Caretaker-manager Ian McParland paid tribute to his players for bouncing back from Sunday’s 7-0 thrashing at Chelsea to defeat Arsenal 1-0 at Portman Road in the first leg of the Carling Cup semi-final. McParland expects to hear officially that he’s leaving the club on Thursday with new manager Paul Jewell set to formally take over.

McParland said his players did everything he asked of them: “They sweated blood, they were fantastic. It showed a lot of character for them to bounce back after Saturday’s game.

“I knew when I spoke to them yesterday morning that they’d be fine. They came in after we’d done little bits on the training ground and I knew by looking at them that there would be a performance going in tonight.”

The Scot used veteran midfielder Mark Kennedy in midfield holding role he hadn’t previously occupied for the Blues, but says it was a position the 34-year-old had played before elsewhere in his long career: “I asked Sparky if he could play in there and he said he used to play in there sometimes at Wolves for Glenn Hoddle. He’s a clever footballer and that three in the middle were fantastic.

“The whole XI were fantastic but that three in there, Healy, Norris and Kennedy, they kept Arsenal from penetrating. Carlos wide and Connor Wickham worked hard down the line.

“They did a great job, a fantastic job. I said at half-time, ‘Stay in the game and keep it 0-0’. We needed to stay in the game and keep it 0-0 for as long as we could as I thought we’d make a goal.

“I thought we were always dangerous at corners and long throws. I’m absolutely delighted for the players, really proud of them.”

McParland says he’s not too upset to be leaving Portman Road, having seen it all before in football: “I’ll just dust myself down and get on with it. I’ve been in the game a long time and I’ve suffered a lot of disappointments and there have been a lot of good things.”

The 49-year-old is yet to hear officially whether he will be kept on but expects to be told he is leaving when he meets with new manager Paul Jewell when he takes charge on Thursday morning. Jewell’s regular assistant Chris Hutchings and West Ham coach Wally Downes have been linked with roles on the former Bradford, Sheffield Wednesday, Wigan and Derby manager’s backroom staff.

Jewell stayed away from the dressing room before, during and after tonight’s match and will meet his squad for the first time in the morning.

McParland says he expects the new boss to be a success with Town: “I know Paul Jewell well, he’s a good lad, an honest lad and he’ll do well here.”

Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger felt his side had a lot of possession but didn’t do enough with it: “I’m disappointed and the players are as well. We had a lot of the ball but didn’t make a lot of it and Ipswich defended with heart and intelligence, and gave us problems on the counter-attack.

“They showed that you can have 70% of the ball and lose games. You have to give a lot of credit to Ipswich, they defended well. We were not sharp, were not creative and looked vulnerable defensively.”

The Frenchman dismissed suggestions that his team was complacent: “No, I don’t think so, I feel we had an off night. You could see from the start that every single pass was a problem. We rely on a lot of sharp and crisp passing, and that was always a problem for us tonight.

“Ipswich won, you have to congratulate them. They fought for their win, you can say that,” he said.

Wenger refused to blame his defenders for the loss, believing his entire side were under-par: “As a team we didn’t have the performance we were looking for tonight and were below our usual level in every department. It would be unfair to put the blame only on the defenders tonight, as we weren’t at our best in any department.

“When you play in one half, the long ball has 50 yards in which to be dangerous. That’s normal. But I felt we had more and more problems as the game went on.

“We looked more in control in the first half but in the second we looked much more vulnerable defensively in the second and I put that down to fatigue.”

Despite the defeat, the Gunners’ boss still expects his side to reach the final: “I believe that we’ll turn it around in the second leg, but we got a good warning tonight that we’ll have to produce a different performance.”

Photo: Action Images

GreenwichBlue added 11:54 - Jan 13 100 - Fantastic work rate guys. Let's do it all again at the weekend. Then again, then again, and again. Esp well done Kennedy.
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GreenwichBlue added 11:54 - Jan 13 Argh, so close to 100.
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bigolconnor added 11:55 - Jan 13 Best Portman road reaction to a goal since Kieron Dyer's looping header into the far corner. My best mates mum and little brother were crying into each others arms that night. Last night they seemed more together.
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bluelady added 11:58 - Jan 13 did anyone see the scrap about fifteen minutes into the game in the away supporters bit? few arrests and St johns brought in, know if anyone been charged? what a crazy thing to do, still least they missed the game!
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brian_a_mul added 12:01 - Jan 13 Its also worth noting that O'Dea was the only loan player in the squad. It shows that we dont need too many loan players in first team. If we cant sign first team players permanently than I would prefer to see loan players as back up to permanent guys who are contracted to the club.
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bluelady added 12:03 - Jan 13 anyone seen the EADT Charlie hugging Tamas after the game? Imagine Keano doing that? Imagine Charlie daring to do it in front of Keano? McParland you are a legend even if you do leave after today!!
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Steve_ITFC_Sweden added 12:11 - Jan 13 Ian McParland deserves our thanks for really getting the boys in blue up for this match. Great professionalism - it would have been so easy to say "**** it, why bother?" Sat in a pub full of Arse fans, and all I spoke to agreed we deserved it. The team deserve full praise too. We might not have had the most skilful players on the pitch, but we wanted it more. Special mention for J. Peters, but everyone to a man was great. COYB.

