Town goalkeeper Bartosz Bialkowski has revealed the circumstances in which he was surprisingly dropped for the East Anglian derby clash with Norwich at Portman Road in August.
Although admitting to being taken aback by the decision, Bialkowski also confessed that his performances in the previous five games — from which Town took just two points — were below the high standard to which supporters who voted him Player of the Year for three successive seasons had become accustomed.
The Polish international recalled the dramatic dressing room events of the morning of August 29 when he learned he was being axed from ex-boss Paul Hurst’s starting line-up for the noon kick-off against the Canaries.
"It was a shock — I’m not going to lie — and it was difficult for me,” he admitted. "I knew I wasn’t performing that well but I only found out an hour and a half before the game and that’s the biggest game for me, for the fans and for the club.
"The manager just read the team out in the dressing room — that was how I found out. I have never been told anything. I never spoke to the old gaffer before or after it, so I was disappointed obviously, but all I had to do was keep training hard and do it for myself so that I would be ready again.”
Asked why he made no attempt to seek an explanation from Hurst in the wake of the 1-1 draw, he added: "I just thought ‘Surely, he’s going to pull me to one side and explain’. I had never been in that kind of situation before.
"If I was dropped in the past the manager would tell me the thinking behind it, so I expected him to do the same at some point. But it never happened.”
Nor was there a verbal exchange between the pair when Bialkowski was eventually recalled after an eight-game absence and following an unconvincing display by replacement Dean Gerken in last month’s 2-0 home defeat by QPR.
The 31-year-old added: "No, nothing. He just told us the team and I was in it, so it was exactly the same for Deano as well. He never told him anything either.
"My point of view is it’s a lack of respect but obviously he has a different one. But he’s gone and I’ve totally forgotten about it. I’m enjoying my football again, really enjoying it, so I don’t want to talk about it because it’s gone.
"I think you need to respect every single person, whether it’s a player, a manager or someone who is working at the training ground. You need to respect every single one.
"Listen, if he wanted to drop me then that’s fine for me, but at least have the bravery to tell me about it. But he never spoke to me and I just thought that was a bit disrespectful.
"It didn’t affect how I get on with Deano — not at all — because we have a really good relationship and any time he played I was keeping my fingers crossed for him. That’s the way I am and I was doing everything to prepare for each game. It wasn’t Deano’s decision that I was dropped.”
Bialkowski offered no explanation for his uncharacteristic early-season form that saw him make a few errors, but intriguingly continued: "I’ve got a few things in mind but for the time being I think I’m going to keep it to myself. Maybe in the future I am going to tell everything about it but at the moment I’m going to keep it to myself.”
Asked if he was referring to personal issues, he replied: "No, not personal, but like I said I don’t want to talk about it for now. One day you will definitely hear the story.”