Town boss Mick McCarthy admits that the international fortnight has come at a good time with the Blues having won just once in their last six league games and down to 12th in the Championship.

Despite the recent run of results, the Town manager will still give his players some time off.

“Yes, [it does come at a good time], but they’ll still get a break,” McCarthy said. “[People will think] that we’ll lash into them and really cane them, that’s not the case.

“We’ve potentially got Christophe Berra away, Ryan Fraser away, David McGoldrick away, Daryl Murphy away, Kevin Bru away, Tommy Oar away, Ainsley Maitland-Niles away, so that’s not going to help our cause in terms of working with the team."

Speaking to BBC Radio Suffolk, he added: “We’ll be in training, they’ll get a few days break and then when we come back on the Monday for the week building up to Huddersfield we’ll have to put a good shift in then.”

Having remained loyal to his first-choice players, he admits he is considering changes when the Terriers visit Suffolk: “I keep saying I’ve got the best squad of players I’ve had since I’ve been here, so maybe it’s time to look at a few others.”

McCarthy has no complaints about international breaks interrupting the Championship season, believing that players benefit from them with fixtures coming thick and fast.

“I think it gives players a chance to have a break and to rest up because we are only 10 games in and we’ve got all these games still to play,” he said.

“And then you get that bonkers period over Christmas and then that bonkers period over Easter, so maybe putting their legs up for three or four days will help them long term.”

Berra and Scotland face Poland at Hampden Park, Glasgow on Thursday and then take on Gibraltar in Portugal on Sunday as they complete their Euro 2016 qualifiers.

Fraser and U21s keeper Jonathan Henly are are due to meet up with the Scotland U21s for their European Championship qualifiers against France on Saturday and Iceland on the following Tuesday.

McCarthy said on Saturday that Fraser might well be forced out of those games due to the injury which forced him out of Saturday's defeat at Blackburn: “That’s a discussion that our physio’s got to have with them and I think he’s going to struggle for it.

“He got a knock before the Leeds game, he had a bad ankle and he got another knock in training the other day and had a scan. The scan’s clear but he’s just bruised bone.”

Murphy and McGoldrick’s Republic of Ireland play their final two Euro 2016 qualifiers against Germany in Dublin on Thursday and Poland in Warsaw on Sunday.

Winger Oar and Australia play a World Cup qualifier against Jordan in Amman on Thursday.

Maitland-Niles will be with the England U19 squad for their Euro 2016 qualifying group games in Skopje, Macedonia.

They face the hosts on Thursday, Finland two days later and Italy on the following Tuesday.

Bru’s Mauritius play Kenya in a two-legged World Cup qualifier at home on Wednesday and away on Sunday at the round one preliminary stage.

Defender Josh Yorwerth and keeper Michael Crowe will be with the Wales U21 squad for their Euro 2017 qualifier against Denmark in Aalborg on Friday.

Yorwerth’s loan club Crawley had a request to have Saturday’s home game against Leyton Orient postponed due to international calls denied by the Football League.

Winger Dylan Connolly will be with the Republic of Ireland U21 squad for their Euro 2017 qualifiers against Lithuania at the RSC in Waterford on Friday and Italy in Vicenza the following Tuesday.

Photo: Action Images

Seasider added 19:18 - Oct 5 Higginbottom, Mclean,Reo=Coker,Stephen Hunt,,Leroy Lita,Ellington,Collison,Ambrose,,St Ledger,Chaplow,Kenny and now DOUGLAS. All has beens Mick has taken a look at during his three year reign,and signed most of them,albeit some on loan or on short contracts. Does he or Marcus Evans really think players like is will get us into play offs let alone auto promotion. He has now got a large squad most of whom cost nowt but most are not really goodenough. He has done reasonably well up to now,but both tactics and style are slow pedestrian compared to most of teams I have seen this season. Also with this large squad some players mus t be fed up of not getting a game despite teams poor form so losing team spirit. Mick,change team,drop your favourites,play positive forward looking football if you are capable or foxtrot Oscar!!!

