Midfielder Jonny Williams felt the Blues' performance during Saturday's 2-0 home defeat to his former loan club Nottingham Forest never recovered from conceding Britt Assombalonga’s opening goal after only 17 seconds, the Championship's fastest strike this season.

Assombalonga netted the second in first-half injury time with the Blues never looking likely to get back into the game as the visitors defended determinedly in depth after the break.

“The poor start set us up for a poor performance all evening,” Williams admitted. “We tried to get a goal back second half and really went for it, even though it left us open to the counter-attack.

“We were at home so we needed to go on the attack and get goals, especially being two down, but we were just not clinical enough."

He added: “The way we conceded was a shame as we know we are better than that. Our defending was poor, we missed Webbo [Adam Webster].”

“A mistake so early, which was easily avoided on another day, and then to concede just before half-time made it a different game."

The 23-year-old was frustrated that the Blues were unable to repeat the performance which saw them win 2-1 at Sheffield Wednesday before the two-week hiatus.

“It was such a shame after such a high energy and good result at Hillsborough before the international break. The break didn’t come at a good time as we were on such a high,” he said.

“It’s hard to take because we were buzzing going into the break and the training was spot-on but it went wrong.

“I’m not sure why it keeps going wrong. The margin between winning and losing in the league is so slim and our performances are not too far away, but it was two errors which have cost us the game.

“You will get punished in this division if you make mistakes, especially at the back so we need to make ourselves safer and tighten up at the back.”

Despite Saturday’s defeat seeing Town drop to 17th, five points from the relegation zone, the Wales international believes the Blues should still be targeting the play-off places, which are now six points away.

“We need to focus on looking up the division rather than down,” he added. “Ipswich is a big club and we need to focus on the top six. Starting with QPR on Saturday.”

Williams was making his fifth appearance from the bench having recovered from the ankle injury he suffered in pre-season while with parent club Crystal Palace and he says he is up to starting if manager Mick McCarthy picks him.

“I’m feeling good and getting my minutes in,” he continued. “I’m ready to start when the gaffer wants me to.”

Forest midfielder Ben Osborn, who created Assombalonga’s very early opening goal, thought it was a good all-round performance from his side: “We were well-organised, solid at the back and excellent at defending crosses.

“We started bright as we always do, they made mistakes, the ball fell to me and heard Britt call and played it and of course he scored, as he always does.

“It was massive to score [the second goal] just before the break because they were coming into it a bit.

“Second half we went for a third and had a couple of breakaways, although it all got a bit stretched so we sat back in the end.”

Meanwhile, Town’s U23s are in action against Crystal Palace this afternoon at Playford Road (KO 1pm).

Photo: TWTD

BrettenhamBlue added 11:19 - Nov 21 And what an earth has happened to Bishop? He looks awful at the moment, what is going on in training?
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MooseJuice added 11:39 - Nov 21 I happen to agree with Midas on this one. There was a obvious lack of bodies in the box when attacking on Saturday and that was primarily due to McG trying to do too much. Fair play to him trying to make things happen, but if you're going to drop 20 yards to collect the ball and play a defense splitting ball... who are you going to play them to??? Similarly he picked up the ball, dribbled out wide and then put a cross in... funnily enough there was no one on the end of it because that guy was putting the ball in there! Williams, Lawrence, Bishop, these are the guys who should be creating stuff. McG stay up front and use that technical ability in the box! No wonder we ain't scoring goals. And somebody needs to tell Knudsen that pumping a 40 yard ball up into the channel for Daryl Murphy every time someone gives it to him stopped being a (poor but) viable tactic two months ago.

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BillBlue added 13:48 - Nov 21 I only watched the first 36 minutes of it but I was shocked to note that for the whole of that time EVERY Town player was nervous, each and every one of them a nervous wreck. Now somebody or something has got them like that because it is not normal behaviour. Looks to me as though a completely new start is needed for all of them.
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1psw1ch added 14:39 - Nov 21 It's horrible been an Ipswich fan at the moment well has been for a long time ,,,were are we going as a club ,,,,this moment in time I don't give a rats ass if we get relegated might not be a bad thing,,,I love this club but we are dyeing a slow death
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dirtydingusmagee added 15:35 - Nov 21 Conceeding early in two games against lowly teams in a matter of weeks,shows lessons are not being learned, We got caught out again and from then on it was like watching headless chickens flapping about, McCarthy included ..Playoffs ! with our goal rate alone thats a joke .
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TimmyH added 16:16 - Nov 21 'Poor start led to poor performance' - also must show how mentally poor we must be as a team, 89+ minutes to get back into game against a poor lacking in confidence side who concede in EVERY game until Saturday...please no more excuses!
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MicksZzzTactics added 17:20 - Nov 21 Exactly @PJewellisaGoat: WHAT IS GOING ON IN TRAINING ... and putting it in perspective thus making it much more frightening uhu: WHAT HAS BEEN GOING ON IN TRAINING FOR OVER 4 LOOONG YEARS NOW??? Hmmmm since it's ever so trendy to be incredible preoccupied and vain about ones over-all physical appearance even ON the football field in this day and age, aye even among many of ITFC's "pub-team-qualified-only" players, perhaps it's something like this here specific "workout"....to go nicely along with their self-perceived aweZzzzome tattoos and raw-looking facial hair: ttps://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/06/cf/e3/06cfe33f4c6995299da6ca0d31222c20.jpg :-) :-) :-) :-) Seriously though, the overwhelmingly vast majority of whatever 'it is' that's going in training sure doesn't appear to be remotely constructive doesn't it now???, not only from an creative and offensive POV but even also from a defensive one as when we actually do concede goals, too often it's our stoic defenders -- especially some of MM's "undroppables"! -- making the same mistakes (incl. grave marking ones on corners and the like!) over and over again??? Aye I have for loooong expected The Dinosaur's faithful prehistoric sidekick, Terry Oh Mighty Connor, to be about.... AS USEFUL AS AN ASHTRAY ON A MOTORCYCLE! ..... and since I'm a male, also here something that our lovely adult female fans can best relate to: AS USEFUL AS A VIBRATOR WITHOUT BATTERIES! .....or how about just something that basically everyone should be able to relate to: AS USEFUL AS DECAFFEINATED COFFEE! lol Alas: TC out too!!!!!!!!!!

