Boss Mick McCarthy says it wasn’t a difficult decision to recall Dean Gerken in goal in place of Scott Loach ahead of Saturday’s 3-0 defeat at Leicester but admitted it was a harder task to tell the former England U21 international that he had been left out.

Loach had put in a man of the match display in last week’s 0-0 home draw with Blackpool, regular first-choice Gerken having been sidelined with a neck problem.

“Gerks has been great, that’s my feelings about it,” McCarthy said. “It’s not difficult to make the decision but it’s difficult to tell Loachy because he played really well.

“He might think he’s got a chance and I would hope he has. What I would say to him is ‘Make sure that next time you get in you play exactly the same, as well as you did against Blackpool and next time you might stay in’.”

Regarding his decision to replace injured top scorer David McGoldrick with Frank Nouble rather than Paul Taylor or Sylvan Ebanks-Blake, he added: “Frank’s been in the team, he’s played when we’ve had three up front. He’s been the one that’s been next in line.

“Sylvan did really well when he came on for half an hour but being on for half an hour and being on for 90 minutes and starting the game is a different ball game, as we know. Tayls hasn’t [been starting games], Frank’s been the next one in line, so he got the nod.”

Ebanks-Blake is set to start for the U21s when they take on Crystal Palace at Portman Road this evening (KO 7pm).

Meanwhile, Foxes manager Nigel Pearson said striker David Nugent had, unsurprisingly, been keenly anticipating the chance to add to his remarkable total of goals against the Blues.

The one-time England man netted Leicester's second of the afternoon in the 31st minute to claim his 14th goal in 13 games against Town and his sixth in five matches for the Foxes against his favourite opponents.

“He was looking forward to playing against Ipswich again," Pearson said. "I don’t suppose they were too keen! I don’t know why these things happen, in all honesty.”

He added: “Whenever you play against one of Mick’s sides you know it’s going to be a tough game but I think we’ve proved so far this season that we’ve found the answer to a lot of a problems that we’ve encountered and again we’ve been able to do that. It was another very good three points.”

Photo: Action Images

Warkys_Tash added 23:28 - Feb 24 @Karlos: your Laurie Sivell analogy was a good one. Loach isn't top draw (unfortunately) and neither is Gerkin, but Gerkin has shaded it so he comes back in as No1. Simples.
-1

Ipswich Town Polls