"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

TimmyH added 16:34 - Oct 24 McCarthy is always trying to defend himself, when we had the four straight wins on the bounce he did say he didn't think we turned into a top 2 side overnight but has always stressed it's a results business and doesn't care how we win. Now we seem to be consistently losing he's now trying to spin that some of the performances have been there!! - on Sunday it was debatable if the performance was there, yes the first 30 minutes was entertaining and we countered well and should have been leading at half-time but the second half the more we pressed them in their half the messier the game got almost as if Mick had changed his tactics at half time (what ever they were). Burley and Butcher in would bring the crowds back...they'll have passion unlike somebody whose been here 5 years!

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paddypowell added 16:46 - Oct 24 russel osman said the right thing its not the manager nor the owner playing on the pitch its 11 players how can they play them off the field in the first half albeit missing chances and them come out in the second and play as though they couldnt care less no get in to them or passion at all from the same players they might as well have stayed in the dressing room,there was more effort in the 2 games of under 7 s playing at half time and im not exaggerating

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midastouch added 16:52 - Oct 24 Just been doing some research online and apparently this is Mick McCarthy's preferred formation to help us steady the ship after a very rocky run of late:
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midastouch added 16:58 - Oct 24 Before you knock it I should add the Italians have won four World Cups playing a very similar formation! ;-)
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Rensham added 17:45 - Oct 24 vanmunt there is a problem with ITFC and Newton's Third Law. there are no consequences to actions. the manager is never censured, players don't perform are not dropped. favourites are first on the team sheet despite performances. there is no reaction to the poor investment of the owner. too many living the easy life without any consequences. change that and you'd change the club and its prospects.

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dirtydingusmagee added 19:39 - Oct 24 i think if we are going to bring Newton into this, his law of gravitation is more relevant, we were up now we falling down !
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JamesBlue91 added 19:47 - Oct 24 Does anyone else think Mick has given up and is trying to play mind games with us by saying that other teams are good even if they're not just so he doesn't have to try so hard.
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Bigboyblue added 20:48 - Oct 24 I sit right on the sidelines and it was really intresting to watch Celina warming up in after the goal. He was FUMING not to be out on the pitch, pointing at McCarthy and whinging like a trooper to the other subs. Freddie seemed to cop the most of it and looked like he didnt know what say to him (Celina). Its becoming clear to me why hes being left out by Mick. He a moaner, or in Mick speak, not a proper 'bloke'. I say the lad had cause to moan. Hes clearly the freshest, most exciting player we have at the club and he clearly wants to play games for this team but hes being held back by our 70's throwback manager who clearly feels the lad has violated some of his wierd dinosaur codes of conduct. Norwich were poor. Even their fans know it. I wa parked right by the area of the car park that was sectined off for them and the coaches has to drive right past me in my town gear to get out. Barely a word from all but the odd one. A few waved sarcastically but it its not like they were giving it large. They knew they'd brought a poor team to Portman road and were a far distant echo of the side that hammered us under Lambert. But if not a sense of achievement in victory, I think it was a sense of relief that Norwich fans left Portman road on sunday, relief they hadnt quite sunk to the lows of a team managdd by a dinosaur like McCarthy or a club run by by a complete tool like Marcus bloody evans. And who can blame them?

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Seasider added 21:38 - Oct 24 Sorry Kingfisher as marked you down instead of up Reason I am in Paignton using phone instead of P C, which means will miss supporters AGM Previous years McCarthy been there; but doesn't look like will be in attendance on Thursday.? What a surprise !!! Could it be that this proud know it all Yorkshire man has chickened out after getting a bit of a rough ride last year, and following Sunday's defeat? Suggest as many as possible turn up,and let those there how theyfeel

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grumpyoldman added 21:50 - Oct 24 Rensham you say as soon as MM gets the injured players back he can get us playing like we did at the beginning of the season. This maybe news to you but only one of them played at the start of the season, so he still has the personnel he had at the beginning but now he has reverted to his preferred tactics.
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blue86 added 21:57 - Oct 24 What the hell has happened to our club? As others have said, poor old magilton got the boot after a 3-2 victory over the budgies which now feels like a lifetime ago. Back then we were getting around 23000 at home week in week out, now we're lucky to get 16000! As much as it hurts me to say it norwich in the modern era are a better run club with a bigger fan Base, the scum were still getting 26000 at home in league one! Since marcus took over we have been going backwards imo. I will admit I was excited when marcus arrived thinking we would push on but it just hasn't happened. The way magilton was sacked was embarrassing and a disgrace! Jim was ipswich through and through and understood the club etc, then came keane which I knew was a disaster waiting to happen! Then jewel and now mick and we have gone nowhere! Depressing times! But just cringe about what clown will arrive after mick. BIG changes needed at town but don't trust marcus to have the balls to do something about it. Coyb

