O'Neil proud of Ipswich effort despite 3-2 loss to Man City

Gary O'Neil said he was disappointed but proud of his players after Ipswich lost 3-2 to Premier League leaders Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium.

O'Neil said he had travelled to Manchester believing his side could take points, and he was frustrated that they left empty-handed. He praised the squad for staying in the contest for so long, saying they were fully committed to the game plan and gave everything over roughly 102 minutes of play. He also acknowledged the travelling supporters, who filled three tiers of the away end.

He said the second City goal was the one that frustrated him most, because it came from a situation his team had practised extensively. He was more accepting of the first and third goals, saying the game was always likely to open up and that City's attacking players can punish any space they are given.

O'Neil also pointed to several offside decisions that he believed were wrong. With Ipswich managing only six or seven attacks at the Etihad, he said losing three of them to incorrect flags was hard to take in terms of momentum. He stressed his comments were not an attack on the officials, saying they had done many things well and that he had spoken to them after the match without any problem.

The Ipswich manager had changed his team's shape for the match, using a very compact, deep set-up out of respect for City's quality. He said he had used the same approach three times against City during his time at Wolves. His side won at home with it on one occasion and lost to a 95th-minute corner on another. He said it kept Ipswich in the game long enough to become more aggressive late on, although they did not create enough to find an equaliser. He added that he generally prefers to be the more aggressive side, but is willing to do whatever gives the team the best chance of winning.

One player was left out of the matchday squad with a slight groin problem. O'Neil said the club did not want to take unnecessary risks with him, and expects him back on the training pitch early in the week, probably on Monday. He is expected to be available for Friday's game against Nottingham Forest.

The defeat leaves Ipswich on nine points, the same total they took into the match. O'Neil said he was content to stand alongside the players if they show the same effort every week.