Midfielder Paul Green felt team-mate Paul Taylor was well suited to his role during Saturday’s 1-0 home victory over Birmingham. Taylor, 26, only came into Mick McCarthy’s front three as a late replacement for new loanee Jonny Williams, who suffered a minor hamstring injury in Friday training.

“It was the perfect role for him, tucked in behind the two strikers,” Green said. “Paul gets the attack going and gets his shots in. All it needed for him was a goal.

“He deserves to play because in training he does that day in day out. He deserved the man of the match award, he was brilliant.

“He is a proper Scouser, a lively character, but all the lads are great in the dressing room. There is a great team spirit and we are a tight-knit group.

The Ireland international says he’s settled in well following his loan move from Leeds: “I didn’t know what to expect. I have been to a few clubs but this is one of the best dressing rooms I have come to.

“Everyone is close and everyone has the same goal. I was accepted straight away. We have been out to the cinema and out for meals as a group, it has been great.”

As for Saturday’s winning goal, netted by Daryl Murphy, who will join him in the Ireland squad ahead of Wednesday’s friendly against Serbia, Green added: “It was a proper striker’s goal. Big Frank has put in a great ball and Murph has got on the end of it.”

He says the victory was very much required: “We needed it because if we hadn’t won we could have been too far off the play-offs.

“We have got it down to four points and we face a big month. We’ve started off well getting three points and now we have to keep it going.”

Green believes the Blues have to believe they can still make the play-offs: “If you don’t think you can get there you won’t. But everyone believes we can and we are aiming to get into the top six.

“This is a big month for us and we have seven games where we can get points and we started well with three points against Birmingham.

“This is a classic Championship season. There is usually one team that runs away, that looks like it is Leicester this season, then there is a close group and that is the case again, top and bottom.

“But we don’t worry about others, we think about ourselves and winning our games, starting with Middlesbrough on Saturday.”

Photo: Action Images

KiwiTractor added 07:25 - Mar 3 Alright Greeny, have a word in Mick's ear would ya.
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Surco72 added 07:57 - Mar 3 “He deserves to play because in training he does that day in day out. He deserved the man of the match award, he was brilliant." MM not been watching training then ?
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SouperJim added 08:29 - Mar 3 “If you don't think you can't get there you won't." So in order to get there, we've got to think we can't?
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ericclacton added 08:52 - Mar 3 Ham or Cheese?
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PhilTWTD added 08:57 - Mar 3 Oops. Error amended.
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PhilTWTD added 09:06 - Mar 3 Oops. Error amended.
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SouperJim added 09:34 - Mar 3 Phil you've ruined a perfectly entertaining triple negative there, shame!
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Michael11 added 10:09 - Mar 3 Interesting that he said Taylor plays like that every day in training but McCarthy's previous refusal to play him is because he's not good enough in training? Hopefully Saturday will finally kick start Taylor's career here and become an important part of the team.
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WickedBlue added 13:14 - Mar 3 He got MOM on Saturday that normally means he will be dropped.
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battyblue added 13:23 - Mar 3 Well said Greenie lets hope he stays there now,but don't hold your breath,,
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blueboy1981 added 20:36 - Mar 3 Green can obviously spot a player - and he's not bad himself !! Well inpressed with him - when playing in his best position. I think he's blown MM's cover and the suspicion of Taylor not doing the business in training. Don't be a dinosaur Mick - pick the man thro' merit - and necessity.
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PremierBlue added 07:40 - Mar 4 Question is if Taylor has improved his training lately, coinciding somewhat with the arrival of Green and that Taylor hasn't always shown the same attitude in training before that... It may simply be that MM and Tayls have found out that they need each other.
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