Town boss Mick McCarthy says the goals scored following long spells of possession against Norwich and Brentford are illustrative of the way he wants his side to play and how the squad train.

Jonas Knudsen’s header at Carrow Road ended a 27-pass move involving every member of the team, while Emyr Huws’s opener against the Bees also followed a lengthy spell of Blues’ possession.

“It pleases me [when we score from those passages of play],” McCarthy said. “That is how we train all the time, that is how we try to do it.

“It’s not as easy when there’s a team trying to stop you and it’s in front of everybody else, but that is how we try to play.

“And I just think the shape of the team has helped us, having three in the middle of the park, and having two up the pitch has certainly helped us.

“Four-four-two wasn’t working so it’s given us the ability to keep hold of the ball, certainly the players that have played. I think Emyr’s helped that, Toums when he has played has helped that.

“And I think Wardy has come in and been just outstanding. It does please me and it pleases me that the fans enjoy it and see it. I don’t want them to come here and watch turgid, horrible football.”

He admits that some of the criticism which has come his way from fans has been warranted at times this season.

“They were right to be critical because we weren’t playing well and we were losing. I’ve no problem with that,” he continued.

“But that’s not because of what we’re attempting to do or not attempting to do as the case may be.”

He added: “I get it all the time about ‘the pragmatic Mick McCarthy’, which is a bit of bollocks actually because when we won the league with Sunderland and Wolves we had loads of goals and loads of great performances.

“I’m not as pragmatic as you might think in terms of my coaching and my style, but when it comes down to winning or playing well, there’s no comparison for me at all. You just win games.

“And I’ve never heard anybody complain when you win games, never ever. No fans, nor nobody, no chairmen. If you just win games it’s great.”

Photo: TWTD

cat added 16:51 - Mar 6 Complete and utter BOLLOXS you tw@!! Keep blowing smoke up your own arse, as it's clearly working. :)
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htb added 16:52 - Mar 6 Sorry just don't buy it. So often sets the team up in a completely negative fashion and is more interested in stopping the opposition. Has been a bit better recently after it looked like he may lose his job, but too little too late for me.
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OldClactonBlue added 17:00 - Mar 6 He is excellent at talking rubbish!
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Bluetone added 17:02 - Mar 6 Give McCarthy his due he is fluent in talking crap.
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IamSpartacus added 17:05 - Mar 6 The last month of games have been a breath of fresh air yet the normal whiners have already started to dribble out of their own butt cheeks with negativity after just one poor game. Perhaps they should just go and support one of the top 5 Prem teams if all they want is top quality football every game. Things have been better recently, if all games continued as dull as Sat then, sure, it would be a concern but you have to question whether these posters actually bother to go to the games if they moan so quickly.

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walberblue added 17:11 - Mar 6 13 games in 2017, 34 shots on target. Best, Pitman, McG, Sears, Moore scored 10 goals between them. Lawrence 8 goals. So another season with Mid table MIck minus lawrence = relegation. “And I've never heard anybody complain when you win games, never ever. No fans, nor nobody, no chairmen. If you just win games it's great.” So why not give it a go sometimes, Mick? Wolves at home, tomorrow. How about winning that game? From the start, Attack them? Anyone can talk, you;re the manager, can you actually walk the walk or is it like the last 4 years all guff.....

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jas0999 added 17:25 - Mar 6 The performances against Norwich and Brentford were at best boring and negative.
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IpswichToon added 17:43 - Mar 6 I find it incredibly disappointing to see such a vast amount of negativity following the last 6 games. Prior to the Brentford game, we had put in some great performances, playing much more attractive football than we have previously and pulled off some big upsets - albeit, failing to pick up the 3 points on multiple occasions where perhaps we deserved to. Let's not forget that even during this period we have had a number of players not available for selection! The Brentford game wasn't so pretty - but I'm happy to give them credit rather than slate our team's performance because they have also looked very bright in recent games. I hope to see MM remain at Ipswich, who is still getting this team to perform above their financial power. I also hope that we hang on to Chambo - he has looked so much better since moving into his preferred central role. In my opinion, things are looking positive right now.

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TimmyH added 18:09 - Mar 6 Maybe 1 passage of play or maybe 2 in an entire 90 minutes might be worth watching but in general we can't pass to save our lives...if he's trying to change the style then I'd have to say he's failing. If you watched the Norwich game it was quite obvious with the the 5 across midfield he was trying to get numbers of players further forwards not by passing through the opposition.

