Assistant boss Terry Connor says striker David McGoldrick has added consistency to his game and has matured during his time with the Blues. Town’s 16-goal top scorer, who has been ruled out for 10 weeks with a torn medial ligament, moved to Portman Road from Nottingham Forest initially on loan just over a year ago.

Since then the 26-year-old has scored 20 goals in 43 starts and five sub appearances and having netted 14 times in the Championship this season - in addition to two FA Cup goals - looked set to become the first Town player to score 20 league goals in a campaign since David Johnson’s 22 in the 1999/00 promotion year.

“We’ve all worked hard with him,” Connor said, speaking prior to the Nottingham-born frontman suffering his injury.

“I think he’s just performed more consistently. Everyone knew about David McGoldrick and the qualities that he has, I just feel that here at Ipswich he’s found somewhere where he’s consistently been able to play.

“He’s been picked in the team and I think he’s bonded really well to that. We’ve had a more consistent David McGoldrick rather than the more fluctuating one in the past where he may score and play well for one game and then not quite do as well for two, miss a game or two, then get back in then score a goal.

“He’s just been more consistent in his outlook and everything that he’s done since he’s been with us.”

Connor says growing confidence has also played a part: “A little bit of that, but I think David’s 26 now and he’s maturing as a player and all the good things that we saw early on his career, they’re just coming together more and with the more mature outlook in his football, he’s been able to produce better, or more consistent, performances.”

Meanwhile, the Blues assistant boss had praise for centre-half Christophe Berra: “He’s playing very well ever since he broke into the side. He actually plays on the right side of centre-back and he’s left-footed, so he’s worked extremely hard on trying to improve on that right-hand side.

“The gaffer’s picked him for every single game and he’s played every minute, which just tells you everything about him.”

He says he and manager Mick McCarthy don’t just work on improving youngsters such as Frank Nouble but also the more senior players like Berra.

“I coach players and try and get the best out of all players, whether they’ve got loads of potential or whether they’re established players,” Connor added.

“We’re always trying to get more out of them and the more we get out of individuals, the more you’ll get out of the group.”

Photo: Action Images

brendenward35 added 07:25 - Feb 19 Well you can't work on youngsters if they are playing for other clubs. Just hope those other clubs have good coaches as well or they will end up like Noble :-)
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BillBlue added 07:27 - Feb 19 Spot on Brenden.
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Mark added 07:59 - Feb 19 McGoldrick has been fantastic, but the issue of his contract surely has to come to a head soon. I can only think that David didn't want to commit to ITFC long term, as it was strange that he signed only a 2-year contract and it's odd that the contract hasn't (yet) been extended given how well he has done for us. As for Berra, excellent signing, I am very pleased with him. He's a very strong centre back and is joint-third top goalscorer this season!

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bluefeast added 08:09 - Feb 19 why are we going backwards then in terms of individual and collective performances. Tactics thats why ,they are so wrong in many ways.
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WhoisJimmyJuan added 08:13 - Feb 19 Mark: McCarthy's contract is up at the same time isn't it? Have you noticed how many out-of-contract Wolves players he has tried to sign since the end of last season? If the conspirocy theories are right and MM won't extend his own contract in 2015, don't be surprised if some of our better players don't either. I'm not paranoid. Its just someone's out to destroy us..........;)

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Karlosfandangal added 09:36 - Feb 19 McGoldrick has been excellent for us and a massive blow for our promotion push. Time for SEB and Taylor and Nouble to step up and fill the hole left. SEB has the potental to be a 20 a season man and all we can hope is he takes up the rains of McGoldrick if so he could end up with 8 to 10 goals by the end of the season. Next year we could have a possible 40 goal a season strike force in SEB and McGoldrick. Would think that McGoldrick contract will be looked at come the end of the season so the club know what budgets they have to work with (ie Championship or Prem Football) With McGoldrick out it will possible that other teams will take their eye off him so he might not get his head turned by other clubs.

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theobald1985 added 09:51 - Feb 19 the problem is if he dosent sign a new contract at the end of the season he will proberbly be sold rather than lose him for nothing also he is a proper footballer and im sure he cant be mad keen on the long ball style we are playing-if mick goes and a new progressive manager comes in who wants to play a fluid passing game he could be persuaded to commit-hope he does

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thebeat added 10:05 - Feb 19 This headline just depresses me even more knowing hes out for the season.
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SouperJim added 10:27 - Feb 19 It has been suggested that Dids's injury could be a blessing in disguise, out of the shop window and more likely to sign for us again in the summer, ready for a more realistic promotion push next season. Right now I'll cling to any positive way to look at losing our top scorer, more chances for SEB and Taylor could also stand us in good stead for next season. I'm still not writing this campaign off however. Dids would have needed just 4 goals from the remaining 15 games to reach the fabled 20 goals. I firmly believe SEB could deliver those, as I thought he looked fitter on Saturday than he did against Preston 6 weeks ago.

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karls_dad added 10:48 - Feb 19 With our main man out for the season, lets hope SEB can step up to the mark with Talyor and Murf, cos you cannot even think about our man Frank doing anything, with him on the field its like playing with 10 men, the guy just has nil ability at all! why on earth MM keeps playing him i will never know, how many minutes game time has Frank had and produced next to nothing, its all very well saying he is work in progress, but we just cannot afford to carry him in this division!

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paulcooperisgod added 10:51 - Feb 19 Forget about Taylor MM obviously doesn't fancy him instead we have the top scorer of the championship twice in the past just coming back to fitness. .....time to step up SEB
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StuartBrett8 added 11:16 - Feb 19 lot's of down votes here.... oh yeah it's half term ;)
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Mark added 12:46 - Feb 19 > Mark: McCarthy's contract is up at the same time isn't it? I hadn't given that a lot of thought. I hope that 2014/15 can be a big season for us, but if we have uncertainty over the manager and some key players, that doesn't bode well for success. If McGoldrick won't sign, I wonder how much we could sell him for in the summer? He doesn't turn 27 until November and clubs sometimes pay crazy money for strikers. How highly rated he is outside Ipswich though I'm not sure, especially with his contract winding down. £1M probably.

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JimmyP45 added 13:19 - Feb 20 People, you are welcome to question me on this statement, but I believe Tyrone Mings would make a fairly decent striker in Didsy's absence. To me he seems strong, stable, has a powerful shot on him and has a much more successful header win ratio than Murphy and Nouble. Just an idea...
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thebeat added 13:39 - Feb 20 JimmyP45 are u MM in disguise?
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JimmyP45 added 13:15 - Feb 21 Afraid not. Also not sure whether that is a positive or negative thing haha. Just being observant and thinking aloud.
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