"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

oldegold added 10:48 - Oct 23 Just resign...it is over.Fall on your sword McCarthy and don't see out your contract..it is over..time to go and now
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algarvefan added 10:49 - Oct 23 I think when you watch a game you see what you want to see, I didn't see any lack of commitment or heart from most players, what I saw was a lack of composure and at times quality. Norwich came with a game plan and saw it through. I thought we deserved something from the game and had Knudsen's shot gone in off the post it may well have been a different tale. One game does not define a season, Mick will be here until the end of the season and we will not suddenly have millions to spend on players, some of you need to come back too the real world. It is of course always hard to take a defeat by the arch enemy, but if we start getting on the players backs that will of course help our performances!!! No matter how bad your week has been it it better than poor old Terry Butchers, the mark of respect shown for his son yesterday was what our club is all about.

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JimmyP45 added 10:50 - Oct 23 We have a decent crop of players. We just desperately need a manager who can get them playing football on the deck!
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blueherts added 11:21 - Oct 23 When your highly paid manager is happy with losing over 20 games in a season me thinks it is time for a change Listen , I am a realist and Maddison was rated at £7m wanted by Tottenham amongst others he is a talent and no we cannot compete in the transfer market under the current regime BUT that second half performance was abject . I love seeing young Nydam and Downes and I think we have a great crop of youngsters coming through , but we need some of the 'senior' pros setting an example . the only proper tackle I saw in the second half was young Downes - which he got booked for MM is seeing out his tenure With the monies at his disposal he has done well to get the likes of Garner , Waghorn and Huws but I think new ideas , fresh thinking and a change is now imperative Even under this current regime Final point , I always look at the teams around the top 6 and see how many have gone down , regrouped and come back up again stronger I know some fans think this would be a disaster but seems alot more common now for teams to get relegated and come back stronger - just a thought Evans - make it happen - grow some

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bobbyrobsonisgod added 11:31 - Oct 23 Burton is a good side? Good lord man, wake up ! What disappoints me most about yesterday was that for the first time in a long while i thought we had a chance to beat them. A more attacking team than the budgies on paper but knew we would lose the centre of midfield. The performance in the second half was appalling and you could feel the negativity creeping through the team and the terraces after they scored. The only one that couldnt see that, unsuprisingly is Mick ! Time to go.....

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bobble added 12:18 - Oct 23 the australian manager will be avaiable soon, his teams play passing attacking football, mght be worth a ring, how many managers have norwich had while we have had mick ?
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wherescounago added 12:25 - Oct 23 I know very little about the current Norwich side apart from Jerome and Hollahan, so I looked on wikidepia to see who James Maddison is. He started his career at Coventry City and was managed by a certain Tony Mowbray, who has started to turn a very poor Blackburn Rovers side into League 1 challengers. Tony knows a good player and can develop him. He is turning a struggling side round. He also served us very well as a player, I don't think he would be happy with a 1 - 0 lose to the old enemy. Also I believe Mrs M comes from Ipswich, he seems the perfect fit should/when we need a new man in charge!

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bluetit added 12:49 - Oct 23 What cracks me up is the fact that everyone moans about the quality of football, yet you won't cancel your season ticket or boycot the games. This is the only way to pressure Marcus Evans to sack the manager. If you love the club then do not go watch this dire football, I want better and I'm personally bored of seeing the same people on here winging but yet still putting money in the pockets of Marcus Evans and Mick the Dino. Let's empower the fans, don't show anymore and ME has no choice but to listen.

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JimmyP45 added 12:50 - Oct 23 Just seen the highlights. Did anyone else notice how casually Nydam and Adeyami jogged back the moment they attacked for the goal? Absolutely nobody picked up Maddison and they could have easily got back to help defend.
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blue75 added 13:12 - Oct 23 bluetit 10000 less fans hasn't made a difference so another 5000 wouldn't do much more. The only to remove a manager is to make some noise and protest.
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OldClactonBlue added 13:38 - Oct 23 Koeman has just been sacked. Surely Everton will be in for our great leader.
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oldblue added 13:41 - Oct 23 its clear....Norwich were the more composed team with a game plan...they passed to the guys in the same colour shirts as themselves...we looked threatening in the first half but because we do not have a culture of keeping the ball when we find ourselves behind or under pressure we revert to hopeful humping the ball 40 yards upfield .Its down to coaching...instill this into the players give them the confidence to have the ball and let those with talent ( Maddison for Norwich good example) express themselves . Our players play to orders.....those orders and training methods to carry out those methods are not working. The Norwich result was hugely disappointing but is reflective of how our team operates...most of us could have predicted this .I'm sorry to say that the only way to progress is a change to a more modern thinking coach . A victory against Norwich while welcome would have masked a lot of what is wrong...Money is an issue but by far the biggest issue is the football culture and coaching phillosophy .

