Town boss Mick McCarthy and his assistant Terry Connor spent Monday evening watching West Ham’s U23s beat their West Brom counterparts 2-1 at Dagenham and Redbridge’s Victoria Road with Hammers striker Ashley Fletcher understood to be the reason for their trip.

Fletcher, who TWTD reported in August was on the Blues’ list of potential replacements for Daryl Murphy, created his side’s opening goal in the seventh minute, a Baggies defender turning his cross past his own keeper, then netted the second himself in the 33rd minute.

The 21-year-old Keighley-born frontman played youth football for Bolton Wanderers and then Manchester United and spent the second half of last season on loan at Barnsley, scoring eight goals in 16 starts and 11 sub appearances.

The three-times-capped England U20 international joined West Ham in the summer after turning down a new contract at Old Trafford, signing a four-year deal.

Fletcher, who is 6ft 1in tall, has made one Premier League start - in the 3-1 defeat at Manchester City in August - and five top flight sub appearances as well as coming off the bench twice in the Europa League. He is yet to open his account for the Hammers.

Having sold Murphy to Newcastle and having been unable to replace him before the August transfer window closed, another striker is top of Town’s January wish-list.

The Blues are unlikely to be the only Championship club considering making a loan move for Fletcher and Leeds United have previously been linked.

Photo: Action Images

sgtlargent added 09:58 - Nov 1 blues1 I take your point on board that we may be playing slightly more football but we still pumped it up to Pitz to no avail and made what is probably one of our most technically gifted players look like a carthorse at times. I wouldn't blame him if he was relieved to be on the sidelines. And until we stop going away from home and getting the ball in the full back position not only to just pump it down the line and concede possession I cannot see the criticism dying off. admittedly I think a lot of it is "jump on the band wagon" but if fans think the football was bad Saturday then I wish they wouldve had to have sat through Newcastle, Leeds, second half of Brentford. And I can only assume by the scoreline as I didn't attend but Blackburn

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Razor added 10:15 - Nov 1 Crikey---we ate actually looking at a STRIKER-----whatever next!! Loaning is like renting a house, never yours and you can always get kicked out so not in favour of another. Pity we did not replace Smurf as we should have done, going home at 8.30 on deadline night did not help.
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Currie10 added 12:11 - Nov 1 Sorry have I read this right? Washed up Rickie Lambert over a young talented player who scored 8 in 16 starts at Barnsley of all places!? While the loan market can be a disaster if players aren't going to line up, or don't offer sufficient quality but if they can help us for a period of time and are better than what we have then I really do not see the issue. Unfortunately it's the way the game has gone. If we use the loan market idiotically ala Jewell then I also don't want them. However, gimme a good loanee all day long.

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Currie10 added 12:13 - Nov 1 dukey44 - unfortunately loans cost £££. The Lawrence loan deal cost almost £1mill from memory.
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BlueNomad added 12:26 - Nov 1 We have not signed him on loan or otherwise, and couldn't until January even if we wanted to. Why the meltdown when all we know is that MM and TC went to a game and watched up to twenty eight players? They may have considered him (amongst others) and decided that, rather than loan someone like him, the best way is to use the Murph money is on someone permanent. Of course that is something less for people to moan about.

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docsavage52 added 12:30 - Nov 1 Prehaps if we all say hooray for loans, then MM may sign someone.
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dukey44 added 13:44 - Nov 1 Buy nugent he isn't playing AGAIN?
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blues1 added 13:57 - Nov 1 Sgtlargent. Agree with you about away games and when pitman was fit, yes we still pumped the ball up. Is since he injured that we finally stopped playing so much hoofball. Agree again about the aimless balls from the full back positions. All caused by the fact that our so called wide men are being expected to play a more defensive role, tucked in rather than out on the line. And that's my point in last post. That the poor football is down to McCarthys tactics, not the lack of players capable of doing better.

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ronnyd added 15:20 - Nov 1 Did i read somewhere that Carlton Cole is looking for a club? If Mick wants to persist in a big target man style then perhaps he can do a job for us.
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TimmyH added 17:20 - Nov 1 Agree...another loanee!!!!!!! something Mick said he was trying to cut down on when he first came here, how times have changed. Proven striker up front needed.
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jas0999 added 17:50 - Nov 1 Why are we looking at loans? Surely we should be planning and building a squad good enough for next season? Unlikely we will make the play offs this, so why not bed players in for next? You never know they might gel and we go on a run and make a challenge.
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Surco72 added 18:47 - Nov 1 Pragmatic the evidence is served up every Saturday , what evidence do you have that MMs football coaching is not out of date , what new formations does MM come up with ,what stunning set piece ideas , what exciting young players is he encouraging ? I can see a manager stuck with stopping the opposition , playing long balls to a target mans head getting as many balls into the box and hoping to see what happens including all set pieces even painful to watch throw ins and playing two or more defensive midfielders . He has been using the same style for 15 plus years which is why he has always failed at the top level

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Tony88 added 18:54 - Nov 1 Hammers striker Ashley Fletcher understood to be the reason for their trip. I think the word to take notice of is UNDERSTOOD. He might have gone to check on anybody. The line was cast out and you all bit. You all seem to believe anything you read.
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BlueNomad added 19:37 - Nov 1 Surco, I don't have evidence, and haven't made any assertions that I do. It was stated MM is "draconian" and his coaching "outdated" - none of us have been managed by him and can't say he is draconian and we don't actually know what the coaching involves.
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dukey44 added 21:22 - Nov 1 Currie10 come on aren't we all sick of loans? We need players that want to play for our club not just here for fitness so yes loans cost £££ but so does at least 1 proper striker?
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dirtydingusmagee added 21:31 - Nov 1 Nothing will be happening until January, then ,as ever next to nothing will happen.We should have done business pre season ,not waiting till we are in the mire, We will be in the muck by Christmas, and its going to be even harder to get players to join a sinking ship. Evans is not interested in ITFC,and Mc Carthyis just sitting his contract out, both need to go .

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Surco72 added 21:51 - Nov 1 Pragmatic surely the players are playing to what they been coached over the last 4 years or I imagine MM would not be saying how brilliant they are and that he couldnt get better and they would have been shipped out ? Again the evidence for the out of date football is evident every week or do you believe the players are doing their own thing ?
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Guthrum added 21:53 - Nov 1 Karls Dad - It's over a decade since we last had average attendances of the size you're talking about! You can't blame McCarthy for that.
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paddypowell added 09:31 - Nov 2 so much negativity from so called supporters in the stands doesnt exactly give the players any incentive to get geed up and raise their game as for mm he puts a team of pro players on the pitch who r getting more a week than some of us have a year and they r to blame for the performances not mm he would do better telling players that if they dont play to their potential they will b dropped and someone who wants play will replace them whoever they r so lets get behind the teab coybs

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