Ipswich Town stand-in skipper Dara O’Shea felt the 4-1 home defeat to Tottenham Hotspur showed how punishing the Premier League can be, feeling the Blues should have been ahead by the break.
Despite their flurry of early chances, Town found themselves 2-0 down before the half-hour mark as Son Heung-min was given the freedom of Portman Road to set up Brennan Johnson twice inside eight minutes to give Kieran McKenna’s side an uphill task.
Omari Hutchinson finished a flowing move nine minutes before the break to give the home fans hope of a positive result.
But after substitute Luke Woolfenden had an equaliser ruled out for offside, Spurs came up with another two goals in a lethal seven-minute spell from the 77th minute, via Djed Spence and Dejan Kulusevski to inflict a painful scoreline on the relegation-threatened Suffolk side.
“I’m really disappointed that we're not coming in from that first half winning the game,” said O’Shea on where he felt the game was lost.
“I think how we started the game was excellent. The only thing we just didn't do right was put the ball in the back of the net.
“And that's kind of been the story of the last two home games, which has been unfortunate because we're getting in the positions, we're getting the chances. It's just not happening.
“Maybe it's just that bit of luck at times to go our way, and probably the other end of it, we're getting punished. We're not giving up a lot of chances too, so it's disappointing.
“Obviously we did well to get ourselves back in at 2-1 going into half-time. It gives us a real chance going into the second half.
“We’re obviously chasing the game, so it leaves us open a bit more towards the second half.”
Both the first two goals were ones that the Republic of Ireland international and his fellow defenders will cringe at watching back with Johnson twice picked out by Son after the South Korean was afforded too much time and space on the ball, the second seeing the Welsh international in acres of space to sweep the ball home.
“Yes, we know what needs to be better. We know what will stop those goals,” he said. “Obviously, we've just got to learn from them.
“That's the biggest thing this season, this league just punishes you. You don't get anything cheap in this league.
“It’s definitely something that we can stop, and we're well able to do. It's maybe just being a little bit clearer what happens in those scenarios, but we'll learn from that today and move on.”
Woolfenden, who replaced Ben Godfrey at half-time with the Atalanta loanee having been caught out a number of times by Spurs skipper Son, thought he had converted Town’s second-half pressure into a telling equaliser on the hour mark, only for his far-post header from Hutchinson’s cross to be ruled out of offside.
And former Burnley player O’Shea felt the ecstasy to agony moment encapsulated their season so far.
“It's kind of been the story of our season so far, really,” he said. “There's lots of what-ifs and buts. You're just looking for something to go in and fall our way and go our way.
“Yes, it’s disappointing, really, because that game, I don't think the scoreline reflects that game at all. Definitely, personally, and us as a group, we don't feel that.
“So, that's probably a positive in the sense, but still, we don't want to be coming in after the game 4-1 down [and saying that].”
Relegation rivals Wolverhampton Wanderers picking up a 1-0 victory away at high-flying AFC Bournemouth - who had Illya Zabarnyi sent off 31 minutes in - made the afternoon doubling punishing, leaving the 18th-placed Blues five points (effectively six on goal difference) from safety with 12 games to play.
Asked what their manager said to them, given the situation off the back of their heavy home defeat, O’Shea replied: “Just believe in ourselves. Don't go looking anywhere else and don't go looking outside.
“There's going to be lots of comments about us today, and the result will say different things to lots of people who haven't seen the game. Don't really get into that. Believe what's in the group, what's in the club.
“There's massive belief as a club and as a group, and I hope the town believes in us too. Just shut that outside noise off as best as possible and just keep the character we've shown this season.
“We've gone to some tough places and we've played against some of the best teams and caused them real problems. Take belief in that and push on.”
Put to him that there did not look a lack of confidence in the side, despite going a seventh game without defeat and being the only Premier League side without a win in 2025, he said: “No, I don't think so. I think the big thing is everyone has written us off from the start of the season, which is nice probably in a way, but there's not that pressure as such.
“Obviously, we put pressure on ourselves. The main thing is we don't have to prove it to anyone. We've got to prove it to ourselves that we are good enough.
“All of us as players have worked our whole careers to get to this position in the Premier League, so it's up to us now to grab that with both hands and stay here.
“We've got all the things around us to make us a great team. Just keep going. With the belief and character we've shown, I think we've got a lot in the group that's going to help us out in a tough moment.”
He added: “There's been so many moments where we've been playing great football and we're coming in and we're really causing them problems.
“Even coming up against opponents and they're coming off and saying, ‘you boys have got a real chance’.
“We've just got to keep going. It's not an easy league. You don't get anything cheap in this league. Just keep pushing and believe.”
The Blues head up to Manchester United for a Wednesday night meeting with Reuben Amorim’s side who are also struggling for form, having gone three league games without a win, after coming back from 2-0 down at Everton to draw 2-2 in the lunchtime kick-off.
On whether it is a good time to face them, O’Shea said: “I think it's great that we got the game so quickly that we can go into it, put this game behind us, but also learn from what we've done and go in there with fresh minds and a real hunger to go and get something up there.
“Obviously, it's an amazing stadium with such history, so it's a big moment for us to go there and improve ourselves too.”
Photo: Russell Claydon
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flykickingbybgunn added 21:26 - Feb 22
Keep going yes.
But also relax, let it flow, spray it around and the results will come.
Suffolkboy added 21:37 - Feb 22
Epitomises the spirit and.belief we all should maintain !
COYB
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