Boss Paul Hurst admitted the damage was done when the Blues gifted Middlesbrough their two early goals during the 2-0 home defeat to the Teessiders, Mo Besic and Stewart Downing scoring in the 12th and 16th minutes.

“You’ve all witnessed that, you don’t need to be a football manager or have played to understand that,” Hurst said.

“Everyone can see, there’s no getting away from it and people might not like it but it doesn’t matter what system you’re playing or anything like that, you can’t give goals away and especially against a team like Middlesbrough, who have got quality in the ranks and give up very few goals.”

Hurst felt his team got better after the break: “I actually thought we caused them some problems and realistically should have got on the scoresheet at some point, but obviously a lot of that was in the second period.

“But I felt we did start the game [well], the lads were clearly getting on the ball and wanted it.

“But when a goal goes in it gives them a lift and it dents our confidence and then the second was when it really changed the whole atmosphere in the ground.

“It was a difficult night for everybody, but particularly as a player because you’ve got to show a lot of mental strength and character to keep wanting to get on the ball and not fear making another mistake."

Asked if he can do anything about the individual errors which have plagued winless Town’s season, he said: “To a degree, the only thing you can do is tell the players not to get the ball in certain areas and not take any risks whatsoever.

“To be honest, I don’t think the lead up to the second, it’s not really a risky situation, I don’t know quite what happened in truth.

“But you can basically just not want it and lump it up the pitch. However, I think where we’re at in terms of options at the top end of the pitch, we can’t do that and very few teams can do that against a team like Middlesbrough with the physicality that they’ve got and the height and the dominance that they have in the air.

“So I think you have to try and play against them to have joy, and we showed that at times.

“But the frustration is that you’re going up against a good team and then you give them two goals.

“And that makes a task extremely difficult and it just changes everything. If that had been the second half and there had been a similar-ish performance in the first half and we’d have got beat, it would have been frustrating still, but a lot of people would be a lot happier.

“But that first half, the goals made it extremely difficult but you’ve got to show enough character to get through.”

Has he got the players with that character in the squad? “The second half would suggest we do but we can’t just play for maybe 45 minutes and perhaps 10 minutes of the first half or whatever. It’s got to be a lot more than that.

“Maybe Boro took their foot off the gas, I’m not going to dispute anything like that, but we certainly won more second balls, we competed, we looked like we ran harder in the second half and that’s got to be right from the word go.

“We’re not good enough just to play for 45 minutes, that’s very evident. So, unfortunately all we can do is go to the next one. We can’t replay that game, we can’t get that first half back. Move on to the next game.

He says he’s looking for people to step up when Town travel to Swansea on Saturday: “We’ve got to haven’t we? I’ve watched some of their games.

“They are a team that look like they’ve changed quite drastically in terms of their confidence levels from the game that was on TV quite early in the season at Birmingham to then watching them in the game against QPR.

“They're back to what most of us would associate a Swansea team with in terms of moving the ball and having a lot of possession and making the opposition run around and chase. And that’s something we’re going to have to try and counter come the weekend.”

He added: “We know it’s a very difficult league anyway. I think everyone’s aware of that and have been for the past many seasons.

“But the situation that we find ourselves in, certainly every game’s going to be difficult. If we had a cup game against lower opposition it would still be approached with some trepidation at the minute because that’s the situation we find ourselves in.

“But there’s only ourselves that can get ourselves out of it, we’re not going to get any help. We’ve got to stand up and fight and find every ounce of energy and desire to try and change what we’re currently going through.”

Middlesbrough boss Tony Pulis felt his team put on as good a display as they have all season during the first 30 minutes in which they effectively won the game.

"The first half an hour was as good as we've played all season, we moved the ball quickly," he said.

"It was lovely having Mo back to that tempo that he played for us last year. When he plays that way he makes other people play.

"The big disappointment was that we got sloppy at 2-0. You can't do that, you have got to keep that tempo up.

"It's our third game on the bounce away from home and that's tough. The team has done absolutely fantastic. I'm really pleased but's 11 games. Another five or six and then we can take a view."

Meanwhile, Pulis paid tribute to Blues legend Kevin Beattie, who died last month, aged 64.

“What a great player, an unbelievable player, an absolute colossus of a player," he said.

"He played in what was probably the greatest or one of the greatest eras that Ipswich have ever had and he was just phenomenal. Everything that you’d want from a player he had.

