Blues manager Mick McCarthy says he’s pleased to have versatile season-long loanee Conor Grant in his squad but says the Everton man is currently being kept out of the side by the form of other players.

Grant, 21, joined the Blues at the start of August but has made only three starts and two sub appearances so far with a groin injury having sidelined him for a month.

McCarthy says the former England U18 international can play anywhere across the midfield but in addition to the injury has seen his opportunities limited by the form of other players.

“He can play any one of them, I think,” the Town boss said. “In a three in the middle, but bearing in mind Skusey and Dougie have been playing so well, Kevin Bru has.

“He could play in a 4-4-2 when we’ve got two up top, he did against [Derby]. If you’ve got two up top I think he can play in a four. He’s a versatile player and it’s nice to have that type, to be honest with you.”

Photo: TWTD

markytitfc66 added 11:54 - Oct 11 This prick is seriously extracting the urine!! ABSOLUTELY UNBELIEVABLE PRAT
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jas0999 added 12:19 - Oct 11 Either MM is deluded or so arrogant that he is prepared to overlook such inept performances from Skuse, Douglas and particularly Bru, yet again putting his ego above the team.
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Ferguson added 12:31 - Oct 11 I'm sad to see Mick say this, because I don't believe him. Grant and Ward together would be a formidable option but it seems the ultra defensive and far from foolproff midfield three that we have as a unit, and I think MM thinks in units, is nailed on. I'm genuinely disappointed. FOR "VERSATILITY" READ "CAN BE PLAYED OUT OF POSITION".
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Currie10 added 12:36 - Oct 11 Generally when Mick goes to the press and praises players who we think " hmmm " about of late he's contemplating dropping them. Where have the up arrow + 27 or whatever on page 1 been for the past 3 years? As for the dinosaur comments, they are regarded as a very intelligent species so this " reference " could do with some work. I wonder if many who are brave behind a keyboard would be if they had a 1 on 1 with Mick for 20 minutes in a locked room?

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JimmyP45 added 12:41 - Oct 11 People on here have beaten me to it. "the Everton man is currently being kept out of the side by the form of other players" meaning Skuse and Douglas. My mate is an avid Everton supporter all his life and says Conor Grant is one of their biggest youth prospects. Give the guy a chance and he will do us proud. He will definitely do a better job in CM than the **** we are currently playing each game.

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martin587 added 12:41 - Oct 11 I cannot believe what I have just read.How on earth can MM even suggest that Douglas has played well and is keeping Grant out.Even Skuse is not up to the mark.Both try to defend without one idea what to do,they cannot even put a forward pass between them.Grant has more Brains in is big Toe than these two Dodery old men.Once again MM is playing his Mates.What happens when Williams is fit to return,does he too have to wait for and injury etc;.Time to leave MM.You time has run it's course.COYB.

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JohnStirk added 12:58 - Oct 11 Currie10 I think you are spot on and everybody else has missed the subtext...MM never slags off his players publicly so he is just bigging them up before dropping them (though not Skuse obviously). It's all good!
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muccletonjoe added 13:05 - Oct 11 Yup , teed up very nicely.
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beornioblue added 13:06 - Oct 11 currie10 .. 20mins in a locker room should be easy enough go straight down the middle at him and he will panic and run off to the side into a locker
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Surco72 added 13:22 - Oct 11 20 minutes in a room with MM would be fine as he would be so defensive he wouldn't throw a punch Dinosaurs are not intelligent compared to other living forms and one of the lowest EQ scales ever which is why after comments like “In a three in the middle, but bearing in mind Skusey and Dougie have been playing so well, Kevin Bru has." it makes MM 's dinosaur nickname even more apt

