Town boss Mick McCarthy wasn’t surprised to learn that his fellow managers voted left-back Aaron Cresswell the ninth best player in the Championship at the recent Football League Awards.

Championship bosses were asked to select who they viewed as this season's top five players from opposition clubs in order and their scores were added up to produce a top 10.

“So he should be,” McCarthy said. “I can’t vote for him, so I didn’t vote for him, but he is recognised as one of the best around.

“It’s subjective and it really is open for discussion, and there’ll be somebody with a different opinion, but I think most people, and certainly most managers, can I call them learned people, will accept and say he’s certainly, if not the best, then one of the best in the league. I think he’s the best, I think he’s terrific.”

Cresswell moved to Portman Road from Tranmere in the summer of 2011 for tribunal-set compensation which eventually rose to £420,000, plus 20 per cent of the profit from his future sale, with plenty of Premier League clubs having kept tabs on his progress.

While the 24-year-old has firmly established himself as Town’s left-back since making that switch, McCarthy recently pushed him forward to left midfield during the second half of the 1-0 win at Yeovil with Tyrone Mings taking his place in the back four.

Is this something the Town boss, a big fan of Mings, whose opportunities have been limited by Cresswell’s consistency, might look to do more regularly?

“I did it first of all at Burnley at the end of last season,” he recalled. “But the game was a dead one really because we’d stayed up the week before and with the relief of that we didn’t play particularly well. It wasn’t a great game and then they got a screamer that put them 1-0 up [and then added a second].

“That helped Tyrone but I’m not so sure Cressy had his best game. Cressy’s the best left-back in the league and think all you do is compromise him. I’m not certain it would make us any better defensively.

“I think Cressy loved it for 10 or 15 minutes [at Yeovil] because it was like he was off the reins, he could go and play a bit.

“It’s a consideration but what I’d be doing would be moving the best left-back in the league to do a job that’s not really his. And when Tabby and Hunty can do that, it’s not necessary. But it’s a nice weapon to have.”

Liverpool-born Cresswell is contracted to Town until the summer of 2017 having signed new terms earlier in the season.

Sky Bet Championship Player of the Year Top 10

1 Danny Ings (Burnley)

2 Ross McCormack (Leeds United)

3 Danny Drinkwater (Leicester City)

4 Andy Reid (Nottingham Forest)

5 David Nugent (Leicester City)

6 Sam Vokes (Burnley)

7 Jamie Vardy (Leicester City)

8 Kieran Trippier (Burnley)

9 Aaron Cresswell (Ipswich Town)

10 Will Hughes (Derby County)

Photo: Action Images

footyblue added 07:10 - Apr 2 I think he would be even better if he took their RB on and got to the byeline on occassion
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Ipswichlove added 07:21 - Apr 2 I don't actually think Cressy has played as well this season... Think last season was his best season!
4

RonFearonsHair added 07:42 - Apr 2 He hasn't been as effective going forward as he was towards the start of the season. But I think defensively he has been better. You only have to count how few goals against us come from down his side to see that. Saying that, it could just be that more managers are targeting poor old Chambers.
2

ArnieM added 08:01 - Apr 2 A pale shadow of the Cresswell that we saw last seeason. The lure of PL has truned his head I fear. Id sell him tomorrow if it meant we could secure Williams...not a hope I know. In Mings we have a more than capable replacement for Cresswell, plus any fee we 'd get we have to hand over nearly 25% to Tranmere.
-12

ArnieM added 08:30 - Apr 2 Wickets: Whats your problem?
-2

Popeye added 08:30 - Apr 2 Wish we had a left sided combo like the Hreidarrson/Clapham one during Burleys time at the club. Used to love seeing Herman bombing up the wing beyond Clapham and sticking in some crosses.
1

