Boss Mick McCarthy has challenged striker Paul Taylor to “be better than the others” and win himself a place in his side during David McGoldrick’s absence through injury.

Taylor, 26, has made only six starts and 11 sub appearances, scoring once, since joining from Peterborough for £1.5 million in the summer of 2012, a foot injury having sidelined him for almost a year.

McCarthy says he and assistant Terry Connor have spent plenty of time working with the Liverpudlian since he returned to fitness: “We’ve done a lot of work with him.

"He came back in pre-season against Colchester, that was really his first time back and that was eight months into my tenure as manager. So, for the first eight months I didn’t see him at all, he was having rehab.

“Since then we’ve had another seven months. I think the injury took a lot out of him, he’s taken a long time to get back. He’s fully fit now but I just think the others were better than him. That’s why he hasn’t played. It’s up to him to be better than the others who are here now.”

He believes Taylor has ability but says he’s got to show him he’s worthy of being picked ahead of his other options with Frank Nouble appearing likely to partner Daryl Murphy at Leicester on Saturday.

“He’s got talent, there’s no doubt about that,” McCarthy said. “He’s got to be better than the others, that’s my view.

“I tell the players, it’s a bit of a secret, but I don’t pick the worst ones, in my mind. Others might have a different view on that, but I don’t pick the worst ones. I try and pick who I think are the better ones.”

Taylor seems likely to get a chance to shine at Leicester, even if it is only from the bench: “He’s in the squad, I’ve got 18 outfield players, so he’s very much got a chance to be involved.”

Photo: Action Images

AYACCA added 06:44 - Feb 21 Nouble Murphy partnership...... i know how you all felt reading that... anyway its my birthday today so i thought i'd write some nonsense. Flibble wibble wobble wibble
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GavTWTD added 07:00 - Feb 21 Happy Birthday AYACCA. Sounds like you've started on the falling down juice already.
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ArnieM added 07:02 - Feb 21 Its up to Taylor to make it imposzible for MM not to pick him. Its always been in Taylors kwn hands. Time to stop sulking and apply himself.
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Keaneish added 07:36 - Feb 21 If Nouble starts in a 4-4-2 we're going for a draw, If Taylor and Ebanks-Blake start in a 4-3-3, i'd be a lot happier. Take the game to Leicester, they're hardly unbeatable!
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Surco72 added 08:06 - Feb 21 “He's got talent, there's no doubt about that,” McCarthy said. “He's got to be better than the others, that's my view. Unfortunately MM you are the only one who believes Nouble is better than Taylor and your constant backing of a a player not good enough for the championship yet and constant not backing of Taylor by giving him a regular run of games to prove himself either way is baffling ?

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Jimmy86 added 08:08 - Feb 21 ArnieM taylor has applied himself as you call it in every game he has played. Football wise he is streets ahead of nouble, who at times cant even control the ball. Mick if you think nouble is better than taylor im sorry but you see something that I clearly dont!!! Nouble's touch is atrocious, for a big, strong boy cant beat a smaller player in the air and win a header, I know tabb isn't performing at the moment but it really said it all when he came on as a sub and at 5ft 5 won a header having just come on, frank never won a header for the whole first half against smaller players. Taylor is better than nouble without question

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brian_a_mul added 08:14 - Feb 21 To be honest I dont mind who starts up front as long as we get Hunt & Anderson out wide. These guys will be needed for their energy tracking the Leicester wide players.With Berra, Smith will need to be on their game to stop Nugent......how many has he scored against us?? Our striker on the day probably wont get much offensive action. Murphs and Frank have the energy, workrate and appitite to get back and slow Leicesters build up play. Taylor would be excellent to bring on if we are still in the game with 20 min to go. He can also give width if we move to 4-3-3.

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ArnieM added 08:18 - Feb 21 Ive always manitained that Taylor has the potential to be Towns talisman and match winner. He's been very unfortunate with injuries since he's been heer and once you're out of the team long term it takes a monumental effort to force your way back in ahead of players already in possession of the shirt. You have to work that much harder. We dont see what Taylor is like day to day on the tarining ground. I suspect there is far more to his non inclusion in the side , than just foot ball "ability". He needs to knuckle down an apply himself. I suspect his confidence is not what it was when he was the king pin in the Posh side. Things are dfferent at ITFC. He's not the big fish in the pool any longer .

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ArnieM added 08:20 - Feb 21 Furrthermore I dont think and have never said Nouble ( the current boo boy of certain section of Town fans) is better than Taylor. He is a 22yr old lad still learning his foot ball and has a different role in the team to that of Taylor. Hopefully you can see that Jimmy !?
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kuyski added 08:41 - Feb 21 Renew McGoldrick's contract ASAP!!
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beerhelps added 08:42 - Feb 21 last week I had a long chat with a guy who works at posh, I won't repeat the details but lets just say he did not give a shining charater referenceto Mr Taylor - he felt that the team as a whole was stonger without his skills. maybe we should be careful what we wish for, and trust MM and TC to do thier jobs with all the info that they have available. coyb
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Jimmy86 added 08:45 - Feb 21 Yes arnie I can see that and agree with you. Character and attitude seems to play more of a part in micks thinking over ability. That is probably behind taylors lack of games, because he is prob our most gifted player at the club. Nouble is still learning his trade but at the age of 22 should be more up to speed than he is at present
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warktheline added 09:10 - Feb 21 Character and attitude have to be part of a footballers DNA.There are exceptions at the very top level but still such players have to perform on a regular basis.Eric Cantona springs to mind.We've had our share of talented players recently and Mick quickly moved them on.Look at JET,Martin and Chopra,all playing in struggling teams....no coincidence in my opinion.If Taylor won't conform to the teams requirements then he has no chance of making the first 11.For sure he ain't no Cantona,therefore Taylor needs to listen to his manager and add a touch of what many believe he has,magic,to the game as often as possible on the pitch.

