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McGreal: Really, Really Poor First Half, the Inconsistency is the Crux of It
Wednesday, 15th Dec 2021 23:24

Interim manager John McGreal admitted that Town’s 2-0 FA Cup replay defeat at Barrow hurt, feeling that his side were once again let down by their inconsistency.

The Blues were two down at the break having been thoroughly bested by League Two’s 19th-placed club. Town were better in the second half but while rarely testing Bluebirds’ keeper Paul Farman.

Asked how the defeat and in particular the first half display felt, former Blues defender McGreal said: “It did hurt because it just shows the level of inconsistency in 90 minutes. Really, really poor first half.

“You can argue it’s quite easy to get on the ball when you’re 2-0 down and they’ve dropped off a little bit, but at least they’ve had a bit of a go in the second half.

“We had to adapt, change the shape just to try and get amongst them. Play from an area, which worked a lot better. I think we’ve caused our own downfall at times playing out from the back and getting caught.

“But guys that needed a game haven’t performed but again the inconsistency from Charlton, even from prior to that, Barrow [at home], Charlton to Wigan to where we are today and how we finished the game. Even within the 90 minutes [you could see] the inconsistency level.

“The only way to get that is to continue working hard and keep the belief and go again. I would not be surprised come Saturday if our guys put on another excellent display like they did against Wigan, just because how they are at the moment.”

McGreal says he feels for the 202 travelling Blues supporters: “Absolutely, I always say that. I always give the fans a mention because they’re diehard fans. Absolutely diehard fans to travel all this way.

“We know how far it is ourselves with travelling today, so for them to do it and now to travel all the way back being in work in the morning and not to have a performance.

“We can push it a little bit for the second-half performance because we gave it a bit of a go but that should be a given really, even in the first half.


“We do feel sorry for them but again come Saturday, there’s going to be close to 30,000 there. With these results at the moment and these inconsistencies, the fans are there to back the lads up.

“They’ve got to get a bit of a break from the players, a Wigan-type performance come Saturday and try and get a win.”

Why does he feel they are so inconsistent? Why was the first-half display so flat? “Honestly, there’s an expectancy from what we’re trying to put on to the guys. Even with [former manager] Paul [Cook] when I’ve watched them train, there’s an expectancy there, it’s just at times, is it a confidence [thing]? Obviously there’s [an element of] confidence, but then sometimes you’ve got to learn and adapt to how the team wants to play and the basics.

“The basics of the second half were ‘We’ve got to have a right go here’ because the first half was a non-event from us.

“And in the second half, we’ve had a bit of a go. And it just proved that if you start the game that way, you can boss the game, which we did in a way in the second half.

“It’s confidence, giving different players game-time, that can all equate to an indifferent performance, especially a poor performance in the first half. But a bit of a better performance in the second half.”

Were there words at half-time? “I’m a proud man, whenever I’m in charge of a team, I want my team to do particularly well, but we can’t sit there and watch that as a caretaker manager.

“Things had to be said, things had to be changed and I’m not scared of changing teams. I’ve done that throughout my career if they’re big names or even lesser names.

“It just happened that we had to go with a different type of energy, we needed to get legs in the team and get the ball in and around their back three, which we did in the second half.”

How were the players at half-time? Angry with their own performance? Frustrated? “Yes, even afterwards as well. I think there’s been so much talk. That’s the thing, there’s too much talk going on in a way.

“You can see that they want to try and do well, even in training. Training’s been good, the guys have been given opportunities in a way, but to now it’s the inconsistency and that’s the crux of it, there’s no getting round that, it’s the inconsistency.

“The players are there, there’s quality in the squad and now it’s just getting back to the drawing board, getting on to the training pitch and working hard again.”

If the defeat is his final game in charge, how has he found the experience of being interim manager? “I’ve enormously enjoyed it. Proud as punch to represent the club.

“I haven’t potentially got the results in the way that the guys were looking for as such, but I don’t think that was the remit, the remit was to give the guys a little bit of time, to come in, try and get the guys in a better place.

“Today’s a little bit of a killer, but again, I take the positive out of the second-half performance, I really do.

