Please log in or register. Registered visitors get fewer ads.
Andrews Enjoying Time With Town
Andrews Enjoying Time With Town
Tuesday, 30th Aug 2011 09:39

Loan signing Keith Andrews says he’s enjoyed his first few weeks with the Blues, even if results have largely gone against his new side. The 30-year-old, who is at Portman Road from Blackburn until January, is currently back in Ireland with Giovanni Trapattoni’s squad ahead of their Euro 2012 qualifiers against Slovakia and Russia.

Andrews said: “The results haven’t been hectic, but they will come. From a personal point of view it’s been good, but I had a decent pre-season at Blackburn so I feel very sharp. It’s just good to be out on loan, to be honest, and great to be back playing.”

The midfielder confirmed that the delay in completing his deal earlier this month was due to Blackburn's unwillingness to allow him to move on loan for the season as he and Town had hoped, Rovers preferring the half-season arrangement now in place with a view to a permanent switch in January.

Andrews says he’s pleased to be playing regularly again having been out of favour at Ewood Park last season: "I could quite easily have stayed there, but having not played a lot of football last year, and with Ireland trying to qualify for a major championship, I needed games.

"From that point of view it was a no-brainer and I feel I've made the right decision.”

The former MK Dons man has won 20 Irish caps, scoring two goals, and manager Giovanni Trapattoni has told him dropping into the Championship won’t adversely affect his chance of winning more: “He spoke to me about it.

“He had heard that I might possibly be moving and that I had come home early from a pre-season trip to Hong Kong. I told him what my plans were and he was fine with all that. He just wants me to be playing football and I don’t think it is a big issue in the grand scheme of things.

“I’ve always said it’s about playing football regularly. It’s great to have played Premier League football and I hope and expect it not to be my last time playing in the Premier League. Ipswich is certainly the platform for me to bounce back to that.”

Andrews, who has scored a goal in each of his three starts for the Blues, is used in a more defensive role for Ireland: "For club and country you play different systems, different formations. The way we set up for Ireland is two players sitting in midfield and it's proved very effective over the last few years.

"If we went gung-ho, like we've possibly done at club level, we might get spanked 5-2 and 7-1 like I've been in the last few weeks, so it's a means to an end.

"Of course it's nice to get forward but the overall main objective is the team winning games, and the team picking up points, so from that point of view I'm more than happy to do my job for Ireland.”

Andrews and Ireland face Slovakia at home on Friday and Russia away the following Tuesday.

Also on international this week are David Stockdale, whose chances of winning a first England cap have been enhanced by West Ham’s Robert Green pulling out of the squad, Carlos Edwards, who is with Trinidad and Tobago after a two-year absence having considered quitting playing for his national side, Jaime Peters is with Canada and Josh Carson with the Northern Irish U21s.


Photo: Action Images



Please report offensive, libellous or inappropriate posts by using the links provided.



meekreech added 09:47 - Aug 30
Stand out player ! Captain ???? Better at talking and organizing on the pitch !
0

lowtit added 09:49 - Aug 30
a goal a game please - top play, thanks mr Andrews!
0

RetroBlue added 09:50 - Aug 30
Reading between the lines here, Id say its obvious that Andrews is just using Town "as a platform", to get away from Blackburn, restart his career, and move on to another Prem Club.

He wont be staying with us past Jan. Sad , but true !
0

blueoff added 09:54 - Aug 30
Retro you misery guts, what's to say he won't stay with us
0

cornishnick added 09:55 - Aug 30
I guess the better is goes from now til January the better the chances of him signing permanantly. If it looks unlikely we're going to push for the playoffs, it's unlikely we would get him
0

blueblood66 added 09:57 - Aug 30
the loan is with a view to a move here, you fool. Andrews is excellent, I hope that the deal will be done in Jan.
0

itfcjc added 09:57 - Aug 30
We've enjoyed having you Keith if you keep up these goals we'll love you even more
0

daniel9624 added 09:57 - Aug 30
Not sure i really care what he does after January, as long as he keeps this standard up until then it fine by me. We can cross the January bridge when it arrives, but i very strongly suspect the permenant switch is pretty much already done!
0

HighgateBlue added 09:57 - Aug 30
Using the word "platform" is quite canny really - he's not definitely saying he wants to "use" us to get a better deal at a prem club, but neither is he explicitly talking about going to the prem /with/ Town.