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surgery added 18:31 - Mar 6 "Trying to play". What a stupid expression that is, and not unique to Old Dino. I could get on the pitch and try to play but I would fail. We all want to see your team playing not trying to.
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poldark added 19:17 - Mar 6 Well Mr McCarthy just look at stats from last 3 games 2 at home we have had 22 shots 6 on target and Rotherham who are bottom of the league last 3 games which 2 were away 27 shots 11 on target says all you need to know about super Micks attacking football McCarthy out
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blue75 added 19:55 - Mar 6 The last 2 games you've had 2 decent passing moves which led to goals, why not do that all the time! instead of trying to bore the opposition and fans to death every game. You just can't do it can you? you're out of your depth at a club that's renowned for playing football the correct way something you still don't understand!!!
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Mullet added 20:30 - Mar 6 Mick certainly knows bullsh1t when he sees it. Hence the reaction.
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Swn98 added 20:32 - Mar 6 surgery?
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Mark added 20:32 - Mar 6 “They were right to be critical because we weren't playing well and we were losing. I've no problem with that,” Cough, cough, cough.
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Swn98 added 20:36 - Mar 6 Ipswichtoon unfortunately this site is nearly all negativity.
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oldegold added 23:33 - Mar 6 The Ipswich teams under McCarthy have played the worst football played in ITFC history since the days of Jackie Milburn in the 1964 period. We are totally uncomfortable on the ball which is treated like a hot potato, unable to pass to players' feet, we kick and rush and just hoof anywhere, under his style of play the ball spends a disordinate amount of time in the air when it should be played to feet, his tactical acumen is limited to one way of playing which means playing for a point and stopping the opposition, adversity to free flowing football, no plan B in the event of sudden changes during the course of the game, giving opposition managers a free ride in knowing how we will face the match with our usual predictability, intentionally playing players out of their right position thereby giving the opposition a clear advantage, a reluctance to blood our youngsters, and allow them to grow into the team. I suggest that the ones who understand football played the Ipswich way show the ones who rate us moaners, whip out a copy of Ipswich Town in the 1999/2000 or 2004/2005 seasons to see how a free flowing Ipswich team should play instead of the turgid, dire and sterile stuff we have to put up with under McCarthy and is driving hundreds of youngsters away from following the Blues and ruining future generations from supporting us. Get them to watch Watford vs Southampton on MOTD from last Saturday to see how modern football has evolved and convince our enlightened manager that it is so.

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GiveusaWave added 23:37 - Mar 6 Have to agree with Swn98 on this one. We could be in a full-blown relegation battle right now, so don't really understand the abject negativity to every news story. Most of the Jan signings are doing ok, the team is trying to alter its playing style and we do look as if we are cruising to relative safety. Not the season many of us wanted, but could be a whole lot worse. Look at Wolves right now....

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Swn98 added 07:55 - Mar 7 Well said quntchev unfortunately many news site users should look outwards instead of inwards and look at the world we compete in we all dream of a return of the good old days they disappeared when Sheepshanks and Burley sent us skint.
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naa added 10:32 - Mar 7 Those on here complaining about the style ofplay seem to be largely suggesting that we still hoof it. We most certainly do not. just look at the possession stats this year compared to the last two, when we did hoof it. We are having large chunks of possession - even against Norwich. Those complaining that we are too negative do have a point though. The problem isn't that we can't pass it or keep possession, it's that we don't know how to be dangerous with the ball. We don't move it fast enough, we don't look forward enough. I rate Skuse very highly at what he does. However, what he does doesn't suit a team trying to play quick, attacking football. He suits Mick's previous style of hoofball much better - win the ball, play it back or sideways and it gets hoofed up to the target man. Now he wins it and plays it back or sideways and loses all attacking impetus. Plus, we don't have any strikers making runs in behind because Lawrence and McGoldrick aren't that type of player. I would obviously play both of those, but maybe ask Ward to make runs in behind, or Huws. Anyway, the recent upturn had shown that maybe Mick had worked out how to get it moving faster - though Skuse's injury went some way towards helping that...

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oldegold added 10:36 - Mar 7 In fact swn98 if you re-read my post but carefully this time, it was an invitation for our manager to look outwards and modernise his way of playing football and move on with the times and take a look at Watford/Southampton to see how football is evolving. I inferred that once we played that way under previous managers but under this one, we are hamstrung by his limited tactical ability and stubborness and adherence to his system that plainly doesn't function as results have shown since the autumn 2015 and the usual turgid way of playing.

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BobbyBell added 11:05 - Mar 7 Since MM arrived we have spent 1.2 million and Norwich have spent 57 million but they are only 9 points ahead of us. Lets face it, if we played open football again them we'd get stuffed. Brentford could also have stuffed us given space to play their fast football. Tonight though with Wolves we should just go for it and see what happens. If we lose 4-3 so be it but I personally think we would win comfortably.

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Seasider added 16:21 - Mar 7 Ipswich Toon re Luke Chambers,dont know whether you went to the Brentford game;but Chambo had his worst game since regaining his preferred position.I counted 6 misplaced passes,one of whch could have proved costly.Think he is one that is having difficulty adjusting to a passing game,as is his defensive partner Berra. Re hoofball,very little seen from outfield players recently I agree;except for Bart who kicks upfield,and rarely throws out(2 or 3 times a game at most).Invariably it is headed back when we can pick up the 2nd ball;but often results in opposition starting another attack.A high/long ball to one of our players,on the other hand,can be effective. naa correctly says,in my opinion,that yes we are passing the ball more;but much of it is sideways or back,especially Cole Skues.Must be more incisive and quicker to put opposition defences under pressure.Then we should score more goals. One of the lowest scorers in the division on 36 goals,with Villa on 35 and Burton on 34,plus the bottom 2 of Wigan 30 and Rotherham 32.However only 7 teams have conceded less those at or near the top!

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