Boss Mick McCarthy has a good idea of the team which will start against Fulham at home on the opening day of the season, but says other players can still force their way into his plans with several making a case for their inclusion during last night’s 3-0 friendly victory at Colchester.

“I kind of know, almost anyway,” he said. “It’s not going to be any great shock to me, they’ve only been away for 12 weeks.

“Nothing great changes over the summer, they don’t go and have football lessons and come back loads better or loads worse.

“The nucleus of the team is team is probably solid. I’m looking for somebody to shake it up and say ‘I want to be in that team’.

“And I think there were [some that did]. I thought Elliott Hewitt played well, I thought Ando was different class, I thought Alex Henshall (pictured) played very well. They were the ones who stood out.

“The back four are always OK, and Gerks. We didn’t function brilliantly everywhere else but we got better.”

Regarding Henshall, who joined on a permanent basis earlier in the summer following his release by Manchester City having been on loan last season, McCarthy added: “He’s really, really quick, he’s got good skills and he can go past people and that’s something we’ve lacked a little bit.

“But he’s got lots of other things to do as well, all the dirty jobs that all the others do, but when he gets the ball he’s a threat, a constant threat.”

Anderson probably had more of the ball than any other Town player during his time on the field and pleased his boss, despite missing an early chance.

“I thought Ando was great today,” McCarthy said. ”He could have scored with a header. It was a cross-shot from Frank and he didn’t manage to score but at least he [had the effort] and then he had a shot.

“So, in the first five or six minutes he’d had a header off target and a shot at goal. He’s really trying and I thought his all-round performance was particularly good.”

He says Marriott’s excellent goal came as no surprise: “I know he can put a ball in the net, he’s got to do all the other stuff as well.

“He’s got to be able to stick it and make sure that when we put the ball up to the frontmen it stays there because it didn’t in the first half and if that happens you’ll be scrapping away at the bottom of the league all the time.

“We need to be able to hold it up, Jack needs to get better at that and keep doing what he does because that’s a nasty habit that, keep putting the ball in the net.”

Speaking after the Shelbourne game, Marriott said that he didn’t consider himself a member of the first team squad having made only two sub appearances for the Blues, however, his manager views the situation differently: “I see him as a member of the first team squad, without a doubt.

“He’s in there competing and if he’s better than the others, he’ll play. It’s a really physical league, the Championship. I think he’s improved on that.

“Who knows, he might get that sub spot and he’s Johnny on the spot because he knows how to get the tap-ins and he gets his shots on target. I was only surprised he didn’t hit the target against West Ham. He’ll be part of the squad.”

Elsewhere, former Blues loanee Guirane N’Daw has joined newly-promoted French Ligue 1 side Metz on a two-year deal. N’Daw was with Asteras in Greece last season having been with Town during the previous campaign.

Photo: Action Images

Bluetone added 12:36 - Jul 24 Please McCarthy can we have a little less concentration on the "dirty stuff" and more concentration on the "flair stuff"
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Surco72 added 13:10 - Jul 24 Blueandtrue ... MM spent a lot of money on players at Sunderland and Wolves to achieve promotion and both were poor sides when they got there . I still find it strange that a forward is rated on how he can do the dirty stuff or defend at set pieces above how good he is at scoring or attacking . We play 2 defensive midfielders for home games Mick let the strikers attack. Ando probably wont start against Fulham as he isn't 6ft or over like the rest of the team !!

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Jaffe added 13:47 - Jul 24 why does MM wait until mid October before he gets his loans? the season starts in August and because we are never competitive at the beginning of the season, we will never make top six. why give other sides a months head start when you know you will need 2/3 loan players
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ITFCsince67 added 14:01 - Jul 24 I rec we will start with........ a goalkeeper who does not command his area and will make a good save one minute then a howler the next. 4 defenders who are one paced, once dimensional and just hooof it 70 yards 4 mid-fielders who are one paced, narrow, one dimensional and don't get beyond the front two. Two strikers who one will huff and puff and will look like he has his boots on the wrong feet and poor DM if fit will have to do it all by himself. So basically the same team as last year with same sort or dull football and average results. 8th -10th here we come. I will naturally apologise if this is not the case BUT there is no case to prove different.

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TR11BLU added 14:12 - Jul 24 @trueand blue I said there is no progress. Both times he got teams promoted and they tread water before sinking. You can only get so far with grafters, the appointmenrt was right at the time but he has no plan B Personally I would rather be entertained by a team flirting with promotion long term than have the pants bored off me.
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Jaffe added 14:25 - Jul 24 anyone who watched the world cup can see MM and his physical and negative approach is no longer relevant
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jwitfc added 14:40 - Jul 24 Gerken Chambers, Berra, Smith, Mings Anderson, Skuse, Wordsworth, Hyam, Henshall, Murphy. Hewitt is a liability defensively and what can you say about Nouble. Terrible, no idea why MM continues to play him.
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MancBlue86 added 15:08 - Jul 24 Gerks Chambers Smith Berra Mings Anderson Hyam Wordworth Henshall Murphy Mcgoldrick Didn't will be fit, he's going to start traning very soon, Wordsworth has worked his way back into Micks plans the last 6months and I really think he is going to be rewarded with a start. Henshall over Stewart going on Pre-season and Mings will get his chance to prove himself ahead of parr, for a few games atleast

