Town boss Mick McCarthy says he expects midfielder Jay Tabb to move on at the end of the season, the 32-year-old having made only four starts - all in cup competitions - during 2015/16.

“There’s every chance Tabby will move on in the summer,” McCarthy said. “But for now he’s still one of our players.

“Tabby will know that, he’s not played many games this season, and yet he was one of the reasons we stayed up the year we did [2012/13] because he added so much to it.

“I remember his debut at Peterborough and he was great. He was just a little dynamo that kept going and I think he’s well-loved and respected by all the fans for what he does. But we’ll see, he might be one that moves on.”

The Town boss added: “He trains every day, he’s uncomplicated, low maintenance, he’s a terrific guy, a really top, top pro.”

Tabb has made 61 starts and 24 sub appearances for the Blues, scoring five goals, having signed on a Bosman in the summer of 2013 having been released by Reading after a loan spell at the end of the previous season.

Meanwhile, McCarthy says contract talks with Luke Hyam and Tommy Smith are progressing, keeper Bartosz Bialkowski having penned a new deal last week.

“Positively, I think,” he said. “We’re in discussions. I’ve started the ball rolling with [owner] Marcus [Evans] and then with the players and Marcus is discussing it with their agents and I’m sure we will come to an agreement because both of them are happy here and want to play.”

Photo: Action Images

parkinshair added 06:23 - Feb 23 And so begin the hilarious "Great is Tabby" jokes yet again....
4

JustSpivvyChops added 06:37 - Feb 23 Eeeeee's fantastic is Tabby, int he? Not good enough for a new contract this season, but eeeeee's still great, low maintenance, won't cause a fuss when I show him the door, I love tabby me.
4

runaround added 07:20 - Feb 23 Eees great is Tabby. Joking aside it will be a shame when he leaves
1

iaintaylorx added 07:26 - Feb 23 Surprised that Tabby's not in Mick's plans for the future, to be honest...
0

Count_Arthur added 07:48 - Feb 23 Honest, professional player, compare some of our bizarre team selections and results this season to some of last seasons matches when Tabb put a real shift in and you'll realise he's a far better player than he sometimes gets credit for. Good luck Jay Tabb.
9

ChrisFelix added 08:16 - Feb 23 Better player than Coke. Strange how he fell put of favour
3

cats_whiskers added 08:40 - Feb 23 S"Tabb"ed in the back by that ruthless McCarthy No longer one of his favourite pets
-1

Stato added 08:42 - Feb 23 He played a lot of games with skuse and Hyam and therefore not difficult to understand why our midfield returned so few goals
2

rinkydinkpanther added 09:24 - Feb 23 Ipswich Town are like clinical depression. They're a living death, making it impossible to get the least bit excited about anything.
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silkcutblue added 09:51 - Feb 23 He is leaving to join the cast for the new haribo adverts, hes tangfastics is tabby !
1

JewellintheTown added 09:55 - Feb 23 I remember Tabbys Peterborough debut well. Really impressed how he worked his little socks off when others couldn't be bothered. He's never stopped working since. Been a great servant to the club. Decent bloke too. Had a rough ride at times with the fans, none his fault. Hope he finds his way back to us one day in an off field role. We need his type in the staff at ITFC. All the best, Tabby!

2

Garv added 09:58 - Feb 23 Must say I think he would have been more use than Coke this season.
4

Currie10 added 10:05 - Feb 23 Whether people like Tabb or not, with him on the left wing and alongside Anderson and Skuse in a midfield people often mocked, he was part of the side that lost once in 19 games. Clearly contract issues this season as he hasn't played a single second in the league, yet funnily enough has played four cup games. Hmmmmmm. And that's with our CM issues vs Bristol City! Milne said when asked by yours truly it was rubbish and Mick could play him if he wanted, but clearly he was spouting mumbo jumbo. Good luck Tabb. Shoved on the LW like Alan Quinn and then moaned about. Very competent in his actual position.

1

blues1 added 10:14 - Feb 23 Currie 10. What are you on about, contract issues? It the one talking mumbo jumbo. Why would a player of tabbs age have a clause in it about number of games played(I'm presuming that's what ur on about), and with a contract that runs out at the end of the season? The only reason he hasn't played is because of the players we signed during the summer who are ahead of him.

0

Currie10 added 10:40 - Feb 23 Well it's a bit mysterious that he hasn't played one single second in the league this season when he started pretty much every game last season. Don't get me wrong I'm glad he isn't playing LM any longer, however take Bristol City for instance. No Skuse/ Douglas/ Hyam, and he's still sub behind Foley now who isn't even a CM player. Not that he did badly, but Bru was horrific at Ashton Gate. I don't believe for one second he just hasn't been selected - I think there's more too it than that. Otherwise, why play him in the cup?

1

BrettenhamBlue added 10:42 - Feb 23 Can't understand why he isn't ahead of Coke and don't think any other ITFC fan understands that either. Coke should go at the end of the season rather than Tabb.
1

1RWR added 10:43 - Feb 23 Cynical bunch of idiots! Always slagging a player off no matter how good he is or how hard he tries. You forget what Jay Tabb has down over the past few seasons, ok he's not a Premiership footballer but a good honest hard working Championship player, never forget that goal against Middlesboro, 3'6" high & still out jumped 2 'Boro defenders! For me, well done Jay Tabb & thanks for a semi-decent season 2013-2014. Hope you find a good team to settle with IF you leave.

1

blues1 added 10:59 - Feb 23 Currie, I agree it's a bit of a mystery why he hasn't played a league game. But he played in the cup games because he is one of the squad. Just as others who played in those games and haven't played in the league. I believe there have been games, Bristol city a perfect example where he should have played in cmid. But why would the dinosaur see that? He'd rather play people out of position.

1

derby123 added 12:09 - Feb 23 A good honest pro, who played a big part in keeping us up and reaching the play-offs last season. His treatment by some on here has been disgusting, made a scapegoat on so many occasions. But give me a tabb anyday of the week over a reo-Coker. I would like to see him kept on in some capacity surely he could do a better job with the u21's than Kennedy? Good luck in the future tabby.

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groundhog added 12:39 - Feb 23 did he really score 5 goals from midfield. No wonder he fell out of favour
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1psw1ch added 18:49 - Feb 23 All the best tabby,,,always put the effort in when wearing the ipswich shirt ,,,come on you blues
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HarryS_H added 18:49 - Feb 23 Thisll be a sad day for the club
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