Chris Hogg says it's been a good and enjoyable year working with the Blues' U23s during 2017/18 with success measured by how many of the squad break through into the club's senior side.
Hogg is the assistant to U23s coach Gerard Nash but the duo are currently away from their usual duties helping caretaker-manager Bryan Klug with the first team.
Geraint Williams took charge of the final couple of games of a campaign in which the Blues’ youngsters finished third in the Professional Development League Two South table.
"It’s been a really good year and an enjoyable year of working with those players,” Hogg said.
"We’ve shown a lot of development within their game mentality, how they’ve managed go from being a little bit inconsistent in terms of performances and results to being a little bit more level with those elements.
"Gerard’s done a lot of good work, getting that into them and I’ve just been there to support and play my part in that as well.
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"We’ve got a good bond within the group in terms of the team but real success, I know Gerard mentioned it last week, is boys getting into the first team.
"There’s been some good debuts and you can look at Flynn Downes as well, who is out on loan [at Luton], that is success for us as U23s coaches. He’s out playing in the Football League, he’s out playing in the first team, doing very well in the early part of his loan and he continues to do so.
"Luke Woolfenden is playing at National League level [with Bromley], that is success for us and as many players we can get playing football in a first-team environment the better because ultimately it helps our first team that they can come back and they’ve had 20, 30, 40 games at a good level and come back stronger, fitter and a little bit wiser. And the mental edge that you gain from playing men’s football is massive.”
The U23s won their final game 3-2 at home to Bolton on Monday, Jack Lankester netted a last-gasp winner, with Northern Irish winger Conor McKendry netting another impressive strike, his 11th goal of the season (10 in the league) to make him the squad’s top scorer.
How close is the 19-year-old to joining the likes of Tristan Nydam, Ben Morris, Ben Folami and Chris Smith in the first-team squad?
🎥 | Check out this cracking finish from @mckendry_conor in Town's 3-2 U23 victory over Bolton Wanderers at Portman Road last night 💥⚽ï¸
Full highlights to follow... #itfc pic.twitter.com/88FyO1y5qv— Ipswich Town FC (@Official_ITFC) April 24, 2018
"That’s not my decision," Hogg said. "All the younger boys can do is continue to have that mentality towards getting better.
"That’s a big thing that we try and drive here, all they can control is what they do and anything else surrounding it is not an issue for them, they’ve got to be controlling the controllables.
"As long as he’s doing that and as long as the young players are doing that they’re giving themselves a chance.”