“I just think now there’s something to build on because you have to. With the inconsistencies throughout the season, you have to grab any positivity out of it and, coming in tomorrow, will take the positives out of that second half.”

McGreal says he doesn’t know whether he’ll be in charge when Sunderland visit Portman Road on Saturday.

“No, I’ve literally come from the changing room to do the press, to see you guys,” he said. “As I said before, [CEO] Mark [Ashton] and his team have been keeping me well informed at this moment in time. I’m sure they’ll keep me informed over the next day or two.”

How big a job does the new manager face when he comes in? “There’s work to be done, there’s no question of that. Not even looking over the last three or four games, you look right the way through the season. It’s the inconsistency.

“We’ve had false dawns, there have been some good performances, there have been not-so-good performances, so there are plays there and shapes and different personnel to work with.

“There are plenty of bodies to work with. But the new guy will come in and he’ll have his own ideas, he’ll have the January window just around the corner as well, which I think will make a big difference as well.

“There’s a lot to work with. There’s a lot of work to be done, but there’s still a lot to work with.

“And also you’ve got the fans behind you, which is another huge plus. I know for one that the fans will get right behind the new guy as well.”


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phillev231069 added 06:38 - Dec 16
After that first half performance they can all pi55 off, absolutely embarrassing. Sorry for the rant but we are a joke!
1

Drifter3012 added 07:12 - Dec 16
Another night going to bed angry. Fed up of this now. It is pretty clear some of these players are not willing to play for Town. Morsy, Carroll, Nsiala, Jackson, Kane, Penney Pigott made no effort at all.
Sadly I think our new manager is stuck with a bad bunch and I still can't see much more money being made available in January, unless we can off load some of the dross.
We needed a miracle to resurrect this club. I thought that came with Gamechanger but now we need another one.
Sad times.
-1

LimerickTractorBoy added 07:18 - Dec 16
Sorry John, but this is just waffle you are talking (and that's being polite)
Taking positives from a 2nd half where ye held the 19th placed team scoreless, in a game that was lost at half time????
What in the name of all that is holy is going on at Ipswich Town Football Club.
THIS IS GARBAGE. MIKE ASHTON SORT IT OUT!!!! ARE YOU CAPABLE???????
4

inghamspur added 07:18 - Dec 16
Speechless.

What is going on at this once great football club?
2

LimerickTractorBoy added 07:19 - Dec 16
19th in League 2 ffs
2

cat added 07:22 - Dec 16
It looks like P.C has taken the goals and entertainment with him. As T.B stated, you cannot bring in a whole new team and expect instant success, it takes time. We are now a rudderless, clueless ship going from formation to formation with no continuity and are now drifting into oblivion. Big performance required on Saturday otherwise it's going to get very awkward for the staff, 25k+ booing supporters ain't gonna lift the Christmas spirit!
4

Umros added 07:23 - Dec 16
You sir, other than playing two up front (if passenger Jackson can be included) are a contributor.....8 changes AGAIN ...... when will any manager learn. Pathetic pre Madonna's
2

Europablue added 07:24 - Dec 16
I don't know why we didn't make Dyer caretaker manager with McGreal as his assistant. Yes JM is an Ipswich man and more experienced as a manager, but he doesn't know these players very well and it's too much to ask of him to hit the ground running with an underperforming squad of players he barely knows. It sounds like the new man is lined up for Saturday. We better hope that this is the right appointment, but our American owners haven't proven themselves yet.
2

Europablue added 07:31 - Dec 16
I think that performance and this season in general prove that it was right to sack Cook, but also raises questions about the owners and CEO who agreed with the demolition man.
For everyone who just wants to go nuclear and sack everyone and start again with a new team, that hasn't worked twice now, so I for one hope that we don't do that again. What we need is leadership, and that starts with the manager. We may well need to bring in a couple of leaders. Right now we have a very good set of players, but a terrible team.
4

brendenward35 added 07:36 - Dec 16
Ashton should have waited to get new manager in the door before sacking PC we are a ship without a captain. Too many pre-madonnas earning good money not putting in a good shift. Too many changes this season and now paying the price. We need a strong manager to sort this mess out and quickly.
1

planetblue_2011 added 07:41 - Dec 16
Just feel sorry for the 200+ fans who made the long journey!!
Where is the news of the new manager because we all need some good positive news.
Can't believe yet again we are out of 3 cups & a pointless league just to play for, where as the players give up on it weeks ago.
Another season or more in league 1 folks, not a chance on hell to make playoffs with these players
2

bedsitfc added 07:46 - Dec 16
As with the end of last season
We need 3/4 new players to turn the squad into a team not another 19 new players!