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ArnieM added 22:32 - Oct 24 It's easy to be a " better", or "bigger" club, when you've had over a £100m to slash up against the wall isn't it !! Oh btw they are STILL an average Championship side despite all that money. Hardly played us off the park for 90 mins did they ?
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madmouse1959 added 22:59 - Oct 24 .So who blinked first at the dismal 1-0 defeat at Sheffield Utd ? 1500 fans left that stadium totally bewildered at another no show . Just another game where we spent 85 minutes chasing shadows. Too many "yes men" at this club. Who is going to rock the boat ? All last season the fans suffered one poor game after another. No excitement with a traditional cup run. What is left at this club other than the remaining supporters willing to keep throwing money at it. There are no more excuses to be had. Just little clichés like "we blinked first" ??? Evans is just not interested.

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blue86 added 23:10 - Oct 24 ArnieM, I agree with you to a point, but how did norwich get that £100 mil to slash up the wall? They appointed a manager in lambert with an idea of how he wanted norwich to play and invested in a few shrewd signings which got them promoted. Mick on the other hand normally sets us up to stifle the opposition or adjusts to the other teams tactics rather than taking the game to them imo, and yes they didn't exactly play us off the park, I'm just sick of always bloody losing to the budgies recently lol ahh well it will be even sweeter when we finally get that elusive win whenever that may be! Coyb

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cat added 23:55 - Oct 24 Heading home after seeing the Arsenal put one over the Norwich scum, ‘simply luvleh' (check it out) to see them get beat for a change! Got to say Midas- that's a fecking quality post!!! McCarthys last stand!! 😂😂 lol!! (hopefully)
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midastouch added 00:21 - Oct 25 That defensive tortoise formation would be perfect for Mick as we know he doesn't like to let flair players like Celina come out of their shell.
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dusty added 08:42 - Oct 25 I am amazed that McCarthy is still the Manager. The only way open to loyal supporters is to vote with your feet and then, Evans will have to listen. On this occasion there cannot be any gain without pain!
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vanmunt added 08:55 - Oct 25 Being from Bristol and the people all 'abuzz' at getting to the quarters of league cup makes my disdain for Muckarthy grow more and more. Cannot wait for the pre match Burton conference, good team, false position, tough game and should be in playoffs. How much longer do we have to put up with this rubbish, I think I am starting to go insane.,
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bobble added 09:21 - Oct 25 mick is a dead man walking....
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Swn98 added 10:47 - Oct 25 Just about sums up the news site last year Keiffer Moore was why did we buy a non league not good enough player now hes the savior of our club strange strange people. Get 13 down marks for stating a fact about Evans financial contribution to the club over the past three years strange supporters.
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blueherts added 10:54 - Oct 25 Swm98 - Hey respect your opinion , but can you honestly say in the last 2 years we are progressing . The only plus point in our great club at the moment is our Academy , Gerard Nash and what Bryan Klug has done and is doing We have some great young players coming through but I believe a 58 year old manager , from another era is the wrong person to move our club forward . We are going nowhere

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midastouch added 11:57 - Oct 25 The Derby was do or die for me. It was a high stakes match. If McCarthy had of won it would of brought him plenty of good will and time I imagine. But he lost and now he's a busted flush! Leaving Celina on the bench just pushed me totally over the edge. Absolute waste of talent and wages. He's got not chance under Mick and nor have we!
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Swn98 added 17:08 - Oct 25 Blueherts any one with an iota of common sense can see we have not progressed last season or the season before, but this season their are signs we are more competitive as ive stated so many times if you cant do the basics like defend your not going to win games get that right and the rest takes care of itself. As in previous seasons we have been slaughtered by injuries some of them recent signings thats what happens when you shop in the bargain basement having said that MM can only spend at the level ME allows.To get rid of the manager is a quick fix that is not guaranteed to succeed.

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