell, we could all see what side of the pitch the threats were coming from apart from the bloke in charge. I'm sure he would have reacted rudely and said what do we know as supporters. Not one 7 out of 10 performance for me, not good enough in a derby game. Strikers playing big distance apart, poor service and none of them looking comfortable in the rolls given them. Midfield, Skuse has become the new Douglas, slow and looking past it. At the back, Chambers looking uncomfortable as is Webster and Knudsen shows no desperation in getting back and stopping crosses. Spence well no idea what the hell was going on with him. All presided over by MM who looked to have no answers once again, other than to say at the end we played well. Do one. Poor crowd for a derby match too, the whole place is starting to pick up where we left off last season, not a lot of hope from management. I for one think these players need a good foreign coach to come in and give them all a new lease of life and us fans too. Do it while there is time to sort out this season. In 5 years MM has built nothing and lost the fan base.

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muhrensleftfoot added 20:19 - Oct 22 My measured response to today's game. 1st half we should be 2-0 up. 2nd half we weren't at the races. Once Norwich scored we should have changed things immediately. Mick had no plan B. He carried on with the same ineffective tactics for another 20 minutes before bringing on Celina and Sears far too late in the game. McGoldrick was very poor by his usual high standards. Should have been subbed early 2nd half. Thought we should have won today, but poor tactics plus below par performances by key players let us down. How long must we wait to be the Pride of Anglia again. So disappointed.

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Esseeja added 20:43 - Oct 22 someone go to change.org and create a petition of mcarthy out so I can sign it.
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budgieplucker added 20:49 - Oct 22 Positives from today: you can take a young and upcoming coach and build a team very quickly without having to spend a fortune. A recent interview with the man to change Ipswich towns fortunes. JR ” During the summer you were linked with a move to Ipswich Town in England. Would you like to work abroad one day in England or another foreign League?” MS: “Yes that would be fantastic. There appears to have always been the feeling that I could only work at ADO Den Haag or only here in the Netherlands. I have shown the last 3 years here leaving my family behind in The Hague and commuting everyday to Venlo and sacrificing a lot achieving a 7th place in the first season, The following season finishing 2nd and to become champions last year and to also win the title of best coach in the Jupiler League last season the ‘Gouden Stier' (Golden Bull) award and also the Rinus Michels award for best manager (Jupiler League 2016 / 2017 ) that it was all worthwhile. I am not fixed to just a certain club in a certain country. The moment that a new challenge presents itself I will be open to it and VVV Venlo are aware of this. I am intrigued about other countries and cultures. I would look at the size of a club and the possibilities it offers and also the chance to project my vision there of giving young players a chance and helping players to develop and the club to grow.” JR: “Sitting in your office, I see your framed newspaper cutting about your internship with José Mourinho at Real Madrid. Can you tell me more about that. Did you enjoy it? ” MS: “When studying for my coaching badges to become a professional manager, I was able to do my one week internship with José Mourinho at Real Madrid 7 years ago. It was a fantastic experience to get up close and see how he works on the training pitch and also experience his team meetings. I learnt an awful lot especially in terms of learning how he treated players. He was very friendly but also showed times when he was the boss. It was very impressive to see how he did that when working with world stars on the training pitch. When you study for your coaching badges you must do an internship and I managed to do mine at Real Madrid under José Mourinho due to my friendship with Ruud van Nistelrooy.”

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Battyboy added 21:18 - Oct 22 Unfortunately the style of football MM likes to play is not conducive to the modern day game. We won't compete at this level unless we change the style of football. The midfield are to similar in their styles. No creativity from midfield and Celina on the bench, just a sums up the style of selection and the ambition to select a winning team.
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oldegold added 21:37 - Oct 22 .."pleased with the result.." sums up the attitude. Boring, predictable, outdated, sterile and dreadful. Complete sea-change is needed now
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Mcarthyout added 21:46 - Oct 22 As I chanted on my way out Mick McCarthy your football is SHI*
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KiwiTractor added 21:49 - Oct 22 This is the first match I have managed to watch this season (albeit on TV). I was reasonably happy with the first 10 minutes from Ipswich, but then the scum started getting into the match, and it was pretty much downhill from there. Yes we should have scored in the first half, but I was astonished by the lack of quality in our side. How can players at this level not string 2 or 3 passes together? This is so far removed from the players I watched at Portman Road under Burley and Big fat Joe. Norwich were first to every 50/50 ball, where was the passion from the Ipswich players? Where were the quality, early balls into the box? Why didn't McCarthy makes changes as soon as we went 0-1 down? Why was McGoldrick not subbed, he was genuinely awful today. Garner did very little except fall down under challenges. Knudsen got into some good forward positions, but did the same thing every time - put his foot on the ball, slowed it up and passed backwards. He also is a very average defender. Less said about Chambers probably the better. On the plus side (is there one), liked the look of Adeyemi in the first half and Downes at least looked interested when he came on. Lastly, I just can't believe the crap that comes out of McCarthy's mouth. Evans won't fire him and seems even less interested in the club than McCarthy? McCarthy says he doesn't care what the supporters say or think about him - but then he gets all arsey when the abuse hits home. Well Mick, for the record, I really don't like you and I know you won't do the right thing and resign, so I will continue to dislike you until you have one day left this club. Thank you