Cook was able to give himself a free pass into this season after performing so bad last season with his demolition man rubbish let's hope the club don't make same mistake in January.
3

Barty added 08:01 - Dec 16
The crux is we have a vey few decent footballers in our squad [ not sure if we have any actually ]
1

OliveR16 added 08:06 - Dec 16
Any team well beaten - comprehensively beaten - by the team 19th in League 2 is, by definition, not of sufficient quality to stay in the Football League.
0

itfcserbia added 08:08 - Dec 16
You're not the only one saxonblue as the only person worse than us against Wigan was the ref. Wigan were poor, we were poorer, ref was the poorest. But we are pretty consistent though as majority noticed.
0

Chris_Knights added 08:16 - Dec 16
I haven't potentially got the results in the way that the guys were looking for as such, but I don't think that was the remit, the remit was to give the guys a little bit of time, to come in, try and get the guys in a better place.…… John Mc Greal last night ….the remit wasn't to get results ….. proves what a laughing stock this club is …. As far as I'm aware it's about winning but at Ipswich we have to stroke the players ego first by getting to a better place !!! FFS
3

ashp19 added 08:47 - Dec 16
Thinking of writing a town excuse annual: desire, passion, quality, pitch, wind, journey, covid, trump, brexit, gel, traffic, evans, seagulls, tannoy, paul….

1

brittaniaman added 09:08 - Dec 16
Well John something was clearly wrong when it took us 35 mins.to break in to there Penalty Area.
As for this sideways backward passing in our own half when we could have gone forward is beyond Belief.
Why oh Why do we make fools of ourselves on National TV. is it to try and fool Sunderland ???
1

Unhinged_dynamo added 09:36 - Dec 16
The 11 on the pitch at the end in that formation did OK, I felt Chaplin was missed and when he came on looked OK. Going forward in the short term 352 with the fridge in for burgess and my nan for penny we could be ok. Also how did Jackson stay on the pitch? Woeful
0

DaGremloid added 11:17 - Dec 16
With a new manager due any day wouldn't you expect that team to put in a shift to impress? Especially as many of them are supposedly fringe players. So that performance just leads me to believe that a) they're not good enough, b) they couldn't give a rat's ar$e, or c) both.

It's c that really bothers me going forward.
1

KenHancocksBoot added 11:37 - Dec 16
Let's look on the bright side. Now we're out of all cup competitions we don't need such a large squad and the new manager can offload all the passengers and those who don't really want to be here in the January window. We know we've got some good players, but the secondary "fringe" players who have been played in the cup games are simply not good enough and trying to play two "teams" has destroyed the momentum of the best 11 we could put out for league games
2

KenHancocksBoot added 11:37 - Dec 16
Let's look on the bright side. Now we're out of all cup competitions we don't need such a large squad and the new manager can offload all the passengers and those who don't really want to be here in the January window. We know we've got some good players, but the secondary "fringe" players who have been played in the cup games are simply not good enough and trying to play two "teams" has destroyed the momentum of the best 11 we could put out for league games
0

KenHancocksBoot added 11:38 - Dec 16
Let's look on the bright side. Now we're out of all cup competitions we don't need such a large squad and the new manager can offload all the passengers and those who don't really want to be here in the January window. We know we've got some good players, but the secondary "fringe" players who have been played in the cup games are simply not good enough and trying to play two "teams" has destroyed the momentum of the best 11 we could put out for league games
0

dirtydingusmagee added 11:42 - Dec 16
JM said before match that patience could be the key ! . Well ive lost mine ,sorry.
1

dirtydingusmagee added 11:46 - Dec 16
seen better friendlies, we never had an outfield player break into a jog .A team of labourers on a building site would have run rings around them.
0


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