Town boss Mick McCarthy says Cole Skuse is one of the best signings he has made in his four years at Portman Road. On Saturday, the 30-year-old, who joined the Blues on a free transfer in the summer of 2013, faces his hometown club Bristol City at Ashton Gate for the first time since he left them.
"He’s been one of my best signings ever in terms of consistency, reliability, playing every week, how he is in the dressing room and in the the training ground, low maintenance - he comes in and he does his job,” McCarthy said.
"He helps other people and he’s damned good at what he does. He’s been one of my best signings.”
He added: "He had a spell here when I don’t think he was appreciated by other people as much he was by his peers and his coaches and manager because he really goes about his job very, very diligently and does it.
"I know he’s not one of the [tricky, sexy ones], although he was far more positive last week, he had one in the net, he had one that was saved and one that ended up at Tom Lawrence’s feet, a shot that we scored from. He’s trying to do that within his game. He’s been terrific and all-round he’s just a top guy and a top pro.”
Does he feel Skuse is more able to get into positions where he might add to his one competitive goal for the Blues in 145 games when playing alongside Jonathan Douglas rather than Teddy Bishop, who had started the previous three games?
"I get that, that [the fans] all want the nice, tricky, sexy ones in there but Skusey probably has to more work than he should have to do when he’s got those in there.
"Yes, they do all the going forward and it’s great but they’ve got to get back in and do their jobs and be solid and I think with Dougie alongside him, playing against three [against QPR last week] they handled it really well. Let’s hope they handle it well this week.”
Did he take extra satisfaction from winning last week’s game having named an XI which wasn’t universally popular among fans.
"Well, four years ago when they gave me the job I think they thought I could do it,” he continued. "I came and proved I could and continue to prove I can.
"Do I get things wrong? It turns out to be wrong if somebody makes a mistake, but in the main I make more good decisions than bad.
"And last week they were good decisions, the right decisions because I needed a team of blokes in it that I knew what I was going to get out of them. I didn’t want to be putting players in and saying, ‘Do this…’ and hope that goes OK.
"I knew what I was going to get out of Reg, I knew what I was going to get out of Dougie, and Chambo has been different class. I knew it wouldn’t appeal to everybody, but I’m not bothered, and we won the game.”
He says he was pleased with Douglas’s display: "I was delighted with him, I’ve never been anything other than that with Dougie. Dougie’s had to sit out. I said to him that I just wanted Bish in the team, it was nothing he had done wrong.
"It’s not easy to take for a player, but it’s easier when I’m just telling him the truth, I’m not giving him any waffle, telling him that I think this has been happening or he hadn’t been doing this well enough.
"That wasn’t the case. I wanted Bish in the team and Bish had to suck it and see last week when I told him I wanted Dougie back in because of the things he gives me on a day when I need it.”
He added: "Some weeks you just want to pick a team because that is the team I want to pick. And if you’re not in it, unlucky.
"I’m not going to give you any other reason,’Oh, by the way, you didn’t track back’ or ‘You didn’t mark properly’, because I’ve heard all that before and it doesn’t wash with people, it doesn’t wash with players because they know how they’ve played. But if my choice is purely and simply what I want to pick, I’m the manager, I can do it.”
Freddie Sears was also among those unfortunate to be left out against QPR, particularly having scored two goals in October to end his 38-game barren run.
"He had, and people remind me of that and yet I didn’t leave him out. He’s played 40 games and scored two goals,” McCarthy said.
"My loyalty isn’t going to be questioned surely, in terms of keeping players in the team and being loyal to them.
"I wanted a more physical presence, which Reg gives me, and he did. I think the keeper saw him coming and he came flying at him and he made a mistake accordingly.
"It’s always tough when you’ve got somebody as good as Freddie’s been and how selflessly he works for the team, but sometimes it just requires a change. It’s great when it works, it comes back and bites me on the bum when it doesn’t.”