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bluelady added 09:16 - Feb 21 Jimmy 86 I don't think Nouble was helped in his early days being sent from pillar to post and never cementing a permanent role.. Having met him he is really shy and I would assume being moved around did nothing for his confidence. 22 is still young and I think if anyone can develop him it's these two - perhaps being believed in finally is the tonic he needs. That said I prefer Taylor on the pitch ATM and thought he really added something the few games he has played and was if anything getting better and better, Nouble is not the better player as it stands but I assume has a far better attitude, work ethic and team spirit. It only takes one bad to disrupt a team an maybe Taylor has been that guy - McCarthy isn't one to give detail around his players in public and that's how it should be.

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Nthsuffolkblue added 09:56 - Feb 21 End product is what it's about. Footballing skill without contributing to the team is not enough. At least one of Ebanks-Blake and Taylor will now get a chance to show that they (still) have that end product. If both do that could be great news for Town. If neither do, we will have learnt something.
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StowTractorBoy added 10:26 - Feb 21 To me Mick obviously has issues with Taylor whether it be on the field or off it. I do however think he is a better option than Nouble. When Taylor has played he has looked lively and is certainly more of a footballer than big Frank. I do quite like Frank but to me he is still rather raw although he does give 100 per cent to the cause. I think the big man little man of Murphy and Taylor up front could work given the opportunity.

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WhoisJimmyJuan added 10:32 - Feb 21 Bluelady - as usual a very perceptive post. But I must say, Nouble has been believed in for quite a while now, and I see little improvement. But you may well be right about Taylor. But most importantly as you say we just don't know. I would also add a note of caution to those suggesting SEB be rushed into the starting eleven: He has yet to show his past form even in glimmers for the reserves. Lets not get our hopes up. But for the record, I would like to see Murphy and Taylor up front next game. Just to see what happens. And Leicester probably won't be expecting it.

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MattinLondon added 10:33 - Feb 21 It must be quite disheartening for Taylor to be left out of the side week after week. After a while it just becomes easier simply to go through the paces in U21 games rather than to huff and puff in training and not really get anywhere. Professional footballers must know when they are better than other players - and he is better then Nouble.
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RedDust added 10:34 - Feb 21 Mick have you considered that you might be the cause of Taylors possible bad attitude because of your blindness in regards to Nouble. I'd have a bad F-ing attitude if my boss was treating me this way when another colleague is clearly inferior to my talents. at some point the emperor becomes blind to his own decisions and up till now MM has had a brilliant self awareness to his actions but the Taylor situation & his choice to nullify the opposition rather than look to stride forward concentrating on your own game has been two aspects of his reign that has undermined his intent.

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michael99 added 10:36 - Feb 21 You people calling for taylor are missing the point ,you should try reading between the lines at mm and tc comments a bit more .He seems a bad apple and people need to remember the old adage "there is no i in team "nobody is bigger than a club and team spirit and harmony are the biggest thing in team sports,a recent example is k peterson being dropped from the england cricket squad,nothing to do with ability.Does anyone remember what happened to our great team spirit when we signed finidi george and m atteo serini all those years ago ?I suppose the same people calling for taylor would still like to see chopra playing or us also.The thing which really struck me was at christmas when the team visited the hospices etc all the team were there smiling for the cameras except taylor who was standing there looking like a sulky kid on detention.Also from what i have seen he isnt a goal scoring striker anyway looks more like a wide right player to me

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Garv added 11:02 - Feb 21 Why does this rule not apply to Nouble? He goes out most weeks and performs abysmally, yet still gets picked. Taylor just doesn't get a chance, even after impressive substitute appearances. Surely you can't base every team selection on what you see in training? Go with what happened on the pitch last.
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thebeat added 11:14 - Feb 21 Im so bored of this subject now. Mick keeps constantly hinting theres a problem with Taylor but wont tell us why. Im not having it im afraid, i just think Mick and TC signed Nouble and think they can work the miracle on him but we all know thats never gona happen. If Taylors got an attitude its probably because a man who appears to have his feet on the wrong legs keeps getting picked over him. How would you feel if the fool at work got promoted over you? And as for not being a team player thats total rubbish! When Taylors played he's always played for the team mates, he brings players into the game far more than "son of mick". Whats the point debating it anymore we all know its just blatant favouritism towards " shy young frank". Meh...............

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Portman51 added 12:06 - Feb 21 Spot on Beat. All that really matters are the ninety minutes on a Saturday, and until Taylor gets a decent run of them we'll never know for sure whether the £1.5 million was a good investment or not.
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Lightningboy added 12:15 - Feb 21 It's all very well issuing challenges to players to get/keep a place in the team but I bet Loach gets dropped tomorrow inspite of last week's heroics.
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Alwaysablue added 12:20 - Feb 21 I'd rather see McGoldrick in his current state playing over Nouble
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