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Taricco_Fan added 22:04 - Oct 22 No Mick, that wasn't a pleasing performance, it was another display of dire hit-and-hope football. Our one creative outlet (Celina) was, yet again, on the bench and introduced to the game when it was too late. He's tactically clueless. Mick must go. Careful what we wish for can go to hell, this club cannot carry on playing like this.
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Notts_tractor added 22:23 - Oct 22 Totally, Kiwi. The traditions of the club have been totally betrayed by Evans and his succession of dinosaur managers. Norwich appoint a guy to scout out a new coach. We persist with the same old tw@t because the owner can't be bothered. The Portugese t@sser was right - they are a better club than us at the moment, in every respect.
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Adrian_Paz added 23:11 - Oct 22 McCarthy is just not fit to be an Ipswich Town manager. He doesn't care for our history, has completely destroyed our proud reputation as a team that likes to play good football, and has nothing but contempt for the people that support the club. He is a belligerent, egotistical man whose old school methods are so engrained in him he will never change. He served a purpose by keeping us up in his first season and was rewarded handsomely for it by all accounts, receiving adulation from the fans at the time too and deservedly so. He has done as much as he is capable of now and it feels like he is now running down his contract with eyes firmly on his bank balance. Our faceless owner will allow this to happen to save paying him off as he continues to keep the club ticking over on the cheap in the vain hope he will someday pocket some of the premier league riches. It is so damaging to the morale of the club when the owner is so disconnected to the fans and doesnt seem to share the passion and desire to succeed that they do, treating it instead like any other business. When Marcus took over this club most felt we were finally going to have the financial backing we had been crying out for to push this club on to greater things. What we have instead been treated to is one of the most sterile and uninspiring periods in the clubs recent history, and it doesn't look like that is about to change anytime soon. They are destroying everything I grew up to love about this club, and the worst thing is they just don't even appear to care. We deserve and should demand so much more.

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BlueInBerks added 23:33 - Oct 22 The difference is simple, we are good enough to beat those teams below us but we haven't spent enough on better quality players to beat those teams above us - or those who have deeper pockets than ME. Whenever I leave the ground after a loss, I find myself saying the same thing: the finishing always lets us down. Our strikers are good honest players who work hard, but will only ever be mid-Championship level. We are beaten by players that represent a difference in class, that hold their nerve and who can carve out opportunities. But they cost more. The sad reality is that our wonderful game has more to do with Monopoly than graft and skill.

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Steelmonkey added 00:00 - Oct 23 Couldn't go today as had committed to doing something else before the fixtures came out, all I'll say is that I trust the majority of opinions voiced on here about the game rather than that of MM.
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Umros added 07:23 - Oct 23 So, my 9 year old yet to see any kind of Derby win! Disappointing. First half I thought was reasonably entertaining and even. Real worry is a complete inability to respond to going down, McGoldrick is very frustrating, the hype around what a great player he is has gone to his head and now looks an over paid pre-madonna. Do it simply man, stick the ball in the next. As for the rest, it's just a bang average team, middle table or below. Evans take a look at Wolves, spend a bit of cash and look where it gets you. Stop using the club as a play thing or sell up man.

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vanmunt added 09:04 - Oct 23 Is he still here, woke up this morning in hope he was gone.
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BlueBlood90 added 09:08 - Oct 23 One thing we've lacked over Norwich in recent years had been quality, but our desire and passion to try and win couldn't be questioned. However, I really didn't see any fight in our players yesterday. Second best in every battle and wimping out of 50/50 tackles. We haven't had a better chance of beating them in years and they were very poor IMO. I personally want McCarthy out. He doesn't seem to care about this game and what it means to our fans. That's unacceptable. Let's get someone in who has a bit of desire to be more than mediocre and with a will to win!

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Rensham added 09:52 - Oct 23 "McCarthy Pleased But Bitterly Disappointed With Performance "
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Razor added 10:07 - Oct 23 We are managed by an arrogant ignorant Yorkshireman who keeps reminding us that he does not care about the fans. He shoold be made to care by waving a P45 in his face--ENOUGH IS ENOUGH!! Oh---and on the game, they had a midfield player who could create and we didnt---end of.
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