Town full-back Ashley Young has dismissed suggestions that seven changes to the Blues’ starting XI was a step too far after the 3-0 defeat to Charlton Athletic at Portman Road.

The Addicks struck three goals, aided by some lacklustre Town defending, early in the second half to condemn Kieran McKenna’s side to their first home defeat of the season.


Despite having 67 per cent possession, 30 shots and 16 corners, the Blues were undone by a lack of cutting edge and defensive errors that leave them 13th in the Championship table.

“When you’ve got a squad like ours, whether you make 11 changes, we know that we’ve got boys that are going out on that pitch that are going to give the same as the rest of the boys in the squad,” Young stressed.

“It’s a squad game, you can’t use the same 11 players throughout the whole season, it’s just not possible. Of course things are going to be talked about with the changes, but we’ve got players who will step up to the plate and will play well.

“It’s competition for places, I see that competition day in, day out on the training pitch so I’ve got faith in every person in the squad.”

Sonny Carey opened the scoring when Dara O’Shea struggled to deal with a long ball forward on 52 minutes before Macaulay Gillesphey doubled Charlton’s advantage just three minutes later.

Less than 10 more minutes had passed by the time that the visitors rounded off the scoring through substitute Miles Leaburn, who had only been on the pitch a matter of minutes when he headed the Addicks into an unassailable lead after Kasey McAteer had had a goal ruled out for the Blues.

“It’s a collective, obviously we’re a team,” Young reflected. “When things don’t go right, it’s a team game.

“We’re all in it together, there’s 11 people out on the pitch that when we concede we all concede together, and when we score we all score together.

“It’s disappointing, we’ll obviously look at them and watch them back and see what caused them. We need to recover after today and get ourselves prepared for Saturday.

“When you see us after the first half, it could be a totally different game if one of them [chances] goes in in the first half but it’s not to be.

“We know what it’s going to be like this season, teams are going to try and nullify us and play five at the back and at times drop all 11 behind the ball. It’s down to us to break them down.

“Of course the fans are frustrated, but there’s a frustrated dressing room there as well. Everybody knows that we could do more. It could be a totally different game if one of them goes in.

“I know we’re going to have the right reaction come Saturday and be able to go out there and put on a performance where I know we can get three points.

“I even think that after tonight, we went 2-0 down and still had chances, we went 3-0 down and still had chances. Until that final whistle goes, if we’re creating chances, I know we’ve got boys throughout the squad that are going to take those chances and score the goals.

“If we’d got the one that was ruled out and it goes to 2-1 and we get ourselves back into the game, but it wasn’t to be. Tonight’s obviously a disappointment, but we’ve got games coming up thick and fast so we’ve got to recover well and be ready for Saturday.”

Asked how tough the result was to take, Young said: “Especially after the first half and the way that we played and controlled the game, of course it’s disappointing to come off like that.

“The way that, when the first goal goes in, I think we need a better reset to not concede any more goals in the manner that we did. Of course it’s disappointing tonight.

“I don’t think it’s surprising. At times it’s happened and we need to find a way of eradicating that. I know the squad here is a fantastic squad that can definitely do that. We just need to find that now.

“It’s one of them where we go a goal down and we want to quickly get the goal back because we know we’re good enough to do that. That’s the time when teams have punished us, and that was the same again tonight.

“It’s mistakes but we’re in it as a team. Everyone’s together and I have no doubt that we’ll dust ourselves down after tonight and go again on Saturday.”

The Blues had previously not lost on home soil but have notably struggled on the road, with all three victories so far this season having come at Portman Road.

Following on from Friday’s defeat at Middlesbrough, Young insisted that the feeling of hurt at losing matches is the same regardless of which venue the results come at.

The 40-year-old said: “There’s disappointment at tonight and disappointment on Friday as well. Whether we’re at home or away, we know what we can give and we know what performance we can put out here.

“The first-half performance, if one of them goes in, I do think it’s a totally different game. Even when we went 2-0 down and we got the goal that was disallowed, I think it’s a totally different game. We were still creating chances even though we were 3-0 down.

“We’ve got to concentrate on what it is we’re doing, keep doing what we’re doing, take the positives out of tonight, we know it’s disappointing. It’s a big game on Saturday.”

Asked on the reaction of manager McKenna, Young said: “He’s been fantastic, he has been all the time. He said about when we go a goal down, it’s just that thing of wanting to go and get ourselves back into the game straight away, especially when we’ve had 30 shots in the game.

“We knew in the first half if one weren’t to go in then just to be patient. They’ve scored the goal and then it’s disappointing to lose another two goals. Of course it’s a disappointing night, we’ve got to recover well and be ready for Saturday.

“You look at the size of the squad and you look at the competition in the squad. That’s why we’re able to make the changes tonight that the manager did. Every man there is competition for places and I'm confident in the squad, definitely.”

Christian Walton stepped in after just 24 minutes following a calf injury to Alex Palmer in the Town goal, and Young says the group have their full trust in Walton, who appears set to continue to deputise with the gloves.

“We’ve got confidence in all the goalkeepers,” the former England international said. “We see them day in, day out in training and they’re hard to beat at times. We have faith in every single goalkeeper. If it’s Walts that’s going to come in then we have every faith in him that he’s going to do well.”

Town have little time to dwell on the disappointment, with West Bromwich Albion the next visitors to Portman Road on Saturday lunchtime.

Young added: “There’s pressure every game. When the club comes out of the Premier League, there’s always going to be pressure surrounding the club.

“I think we’re the team that everybody wants to beat, we’re one of the teams that have come out of the Premier League. You see the way that Charlton were celebrating after the game like they’d won their cup final, which I think for many teams it’s what it’s going to be like.

“It’s down to us to concentrate on what it is we want to do and how we win the games. We know that teams are going to put a lot of men behind the ball, it’s down to us to break them down and get the wins.

“I’ve never seen a table won after 10 games. We’ve got so many games left to play and that’s what we’re going to be focusing on and concentrating on and the next one for us is West Brom this Saturday.

“We’re not looking that far ahead as to looking at the table. If you ask me the same question in May, then I’ll give you an answer.”

Photo: Kallum Brisset