Boss Mick McCarthy admits he was surprised the Blues didn’t have more competition for Christophe Berra’s signature when he was available on a free transfer following his release by Wolves last summer. The 29-year-old, who signed a two-year deal at Portman Road, will learn this morning whether he has won the Sky Bet Championship Player of the Month award for March.
"You know my thoughts on Christophe, he’s had an outstanding season,” McCarthy said. "There are not many better defenders in the Championship.
"I was very surprised we didn’t have more competition from other managers, but they all have their own opinions.
"I hear other managers and coaches shouting when somebody picks it up ‘Get at him, get at him’ and I honestly don’t think they see what I see.
"We all see things differently, of course, and I’m thinking ‘Yeah, get at him’ because he’ll take the ball off you, which generally he does.
"I was delighted and very pleasantly surprised that we were able to get him, and you can see why now.”
McCarthy also continues to be impressed with striker Daryl Murphy, who took his goals tally for the season to 11 during last week’s 1-1 draw with Nottingham Forest.
"He’s got the number nine on his back, he’s trusted to play up front on his own, he’s not asked to do anything else, except when we go 4-3-3 he goes out wide and he does it really well,” he said.
"He tracked back in the last minute of the Derby game and for all the stuff he does up front he came back and won a tackle in the right-back slot and that was in the 93rd minute or something. That’s what he’s added to his game.
"He’s consistent in everything he does, he puts his shift in, he holds it up, he’s a real handful and he’s scoring his goals. I can’t think he’s had a better season.”
He says Sylvan Ebanks-Blake is starting to get back to his best after his long spell out with a broken leg and ankle ligament damage while with Wolves and then a more minor problem in his Town debut against Preston in the FA Cup in January.
"It would have been a lot easier for him if he hadn’t have done his hamstring and I think we would have been seeing him fully fit and flying,” McCarthy added.
"I think he’s just about there now. He’s OK, but we’ve been playing one up front and it’s suiting us at the moment, we’ve had some good results.”
The Blues boss says the former England U21 international and Frank Nouble did well from the bench against Forest: "They’ve certainly given me a bit of thought, definitely. I thought Frank did in the game beforehand when he came on and played. It’s a nice problem to have.”
Similarly, Anthony Wordsworth’s displays in the Brighton and Derby matches gave him a decision to make when Cole Skuse returned from his hip injury last week.
"I spoke to Woody beforehand and told him I was putting Skusey back in and explained he’s played 30-odd games, he’s been our top man,” he said.
"And I said to Woody that if he’d have been my top man I would have been putting him back in and leaving Skusey out. That goes with the territory, I’m loyal to players.
"As regards not having him on the bench, I had lads who are fresh and having been left out maybe he didn’t really want to be sat there anyway. They always say they would but I understand players. He’ll be back in the squad for Saturday. He might even get a game.”
McCarthy is delighted with the condition of his players at this late stage of proceedings: "I think they’ve been remarkable in terms of the levels of fitness that they have and their endurance because we’ve not got a big squad and half of them have played nearly all the games.
"They’ve been terrific, physically. They’re all physically good specimens and they keep themselves right, which they have to do. That’s a testimony to [fitness coach] Andy Liddell and the physios as well.”
The Town manager has largely stuck by the same group of players this season, based on their performances in matches and in training, and feels he has been rewarded for doing so.
"I tend to hang my hat on people and it’s usually for a good reason,” he said. "That’s not being detrimental to the ones who are left out, you pick people and you get a response from it.”