Skipper Sam Morsy says Town have to learn to be more ruthless in order to see games out, the Blues having surrendered a one-goal lead during yesterday’s 1-1 draw at Shrewsbury following Cameron Burgess’s 75th-minute red card.

Town took the lead through James Norwood in the sixth minute and controlled the game thereafter, albeit without adding to their lead, before Burgess’s dismissal for a second bookable offence having lunged at home keeper Marko Marosi.

Sub Shaun Whalley lashed home the leveller on 84 to claim the draw, the fourth in Town’s last five matches on the road.

“Disappointing, needs to be better, the level’s not quite where it needs to be at the minute,” Morsy said.

“Showed great glimpses, we scored a great a goal, controlled the game in most parts but we need to be more ruthless, we need to get the second goal and we need to see games out.

“It’s a long way from where we need to be but that certainly won’t be for a lack or work, we’re working really hard.

“We know where we have to improve and it’s going to be a journey to try and get there and it’s going to be a daily task to work this season, in the summer, pre-season, next season to get to where we want to be because we do need more.”

Despite feeling Town weren’t at the level they need to be, the 30-year-old said he and his team-mates were comfortable for most of the match.

“Really comfortable,” he said. “It’s just that killer instinct to get the next goal and it is hard the way teams set up against us so deep, but you can’t be a football snob, teams have to do what they think best.

“They probably would have been happy at 1-0, strange as it sounds, but when you go down to 10 men, it’s a real leveller.

“The goal’s a worldie but we don’t want to be that team or that club that makes excuses because once you go down that route you go down a rabbit hole. We have to be fully accountable, we have to be better, we have to work harder and we need more.”"

Regarding Burgess’s dismissal for his second booking, he added: “I don’t think he touches the keeper, to be honest. But in football today any impression of aggression it’s a yellow card.”

The Blues being reduced to 10 men gave the home side a sniff that they could get something from the match.

“Of course, you’ve got nothing to lose when the team gets reduced to 10 men, there’s absolutely nothing to lose you just go for it, don’t you?” The Egyptian international continued.

“To be fair, even then I don’t think they created a chance, the lad scored a worldie, to be fair, it’s an unbelievable goal but still we can be better in the first phase and the second phase, so we’re not looking anywhere.”

He added: “I don’t think they had a shot on goal, but that’s the reputation we’ve built up. When people play Ipswich, they play two banks of four, they let us have possession, they let us do what we want with it and it’s up to us to be aggressive and ruthless to get the second goal, the third goal and that is a challenge and that is hard.

“It’s harder to do but it’s very rewarding and they’re the questions we have to find the answers for.”

Morsy has won promotion at previous clubs Wigan and Chesterfield, who would have faced having to answer those questions.

“I think at Wigan we got 99 points, something like that,” he recalled. “It starts with a good pre-season, a good start, momentum, confidence, when you’re winning every week, you’re up there, things just seem to drop for you, it’s just the way it goes in football, momentum is a very powerful thing, whether it’s with you or not with you.

“I think that’s only one loss in 13 now, so we’re not doing bad but for where we want to go, for the levels we want to strive for, for what the fans can see, we’ve got a lot of work to do.”

Town have four matches left this season and despite the play-offs now being out of reach barring miracles, Morsy believes the remaining fixtures are important.

“We’ve got really big games coming up,” he insisted. “We want to end the season well, we want to end the season with wins.

“The fans travel in their numbers, give incredible support, they deserve a little bit more than we’re giving them.

“We have been doing well but we want to give them more because we’re laying the platform for next season and when you’re at a club like this, moving in a direction, the management team have to be ruthless, so you’re always playing for your future, always.

“We have to be better, we have to be better. There’s so many encouraging signs, we’re so close but still so far away.”

