Town boss Mick McCarthy admitted that defensive frailties once again cost his side as they were beaten 2-0 by Aston Villa at Villa Park. McCarthy was particularly scathing about the “appalling defending” which led to the first of Albert Adomah’s two goals, which he felt was the game’s key moment.

The Blues manager admitted that lapses at the back had again proved Town's achilles' heel, but felt Bartosz Bialkowski was fouled on the corner which led to the 36th minute opening goal, Joe Garner having had an earlier goal disallowed for a foul on Villa keeper Sam Johnstone, also at a flag-kick.

“Yes, they have again,” McCarthy said. “Prior to the goal I thought it was a foul on our goalkeeper equally as much as it was, if it was, on theirs when we scored. But sadly both incidents were treated differently.

“But it was appalling defending after that. We ran out under the ball and didn’t defend it properly and playing against good players, you get punished. And they don’t need any help.

“I thought we were the best team up until the first goal. And then the game changes. If my auntie had you know what, you’d know what she’d be, she’d be my uncle.

“If we had scored the first goal the place would have been very quiet, it was actually up until that goal.

“But they are if anything efficient and certainly when they got in front, they made it very difficult to play against them.”

McCarthy brought on Emyr Huws and Bersant Celina just after the hour mark but the pair hadn’t been able to make an impression before Adomah’s second of the afternoon in the 66th minute.

“Sad that when subs go on, they like to make an impact but they didn’t even get a chance so we’ll never know whether they would have, had it stayed at 1-0,” he said.

One positive for the Blues was Teddy Bishop making his first appearance of the season from the bench in the second half: “The bog standard sub would have been to put Jordan Spence on for my right-back [Dominic Iorfa] but I really wanted Bish on the pitch and Callum, of course, can play right-back, that’s what he is.

“I wanted Bish to sample 15 minutes of football at this level, which he hasn’t done for a long, long time. If he’s come through it, fine, which he has, it’ll do him good, me good, the team good, the squad good, the fans good and the club good if he’s back playing. Let’s hope we can get him fit.

“Emyr’s another one. They’re both good players, but they’re not good when they’re in the treatment room.”

Dominic Iorfa went off injured in the second half and McCarthy says he isn’t yet sure how serious the problem might be.

“I don’t know yet, I think it’s his hamstring,” he added. “I didn’t really check on that, I’ve just come out to do the media.”

What can Town do to reduce the number of soft goals which are currently being conceded? “We can defend better as individuals and not be naive like we were on Wednesday night, that should never have happened. Be ruthless, that’s something we need to be.

“Maybe had we come away and we’d got three points in our pockets from Wednesday night we’d have all felt better today and when they get their disappointments on the pitch. It’s hard to contend with them, I have to be honest, even as a player myself, it’s tough. We’ve just got to defend better. We’ll keep working at it.”

Looking ahead to Tuesday, the Blues have their game in hand, the rescheduled match at Derby County.

“That’s the way it’s fallen, unfortunately,” he reflected. “It would be nice to have a free week, like other teams are going to have, but we’ve got Derby and we’ll have to go up there and give our best.”

Villa boss Steve Bruce is delighted with his side's form, they've won nine of their last 12 in the Championship, three in the last eight days.

“Since the start of the season, from the first two weeks, we’ve had a couple of losses, of course, which happens, but all in all I’ve been very, very pleased with the way that we’ve performed," he said.

“Today’s never easy, as I said it wouldn’t be yesterday. Mick’s teams are always highly competitive, compete for every ball.

“They’re a credit to him really. There are people out there who probably don’t give him the respect he deserves because it’s not been easy for him.

"But, by God, they’re difficult to play against, they’re up and at you and they’re a threat to any team in this division. They’re a good side, they are.”

Regarding goalscorer Adomah, he added: “He’s had a wonderful return. At the start of the season he wasn’t in the team, so it just shows you, but he’s worked hard and he’s got his reward.

"Playing on the left he looks so comfortable coming in on his left foot and running across the line. He’s a threat, I think that’s 11 goals he’s got which his a wonderful return.

“Long may that continue. There’s no reason he can’t set his sights on getting another 10 at this point of the season. Great, because we’ve got a bit of a threat from somewhere else. Certainly Albert in the last few weeks has done terrifically well.”

Photo: TWTD

itfchorry added 18:17 - Nov 25 Appalling Management
8

braveblue added 18:20 - Nov 25 And on Tuesday you will play the same defence and pathetic midfield pairing.
24

surgery added 18:23 - Nov 25 Still I'm sure your mates will sort it come Tuesday
7

RobITFC added 18:24 - Nov 25 Why no striker on the bench ?
8

jas0999 added 18:25 - Nov 25 Appalling all round. No shots. Little creativity. Back to settling and setting up for a point. Boring. Why we didn't replace Berra I'll never know. Being unlucky on transfer deadline day isn't an excuse when you've had four months to sort it out. The chap from Wolves looks extremely poor. They don't appear to be missing him. The club is in a rut. Can't see us moving forward until Mick goes and or Evans sells up. Neither likely in the short term, so more of the same. A couple of wins, a couple of draws and a few defeats. We are a mid table side.

