Derby County 3-2 Ipswich - Manager Reaction.

Last updated : 23 August 2004 By Site Editor
Town boss Joe Royle had no compliants about his sides result, and felt the best team won: "I think that is the poorest we have played for a long long time.We were fortunate to be in front at half-time and I warned the players there had to be a vast improvement, but if anything, we got worse.

"Derby were more competitive than us in midfield and we looked lost at the back. We let them get too many crosses in and I cannot complain at the result. We got what we deserved which was absolutely nothing.

"At times, it wasn't so much a case of giving the ball away, it was a question of not getting the ball. We were just poor all over and there are no excuses. I cannot disagree that overall Derby deserve to win the game and we were just not good enough."

Meanwhile former Blues boss George Burley was happy for his Derby side to come away with all three points: "In the two previous games I was pleased with the performance, but today it could have gone against us, we had 10 mad minutes after scoring the goal.

"I thought the penalty was dubious and then Nathan Doyle, who's only 17, made a mistake. But he has showed some courage, a lot of youngsters would have folded after that, but he hasn't.

"It's always a relief to pick up points because if you keep playing well and get beaten it affects the confidence so you need to win games."