Boss Mick McCarthy has stressed that the plan to send midfielder Anthony Wordsworth out on loan prior to last Thursday’s deadline was only to give the 24-year-old first-team football. A proposed move to League One Preston broke down, while the former Colchester man is also understood to have been interesting the MK Dons amongst others.

“I was prepared to let him go out so he could have a month of competitive games and he would have been back on December 12th,” McCarthy said. “So, he would have missed four games, but he would have been better for it.

“I wasn’t trying to get shot of him, I was trying to do me and him a favour - if he got five competitive games he’d be a lot better off when came back in December, rather than playing in the U21s on Tuesday, as he did.

“The message is always the same, it’s get in the team. They want me to put them in the team, they’ve got to put it in front of me every day, playing and training.”

The Blues boss says Wordsworth, who has made two starts and seven appearances for Town, scoring one goal, has been unlucky fitness-wise since moving to Portman Road from Colchester for £100,000 in January.

“He had a lot of injuries, Woody,” he said. “He fractured his spine, that put him back slightly. And I think he had another injury then. He really did get some nasty injuries, to be fair, and that just put him down the pecking order.”

Meanwhile, McCarthy says he had no problem with Gillingham manager Peter Taylor playing loanee Elliott Hewitt in central midfield, although he would have preferred the 19-year-old to operate in his more usual right-back position during his spell with the League One club.

Hewitt, whose time with the Gills has come to an early end due to a fractured ankle, was used as a holding midfielder — a role McCarthy says he’s not considered for the Wales U21 international — in a 4-5-1 formation as the Gills beat Stevenage 3-2 at the Priestfield Stadium last Tuesday.

Speaking prior to Hewitt being ruled out for a month, McCarthy said: “I spoke to Peter Taylor, I’d prefer him to be playing at right-back, but playing at that level in competitive football it’ll still be good for him.

“It’ll give him a different string to his bow, he can see different things. But, like I said, I’d prefer him playing his position, but they’ve taken him and I don’t say to [Taylor] he's got to play him at right-back as he might not play at all if he’s got somebody else.”

Photo: Action Images

sotd78 added 08:52 - Dec 2 What everyone knows or thinks they know about Woody is that he is or looks a "lazy" player. The work to death ethic that MM espouses will never suit Wordsworth. As for Hewitt - sending him out to play and then finding that he's not actually learning his trade at right back seems just plain daft. Why is it that we seem to take loanees and have to play them whilst the opposite is untrue for us...

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oldelsworthyfan added 10:02 - Dec 2 I agree with you (sotd78) about Wordsworth. He sometimes appears to be a lazy player, possibly because he is using his brain, just like some other 'class' players do and not rushing around the pitch aimlessly chasing shadows. He's not an Alan Ball type of player, but he does know what to do with the ball when he gets it. And there are some goals in him. A loan spell would have been ideal, but expect him to feature before too long.

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taylor15 added 10:31 - Dec 2 he reminds me on tom huddlestone. they both have a lazy way about them, but boy, they can pass, and that is what ipswich need right now! play him, we all know he is capable!
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battyblue added 11:25 - Dec 2 Okay so what about Anderson he must do a lot of good things in training because i haven't seen many on match day yet, you don't have to run around like a headless chicken to be a good player so give Woody some game time now
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im_marcacus added 11:30 - Dec 2 Agreed, Anderson feels like the weak link right now, terrible corners again at Charlton. Why doesn't Cresswell take them from both sides? Would like to see Wordy come in to the middle for a couple of home games, then hopefully we might get to some some forward passes..
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runningout added 23:00 - Dec 2 Wordsworth too naive in his few games.. Also needs a word with the local nutritionalist...
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