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JamesBlue91 added 14:14 - Oct 23 How can you be pleased with that!!!!!!! We had more possession, but we had 16 shots but only 2 were on target. The 2 that were on target wasn't challenging enough for there keeper. If he's happy with that then he should have gone ages ago. To any Town supporter that is absolutely shocking.
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JamesBlue91 added 14:30 - Oct 23 Another point bluetit. Fans are stopping there season tickets. Alot of them are giving up on Town and either not going to watch football at all or going to Felixstowe & Walton United. Notice how we can't get a full Stadium for the biggest game of the season. If Mick weren't there we probably would have.
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Westy added 14:59 - Oct 23 The best chance we've had in the last five years of beating them and we still couldn't do it ! Started off brightly but then the fear of losing took over. Perhaps people who had tickets for the match who were left on train platforms in the Cambridge direction by not being able to squeeze onto an already over-crowded train and probably did not make it to the match will now not be so disappointed. The Police who have stipulated a twelve a clock kick-off need to have a re-think and the Club need to make representations to them in this regard. Anybody that relies on the trains from Lowestoft, Felixstowe or the Cambridge direction struggle to get to Ipswich in the stadium by 12 o'clock on Sunday as the trains don't run early enough. The police stipulate this kick-off time for health and safety reasons yet the problems of large numbers arriving late made it overcrowded in the Bobby Robson stand to a point that no one could enter through the turnstiles for a while.

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JamesBlue91 added 15:09 - Oct 23 To be perfectly honest. Its getting to a stage for us where Ipswich Vs Norwich isn't going to be a good game anymore under Mick. If Mick is still in charge, when Ipswich play Norwich will be irrelevant because we're all expecting the same performance and result week after week. It'll be. When are Felixstowe playing Wanderers or Whitton playing Woodbridge. The only way to change this is to get rid of Mick.

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midastouch added 15:25 - Oct 23 Not nearly as "Bitterly Disappointed" as us fans Mick! I brought my lad the blue goalkeeper shirt before the game, he didn't even want to wear it today (as it's half term) in case he sees any Norwich fans on his travels and can you blame him. 8 seasons now since we beat them 1 of them told me yesterday (which was when Jim Magilton was here). Well Jim was a much more magic manager for us than you'll ever be and perhaps our EA Derby Wilderness is karma for sacking a man that had just beaten Norwich. He should of been given the keys to the town for that result. He was a great servant for the club and unbelievably he was sacked after beating Norwich to make way for Mad-Dog Keane, wtf!!! Magilton deserved at least another season IMO. You've had several attempts to beat Norwich and you've messed it up every time Mick. Please get somebody in the building who knows how to beat them back, i.e. Jim Magilton or at least try something else more progressive than MM such as Gerard Nash. Enough is enough! I heard you do an interview on TalkSport Mack and you sounded indifferent about the Derby. It struck me that you don't care nearly as much about this particular game as you should do! So if you aren't really bothered it's high time we found somebody who really understands the significance of the EA Derby match such as Jim Magilton!

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heathen66 added 15:29 - Oct 23 My real issue is after we went 1-0 down we still played with a back 4 and a holding midfielder with a defensive midfielder in front of him. Waited until 75 mins to try to win the game...and ale the main ball winner off.. it seems Mick had a plan until we conceded...and then had no idea.
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johnno added 16:22 - Oct 23 I believe the time is over for making comments on here about the ever ending situation .Lets be honest it's never going to get any better with this idiot in charge he. is so outdated with every aspect of management that we should in unison as one voice our disapproval of the entire setup at the Preston game , let's be honest no one is going to hold it against us with what we have had to endure for years.Everything else we are doing is falling on deaf ears so why not voice our opinion of this idiot vocally.

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BlueArrow added 17:01 - Oct 23 Sorry won't be there Johnno I'm not wasting any more money lining their pockets. I think the best way to hit ME with the truth is lack of £££££'s
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HackneyBlue added 17:02 - Oct 23 Massive marketing balls up by the club,i was 1 of the 10,000 who no longer go due to dreadful football etc but may have had other ideas if I saw some quality,entertainment,passion- I saw none of these so will be back again for this fixture next season.None of the 10,000 extra fans will return after that pathetic effort,all the build up,blue cards,media hype-why bother unless everyone is willing to do so. So lucky to see Beattie,Hunter,Butcher frighten the sh1t out of the canaries.

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dukey44 added 17:54 - Oct 23 Got home from work and see Everton sack their manager and was hoping to See Micks name on sacking list but surprise surprise he's still her 😞
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brendenward35 added 19:03 - Oct 23 Wouldn't surprise me if Mick is trying to make it look better for contract extension after all our gutless owner hasn't had the balls to sack him so far and gave him a 2 year deal when we were destined to be in the championship. Absolute joke should be called hoofRus with that style of football. Obvious we needed to get the ball on the ground and have players run at their defenders but Mick kept those on the bench useless tactics. Sooner he gets p45 the better

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cobboldblue added 19:08 - Oct 23 So Jonas is a Norwegian International, well thank you for educating me in your early evening bulletin on football matters as always Look East! Better still please at least get your facts right!
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blueboy1981 added 20:21 - Oct 23 SIMPLE - We are crying out for a Manager who genuinely cares about our Club - in so doing we would have someone who would want success, and play the beautiful game accordingly - OUR Trademark remember... !!! We had a Manager who cared in Jim Magilton - fired after a local derby WIN .... !!!! - ABSURD - in the light of what is currently going on at Portman Road. At this rate it could well be renamed Portacabin Road - as that is all that will be necessary.

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