Town boss Mick McCarthy felt the 1-1 scoreline was the right result from the Blues’ visit to Bolton, a match he felt was the worst he’s seen all season, believing his side didn’t really get going until they’d gone a goal down.

“I think 1-1 is a fair reflection,” he said. “I think it was possibly the worst game I’ve seen all season.

“They’re no mugs and they didn’t make it easy for us. They’re a big, strong powerful team and neither of us [played particularly well], although actually we played great football from 1-0 down.

“When we went 1-0 down a football team turned up and we passed it around and I thought we played well then.

“Up until that point, as I said, it was the worst game, first half, I’ve seen all season and probably for a long time.”

The Blues' best moment of the match was their well-worked goal with debutant sub Stephen Gleeson, Bersant Celina, David McGoldrick and Martyn Waghorn involved as Joe Garner bundled home his ninth of the season.

In the closing minutes Waghorn almost won it with a shot which struck the post.

“I guess when games start getting stretched and people start getting tired, we’ve got quality on the pitch, we showed it and Waggy hit the inside of the post and it flew out,” McCarthy reflected. “We had to scrap it out, it was a tough old game.”

Why was that? There was no lack of attacking ability in the team he fielded: "No, there wasn’t. But both teams worked extremely hard to stop each other playing but it was only with half an hour to go and the goal had gone in that we actually played well.”

The Town boss admitted he was happy with the point: “I’d always take it. We come up here and, I don’t know what it is, do we think we’re Ipswich Town with Sir Bobby Robson still involved here with all the players and we’re a top, top team and we should come here and beat them?

“I don’t think that’s the case. I think Bolton are full of Championship experience. They’ve been having a bit of a resurgence, they are tough to play here. I’ve never come here and had an easy game. And at the end of it I’ll take the point and go down home with it in my pocket.”

McCarthy was pleased with his debutants, midfielder Gleeson, who came on at half-time, and centre-half Cameron Carter-Vickers, who started.

“Yes, it’s not easy,” he added. “I was really pleased with [Carter-Vickers], it’s not an easy one playing against Gary Madine, he’s on fire, he scored his goal, he’s such a big unit, but I thought Cameron and Chambo played well.

“And I thought Stephen Gleeson was the outstanding player when he came on, I thought he was a mile above everybody else in terms of getting it and passing it and a bit of quality when he turned them around and put it up the sides of them. And he was involved in the goal, he played really well.”

Given that the 29-year-old Irishman had been out-of-favour at Birmingham and had played only seven games this season prior to today, his display was particularly impressive.

“Well, I know him,” McCarthy continued. “I saw a comment about me signing somebody [else] and fans were underwhelmed. I bet they were underwhelmed when I signed Glees as well, but that’s why they’re fans and that's why I’m the manager.”

He says the Carter-Vickers loan deal came about via academy head of player development Bryan Klug, who worked with the defender during his time coaching at Spurs.

“We were spinning plates for the last two, nearly three weeks and Bryan Klug actually came in and said to me on Thursday morning, ‘Would I be interested in Cameron Carter-Vickers?’,” McCarthy revealed.

“I said, ‘Has he left Sheffield United?’ and he said, ‘He has, he’s gone back to Spurs’ and I said, ‘Yes, I would’.

“I saw him play here, he scored here, the winner when I came to watch the game before we played Bolton.

“And I’ve been impressed with him. He’s not the biggest, he’s not 6ft 4, but he jumps and he heads it, he’s tough, he’s powerful and he’ll play a lot better than he did today because the game did nobody any favours for 60 minutes.”

McCarthy says Gleeson has a chance to win himself a longer stay at Portman Road: “For sure, we’ve taken his contract, he’s our player to the end of the season and I think he showed his quality.

“I’ve known from the start of the window I’ve been trying to find Glees, but we’ve had Luke Hyam coming back, however, he’s played one game in 18 months.

“We’ve had Tristan coming back, but he’s 18. Flynn’s not yet back. Tom Adeyemi’s not yet back.

“Skusey’s got an ankle injury and he’s come off again today. But apparently it was us that was making all the bad tackles, I thought every tackle of ours was a foul, apparently.

“Skusey’s got a knock on his ankle again and signing Glees was as much to cover that because he sits in that position, he gets the ball, he does a really good defensive job. Callum and Skusey have been great and if I lose one of them it makes our team weaker.”

McCarthy says that’s all the January business he’ll do unless someone were to move on: “I think so. I don’t think we’ll be taking anybody in. I think we’ve got a front four that’s doing well. Freddie comes on and he’s always a threat.