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rolly added 13:34 - Oct 11 Skuse, Douglas and Bru has to be the most depressing/frustrating/uninspiring midfield 3 in the country. It's even more depressing that we have some really exciting, young, creative players that could play there. Would love to see 3 of Bishop, Lawrence, Grant, Williams or Dozzel in the side. Douglas and Bru wouldnt look out of place in league two!
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beornioblue added 14:17 - Oct 11 I get what people are saying about Bru but i for one think he could be a good footballer he has just been hammered into whatever mick thinks he should be , like the hudders game, just started to come into it a coupke of nice touches and a good run and Mick instantly took him off!!
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Millsey added 14:29 - Oct 11 That's because Bru finally woke up when he knew he was being subbed
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Jimbo75 added 14:40 - Oct 11 Surely isnt it time one of the journalists actually grew a pair and asked Mick at his pre match conference, what the F his playing at playing such a Shi midfield with no creativity??
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OsborneOneNil added 14:46 - Oct 11 Quite unreal. It's almost like he is on the wind up........
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Seasider added 16:08 - Oct 11 Yes Currie 10 I would,and have had the guts to question him at meetings.He is an arrogant man,and you are quite correct in one respect,because at these meetings there are too many sycophants like you. How on earth can you justify the stupid statement this apology for a manager has just made regarding Grant when the football club sit 16th in the league.Dont think have scored a goal since the Dino said that Douglas could solve the scoring drought from midfield. Absolute nonsense.

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LancsBlue added 17:10 - Oct 11 Mick does have a point, Grant is very versatile - he can sit anywhere on the bench!
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NoelTheDub added 17:21 - Oct 11 Well Mick as we are going so well and everyone is playing great stuff why the bloody hell are we 16th, not scored in yonks,so crap to watch and the empty seat you are creating every week speaks volumes for were we are going as a club.
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classicblue added 17:29 - Oct 11 Can we have a poll on Mick instead of that one about Murphy If we can get enough people saying he must go then surely someone will take note....... Hello - here comes another flying pig! just taking a snowball to hell
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Bluetone added 17:33 - Oct 11 McCarthy speaks so much crap I don't know if Dino is short for dinosaur or Dynorod
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Cotton_eyed_joe added 17:54 - Oct 11 I believe in reference to Mick being a dinosaur some people have taken it all the wrong way. Definition taken from a dictionary. Dinosaur noun 1. Any chiefly terrestrial, herbivorous or carnivorous reptile of the extinct orders Saurischia and Ornithischia, from the Mesozoic Era, certain species of which are the largest known land animals. 2. Something that is unwieldy in size, anachronistically outmoded, or unable to adapt to change: So those saying that Dinosaurs had a large IQ have not looked at definition 2 that fully sums up Mick the dino

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Orraman added 18:11 - Oct 11 I can only assume that all these years of heading the ball out of defence with his brain rattling around in his skull has caused delusions as I seriously believe he actually believes the cr@p he spouts every week. Just waiting to hear next week his views on the formidable Burton Albion.
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prebbs007 added 18:12 - Oct 11 Currie10 are you for real ???? Yes plse I would love 20 mins in a room with him !!! Not for what you think even though that would certainly be easy. But for reasoned analytical fact based discussion. Our midfield tries that he says is playing well have scored a total of 1 in 126 games, 3 in 43 & 3 in 44...... their assists record is equally as poor, their pass completion stats even worse. What possible measure is this tw&t using as his yardstick for saying they are playing well ??? If you're defending him Currie then you are as deluded as he is. He needs to go and he needs to go NOW or we WILL be in the relegation battle for certain. He's had his time, we're grateful for what he did but he can't take us forward. Time is up before crowds drop to 10k and we're in division 1

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TractorBoy666 added 18:29 - Oct 11 I read this on Twitter and thought it was a joke. I'm....I'm lost for words. I haven't even thought about our dinosaur of a manager throughout the international break, at the moment I'm wishing there was one every week!
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d0nk added 18:42 - Oct 11 Hes totally lost the plot and lost the fans. When the fans turn then your days are number. You are the weakest link Mick, goodbye.
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