Striker Rory Fallon has revealed that Blues boss Roy Keane reminds him of his father. Fallon, on loan from Plymouth with a view to a permanent switch, assisted Town’s first two goals in Saturday’s sub-polar 3-0 victory over Leicester City.
New Zealand international Fallon, who has now made two starts and two sub appearances for the Blues, says words of encouragement from Keane have been a boost: "He's given me some praise and that's given me some confidence. You can tell he watches every move you make.
"He reminds me of my dad actually, the fierceness of him. He's got that look, you know, that glare. There's so much passion for the game inside Roy, he's been a breath of fresh air for me.
"I've only just broken into the first team,” he continued. "What I need to do now is keep myself in the team, allow the lads to understand how I play and just put some chances away.”
Keane was impressed with the 28-year-old’s performance against Leicester, but concedes his recruitment may have surprised many fans: "Rory did well. Rory gives us something different.
"I know people have been raising eyebrows since we brought the boy into the club. He’s come in for five or six weeks and let’s give the boy a chance. He’s something a little bit different.”
The Blues boss says he needed to add to his attacking options with so many frontmen having left: "I’ve been digesting a lot of stuff about the club over the last few days and from what we had last year we’re so lacking in strikers it’s untrue, particularly with Connor having been injured for most of the season.
"There’s no Stead, no Walters, Lisbie, Pablo. They were all Ipswich Town players, whether they were here last year or out on loan.
"Rory’s here to give us something a little bit different. He seems a nice, genuine kid and I think he’s doing an honest job. I didn’t think he did badly in the first half last week either. The players are getting to know him, we took a few gambles off his knock downs against Leicester.”
Fallon is hoping to do enough to persuade Keane make his move permanent: "I realise Plymouth are struggling for cash and they probably needed to get me off the books. I'm still on loan and this thing isn't 100% on, it really depends on my performances. But he's not expecting miracles of me, just to do what I usually do.
"The way Plymouth are going, they're absolutely struggling for cash and it looks like they could be going into administration, so I think they're going to try and sell all their main assets.
"We'll see, I'm just taking one day at a time. You just don't know what will happen in football and all I can do is take each day as it comes and give this opportunity 100% because if that's not enough, at least I know I can go away happy."
Fallon, who has scored three goals in 10 games for New Zealand including all three matches at the World Cup, is yet to open his account with the Blues and admits that he will have to increase his hit-rate if he is to fulfil his ambition of playing in the Premier League: "Target men like me will always get stick because they don't score goals every game.
"They're usually the ones that other people play off, often sitting deeper to flick on. I don't think a lot of people really know what the position of a target man is all about.
"But the difference between a Premier League striker and a Championship striker is goals. Until I start scoring a lot of goals it will be tough to get into the Premier League. That's what it's all about. I know I can play in the Premier League because I've played against those guys before. "
The born-again Christian says his New Zealand team-mate Tommy Smith played a part in his move to Portman Road: "Roy asked Tommy about me and he put in a good word.
"It's great to be around Tommy, he's a really good lad and we really get on. Tommy's family have invited me and my wife to their Christmas meal. They've also done my washing!
"Tommy and I hang out a bit at his place and play PlayStation, it's just been brilliant. It's good to be back with him, as well as a couple of the other lads who I also knew before I came here.
"I'm here until January 22nd, that's when the loan expires. Then it's up to Roy, whether he wants to extend the loan to the end of the season or buy me in January when the transfer window opens again."
Skipper David Norris briefly played with Fallon during his spell with Argyle and says he gives Town something different up front: "We didn’t cross-over for too long but I played a few games with him and I know what he’s all about. Because he’s good in the air, it’s about trying to read his flick-ons and holding up of the ball.
"I think he gives us something different, an aerial threat. We’ve got Jason Scotland who can drop in and hold the ball up and turn and bring other players into play, but Rory gives us the aerial threat. He’s not just good at flicking things on, he can chest things down and bring other players into play as well.”