Boss Mick McCarthy felt the Blues’ 3-3 draw at Notts County was a game of two halves, affected by the inevitable pre-season substitution.

McCarthy said: “Two different halves completely, wasn’t it? First half, I thought we were excellent and probably should have been out of sight with the chances we had.

“Then I made a load of changes. I was conscious of getting other people games. It doesn’t help the continuity. They did as well.

“Tayls’s goal should have sealed it and then they gave a freekick here which was never a freekick, but we should have defended it better.

“It told me a lot about individuals and us as a team. But in the first half we were different class.”

Whether his starting line-up is the side which will begin the game at Reading next week, the Town boss was remaining tightlipped: “If it was do you think I’d tell you?

“I said to them all, I said ‘I’ll be taking most of you off after 45 minutes and in your 45 minutes give me something to think about’. As I said, they were excellent in the first 45 minutes, and they were.”

McCarthy gave Ryan Tunnicliffe his first appearance for Town as a sub in the second half and outlined what sort of player the loanee is “He’s a good footballing, but energetic, powerful midfield player, who can play in the Championship, that’s what he is, with a view to going back and getting into the Man United team. So it’s a great opportunity for him.”

Regarding injuries, left-back Aaron Cresswell would appear to be a doubt for the season opener at the Madejski Stadium having been substituted after nine minutes against the Magpies: “He’s had a bit of a thigh strain [throughout pre-season].

“We didn’t train him yesterday to get him ready for today. He said he was fine and he was. It was such a shame as he was very good in the bit of time he was on.

Midfielder Anthony Wordsworth was brought on at half-time and lasted an even shorter time: “Calf tightened up,” McCarthy explained.

Skipper Carlos Edwards was still absent having been away with Trinidad and Tobago at the Gold Cup in the US but his manager says he will be back with the squad this week: “He should be back in on Monday.”

Photo: Action Images

TractorCam added 18:04 - Jul 27 Shame about some of the goals we conceded today, especially the 2nd one, but it's Pre-season at the end of the day and the team seems perfectly capable of fighting for a top 6 possibly top 2 finish, buzzing!
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jas0999 added 18:11 - Jul 27 As always, a honest assessment from Mick. Wordsworth worries me .... Injured again. Do we need further cover? All in all a decent pre season. Bring on reading!
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TractorBoy666 added 18:26 - Jul 27 As much as I don't want Cresswell to miss the beginning of the season, would this mean that if a club approached him, they couldn't have him because he would fail a medical?? Or I could be completely wrong. However, I feel the team in the first half will be the same 11 as next weekend, but without Cresswell. Buzzing for the new season to start now!!
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Tractorog added 19:04 - Jul 27 I think it's great that we have a competent manager. We have been bad starters for the last few years & I wonder if we are not a Stearman short of a finished article at the back, but this is the best Ipswich squad we've had for many a season.
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ManningtreeBlue99 added 19:14 - Jul 27 Tractorboy666 - the medical consists of fitness checks and general health. I'm sure if a club signed Cresswell they would allow him time to recover.
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TractorBoy666 added 19:19 - Jul 27 Thanks for that ManningtreeBlue99. Sure Mings can do a job for a few games, heard he's been decent when in action.
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Michael11 added 19:20 - Jul 27 Can anyone tell me if Mings looks good enough to be able to replace Cresswell if he's out for the first month of the season? Haven't seen him play yet.
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foster added 21:27 - Jul 27 Looking forward to the start of the season ,I believe mick will still bring in 2 or3 towards the end of the window.however pleased with what he has assembled so far and I think we will win next week.coyb!
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Notts_tractor added 21:42 - Jul 27 Tractorog, I really wanted to sign Stearman, but I thought Hewitt was excellent in the first half, as was everyone else. I'm very excited by Skuse - he looks like the playmaker we've been looking for for years. McGoldrick looked unplayable whilst he was on. I hope he can show the same level of sharpness and ability to work goalscoring opportunities against Championship opposition.

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LisbieAvenue added 22:44 - Jul 27 I was at the game today, first for a while, and didn't have any pre conceptions to any player. The lad in the middle if the park (tall and thin with black hair) I thought was poor. If that was Scuse then I am not sure what match notts tractor was watching. Hyam was a different class to this guy. Also disappointed with the right back as heard good things about him. Poor distribution on more than 1 occasion and his fault for early county chance. Mings looked quite capable but maybe a bit tall for a full back. Encouraging though. Mcgoldrick and Taylor other stand out performers.

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RichOBlue added 04:56 - Jul 28 Fed up with stearman talk, hewitt vesseli and hamond can more than hold there own there. Move on people.
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SanDiego added 16:54 - Jul 28 Since when did full backs have to be short?
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happyblue added 19:14 - Jul 28 looking forward to new season, lets hope we are in the mix at the end
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