Ipswich Town manager Mick McCarthy admitted his team took bad defending to ‘a whole new level’ following tonight’s 3-1 defeat at high-flying Cardiff City.
The Blues left Junior Hoilett unmarked for the early opener, switched off seconds after the restart to allow Omar Bogle to score, then were at sixes and sevens for Danny Ward’s stoppage-time clincher just moments after Bersant Celina had pulled one back.
“I thought the first half was fairly even, there were chances at both ends and I thought we played well,” said McCarthy. “I think I’ve dreamt the half-time team talk about the importance of having a good start and not conceding and giving us a foothold in the game because we did exactly the opposite.
“They’ll see it as a good goal, and it is from their point of view, but it’s an appalling goal for us to give away and that skewed the whole game.
“For 20 minutes after that I could forgive our fans for thinking we don’t care and that we didn’t try and didn’t run around because they were all over us. I can look them all in the eye and know they do care and that they have worked their nuts off though.
“Then having got back a goal, I can’t believe the naivety of the third one then. We’ve conceded some soft goals this season, but that was a whole new level.”
With Town now having conceded nearly as many as they’ve scored in their 14 Championship games played – 23 for and 22 against – McCarthy continued: “We defended the free-kicks and throw-ins, it was the second phases. To be free at the far post is not right (for the first). The others are just ridiculous. The second goal in particular. Thirty seconds after the restart – that’s just crazy.
“The players know. They don’t want to do that. They want to start well. If the kick-off goes off for a throw-in and then we can put it in behind them... Everyone will say ‘that’s a bit negative’, but it means it doesn’t end up in your net and gives you a chance to get on the front foot and in their half.”
Having made six changes to the team which started last Saturday’s 2-1 comeback win at Burton, the Blues boss added: “I don’t think that has anything to do with it at all. One of them was Kevin Bru and I thought he was the pick of the bunch in the first half before running out of steam.
“Dominic (Iorfa) has been playing, Tommy (Smith) is an old head and experienced player, Tristan (Nydam) had ran his race on Saturday so Flynn (Downes) had to come in.
“Santy (Bersant Celina) got another goal and Wardy (Grant Ward) has been a regular, so it wasn’t like they are subs who have gone and played in the first team tonight that’s for sure.
“We’ve had one or two players who have had long injuries and I’d like to get the best out of them in every game they play.”
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