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MancBlue86 added 15:09 - Jul 24 Didz**
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BlueandTruesince82 added 15:19 - Jul 24 Tr11Blu- Take your point re the style of football, it could more attractive but RE MM, I believe (and I think most wolves fans would agree) that MM would have kept them up. TC took them down. At Sunderland he was given no money (Which is a likely scenario here I will admit) but the point is in order to stay in the prem we must 1st get there. MM has a good record of getting there and be it by hook or crook all I want is to see us there. We may well come straight down but parachute payments plus a change of manager would then allow Micks bedrock to be built upon. Plus I think Mick learnt from both previous stints. I agree also that the style of football may not be de rigour but styles come and go, and the one place it is still relevant is probably the champ down in English football (hence the continued slide of our national team to minnow like status) I would rather see us in the prem be it playing boring football than not at all, since MM has got us closer than anyone recently I'll let him his do his thing for another season. and I would rather see us compete in the champ rather than get hammered by 4 goals every week a la Jewell

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Jaffe added 15:55 - Jul 24 keane jewell MM all have similar records at itfc
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bigolconnor added 16:02 - Jul 24 Tractordownsouth- I'm happy with that team apart from Gerks Hyam Nouble and Murphy. More likely McGoldrick up front with Murphy. But you probably knew that. It would be quite nice to have veseli in midfield with skuse. Or... ...bialkowski, veseli, Berra , chambers, parr, Anderson, skuse, mcgoldrick, henshall, Taylor, Murphy, with Stewart, marriot, Hyam, smith, Gerken and Nouble on the bench

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BlueandTruesince82 added 16:13 - Jul 24 Jaffe True but MMs win ration is about 5% better than the other two and whilst that might not seem like much it does seem to have made all the difference. Breaking news Town rejected for cat 1 status by a margin of 0.3%
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floridaboy added 16:17 - Jul 24 Wordsworth for Hyam. Anyone for Hyam please. Wordsworth for set pieces. MM please don't play Skuse and Hyam in the same midfield please. If that is the case we might as well go home and hope we finish mid table!!
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bring_back_Wickham added 16:21 - Jul 24 Bialowski Hewitt Berra Smith Parr Stewart Human Henshall Taylor Mcgoldrick Murphy
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BlueandTruesince82 added 16:34 - Jul 24 For Fulham I would have Bartman Chambo Berra Smith Parr Stewart Hyam Henshall Taylor Murphy Marriot Unless Didz is fit in which case in for marriot
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BillBlue added 16:44 - Jul 24 "He says Marriott's excellent goal came as no surprise: “I know he can put a ball in the net, he's got to do all the other stuff as well. “He's got to be able to stick it and make sure that when we put the ball up to the frontmen it stays there because it didn't in the first half and if that happens you'll be scrapping away at the bottom of the league all the time." Yes Mick, perhaps you didn't notice, but Marriott wasn't playing in the first half, your blue eyed buy was and, no doubt, he will also be a regular in the team again this year once more to the detriment of Ipswich Town. I truly do wonder about you.

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TimmyH added 16:48 - Jul 24 Anybody who knows MM style of management knows he won't take chances and play inexperienced and flair players, so by and large you can say: Gerken, Chambers, Berra, Smith, Parr, Anderson, Hyam, Skuse, Henshall, Murphy, McG (if fit) Nouble (as standby). Subs: Stewart, Mings, Taylor, Bart. Most questionable player above - will he take the risk with Henshall?
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Bluetone added 16:49 - Jul 24 Yes Bill Blue just as you say. Marriott is going to make it as a proven goal scorer, just a case of whether it will be for us or elsewhere. Marriott's patience must surely run out soon if he is not given the chance he has earned.
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Steve_ITFC_Sweden added 18:38 - Jul 24 Reckon Henshall must be pretty close to a start, but Mick is cautious, so probably sub. for now. Parr looks solid, and I think he'll start. Marriot will be on the bench. Go on Mick: prove me wrong.
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Jimmy86 added 19:16 - Jul 24 My team would be 4 2 3 1, bart in goal, back 4 of chambers, berra, smith and parr. Skuse and wordsworth in front of the back 4. Ando taylor and henshall behind murphy as the lone striker
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jas0999 added 19:41 - Jul 24 I find it odd that a number of other posters are not concerned that a jonny Williams type player has not been signed. Particularly as we have the Cresswell cash. It was obvious that he was the type of player we were crying out for when he arrived. Yet, we are starting a very difficult month with not only less players than last season but without that type of player. Very disappointing.

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TimmyH added 20:36 - Jul 24 Biggest problems last season: GK - Partly addressed this summer RB - Has not been addressed Creative Midfielder - Has not been addressed Left wing - Partly been addressed Henshall/Cameron? Hopefully the late loanee's MM was talking about a month ago will address some of the problem area's which is still a concern.
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barrysandals added 21:27 - Jul 24 4,1,4,1 Gerkin Chambers, smith, Berra, Parr Skuse Taylor, Mcgoldrick, Wordsworth, henshall Murph
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bigolconnor added 22:01 - Jul 24 I'm fairly certain that we will be getting Johnny Williams back on a season long loan. Don't know why. It has just been hinted at by various players and Mick himself in the past months. It wont happen until just before the season starts though and will obviously have a call back clause.
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