“I spoke to him and was around him a couple of times and he was a fun-loving lad as well.

“I spoke to John Wark before the game and that team was a phenomenal team, unbelievable and that was before the two Dutch lads joined.

“And when the two Dutch lads came it just took another step and another level. That era, cor blimey, I’ll bet the club wish they could get that again.”

Photo: TWTD

midastouch added 11:26 - Oct 3 And Hurst has made a mockery of your much vaunted Five-Point Plan, he's paid virtually no heed to it whatsoever. So that makes you look daft as well Marcus. How about employing somebody next time that actually wants to work to the plan? Surely that would be the sensible thing! And if that doesn't work either then how about selling up and saving us all the prolonged agony!

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ThePinkMist added 11:29 - Oct 3 Hurst has got to go.
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Dog added 11:59 - Oct 3 if anyone actually thinks 13,000 people turned up to last nights match then they are sadly mistaken. The crowd attendance is inflated as it takes into account season tickets (although we have never been told how many were sold). At best there were 10,500 inside the stadium. the crowd were lifeless, the Ipswich town players were lifeless, Mr Hurst was lifeless. More life in a morgue!!!!.

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bobble added 12:05 - Oct 3 what a farce....wheres burley ?
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Edmundo added 12:31 - Oct 3 Don't attack the monkey (PH) it's the organ grinder (ME) who is to blame for the agonisingly slow demise of our club.
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cranky_old_tractor added 14:01 - Oct 3 Sorry Hurst wanted it to work for you but were not happy and its now time to go (in my opinion). Wish ME would sell too. I know he saved the club but hopefully there is another purchaser with better vision for our great club (and bags of money too).
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oldegold added 14:12 - Oct 3 I always stated that sending our promising youngsters out and bringing in half-baked loanees was an awful move. History shows that in stacking up on loanees breaks the fibre of the club.Our youngsters would be up for the challenge. Tactics are woeful and my first choice was George Burley and remains so. We need action now and not when it is too late.
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inghamspur added 14:39 - Oct 3 Looking like a lost cause already. Need something to change for the better over the next 5 games or we'll surely be too far behind. Half an hour on the clock before we had our first shot at goal!! Big job for a new manager if that transpires if he's only got the current squad to work with.
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SpiritOfJohn added 15:33 - Oct 3 Sadly PH has squandered all of the goodwill that was in abundance at the start of the season, and the piddly transfer budget bestowed on him by our multi-millionaire in residence. Just because MM was able to strike it lucky a few times out of a hundred by digging up gems in the lower leagues it does not necessarily follow that Hurst can repeat the feat every time by shopping in the bargain basement. Someone has been asleep at his post while Hurst shipped out our own players on loan and brought in inferior replacements, with the exception of Pennington. Step forward, Mr Milne, what do you do? I said in the summer that we should have brought in Burley instead of Milne with Mowbray as manager. We won't get Mowbray now but maybe GB will step in with Klug and Nash for their love of the club, because the ship is sinking fast.

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BlueandTruesince82 added 16:41 - Oct 3 No s### You can however give away 2 goals against a team like Ipswich
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dirtydingusmagee added 16:52 - Oct 3 Evans has shown once again that he is naive /clueless/ disinterested, how he came to see anything in Hurst through an interview is mindboggling , and on top of that he has overseen the departures and signings ,if alarm bells didnt ring then what hope is there.
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peteswindon added 17:08 - Oct 3 Is this fool not been sacked yet ?
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SuperBlue67 added 17:10 - Oct 3 Come on Marcus offer George Burley Director of Football to help and guide Paul. I really think that would turn our fortunes and if it does not work you have your next manager in place
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bluearmy84 added 17:11 - Oct 3 i bet many fans wouldnt want tony pulis as a manager because they believe he has a certain style of play that is boring, well let me tell you boro didnt look boring one bit and we were about as effective as a chocolate ashtray. id take tony pulis in a heartbeat!! and all the fans that treated mick like a bit of dirt should be ashamed! i hope he is smiling to himself to be honest and im ipswich through and through! how do fans think were gonna pass sides of the pitch in the championship with league 1 players??? every person outside of ipswich knew that getting rid of mcarthy was the worst thing that we could do mark my words well be in league 1 next season

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Gcon added 17:35 - Oct 3 'MM had to go' they all say now. Based on what? - The fact you hounded him out? No he didn't! He overachieved on a shoestring budget. ME has to move on or this club is well and truly screwed.
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Swn98 added 17:50 - Oct 3 Yes Timmy there's loads of managers out there not many can do it with the resources ME is willing to offer over and above bailing out the clubs current account deficit each year. Apart from last year where we were decimated by injuries MM kept us competitive. DoseOfReality the abuse at carrow road what about the fans continually chanting foul and abusive language towards him especially at Brentford even when it was all over. The sages on here stated when mm goes we will return there's more people missing this season than ever. Wheres the attractive football we were promised wheres the youngsters we were promised. Keep on twittering away till we are in league 1 never to return.

