Boss Mick McCarthy says he’s happy with the way left-back Tyrone Mings has settled into the season having taken over from Aaron Cresswell following his summer move to West Ham, even if the 21-year-old believes he could be doing better. Cresswell joined the Hammers in July for an initial £3.75 million with the fee potentially rising to £7 million after top-ups.
"Tyrone is a lovely kid and I think he thinks he could do better,” McCarthy said. "But I’ve said to him that you don’t replace a £4 million left-back with somebody we got from Chippenham for 10 grand or whatever it was and expect it just to be seamless, because it doesn’t happen.
"We lost a guy who had played [79 games] for Tranmere, a lot of football in the league, then came here and finished his education and now he’s gone on to West Ham, deservedly so. Ty’s in that first bit of his education and he’s doing great.”
Cresswell loved to push forward whenever he could and McCarthy wants to see Mings do the same when he gets the chance: "When there are opportunities on for full-backs to go, he can go. But he’s doing fine.
"He’s exciting when he’s going forward. I hope he doesn’t excite me at the back,” he joked. "I just like it to be boring and absolutely rock solid at the back, I don’t need any excitement, thank you.”
McCarthy is also pleased with the way Paul Anderson has begun the campaign, having benefited from being involved for most of pre-season this year after stop-start preparations last summer.
"Ando didn’t have a pre-season properly last year,” the Town boss recalled. "I think he was waiting for his move here to happen. Jay Emmanuel-Thomas was still here at the start.
"No matter who you are, I think you get a little bit sidelined. We were trying to do that deal but when he eventually came and started he did great and I was so disappointed that he then got injured.
"He’s got better and better, Paul, I’ve been delighted with him. As a signing, he’s been terrific.”
Elsewhere, McCarthy is now 10-1 to be the next Crystal Palace manager with some bookies.
However, former Eagles boss Neil Warnock is widely quoted as an odds-on favourite to return to Selhurst Park, while Steve Clarke and Neil Lennon are ahead of McCarthy, who signed a new three-year deal with Town last month.