Wigan manager Warren Joyce believes Tom Lawrence, who he coached during his time at Manchester United, is as big a threat as anyone currently playing in his role in the Championship. The Blues, 17th, face the second-bottom Latics at the DW Stadium this afternoon.
Joyce coached the development squad at Old Trafford, where Lawrence moved from Everton as an eight-year-old, until taking charge at Wigan at the start of November.
The Welsh international, 22, progressed through the ranks and on into Joyce’s side before moving on to his current parent club Leicester in 2014 after a number of spells out on loan.
"Obviously one of our players, Tom Lawrence, has gone on to do very well for them,” Joyce told Wigan Today.
"I see him as a dynamic player who’s probably as big a threat as anyone in the league in that position.”
Lawrence has been one of the Blues' standout performers this season and has established himself wide on the left.
Reflecting on the Town team as a whole, Joyce said: "Overall they’re a big strong team with cutting edges in the right areas, and I don’t see them as much weaker than some of the other big teams we’ve played in recent weeks.
"They’ve got an ingrained philosophy that they’ve had success with down there.
"We know how they’re going to play and it’s up to us to stop it, and trying to give them a problem. But they do what they do very well, and it won’t be an easy game to play in.”
He added: "Ipswich are no mugs. They’ve been consistently in and around the play-offs during the last few years.
"If there is expectancy, it’s because of how hard we’ve worked over the last few weeks — and we need to keep our foot on the pedal. You can’t take your foot off the gas. We have to be full throttle.”
He says he knows Blues boss Mick McCarthy well: "To be fair, the managers I’ve come across so far — barring Rafa Benitez — I’d say are all friends of mine that I’ve spent a lot of time with.
"With Mick, we’ve had players from United down there on loan, and he was a frequent visitor up here to see myself and Sir Alex [Ferguson].
"He’s still a down-to-earth, grounded bloke that seems unflustered against anything that comes up against him.
"He has a philosophy of being honest and working hard, and not being flustered by you pressmen!”
Blues manager McCarthy has promised changes to his side with 17-year-old Andre Dozzell understood to be in line to make his first Championship start of the season.