Town boss Mick McCarthy believes striker Leon Best will become more of a threat as he gets closer to full match fitness. The 30-year-old, who signed on a free transfer late in August after a successful trial, made his first start for the Blues in Tuesday’s 0-0 home draw with Brighton and Hove Albion having come on as a sub in the previous two matches.

“He’s flying on one wing at the minute,” McCarthy said. “He’s not fully fit but he’s working really hard at it and I think he’ll be a real threat. He is a threat now, but when he gets his fitness [he’ll be more of one].”

With Best having struggled with niggly injuries in recent seasons, McCarthy is keen not to take too much of a risk with the former Republic of Ireland international, hence his substitution on the hour mark against the Seagulls.

“We’ve got to be careful with him, he’d run his race, 60 minutes he’d done,” the Town boss added. “We need him to go again on Saturday probably.

“But he’s getting there, so he’ll be a much better player. I never thought for one minute he was just going to be all things to all men in two or three weeks of being here. I’m delighted with him, I think he’s played well again.”

Photo: Action Images

TR11BLU added 10:28 - Sep 29 So what's your excuse then Dino?
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TimmyH added 10:39 - Sep 29 Amazing how the focal point is now on Best, Murphy gone, Pitman injured and still MM won't play Sears up through the middle...be interesting if Best has a set back in his fitness will the focus then be on Varney? the club will really be dragging the bottom if we do.
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OwainG1992 added 10:52 - Sep 29 One thing gives me hope with Best is let's not forget Daryl Murphy's scoring record before he joined was pretty abysmal for a striker. Then look what he did for us! Give the feller a chance as at the end of the day unless something changes in January he's gonna be one of our main hopes up front.
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steve_mcalls_teeth added 10:59 - Sep 29 <This comment has been removed. Reason: Tampon reference>
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MicksZzzTactics added 11:19 - Sep 29 Absolutely 100% SPOT ON! @razor & @guentchev .... and indeed @tr11blue: What is Dino's very OWN excuse??? lol lol lol lol So while we all might eventually contact 'em dreaded 'Heebie Jeebies' just as a result of that MUST B beyond-mind-blowing answer :-) .... whenever it arrives .... I suggest we in the meantime have another strictly Zzzzilly 'Philosoraptor' meme then in order to calm that bubbling anxiety down! lol

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grantchester added 12:40 - Sep 29 Don't care where they come from but can we please score some goals? defence seems to be a little tighter with a promising performance from young Emmanuel and even Knudsen putting a more attacking role in.
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JimmyP45 added 12:53 - Sep 29 Frightened the life out of me at first glance this. Thought Best was being moved out to play on the Wing lol.
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martin587 added 13:10 - Sep 29 IF!and I say IF we had a midfield with vision and the aptitude to make a forward pass then yes Best could be OK.But without the service he will just be mooroned up front.It must prove something when we have only scored 8 League this season,4 in one game and 4 in the other nine.Terrible statistics for any club in this league. OK!we have only conceded 8, but you don't win games if you don't TRY and score and not just play for a draw.

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Pilgrimblue added 13:12 - Sep 29 Sorry DJ but he isn't so you can stop dreaming. For MM to change to passing free flowing attacking style it'll take more than a miracle. He's like a stick of rock, the message is the same all the way through! You'll notice from past seasons that when the opportunity has he's blown it and just carried on. However injuries to defenders has forced him to make changes that many of us have calling for so he now has players in the right positions. We'll see how crafty he is when Smith and Webster return! If only all Bruskuglas could be unavailable for a few weeks and then perhaps MM would be forced to play 442. Best needs a partner to make him more effective, we need wider plays to supply crosses and most of all we need a central midfield that has energy to cross the halfway line. And then maybe MM will have no option to let them play more attacking style.

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TR11BLU added 13:57 - Sep 29 @pilgrimblue Bruskuglas ........brilliant!
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leahcar88 added 14:04 - Sep 29 Whole country think ips hoof everytime but we do pass it about a bit is that not right? We pass it more now to last year and previous years, hoofing it did get us in play offs once! Pretty much every televised match we're participating in we hoooooof long. People watch tele, "all Ipswich do is hoof it." Next game or two we play a little bit of passing as well. Takes the opposition by surprise? That's what I've noticed for the last couple seasons. Thick Micks a dumb dinosaur? Appearances can be deceiving. Don't judge a book by its cover, and any other cliche associated. Obviously I hate the hoofing, we do hoof it too much but sometimes it is needed, don't say you've never been told to clear your lines.

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braveblue added 20:46 - Sep 29 He has been with us since August. Saturday is 1 October. Why is he not fit?
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