Blues boss Mick McCarthy wasn’t unhappy with Town’s display despite their 1-0 defeat by Sheffield United at Portman Road as they exited the FA Cup at the third round stage for the eighth successive season.

“My assessment is I thought we played well up until the goal,” he said. “I’m not unhappy with the performance.

“I’ve just been asked if I was unhappy with the performance. No, I’m not unhappy with the performance, I’m unhappy with the result.

“And it probably sums this moment in this time up when we have an appeal for a penalty turned down [when Daniel Lafferty appeared to handle Luke Chambers’s early header].

“It could have been given but I’ve no idea what a penalty is now having seen them all this week. But it did hit his hand and it could have been given.

“And then [Nathan Thomas] hits one right in the top corner, that was the difference in the game, certainly in the first half.”

Asked whether he was disappointed that his team didn’t create more in the second half, he said: “It was just our final pass, our final cross wasn’t good. They’re a good side, they defended well, they sat back in and made it difficult to break them down.”

Towards the end the crowd made their frustrations known for the first time in a couple of months.

“It’s only been waiting, it’s only been in the background, it’s never gone away,” McCarthy reflected.

Did he understand the reaction with Town not registering a shot on target? “I can’t really control people’s emotions or reactions, can I? I can only do my best to try and get the team to win games.

“And if we do I guess we get cheered and if we don’t, at this moment, I guess we get jeered and people are wanting change. I can’t help that.

“I think they’re a bit sick of the same old and they want a change, don’t they? I guess that’s understandable. But for the moment that’s not happening.”

The prevailing mood going into the game was less than positive with supporters concerned at players potentially moving on.

Asked whether he understands given that and another early cup exit why spirits among the support might be low at present, he added: “I go back to my earlier comment, with the players I have at my disposal I try and make sure that they play as well as they do and what they always do is give everything, to be fair to them, and try and get a result. And we need to get one asap.”

Defender Tommy Smith is close to joining the Colorado Rapids, Kieffer Moore Barnsley, while David McGoldrick has been linked with Cardiff and Birmingham, and Crystal Palace have shown interest in Bartosz Bialkowski, although we understand have now moved on to another target - understood to be Getafe's Vicente Guaita - following discussions with the Blues this week.

Regarding New Zealand international Smith’s absence from today's squad, he said: “He’s poorly today.”

Quizzed on the interest from the Colorado Rapids, which TWTD reported earlier this afternoon, he added: “Apparently so. I haven’t seen any pictures tweeted in the first class lounge in Heathrow yet, so I’m hoping he’s still poorly. Well, not hoping he’s still poorly, but you know what I mean.

Asked whether he knows anything about the proposed switch, he added: “I’ve not spoken to Colorado Rapids.”

McCarthy says he is not actively looking to sell players - “I’m not looking to get shot of players, no” - and neither is owner Marcus Evans: “No, we’ve got to have a team that competes. We were on the back of the top six four weeks ago. I’d like to be tagging along the back of that again. I don’t want to be getting shot of players.”

The Town boss says it's not the case that the club is giving up on the season with the Blues 12th, still only seven points off the top six.

“We need to get a win. Let’s not start looking at the play-offs, let’s start turning it around and making sure we get a victory," he added.

"We’ve got Leeds coming here next week, it’s not going to be easy, and we need to win really.”

Blades boss Chris Wilder thought his team ought to have made the margin of victory more comfortable after the break.

“I think we had some good chances just after half-time to take the game away from the opposition, so we were a bit frustrated that we didn’t," he said.

“Both teams made a few changes and fortunately our changes were maybe just a touch better on the day than the opposition changes.”

Regarding Thomas’s brilliant winner, he added: “A good goal, a good strike.”

Photo: TWTD

Suffolkboy added 19:08 - Jan 6 I'm very surprised aboutTS,who we've watched and been enthusiastic about ever since he first came on the scene : however , he has been apparently injury prone for some time,and the last trip for NZ resulted in yet another ITFC player being unavailable for a considerable period . So I wonder if there's more to this than meets the eye ,or ear ,and guess we shall only learn more in the course of time ! As to the present team ,and of Didzy in particular , then for months he's shown a lack of proper professional positivity ,a lack of killer instinct in the opposition box,and has been ( in MM & TCs words ) nursed through ; has silky skills but lacks the commitment and 100% desire I'd expect from a man with his apparent pedigree .Its time he was gone ! - and if we can get reasonably good money ,it'll be a chance to reshape ,move on and maybe bring in a player of better physical stature and fitness ; that said he's been a useful servant,but I've really expected much more ;now ,I think past his best ,and no inspiration for supporters or younger team mates ! As MM says ,we really do need result ,but somehow we've got to be convinced ,as have the players, that it is possible to actually score goals by putting the balls in the net: far too many miscues from those who could and should do better ( why oh why week in week out ,game after game,do we see a read of obvious chances either not taken or miscued ?) Confidence plays a great part ,and I quite understand MM & TC being continually reluctant ,especially publicly ,to be over critical; that said I feel certain that behind closed doors the blunt Yorkshire man doesn't pull,punches ( but that's as and where it should be ) Let us continue to believe, even if honest frustration comes to the fore ! Come on You Blues