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hadleighbluearmy added 12:18 - Jan 13 Fantastic performance from the players and supporters last night....Great result! Now then: we are not going down or up this season - probably finish about 10th. So, Tuesday 25th Jan is our biggest game...the 9,000 strong support need to do their bit: everyone wear something blue, take scarves, flags, balloons and ticker tape. Make as much noise as we can for 90 mins and help our troops get to Wembley!!!!! COYB COYB COYB............

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BlueMoolay added 12:25 - Jan 13 Awesome performance lads. All played your hearts out. Charlie...you the man.!! Excellent atmosphere from the fans, lets keep it up. Jamie Peters....WOW.!! I can't stop smiling..!! C'mooooooon..!!
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AJblue added 12:31 - Jan 13 Fantastic result. So thrilled i cant even begin to say how much. Couldn't go last night (bummer), but sat and watched it on telly with the wife , who is......an Arsenal fan...WOO HOO!!!!!!!!! Agree with all thats been said before hand, but had to wish Charlie all the best, if as suspected, this is his last game in charge.
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abidallah added 12:53 - Jan 13 The 1-0 was a staggering 30/1 (counting the cash now). Cheers fellas for a phenomenal performance. Big performance from O'Dea too, keeping Walcott quiet (and taking one for the team when he got away). Note how well the Irish players played as a unit for a non-Irish manager (bit like the ROI team).
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JewellintheTown added 13:43 - Jan 13 Sorry, I seem to have gone onto the wrong website. Could anyone tell me where the Ipswich forums are please as this one is far too positive and upbeat to be the site I normally frequent? COYB.
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Ipswich4ever added 13:55 - Jan 13 I am so proud of each any everyone of them. Would like to see the extra 10,000 that showed last night, attend regular league games too though? But it made a great atmosphere!
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tractorboyupnorth added 14:11 - Jan 13 What a result, what a game! So pleased for the team, its just goes to show what they're capable of and on the day any opposing team can be defeated. Quality shone through the team not a man let himself down. It was certainly the icing on what I feel has been a turbulent week, with Keane's sacking, new manager announced and then the 7-0 drubbing at Chelsea and I have to admit feeling rather emotional when the cameras turned on Charlie announcing it as final game for Town. If indeed its is? Then you have done yourself proud and the club and thank you for your dedication and professionalism!

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camblue added 14:35 - Jan 13 Bluelady, I agree, but his hand would have been forced by Scotlands injury.
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bluelady added 14:39 - Jan 13 wasnt disagreeing with you cam, just saying knowing Keane he would have either played an unfit Scotland or maybe played Prisken but on the wing?
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Upbeat~ added 14:40 - Jan 13 Great, no, terrific, no, outstanding, no, the best ever game in the history of football, YES!!! You've done us all so proud - I've been grinning from ear to ear since last night. Charlie you'll go down in folklore for this: after coming back from Chelsea and playing like we did, words cannot do the performance justice. Almost every players gets a 10/10 from me - apart from Healy, who gets an 11/10 for taking so much undeserved stick recently and coming back with a performance like that. Truly special. It must have felt great to be on that pitch last night; the way everyone pulled together as a team, ran into space for passes, looked out for each other and generally played their hearts out. I hope we set this as a benchmark for the level of committment over the next coming months.

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scooterblue added 15:38 - Jan 13 Cheers Charlie McP. If that's your last contribution to Town you can go with my heartfelt thank's for the best night since the 2000/01 season.
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poringlandblue added 16:10 - Jan 13 better than s-x!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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Ipswich24 added 16:35 - Jan 13 Fantastic cheers Charlie if you can motivate players that much please stay!!!!
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originaltractorboy added 16:49 - Jan 13 11 players all out on the pitch, playing for one another, attacking for one another, defending for one another, supporting one another. One of the most beautiful sights in football, and I'm glad that in my 16 years on this planet, our Ipswich Town are the only team I've seen accomplish that. Beautiful :') On another note, I will be sad to see Charlie go should Jewell decide to let him. He did us proud tonight, and got his tactics spot on. Plus, just look at his little face! Please let him stay PJ!

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ElvisMariner added 17:47 - Jan 13 I must admit to going BESERK when Priskin scored - apologies to anyone in the Sir Bobby Robson Lower who I jumped on......
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bluearmy4life added 21:12 - Jan 13 Last night will be a game to remember! So proud to be a blue! Everyone was a hero and you can't rule us out from doing it again. 90 Minutes from wembley what a difference a few days make. COYB IPSWICH TILL I DIE.
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Garv added 22:17 - Jan 13 The Emirates leg is going to be a night to remember mark my words!
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