Town boss Mick McCarthy is pleased with the balance of his current side as the Blues go into today’s live Sky game against Nottingham Forest at Portman Road (KO 5.30pm).
David McGoldrick and Teddy Bishop returned to the starting line-up for the last home game against Rotherham and - along with Jonny Williams who has made an impression from the bench - have given the Blues XI a more attacking outlook.
While the match against the Millers ultimately ended in a disappointing 2-2 draw, Town impressed in the first half and then put in what skipper Luke Chambers felt was their best performance of the season as they won 2-1 at Sheffield Wednesday a fortnight ago.
McCarthy believes widemen Tom Lawrence, who scored a brilliant first Blues goal at Hillsborough, and Grant Ward play a key role and are an improvement on the players who played in those positions in the 2014/15 play-off season.
"There’s certainly balance to it, although we do have a right footer [Lawrence] playing on the left wing, but that’s pretty much in vogue,” he said.
"It doesn’t really bother me which foot they kick with so long as they can beat people and put crosses in and play on the inside.
"And with Wardy there’s certainly a bit of pace, there’s certainly a threat, but they are equally as hard working as Tabby [Jay Tabb] and Ando [Paul Anderson] were.
"I always sort of judge people on that. God love Ando and Tabby, but I think the two lads are more progressive and better players than those two.
"But those two were brilliant for me, they were brilliant for this club. They were just outstanding while they were here, considering they were two free transfers that came in and contributed so much to a really good team that ended up finishing sixth, they were great.
"And I’m saying now that I think the two lads that we’ve got pretty much can do more going forward but do equally as much going the other way.
"That’s a real compliment to them because Ando and Tabby were outstanding at that, they were great.”
Wales international Williams is yet to make the first start of his fourth loan spell with the Blues - although the Town boss says he is now ready - and while there might be a clamour for McCarthy to start all his best attacking players in the same side, the Town boss says that doesn’t always work.
"Having balance in your team is having players who can create things and attack and do the mucky jobs, but you really have got to do those jobs,” he continued.
"You can have too many [attacking players] in your team and you suddenly find that they’re not doing [that] and you’re getting beat and you’ll be looking round and wondering why. There is a good balance in the team with the two wide lads.
"Bish’s game naturally is an outstanding midfield player. He’s had to learn to do all the mucky jobs because if you don’t do it, you’ll get beaten in this league, you’ll lose.
"He does that now, he wins his headers, tracks back and he protects the back four when he has to, but what he has got is that wonderful ability to glide past people and find a pass.
"I think he’s getting back to that, he’s had to put all his efforts in and he’s still [having to come off after] 75 minutes, but I’ll take 75 minutes of Bish any day because I think he’s terrific.”
He added: "[You have to] do all those tough, professional, hard-working jobs, I see Liverpool who are top of the Premier League and they’re the hardest working team, and Spurs were last year.
"But then they’ve got good players who are working hard. If you can get that you’re doing all right, you’ve got a good team. And two weeks ago that’s what we had.”
Jonathan Douglas was the man who made way for Bishop having been a regular fixture in the team and McCarthy says the Irishman’s omission was simply a case of him wanting to get the 20-year-old academy product, who missed most of last season with injury, into the side.
"Dougie and I have not really spoken about that at length,” he said. "Of course, when I did it I spoke to him, it’s nothing he’s done wrong, I just wanted Bish in the team. Nothing anybody can do about that, can they?
"I’m not giving him any criticism whatsoever, he’s been terrific but we have Skusey who is a holding midfield player, who is as good as anybody, and Bish adds something else to us, which Dougie doesn’t, which Kevin Bru doesn’t, which a lot of the others don’t.
"So I want him in the team, I want him playing. There’s nothing anybody can do about that.”