Boss Paul Jewell says the players currently out of his first team are showing the right attitude as they look to win a place in the starting XI. Defenders Tommy Smith and Darren O’Dea, midfielders Luciano Civelli and Jaime Peters and striker Tamás Priskin are currently amongst those regularly amongst the substitutes and not starting.
Jewell says they still have a significant role to play even when they are out of the side: "I’ve said to the players this morning that sometimes the players who are out of the team are as important as those in it because they’re working hard and trying to get in the team. I want a squad who are all fighting to get in the team.
"When they’re out of the team, they’re not happy, but they’re not sulking, they’re trying to react in a positive way. The likes of Darren O’Dea, Tommy Smith, Luca Civelli and Jaime Peters.
"Jason Scotland, despite the rumours [about him going on loan to Swansea], he got his head down and trained, the same with Tamás Priskin now. There’s no sulking going on and they’re all working very hard.”
The Blues boss, who is moving out of his hotel into a house on Wednesday, says central defender Smith, who scored twice for the reserves last week, has been unlucky not to play some part during his time in charge at Portman Road: "I’m not one for chopping and changing. The two centre-halves have done well, but if Tommy has to come in and play, I wouldn’t lose sleep over it.”
Jewell has also been pleased with Carlos Edwards’s performances since he switched to right-back, a role the Trinidadian is still learning, despite targeting Aston Villa’s Habib Beye on loan last week: "I’m not looking for a right-back, I just thought that if we could add one it might improve the squad. I think Carlos has done terrific. He gets forward from that position well, he’s a good athlete.
"Positionally at times he gets a little bit caught out, but I’ve been very happy with him at right-back. He’ll have a big test at QPR but he’s done well.”
The Town manager says Jason Scotland’s recent turnaround illustrates how swiftly life can move on in football: "Jason’s frustrations about not playing were well documented. Since then, we spoke and he’s got two goals in three games.
"Things can change around very quickly in football, sometimes you think you’ve cracked it, sometimes you think you’ve nowhere to go and the week after you’re in the team scoring goals.
"One minute as a manager you’re a genius, the next you’re clueless. You try and keep your feet on the floor, keep working away and hope that something breaks for you.
"Jason gives us something different, he holds the ball up well. He has different strengths to Tamás, so I’ve got options there. He’s got two goals in three games, that’s not a bad record.”
Jewell feels that Priskin is unfortunate to have been the man to drop out of the side: "I think Tamás is a bit unlucky to be left out because since I’ve been here the team has done well.
"We’ve had some good results, we’ve had some good performances, individually and collectively, and whoever gets left out at QPR - if indeed anyone does get left out from Saturday - they’re going to find themselves very unfortunate, but that’s football.”