6

Ipswich58 added 19:24 - Oct 5 Just read that MMis questioning some players' loyalty. Surely wrong way round. Players should be questioning MM's sanity after his appalling selections. Proving once again how limited he is tactically and how far adrift he is of the modern game.
5

hinchers1066 added 20:22 - Oct 5 Well the writing has been on the wall for a very long time now. We re now and have been for some considerable time now a mid table no hope team which is NOT going to achieve the promised land. Defence creaking under the pressure, non existent midfield lacking in creativity and a forward line that is poorly served, except by hoof ball. MM if you haven't lost the plot completely then for Christ's sake either change it or jog on, every manager in this division can and has sussed out your frailties and we are gifting points and position to each and every one of them. Yes it is a tough league, but you have got the personnel to change it, so bloody well use them as square pegs in square holes. IT IS NOT ROCKET SCIENCE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

4

blueinblue added 20:33 - Oct 5 What a difference two or three games make.Fickle idiots!
-10

wayway added 20:43 - Oct 5 The team sheet is already on the dressing room wall for Huddesfield: Gerkin Chambers, Smith, Berra, Knudsen Maitland Niles, Douglas, Skuse, Fraser Murphy, Sears Who would bet against it
4

warktheline added 20:56 - Oct 5 Agree with posts on some of the 'has-beens' recruited by McCarthy, but none of us know what recruitment policy the manager is working under, by this i mean ,are reasonable finances available to enhance the squad ? Personally I believe the pool of players McCarthy has at his disposal is at present, unbalanced caused by the lack of an adequate right back. This may change if Mick's latest 'cheap' signing makes the grade ( Maralczyk ). This in turn would produce competition at c/b and left back. IF this issue becomes resolved it would free up the midfield to play more adventurous, any team only needs one anchor man in the middle of the park! Bru, Bishop and Fraser filling remaining positions in midfield. Agree with Irishtim in as that, McCarthy needs to settle on his two main strikers up top. As already highlighted by others, I certainly won't be holding out much hope in regards to starting 11, but maybe just maybe, McCarthy will see the error of his ways!

2

TimmyH added 21:23 - Oct 5 A fortnight for Mick to stare into the mirror and to ask himself whether he has made some poor decisions regarding the starting line-up - of course the answer would be no! of course he hasn't, he's a Yorkshire man.
1

blueboy1981 added 21:38 - Oct 5 ......... same old 'happy chappies' out there ................ WHATEVER. In Mick - they Trust.
6

jocasaja added 22:24 - Oct 5 This league is tough - we are going through a dip..BUT too many are quick to change tack. I am sure that MM will sort it out - he knows best as to whether this team will give a positive reaction or if he needs to make changes - to be fair Bru, Bishop only just coming back from injury, and I am sure the new signings will get a chance at the right time - only 3 points of play offs and 5 off the top spots with 36 games to go !!! COYB !!!

-6

GiveusaWave added 00:37 - Oct 6 Wayway Good selection but think he will make changes Gerken Chambers, Smith, Berra, Knudsen Coke, Skuse, Douglas, Tabb Murphy, Sears Not the team I would select but the above would be no shock. Huddersfield are hardly world-class. Think we may sneak a very lucky 1-0 which will make the table look much better for us.
0

Steve_ITFC_Sweden added 08:10 - Oct 6 rickw.: I like your thinking (both line-ups). To appease Mick somewhat, I think we're going to have to put Chambers in the middle and then it's choice between Malarcyzk/Parr at right back. Personally, I'd like to see how our new Pole makes out. We can always play Parr on the left if Knudsen has a bad spell. We might let in more goals with this formation (not certain about that), but we ought to score a lot more too. More attacking, more exciting, more wins, surely?

1

Bob7881 added 09:30 - Oct 6 I think we are in for a long winter, sorry Mick you steadied the ship but now we are just drifting. At best we are a mid table team.
5

Razor added 10:01 - Oct 6 Good to see the boss has done his research and is fully up to speed----there are NO games at Easter this year so thats one excuse removed.
1

phillo added 15:32 - Oct 6 bluehearts ..... agree Moncur from Colchester ....
0

blueboy1981 added 18:56 - Oct 6 Bob7881 ......... agree with you - and unfortunately that is the upper level that MM is capable of sustaining for us. In other words, the level of his ultimate capabilities. Would be absolutely great for him to prove me wrong - to do so he would certainly need to change, this I just cannot see happening. The game / requirements have (currently at least) left him behind.

0

Ipswich24 added 16:08 - Oct 7 It really is plain to see Mick open your eyes Man! Bart in goal Put a proper right back at right back, I'm sorry Chambers may be great in dressing room but he is S**t on the pitch. The Skuse/Douglas partnership needs breaking up NOW it DONT work Mick. There are no legs in our centre midfield! It is one or the other with Bru or Bishop. Mcgoldrick MUST play he is our best player besides the excellent Fraser.

0

Blogs 298 bloggers

Ipswich Town Polls