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blueplumber added 19:13 - Jan 6 Mick says we played well up to their goal... Hello that was 25 minutes......
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TimmyH added 19:13 - Jan 6 How many times does he say that?...'Not happy with result but with performance'. By the sounds of it not a shot on target is a good performance!!!!...what an absolute farcical manager he is now, money money money monneey moonnneeeeyyyyyyy in a rich man's world! McCarthy should give each Town supporter who attended today £5 back of HIS salary.
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blueplumber added 19:14 - Jan 6
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raycrawfordswig added 19:16 - Jan 6 If you had a Brain cell you would be dangerous.
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NorthFar added 19:17 - Jan 6 He shook everyone's hand in the centre circle after the game waiting for the place to clear to limit the amount of abuse he had to take walking back down the touchline. There was no desire or energy to win that game. To be fair we were decent up until their goal. Which came in the 25th minute. For the following 65 minutes we were awful.
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Swn98 added 19:17 - Jan 6 Good post suffolkboy wasted on here I'm afraid they've all got strong opinions but don't attend.
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nysully added 19:24 - Jan 6 God bless Freddie, he needs to leave as much as we need to be rid of him. He has run his race here. MM only making one change in a game like this is daring Evans to fire him and the crowd to turn even more on hima sad state of affairs! He knows full well he is a lame Dick manager who won't be let go, shocking stuff!
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SickParrot added 19:25 - Jan 6 Just about sums McCarthy up. We didn't manage a single shot on target but he is happy with the performance! What a legacy you will leave when you finally sod off: 1) 6 years in charge and you still can't find a way to win a sweet FA cup tie. 2) We were embarrased by Lincoln last year and go out with a whimper again this year. 3) We still can't defend properly, despite your negative team selections and tactics. 4) You have alienated 85% of the supporters with your tactics, arrogance and beligerance. 5) Attendances dropping. 6) Our good attacking players stifled and demotivated.

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Taricco_Fan added 19:26 - Jan 6 [copy and paste McCarthy's post-match reaction here] On another note, not only do we hold an unenviable record as longest serving Championship club, but surely no other club that has been in the top two divisions as long as us has such a dire record for failing to progress past the FA Cup third round?
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blue75 added 19:28 - Jan 6 Swn98 had a season ticket 22 years used to go to 50% of away games your messiah has ground people like my self down I didn't go today took my daughter to the cinema instead cost a lot more than footy but it was entertaining and for the first Saturday in a long time when town were at home I went home happy!!
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poldark added 19:28 - Jan 6 Swin98 please explain what McCarthy gives to this club just look at the facts Sheffield United reserves outplays us and still you support this moron
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oldtimer3 added 19:32 - Jan 6 Forward players on the bench No fight or any belief Mc Carthy pleased with his players Well I wasnt Mc.
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blueplumber added 19:33 - Jan 6 Mick says we played well up to their goal... Hello that was 25 minutes......
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Vizslaraner added 19:36 - Jan 6 I'm not surprised it's the same answer every time we lose, and yes we are sick of it you buffoon. We are sick and tired of you and your dire crap you serve up and an owner who doesn't even speak. If he doesn't want to be in the spotlight, at least write in the programme or do a piece with the local press! It's a total mess from top to bottom and the club is alienating itself from the fans more and more. It breaks my heart what is happening and although I will always go as it's the club I follow not these two total pri..s! Previous managers had f all money but still entertained and we had a direction. I really struggle to see why the foul mouthed northerner has not been reined in with his comments as it's his attitude along with the style of play that is driving ppl away. Do we have a PR dept?

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Taricco_Fan added 19:49 - Jan 6 Should we just bin McCarthy now? I don't think his heart's in it and he will be off in May. Bring in a new man now and give him the rest of the season to bed in. We should be safe this year given our current points haul.
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brittaniaman added 19:58 - Jan 6 Our last 7 games 1 win 1 draw 5 lost and your happy with performances Dino ?????
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Mark added 20:02 - Jan 6 Utterly depressing. We were terrible and didn't manage a shot on target, yet McCarthy is happy with the performance?! It feels like we are in a dreadful place at the moment with MM probably leaving in the summer, the club investing nothing in the meantime, now selling/giving away Smith (one of our two fit centre backs) while limiting incoming players to frees and loans? I am glad we are well clear of the bottom three, but I fear we could still be sucked in. Marcus Evans ... sort this out!!

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SickParrot added 20:06 - Jan 6 I have never known a man to be so deluded as McCarthy, except maybe King Canute?
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runaround added 20:06 - Jan 6 Ridiculous comments from Mick. It was a poor performance today& an embarrassing way to mark 40years since winning the cup. Club feels like it's falling apart and if we aren't careful we will end up collapsing in second half of season like Birmingham did last season. Time for McCarthy to go before things get worse
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Westy added 20:09 - Jan 6 This is McCarthy's fault - starting with our two main goal threats on the bench. Eight years since we have been in Round Four - it is barely believable.
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david_d added 20:21 - Jan 6 MM is clearly the Donald Trump of the footballing world....
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wherescounago added 20:22 - Jan 6 I cleaned my garage out this afternoon and listened to the commentary on Radio Suffolk. Not only did I save £10, I also shifted a load of rubbish!! Happy to do the same at Portman Road if asked. Seriously though, why didn't Drinan come on if only for 15 minutes. A bit of hype about him and I am sure the 12,000 that did turn up must be asking the same question. Have I missed a loan or injury but what has happened to young Morris? Nice to hear that Luke Hyam had an hour and that must be a plus.

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ronnyd added 20:25 - Jan 6 Tongue in cheek here but see that Mark Hughes has just become available.
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blueboy1981 added 20:26 - Jan 6 ........ no shots on target in 96 minutes, at Home - the Manager satisfied with the performance ... ???????. This man is taking the proverbial p-ss out of everyone who has any time for him at all. Just GO McCarthy - and NEVER come back.
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