MCGOODERZ added 08:40 - Apr 2 It appears that he's set such high expectations for himself that he can consistently do things none of our other players can and be considered to not be playing well He was outstanding until about mid December. Slightly less so since then but I'd only say he's had 3/4 really bad games. He should never have been taken off set pieces. Maybe fans have stopped seeing the way he controls the way we keep possession on the floor, and stopped seeing his curling ball down the channel(which Chambers on the other side certainly can't match) just because he has less A's to his name

0

Simonds92 added 08:55 - Apr 2 Absolute rubbish that he's not been as good this season, just before Christmas he had more assists than any player in the top four divisions. Considering how bad the players have been that have played in front of him too he's virtually playing two against one down his side every week and he's always defensively sound. Sometimes his free kick delivery is poor but that's the only criticism I have of him. Top player and one we would miss significantly if we lost him.

3

Simonds92 added 09:00 - Apr 2 In fact just checked and he's still joint top of the assists table in the championship...
0

dirtyboy added 09:04 - Apr 2 Cresswell has been consistently very good. What more can you ask for?
2

Karlosfandangal added 09:31 - Apr 2 Another summer of will he or wont he go, Aston Villa, Fulham etc
0

parhamblue added 10:09 - Apr 2 Fulham right now doesn't seem like a great career move for anyone who wants Premier League football. I think our players who are good enough to play at the next level now have to be more choosy, and regard staying put as a genuine choice.
2

ArnieM added 10:25 - Apr 2 Seems a few of you are blind to a player's true form this season. For those that down arrowed me ( actually couldnt give a flying f@ btw), need to take a step back and see how Cresswell really is playng this season. Nothing special and if we had a decent offer Id bite the hand off. You lot will be the first to moan when he walks away for nought!
2

ntoms97 added 10:31 - Apr 2 Best left back in the league, think either Smith or Berra ought to be in the top 10 as well. And why is Drinkwater 3rd???
0

blueblood66 added 10:35 - Apr 2 7/10 minimum every week, even when not exceeding he is solid. Quality
3

TimmyH added 10:59 - Apr 2 I think he's done ok this season but not outstanding, certainly at least 3 players in the team who have played better continuously week in week out this season than him.
0

Tractamatt added 11:33 - Apr 2 If he goes it will either be to Southampton as a replacement for Luke Shaw or Everton as a replacement for Baines, probably won't happen until after the world cup hope we spend the money on Williams
-1

WhoisJimmyJuan added 11:37 - Apr 2 The even better thought for me is that Tyrone mings will be a good replacement if he does go. How seldom we have been able to say that at town in recent years?
3

ipswichboy123 added 11:43 - Apr 2 i dont understand why they do this because how can you compare players like cresswell and nugent there both very good where they play but you cant really say one is better than the other as the are completly different
2

Michael11 added 11:45 - Apr 2 I might be on my own here, but I personally don't think Cresswell's kicked on and improved any more than he was last season. He's a very good player and we're lucky to have him but I think he can kick it up another gear and improve a bit more.
1

linhdi added 14:22 - Apr 2 All of which seems to suggest that there's a huge difference of opinion between Town fans and the managers of the 23 other Championship clubs. I have a slightly odd view that professional managers tend to be more knowledgeable than terrace amateurs, which suggests Cressie's having a great year!
1

ArnieM added 14:36 - Apr 2 They dont see him play week in / week out like the "less informed fans". Do you honestly think he's anywhere near as good as he was last season? I think this is the point most of us ill informed fans are trying to make. His form for the last 2 seasons has dipped strangely enough round about the time of the Jan window. Last seaosn he picked up again. This season I ( and many others it seems ) say not.

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JWM added 15:43 - Apr 2 It amazes me that Berra isn't in this top 10! He is in my humble opinion the best Centre Back in the whole Division and Tommy isn't too far behind him!
3

Warkys_Tash added 23:48 - Apr 3 ArnieM, we are know Cresswell is quality & he would be a big loss to the club if he went in the summer. However, he hasn't been as good lately & gave the ball away cheaply on many occasions against Forest, I thought it was the worst I had seen him play & so did others around me.
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