Dean Gerken goes into Saturday’s crunch home clash with play-off rivals Nottingham Forest delighted that manager Mick McCarthy has stuck by him.

A stiff neck saw him sit out last month’s goalless home draw in which replacement Scott Loach turned in a man of the match display.

Like a number of supporters, Gerken admits he wondered whether McCarthy might give Loach the nod again for Town’s next assignment, the trip to face leaders Leicester.

Gerken said: “Scott came in and did brilliantly and I wasn’t sure if I was going to get my place back or not but the gaffer showed his faith in me.

“You can’t worry about what anyone else does or anything like that. You’ve only got to concentrate on yourself. Scott’s been a great professional, he came in and did his job and he’s been great with me since I got back in, just as I would have been if he had got the shout to stay in the team ahead of me.”

Gerken echoed the view of most, if not all, his colleagues that McCarthy is the straight-talking type who lets his players know exactly where they stand.

He added: “It’s a different ball game when you work under Mick McCarthy. You know what you’re doing.

"In football these days a lot of managers can be a little bit ‘Secret Squirrel’ — you don’t know what’s going on, like the ins and outs of things.

“But at Ipswich Town you know there are no grey areas. It’s black and white, which is the best way for me to work and it is obviously working for the other players as well.”

Photo: Action Images

Dissboyitfc added 06:58 - Mar 27 I disagree with his black and white statement, there are grey areas. He tells players to give him selection headaches, tells them to be patient work hard and grab the chance when it comes. Scott comes in plays a blinder, MOM performance and is dropped to the bench immediately. It doesnt matter how some players play, good bad or indifferent, MM it appears has his favorites and i believe thats wrong. Not disputing that gerks is perhaps the slightly better keeper, but Loach played well and should of kept his place, not good for any player in any position to know his place in the starting line up is nailed on.....COYB

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village_blue added 07:06 - Mar 27 You are a lucky man Gerk's to have got your place back after the Blackpool when Loachy was MOM.
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bluefeast added 07:31 - Mar 27 Black , white and ginger.
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Mark added 07:49 - Mar 27 I think most teams would revert to their number one goalkeeper if a deputy came in and did well for one match. Gerken is a bit more vocal than Loach and from watching the two of them I would say the better keeper. It's not as though Gerken lets in loads of goals, and if McCarthy judges he prefers the defence with him then fair enough. Our defensive record is good this season, conceding 43 in 38 games which is better than Derby, Reading and Forest.

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wkj added 08:19 - Mar 27 I feel he was lucky to be chosen after wigan; it was a bad day at the office- but since that game he's deserved his spot. I still think loach is unlucky and will hate to lose him if he does decide to seek 1st team football
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homer_123 added 09:33 - Mar 27 @Dissboyitfc - hmmm, Wordsworth is a good example - has finally turned in some good/ very good displays and has kept his place. Clearly, Mick has had words with him, told him to knuckle down etc. (as he said in the match day programme) and AW has got a place in the first team. Take Taylor - he's not really delivered and when given the opportunity has only very sporadically performed - hence he's not getting first team football. Keepers are a different breed (like it or not) confidence plays a very big part (and especially with Gerks) so I'm not surprised that Mick is keeping faith with him - he is clearly Mick's number 1 and that's that. It would do us no favours at all to chop and change the keeper. So, regardless of how well Loach plays, he is unlikely to get a regular starting spot. Loach will be one of the player leaving in the summer. As it happens MM and TC have been to Layer Road looking at the current Col Utd keeper, Sam Walker, on three occasions now...

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ntoms97 added 09:39 - Mar 27 I believe Loach is the better keeper but since the Wigan game as wkj said he has done well and my distrust has been shaken, COYB
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michael99 added 10:32 - Mar 27 Gerks the better all round keeper IMO loach is just a nervous looking line keeper/shot stopper there is a lot more to goalkeeping than saving shots,as others have said managers have a number 1 and a number 2 goalie once you have decided you stick with it the number2 is only there for cover
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theobald1985 added 16:15 - Mar 27 should have been dropped, mick has been unfair to loach and is inconsistant in his approach. gerkin has had and always will have a big mistake in him and its a shame scott loach has not been given more of a run. mick started the season with loach and we had a bad start but mostly due to negative tactics.mick then made loach and hewitt scapegoats despite them having performed no worse than other players. the mistakes loach was dropped for have subsequently been made by gerkin but he has kept his place which is not fair

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