The Canaries suffered their first loss in the fixture since 2009, ending a 16-year unbeaten run in a game that epitomised their continued regression since returning to the Championship in 2022.
Ipswich capitalised on Norwich’s errors to win the contest, and Stacey cut a frustrated figure post-match, believing the defeat was entirely self-inflicted and feeling they responded poorly to the killer third goal scored by Jack Clarke.
“It’s probably anger and frustration. We just felt like we probably let the fans down today,” City’s right back said.
“I probably said it before, but it’s okay showing those emotions in the changing room, but it’s on the pitch where we have to show them. We need to stop talking and go on the pitch and show it.
“I’m angry at the way that we reacted after the third goal and probably the nature of the third goal.
“We got it back to 1-1 and then they scored a good goal that is very hard to stop. Fair play. But we were in the game and we came out in the second half wanting to get back into it, thinking that we could create chances.
“Then, to see the third goal, how we did and react after that is probably where the frustration is.
“We’re probably not making it hard enough for teams to score against us. We have some good play within matches, but if you’re going to concede soft goals, you make it very, very hard for yourself to win games.”
Underpinning City’s disappointment is that there were elements of their performance that displayed promise, especially in the first half when their organised press put pressure on Ipswich and created a disquiet among the crowd.
That made the nature of their concessions all the more frustrating for the City squad given their hard work up to that point.
Norwich City suffered their first East Anglian derby defeat since 2009.(Image: Paul Chesterton/Focus Images Ltd)
“We pressed well in the first half. We won the ball up high and we created the atmosphere we wanted to within the stadium in terms of a little bit nervy,” Stacey said.
“They didn’t want to play out as much and at times in the second half as well. But again, it’s about making the most of those opportunities when you’re winning it high.
“We would have been happy in terms of where we were in the press, in terms of the game, in terms of coming here and quieting the atmosphere down, quieting the crowd down. Then we concede two goals that were soft.”