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MicksZzzTactics added 17:24 - Nov 21 Ooops!! The above-mentioned "workout"photo went missing (incorrect url ) so here it is: :-)
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jas0999 added 17:56 - Nov 21 We are nowhere near play off contenders. We lack the ability. Our football style is very mid table also. We will have some good results, but plenty of average/poor ones thrown in.
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RonFearonsHair added 18:32 - Nov 21 I remember seeing Rotherham concede an early goal not so long ago and having little problem in recovering.
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BanksterDebtSlave added 19:42 - Nov 21 Watching the lowlights you have to wonder where Chambers playing right side centerback was off to as he crosses Berra on a mad charge up the opposite side of the pitch to attempt a challenge that he was never going to get to in the build up to their first goal !
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bluesince76 added 20:25 - Nov 21 Would rather get relegated if its the only way to get rid of mccarthy hasnt got a clue.
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bluesince76 added 20:25 - Nov 21 Would rather get relegated if its the only way to get rid of mccarthy hasnt got a clue.
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GiveusaWave added 23:16 - Nov 21 I happen to agree with Moosejuice on this one. There was a general lack of urgency in the team and McGoldrick had too much to do on his own. The players themselves looked truly afraid and passing was nothing but routine. On Pjewellisagod and Mickszztactics discussion about training, it reminds me of the old quote by Dominique Wilkins "you are only as good as your team". If you play alongside Giovanni Dos Santos you learn how to dribble and shoot. If you play alongside Jimmy Bullard you learn how to shoot from distance. If you play alongside Luca Civelli you learn how to beat opposition players and cross. What will young midfielders like Bishop, Dozzell and Benyu learn from the likes of Douglas, Coke et al? I think It's unfair to criticise Skuse, he does add something to the team. But these youngsters need more good, creative players to learn from. Williams fills this gap to a small degree. Fraser filled that gap for some of last season. But Bishop, Dozzell and Benyu will be playing alongside players who they can beat with ease continually. That breeds unrealistic confidence (i.e. "I am a great midfielder as I beat my man every time'). When they go in against real Championship footballers, it's a shock as they are suddenly faced with competition. This is a failing in the squad as EVERY player in this team should be Championship standard (bare minimum). We have conference players in the squad (I am not saying Douglas is conference standard), and this should not be the case. Training should be alongside players of a similar ilk, or else YOUNG PLAYERS will devolve. For the older professionals (Skuse), it's ok-he's learned his trade and knows what to do. But if I was a young player at the club right now I would be looking for a mentor- and Skuse seems the only one. Therefore, we end up with Bishop (copying Skuse), Dozzell (copying Skuse), Benyu (copying Skuse). It's a slow process but this transference does take place,

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karls_dad added 15:56 - Nov 22 Well i never thought i would say this!! but now we face QPR, with Ian Holloway being the new manager the chap i always wanted in the very beginning, total respect for his abilty! i hope, and say that with a heavy heart that we get a complete stuffing next Saturday! another inept performance from our so called pro footballers please!! Then perhaps the presssure upon MM and Evans will be just too much and the bubble will burst! Sadly we missed the boat as we could have had Mr Holloway in a heartbeat! he was ready to come here before they employed this clown, yes he saved us from relegation, and somehow we over achieved for two seasons, but now for the love of all things blue, please take a walk! All of that said with sadness at what is happening at OUR club!!

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dukey44 added 19:05 - Nov 22 I see our chairman is worried about our league form? Managers still here?
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dukey44 added 19:05 - Nov 22 Sorry owner!!!
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dubblue added 21:52 - Nov 22 Agree Jonny is unduly optimistic about the play-offs. If we could not score against Forest a team whose morale apparently was very low and who have not kept a clean sheet all season, then we surely are in for a long season. What is more depressing s that we had virtually our first 11 last Saturday with the exception of Webster, although some might want Knudsen and Skuse dropped. Our best hope will be to be ambitious on the transfer market in January - although we have quite a few forwards - not sure if Pitman, Best or Varney are good enough so we may need to strengthen our attack and add more creativity to midfield.

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