“Aaron Drinan, I’m pleased with him, I’d have no problem playing him. No, I think that’s us, I’m hoping Adam Webster will be back and we get Jordan Spence back next week after his suspension.”

McCarthy confirmed that Carter-Vickers’s recruitment means Tommy Smith’s move to the Colorado Rapids will now be completed.

“Tommy will be moving on,” he added. “It’s a good opportunity for him, he wants to play first-team football and we can use that salary to get somebody else in now, I hope.”

McCarthy also poured cold water on claims that Bersant Celina’s loan could be cut short and the Manchester City man could be sold during the window with Werder Bremen, Espanyol and Torino all said to be interested in signing the Kosovo international.

“Go back to what I told you right at the very start of this arrangement,” he said. “He’s our player. Bersant’s our player to the end of the season.”

Werder Bremen’s sporting director Frank Baumann has also distanced his club from the link.

Bolton boss Phil Parkinson admitted it felt like two points dropped: "When you're ahead in a game and as comfortable as we were [it does]."

"However, Ipswich have got some very talented front players - Martyn Waghorn, Joe Garner and David McGoldrick - and the one moment where they unlocked us, a real bit of quality in and around the box, has produced their equaliser.

"Our performance level was good considering we've had to play Dervite, who hasn't played for a long time. Mark Beevers went down ill but I thought Dorian Dervite was man of the match.

"Karl Henry has come into the team after only two days of training, so maybe we did fatigue a bit towards the end of the game.

"That was probably a factor which cost us, but it's another important point and keeps us out of the bottom three.

"We can now work over the next two weeks on reshaping the squad for the big push towards the end of the season."

Meanwhile, Parkinson felt Town midfielder Callum Connolly should have been red-carded for an alleged elbow which left Sammy Ameobi requiring treatment in the erly stages.

“You may have seen my reaction, I was thinking ‘Was I the only one in this stadium who saw him catch him?’” he said.

“To be fair to the lad Connolly, he was aggressive in midfield and played well, caught a few players, but I was right in front of it.

"I didn’t expect the ref to see it because he was right on the other side but the fourth official and linesman had a clear view of him swinging and cutting Sammy just above his eye. On another day that could easily have been a red card.

“Gary Madine got booked first half for a late tackle, and that was fair enough, but how could someone who has flinged their elbow and cut someone’s eye open not at least get booked?

“He needed to rely on his linesman and fourth official — but they say they didn’t see it.”

Photos: TWTD/PagePix

44_not_out added 19:40 - Jan 20 Shock horror..... Ipswich fans in melt down as manager gives an honest assessment of the match The reaction of some on here beggars belief.
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Rensham added 19:55 - Jan 20 Looks like Big Mick will be staying. Its the cheap option and takes no effort. If we're really unlucky Terry Connor takes over. ME and MM are waiting for an opportunity to break the bad news. Two more years. I wan t to die.
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TimmyH added 19:55 - Jan 20 Interesting to note this week from one of the McCarthy backers on here in one of his posts (won't name him) but mentioned he 'was happy for Ipswich to be competitive in the best 2nd tier of football in the world'...it really does basically back up his whole attitude and why he generally down votes me and some others. For a moment I thought it could actually be Mr Evans himself.

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Rensham added 20:22 - Jan 20 "We come up here and, I don't know what it is, do we think we're Ipswich Town with Sir Bobby Robson still involved here with all the players and we're a top, top team and we should come here and beat them?" OK but who are you and what are you trying to do at Ipswich Town? I haven't a clue.
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ArnieM added 20:35 - Jan 20 OMG , I just can't wait for the summer to get here snd McCarthy finally slings his hook. Yes he's fine well on limited funds , but OMG what a bore fest it is under this manager. Let's get in an attack minded manager and play the game as it should be played
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Rensham added 20:43 - Jan 20 @Arnie Mick will still be here next season. They're waiting till after season tickets to announce it.
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OohArrPaulGoddard added 20:50 - Jan 20 " we think we're Ipswich Town with Sir Bobby Robson still involved here with all the players and we're a top, top team and we should come here and beat them?" I'm pretty sure no one thinks this and has not thought that for sometime! Why does Mick have to antagonise fans, it was the Gleeson comments this week, I think he must enjoy it! I rate him as a man manager and a football coach but he make it so hard for anyone to support him when he keeps disparaging all ITFC fans with sweeping generalisations. His worst post match comments are when we win though so perhaps we got off lightly. The Newcastle ones last year were terrible, I was embarassed for him and offended for me and my family, not to mention the Burton ones. He has got to realise he is the face of the club and in the digital age there is a constant record of his every word in press conferences.