Photos: TWTD/PagePix

dirtydingusmagee added 11:12 - Apr 10 yes
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Terrystowel added 11:45 - Apr 10 Yada, yada...
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AlanG296 added 11:59 - Apr 10 "more" ruthless? We're not ruthless at all.
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Wickets added 12:44 - Apr 10 Love Morsy but TBH we have had a variety of players coming out and saying this all season . Lots of fans , me for one, kinda knew at Half Time this was going to end 1-1 as it just keeps happening .
10

ringwoodblue added 12:44 - Apr 10 Sorry but I hear ‘we need to be…' from different representatives of the club every week. Next season, things will have to be.
9

johnwarksshorts added 12:48 - Apr 10 Need more Morsy type players in the team, real battlers and influential team leaders. We are short of just 2 or 3 to make a real difference and give us that cutting edge and extra quality.
7

raycrawfordswig added 13:39 - Apr 10 No one is safe as the owners have already proven with the Cookie Monster .They are investing big money in this project and will expect to see a better results.
7

jas0999 added 14:09 - Apr 10 We need to put it right for next season. Reality is we need to score more than just one goal per game.
10

Suffolkboy added 14:38 - Apr 10 All season the fault lines ,as such, have been evident – and remain so ! We do not score enough goals ,we are nigh on wastrels from corners, we do not make the best advantage of free kicks AND too many players appear to ‘ lose their heads ‘ in critical circumstances . When cold calm judgment ,and good technical execution are key ,as with other teams and sports, our shortcomings show up ! It's certain KM and Co have reached conclusions all around the squad and of IN HOUSE potential , and soon we shall see indications of the changes and strengthening to bring in character ,backbone and probably experienced physicality to produce greater resilience throughout . It's still exciting times to be an Ipswich supporter ; so continue to accentuate the positive ,eliminate the negative ( and don't mess with Mr in- between ) ! COYB

3

RegencyBlue added 15:41 - Apr 10 McKenna is working with Cooks squad apart from two on loan players. He's had half a season to work out who he needs to keep and where we need to strengthen. To be fair it's pretty obvious what our weaknesses are and I'm confident they will be addressed. It's going to be an interesting summer!
15

ronnyd added 16:29 - Apr 10 As Morsy gets booked virtually every week, i'd say he was quite ruthless already.
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BrandonsBlues added 20:54 - Apr 10 So the McK way of playing is simple. Try to score in the first half, then make the opposition have to play to get a draw. If one up at half time, take the foot off the gas 2nd half. It is a repeat of so many performances this season under his leadership. If we dont score in the first half such as Cambs, the plan fails. Unfortunately the spiel from both the players and manager about ruthlessness and scoring more goals wont happen because the mind set and ability is not there. You can see on Saturday that a few of the players have let the season and the lack of promotion get to them and they have dropped their game and unfortunately more poorer performances will follow till the end of the season.

3

Barty added 08:02 - Apr 11 I am sure that KM can do it but there is still a lot of work to do to make us a team good enough to get out of this league next season.
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Edmundo added 08:27 - Apr 11 Football is a simple game that can easily be made complicated. Set pieces, shots from distance. Where are they? We have turned into a poor version of Arsenal circa 2010s.
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KiwiBlue2 added 09:22 - Apr 11 For me Morsy personifies the spirit and attitude needed to get promoted. We just have to be a bit smarter in terms of individual's control of their aggression, maintain tempo and find ways through opposition defences. Close season business needs to include a quality left/wing back, a box to box combative midfielder to supplement Morsy and Evans and a couple of strikers. If we can get the right players in, have a good pre-season, then we should be in the top six from the get go.... coyb

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Lightningboy added 12:16 - Apr 11 No sh1t Sherlock. Another season wasted.
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SoCalTownFan added 03:45 - Apr 12 Bit late now buddy.
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runningout added 12:06 - Apr 12 and when we start being ruthless, let's not make something of of it. But do it again. Again again and again. Like Manager said well. When we are brilliant let's not love ourselves!!
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