Boss Paul Cook says striker and stand-in skipper James Norwood has never had momentum during what’s been an injury-hit campaign, and believes there’s a story behind everyone’s season at Portman Road.
Norwood, who has worn the captain’s armband in the last two games, is Town’s top scorer on nine but having made only 18 starts and nine sub appearances in all competitions.
The 30-year-old, who joined on a free transfer from Tranmere in the summer of 2019 and has another year left on his contract, was hampered by a groin injury which twice required surgery in 2019/20 in which he netted 11 times, joint-top scoring alongside Kayden Jackson.
"James has played 27 games this season. With our players, and he’ll will be the last one I’ll discuss with you, there’s a story behind everyone here, including James,” Cook said.
"He’s come in as a talisman, he’s missed games for whatever reason. He hasn’t probably got that momentum.
"We haven’t probably had a balance in the team, we probably haven’t had a set pattern of play, we don’t put enough crosses into the box in games. Everyone’s had a story, James being no different.
"The story going forward for all players is that the first team at Ipswich Town comes first, 100 per cent it comes first and we’re all part of that.
"Hopefully for James, he’ll be getting spoken to on Monday like everyone else. Giving him the captaincy was purely on a basis like the other lads who have been captain, Stephen Ward was captain, Luke Chambers is obviously club captain, James was the most senior player.
"James is part of a team that in my opinion has underachieved as well. We’ve all got our story in that.”