Boss Paul Jewell says Town’s location slightly off the beaten track affects the club’s ability to make loan signings, echoing comments made by his predecessors Jim Magilton and Roy Keane. But the current Blues manager says that once players get to the club and have a look around, they like what they see.
Jewell says that with plenty of Championship sides chasing the same loanees — including current target Danny Collins — the Blues are sometimes up against it with players often unwilling to move too far away from their permanent homes: "We are up against geography a little bit, I know that has always been an argument.
"Once we get them here, I think it surprises a lot of people. It certainly has surprised a lot of people that we have got in over the summer.
"Everyone knows Ipswich is a good club, but even I didn’t realise what a great club it is until I got here. I am excited every day when I walk through the doors.”
The Blues manager says he will continue to look to build on the 11 signings he made before the window closed: "We would like to always improve on what we got and if there is something out there we think will suit us and we can afford, we’ll try and do it.
"And we have seven away on international duty and if they come back injured, it might change my plans.”
Football League clubs can bring players in on 'emergency' loans of up to 93 days from Thursday.
Meanwhile, former boss Keane is reported to have failed to show for a meeting with the Icelandic FA in Reykjavik. Keane, who is amongst those in the running for the role of Iceland’s national manager, is due to watch their home Euro 2012 qualifier against Cyprus tonight. Iceland's FA have neither confirmed nor denied their interest in Keane.
Elsewhere, ex-Blue Kevin Lisbie, released at the end of last season, is still a free agent. The 32-year-old, who is set to train with a Championship side this week, says he turned down offers from League Two clubs earlier in the summer: "I spoke with both Gillingham and Southend at the beginning of pre-season and they were both interested in offering me something, but I'd prefer to play at a higher level, to be honest.
"I feel that dropping down to League Two would be a massive jump having played in the Championship last season [on loan at Millwall].
"I'm quite fit and I would like to leave the option of playing in either the Championship or League One open as long as possible really.”