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ArnieM added 21:11 - Jan 20 Rensham: I honestly can't see McCarthy staying. Nor can I see Evans possibly allowing this situation to continue. If he doesn't announce McCarthy's departure then he must expect s further downturn in ST sales. It really is as simple as that. McCarthy can dress it up how he likes. His time here is done . Thanks for your efforts under considerable financial constraints but it's time for a parting of the ways for both you and ITFC . Move on

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AussieTom added 21:20 - Jan 20 I watched the game on Iplayer yesterday and whilst there wasn't much action - especially in the first half - we at least looked like we wanted to play it on the floor a little more and retain possession than in other games I've seen this season. . I saw Bart roll it out to Knudsen a number of times without pinging the bad forward every time. I even saw a few flicks and quick one two passing - this was especiallly evident for the goal! However, we didn't have the threat we usually carry, so I wonder if this is a Team who can't have both: attacking threat and nice passsimg Football?

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Swn98 added 21:23 - Jan 20 AussieTom far to unblinkered view to pass the doommongers of the news site.
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1966 added 21:27 - Jan 20 Thanks Mick , Sir Bobby Robson Came to Ipswich in 1969 when Hoofball was Quite Acceptable. He Made A Team from Nothing with Not a Lot of Money and Transformed it into a Football Team which Could Entertain and Get Results. The Man Had Class and a Modest Personality. ( Something You Have Little Of )
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MickMillsTash added 21:52 - Jan 20 Whatever people think about McCarthy the way he allows Garner to behave as he does is a total disgrace., Why do we sing about this person? - he sets out to cheat - if he concentrated a little more on playing instead of falling over I am sure we would be better. I am fed up of this w@nker. We were poor, I thought Bolton sat back in after going 1 up and it was a mistake even though they had chances to make it 2 Mcgoldrick did drop deeper and once on the ball caused problems - he is still our class act, Gleeson looked confident, lack of attacking quality at full-back lets us down. Wgahorn is no midfielder. McCarthy cannot do anything right - he's not had anything close to a full team this season, I think he has pulled some real rabbits out of the hat in terms of signings and we are close to the play offs - positionally even though we are miles off. It might be best for all if he leaves but I respect what he has done, his knowledge on the game and the way he has constructed his squad with so little help financially

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Jewels added 21:54 - Jan 20 Left one of our best players out again ..... poor Kenlock I don't know what he has to do. So much better than Knudson at left back. Had the best stats of anyone last week. Unbelievable!!!!!!
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MicksZzzTactics added 22:19 - Jan 20 The quote: "Worst game of the season" ehhhh Mick .... Dear oh Dear could it be that the beleaguered Dino has FINALLY started taking these old prescribed 'Anti-Deluded' (or some other much needed SSRIs = 'Selective *Serotonin* Reuptake Inhibitors') pills of his??? LOL As for the worst game of the season Mick.... well I've personally seen a few who qualifies for that dubious title, but since I didn't watch this ONE, I will suffice to sum up the overall (or first 75+ minutes) picture that I personally got from the radio commentary ....with yet another silly meme (based on the cover of a incredible famous book &movie): @Rensham Not gonna shower you in : "Told U so" lecturing remarks matey ....most of all simply since that totally INDEFENSIBLE (at the time!) 2 year option, well being being mutually invoked, hasn't been publicly announced yet ... HOWEVER imho it has been sort of 'Written In Stone' for quite a while, particularly since our equal parts football-clueless equal parts football-indifferent mute owner and his impeccable 'Snake Oil' selling mouth-piece & m.d. seems 1) perfectly super content with him (i.e. The Dino) FREEWHEELING about in the Championship year after year year in this Evan's cooperate tax-deductible circus known as fairly moribund-looking ITFC, to Mick's credit on ridiculously limited funds I might add!!!!, but all the while unfortunately and very immaturely & NEEDLESSLY taking obnoxious weekly cheap-shots at the Ipswich fans, not the least a sizable part of said fans who still constitutes 'The Paying Audience' (and thereby represents the very live vein of the club itself!!!) ....and 2) inherently neither KNOW nor CARE any better for our once proud & revered football club!!! But look on the bright side @Rensham .... at the very very LEAST you get to enjoy another 2 years of the most superfluous, super silly and beyond infantile sounding player nicknames known to Mankind! going in or out of these here particular freebee & loannee friendly swing-doors at ITFC, the very lastest of course being the jaw-droppingly awesome sounding "GLEES"! Hmmmm wonder if the so called Birmingham reject will turn out to be an even more "Proper Bloke" than old super gentleman "REGGGG" (now with Burton ...regrettably! lol) or local wunderkind (if nothing else "wunder" about him then "wunder" tatoos! to go with his on real heated occasions "wunder" card-susceptibility) "HYAMSYYYY" :-) :-) ....or last but not least of course the in the archaic eyes of the Dino: Premier League worthy top grinder (Whats-my-Ex)"SKUSEYYYY" or his equally undroppable counterpart no. 4 i.e. 'El Capitano' or as I respectfully has begun labeling him: 'Captain Calamity' as in imho while still capable of a good game now & then, mostly nowadays: pointlessly mega hoofing susceptible, visibly increasingly slow-reacting/slow-footed ...and sad to also say Too often (especially when Mick's 1-dimensional "Plan A" fails to work as intended) appears to me as being strangely 'lead-by-example-less' ON the field (but granted always very passionate & super fist pumping) "CHAAAAMBO" ??? :-) :-) Aye mucho mucho interesting & jolly jurassic times ahead indeed @Rensham, if our very own Tyrannosaurus Rex -- along with his remarkable foul lingo & unrivaled childish nicknaming -- is *allowed* to stay on! LOL

