Boss Roy Keane says he blames himself in part for midfielder Colin Healy’s failure to make an impression at Portman Road since making his move from Cork City in the summer. The former Irish international joined SPL side Falkirk on loan until the end of the season earlier this week.
Keane told the club site: "It's not quite happened here for Colin so far but that happens in football and I take some of the blame for that.
"I look at the games I played him in, against Palace when he hadn't played for months and then we went down to 10 men and I put him on the right. At home to Leicester, when he sat in midfield in a system I played that didn't work for us on the day.
"It's been difficult for him but it's not been his fault. It's been mine if anything. Maybe I've not really given him a good run in the side. One or two things went against him, even at the start of the season when he suffered from blisters after the army training.
"I've got a lot of time for Colin and I'll be watching his performances in Scotland because he's still under contract with us. He's got another year here and he's a good player.
"There were other clubs interested in him in England from the lower divisions but I'm glad he's gone to Scotland. He will be a great signing for Falkirk, I'm sure of that. I think he'll benefit from the buzz of playing against Celtic and Rangers."
Keane says he is looking at strengthening some areas of his squad: "We have got good competition for places in most areas of the team. There are one or two positions that I feel we need a bit more and if someone comes up then we will see, but the priority is getting games for some of the players here.
"We've had disruption with the weather and that's meant two reserve games being called off and players need to play. That's why we've let Liam Trotter, Tommy Smith and Colin go out.
"We've had one or two enquiries about players this week but no more than that. We've got a lot of players at this club and that needs tightening up."
Meanwhile, defender Pim Balkestein says he benefited from his spell out on loan at Brentford recently: "I was suffering from a little dip and not playing well and not training well. It was a great shout by the manager to arrange for me to go out on loan.”
Elsewhere, former Town loanee Giovani Dos Santos is again being linked with a move to Turkish side Galatasaray, who are managed by his old Barcelona boss Frank Rijkaard.
Town manager Roy Keane recently said Dos Santos returning to Portman Road was highly unlikely.