21

Hamish1979 added 18:25 - Nov 25 Appalling entertainment
13

BtreeBlueBlood added 18:27 - Nov 25 January need to get some defenders in. It's hard to say but I'm sorry chambers isn't up to playing the top sides. Awful can go back to wolves - unless we play 5 at the back with wing backs.
5

tractorboybig added 18:29 - Nov 25 crap defence again, again, again. you got it you use it again again again.
4

Bluetone added 18:29 - Nov 25 Appalling
3

ChrisFelix added 18:31 - Nov 25 It's been clear to the fan in the stands for months that the defence is the weakest link. Your central pairing is suspect & your continue to chop & change the full backs A new manager would have the best nerve to drop Chambers. When I saw he was starting with Sears & Wards unfortunately I knew the result
16

Theipswich added 18:32 - Nov 25 Keep playing your favourites Chambers Skuse Knudsen..what do you expect ? Don't attempt shots at goal..what do you expect ? Don't bring academy players who would do a better job..what do you expect ? Next game will be the same as before...defensive midfield, no real attempt to "WIN" the game but to contain, Usual misfits like Chambers,Skuse and knudesen..and Iorfa..will play no matter what. ..And you ask yourself why we defend badly ? Play your best players..at all times. The great managers in our history were never afraid to do that like Duncan, Robson,Ramsey,Burley and Royle.

10

12th_Man added 18:35 - Nov 25 yeah which f***ing retard changed things #mickout
-2

Pip50 added 18:37 - Nov 25 Personally I think it's a ruse when opposition managers say “Micks sides are always hard to play against”. What they really mean is keep him at your club and it's an easy three points for us. Lol. Keep calm guys season is ticking down and he will be gone soon.
17

muccletonjoe added 18:38 - Nov 25 Its not appalling and we did well to even compete with them. Defence is very weak but we do not have anyone who is any better. If you think mm controls the cheque book then carry on wingeing.
0

Wickets added 18:41 - Nov 25 Micks teams compete for ever ball , Bruce is taking the pi-- after watching the first goal!
1

Wickets added 18:42 - Nov 25 every ball
4

casper16 added 18:49 - Nov 25 Maybe someone should tell him the best form of defence is attack.
13

Suffolkboy added 18:52 - Nov 25 Seems certain some of these comments are motivated by the need to say 'something ' !-- but logic and serious thought about the possibility of committing youngsters ,untested both physically ,mentally and tactically at Championship level demonstrates a terrible frustration and' ill thought through ' advice ' . Frankly I think we ought to have thought more about the immediate future of ITFC on the pitch before allowing Smith to go charging round the world ; we need him back for a whole load of reasons ,not least his character and spirit .It may be of course we have no say in such matters : so may be I'm being too opportunistic also ! Fron a distance it looks as if the dreadful malaise of indecision ,and lack of cohesion is once more afflicting our defensive capacity ; MM & TC will need to sort this out ,either by an injection of confidence ( or a boot up some backsides ) ,or spend to import some wisdom and a guiding character( pity Taylor wasn't the answer )

8

blues1 added 18:59 - Nov 25 The ipswich. I agree with some of what you say about mm constantly playing his favourites. But to criticise him playing knudsen is ridiculous. Hes been, by far our best defender so far this season.
7

TimmyH added 19:08 - Nov 25 We're hearing this quite often now days Mick!...when you first came here you tightened up our defense and for the season after that not bad...but since then each season we're slowly ship more and more goals. Okay we've had some injuries in the middle of the defense early in the season but there aren't any excuses NOW but still defending poorly. Recognise Iorfa has been average, recognise Chambers needs to be dropped (you made him captain so your not going to do that) and recognise you must stop tinkering around with the full backs. Your the manager Mick and defensive organisation used to be something you were alright at...but not so sure now!

6

Rensham added 19:16 - Nov 25 Amazing our defence is so poor this year. Also amazing we haven't solved the right back or left back position, or a sense of a unit with Chambers/Webster in the middle. Maybe we need to give Chambers a break and try some new combinations. Like Tony Pulis, once the defence fails to defend what is the point in having a manager whose strength starts at the back? And perhaps the mid field could do with Skusey having a break and getting some more youthful legs in midfield to protect the back four. Show us what you're made of Mick and sort this out. Derby would be a good place to start.

10

Rensham added 19:21 - Nov 25 And we should have replaced Berra with a proper Centre back. The same problem we had from not replacing Murphy. Its not rocket science. Probably ME's fault rather than Big Mick.
5

cat added 19:29 - Nov 25 We are 2 defenders away from being a decent team who could challenge for the top 6. We are more offensive this season, which does leave us more exposed at the back. I would rather see this than the 7 behind the ball which we had to endure last season. MM needs to drop them favourites, Skuse & good old Chambers. Jonas is on that ‘favs' list but he has completely won me over this season, he's quality imo!! even if his selection is at the expense of ‘one of our own' Kenlock. If we could revert back to our traditional style of play, with the 2 new additions & the favs dropped, then it would be ‘happy days' all round, well for me anyhow.

8

toxtethblue added 19:31 - Nov 25 The buck stops with you. Personally I think the team is better potentially than what MM is getting out of them. I was there today and we were truly toothless, hardly created any decent close chances. Villa weren't great but we seem to be able to make anyone look good. Clear as day why gates at home have dropped to 15k, it's actually painful to watch and endure...
7

poldark added 19:44 - Nov 25 McCarthy hasn't got a clue win 3 0 with no Skuse nothing since Chambers worst defender for years Knudson good Sunday morning full back . Brings in Iorfa truelly awful leaves out decent young players such as Nydam and Downes no striker on the bench the man I saw a complete idiot
7

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