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Kikapu added 22:23 - Jan 20 TimmyH you can quote me whenever you want. Pleased that you did. By-the-way, the quote was, 'was happy for Ipswich to be competitive in the best 2nd tier of football in the world'. It's about time reality struck home with some of you. We won't ever be in the top league financially and if we were ever promoted we'd soon return to our current league in short time (a bit like Bolton). The North Koreans amongst you need to understand that it ain't worth attacking the top teams otherwise you'll loose and bankrupt your selves in trying to do so. Better to be like Switzerland or Sweden and concentrate on being the best you can, happy with your team and proud of your accomplishments. folks

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Rensham added 22:41 - Jan 20 @kikpants does being the best you can include throwing the first round of all cup competitions for the foreseeable future?
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BluedanW added 22:44 - Jan 20 Sad state of affairs when the manager belittles his own fans because they think they might be able to win an away gane at a team that are in the bottom 6 of th league.
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SheptonMalletBlue added 22:57 - Jan 20 You arrogant tw@t, just p!ss off!!!!!
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Edmundo added 23:14 - Jan 20 If you, any of you think MM, IM and ME have anything like the best long term interests of our club at heart then you are in need of serious psychological evaluation.
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Garv added 23:16 - Jan 20 Always taking a point just because it's an away game. A stance I will never accept from the manager of my team. Team win away games and also lose home games, obviously.
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syntaxerror added 00:00 - Jan 21 Damn, Mickszzztactic, as a rant goes, you just won the world cup... You are a very angry man, and its actually really quite amusing. No wonder Mick has a pop at 'fans' like you.
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madmouse1959 added 03:24 - Jan 21 It is bloody depressing trying to be an Ipswich supporter when all you hear is another McCarthy snidey remark . What is wrong with this ppprrrr. It is mostly 90% of the time that it is simply not worth taking a chance travelling to an away match. What has happened to this club when the game is just not entertaining anymore. We sign players and still we have to watch last years players just going through the motions. The sooner we get a new manager & coaching set up the better.

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geminimustang added 05:57 - Jan 21 Does the fact MM played Gleeson & Vickers not show how decimated with injuries the team is?I'm sure a lot of the contributors merely slag off MM to get a lot of "up-arrows".MM did the best he could with what he had.The players didn't gel from the off but that's to be expected.Give it a few games and then criticise if you wish.A lot of people must go through life with a black cloud over their head.ITFC can still reach the play-off but if you don't believe,how can you expect the players to?

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blue75 added 07:15 - Jan 21 I know this league is tough and anyone can beat anyone it's been like that for over 20 years!! But if you sit back and try and defend a 0-0 from kick off you ain't going to win as many as you lose. As for the comments about Gleeson's signing being underwhelming that's only down to the fact it's another one of McCarthy's ex players from wolves they haven't all worked out and we all know how his proper blokes are undroppable regardless of form his words not mine!! Mentioning Sir Bobby and having a dig at the fans knowledge of football is just what he does he likes to ruffle feathers and doesn't care who's!! Kikapu you're right we'll never compete financially with the likes of Man U but we can aim to on the pitch. I remember our first season back in the prem against Arsenal we played them off the park and it took some Bergkamp magic for them to get a draw!! We can get back to playing like that it just takes time and the right manager which McCarthy isn't.

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geminimustang added 07:36 - Jan 21 May i respectfully remind some people,Gleeson was signed on a "free".Be fair to the guy.Methinks,some are expecting too much.
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