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peteswindon added 18:06 - Oct 3 Steve Bruce sacked by vila when they are 12th we are sat bottom of the table and what will PH get probably knowing ME a contract extension.
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blueboy1981 added 18:13 - Oct 3 How can Hurst still start games, and continue with the theory that one up front is correct ? Plainly obvious to anyone that you have to score goals to win matches - he seems to be the only human being that doesn't see it that way (although his predecessor had similar traits, let's not forget). This guy is so far out of his depth at our Club, it is an embarrassment to him personally, it just has to be. Dream on McCarthy clones - no brainer whatever happens - THAT WAS THE RIGHT DECISION, appointing Hurst was THE WRONG ONE. Swn98 - don't keep harping on, and dreaming about McCarthy - he may eventually get another job and you'll be able to take your allegiance with him, and worship your master again.

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juniorblue added 18:15 - Oct 3 Just watched the highlights on Sky. How is Chambers still Captain and in the team? So, so disappointing to give goals away like we are doing. Add in to the mix the fact that we rarely look like scoring, and we have a recipe for League 1 football. I am finding PH uninspiring and frankly irritating now. Please, sort this out or throw your hands up and admit that your team selection and tactics are not working. I would be embarrassed at Press Conferences if I was PH. And, the majority of hard working fans would have been sacked from their jobs by now. I could go on, but just can't be bothered. A big shout out to the dedicated fans that are still attending the matches. You are the best thing that the club has.

1

cat added 18:20 - Oct 3 Gcon - anyone with a brain say bigger than the size of a pea can see that the fundamental problems at ITFC is down to none other than Marcus. I take heart from the fact that we are financially sound and the debt is being managed, besides, who on here knows exactly what goes on in the boardroom and with the finances? Big fat answer to that is no one. Regarding MM, who's to say we would be any better off with him here, or Waghorn etc would have stayed, it's all pure speculation with nothing to back it up. Bottom line though is we are in the sh!te and we are all in it together.

2

Talbs77 added 19:23 - Oct 3 I don't know what the answer is. We have a sub standard squad low on confidence and can't sign anyone unless there 15 and released or 40 and in the knackers yard! Left ground last utterly in despair. When will we ever feel positive about the club again? Can't remember when I last did. I just don't know. We can all blame Hurst/ME but it won't help anyone.
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pazzy added 19:36 - Oct 3 just get rid time is running out fast if it has not run out already GET BURLEY IN NOW
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pup12 added 19:39 - Oct 3 Awful first half !!!I feel for chambers spittle played out of position for mm at right back now left cb for Hurst!Don't all summer trying to sign Tilt who is left footed and never got him in!Not since Berra went have we addressed that issue ,y??it's obvouise to us all.I like Edwards but his final ball needs working on.Midfield lacks bite and a phyical presence.No creativity either ,until Dozzel came on.Sears showed his experience but thought Jackson should have stayed on too.No doubt tho worrying times W

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Swn98 added 19:44 - Oct 3 bluebore what's the alternative your very good at knocking people inside and outside the club,you and your ilk got the change you so desperately wanted where's the improvement?
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BrandonsBlues added 22:29 - Oct 3 Okay Mr Hurst. Lets take a small and quick review. 1 up front is not working. Lets move onto 2 up front from now on. Agreed? The players you brought in are not good enough. Lets drop some and bring in some of the old players and U23's. The formation you choose is not working, is it the players or the formation. Try different players in the same formation, but not yours new ones. Try a different formation, say two up front. Look I am going round in circles and so are you. What you are doing is not working, it is not working because the players are not good enough and the formation is wrong. If you continue to persist with this and your players then you and us fans will see no improvement because we have not seen anything yet, so it wont change going forward. will it.

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