I agree that he's been classy in general since his arrival, and given his leadership qualities, I think we could do a lot worse than make him captain. Having said that, it wouldn't be great if we lost our captain half way through the season because he goes back to his proper club. Jimmy is another option of course, but he might be considered too much of an injury risk. Either way, I hope Leadbitter's days are numbered. An expensive flop, I'm sorry to say.

Talking of which, we desperately need a right back. It's almost more pressing than another centre back in my view.
0

DiamondGezzer added 09:58 - Aug 30
I for one, hope he does stay and possibly take the armband. Good organizer and leads by example.
0

parkinshair added 10:03 - Aug 30
The results haven't been hectic?

I'm sure if his happy he will sign, sometimes its not all about playing premier league football. He hated it at Blackburn.

0

Back_The_Boss added 10:18 - Aug 30
Andrews to be top scorer? The way he's going at the moment you just never know!
0

Guthrum added 10:19 - Aug 30
First time anybody's suggested Town are "gung-ho" getting forward for a while!
0

NorseBlue added 10:22 - Aug 30
Oddly, another Irish paper reported the interview as so - "But I hope and expect it's not to be the last time I play in the Premier League. I'm only on loan at Ipswich for a few months. The main thing was to be playing week-in, week out and that will hopefully give me that platform that I can bounce back."

However, I'm of the same view as parkinshair, that I'm sure the deal is done for January - this is probably what took so long, negotiating the fee etc., so hope this is simply a misquote...
0

arablue added 10:32 - Aug 30
As we are using him as our platform to premier league.. in that sense, the main goal for ipsiwch town and Keith Andrews is well aligned...
0

DanLyles added 10:47 - Aug 30
When fully fit, Bowyer, Bullard, Andrews, then one of JET/Carson Martin are going to be an awesome 4 man Championship midfield. Chops and Murphy and then either Ellington or Scotland from the bench will get plenty of service. Plus these four will weigh in with their fair share of goals
0

perrymason added 11:37 - Aug 30
Keith was very poorly treated at Blackburn, after being tainted by his association with Paul Ince's failure there.
If he's happy here, I think he'll stay.
He's a very good quality Championship player - the future will take care of itself, so long as we don't let him slip through our fingers like Gareth McAuley.
0

ITFC4daprem added 11:50 - Aug 30
keep it up
0

Liverpool_blu added 12:06 - Aug 30
Should Try to Sign him in Jan.
0

robdaful added 12:16 - Aug 30
Sign him up.
0

Brazils_Hair added 12:30 - Aug 30
Agreed. Sign him up. I think he could be a legend in waiting for us.
0

Tractamatt added 12:39 - Aug 30
The way he celebrated his goal on saturday was not in the slightest bit reminisent of a player using a club as a platform, It was clear to anybody who has working eyes that he was ecstatic to score the winner for this club.FFS people the man has just said he's enjoying his time here and the doom and bloody gloom merchants are trying to put a negative spin on it,The guy has been a bright spark in a rather torrid start to the season,.So either start supporting our players and being grateful for the good things or take a walk to another site you miserable gits!
0

northernblues added 12:48 - Aug 30
I have the misfortune of working in Burnley and work with some Blackburn fans, he was not popular with them, one even said to me he would give him a piggy back down to suffolk, but given his good start they can think what they like, so far so good!
0

TheWizardDeVos added 12:52 - Aug 30
I think Andrews has done ok so far. Yes, he's scored in each game he's played but I'm pretty sure he was bought to play the holding / defensive midfield role. He has been part of a midfield that has been completely overrun in all 3 games he has played. An organiser? Well we haven't looked that organised recently have we? I like his commitment and the fact he does open his trap more than most others but I still think he can settle into a more valuable role.
0

GTRKing added 13:33 - Aug 30
He is good & sign him up & he will do well for us & will be a star
0


You need to login in order to post your comments

Blogs 295 bloggers

Ipswich Town Polls

About Us Contact Us Terms & Conditions Privacy Cookies Advertising
© TWTD 1995-2024