Blues boss Mick McCarthy says he has told striker Leon Best that he won’t play for Town again.

Former Ireland international Best, 30, joined the Blues on a deal to the end of the season in August - with an option for a further season - following a trial and has made six starts and six sub appearances without scoring.

“Leon is still at the club but I have told him he won’t play for me again,” McCarthy told the club site.

“I took him on when we lost Murph. He came in and trained really well. He impressed everyone. He was in the right place at the right time but he has not done it since though.

“That is my view. I’m sure Leon has a different one. Football is all about opinions but it’s mine that counts here.

“I told him after the Lincoln game that he is not part of my plans here. He’s still with us and may have to have something done with his groin. We will see but he won’t be playing for us.”

Meanwhile, McCarthy says there have been no further developments regarding the extension of anyone's contract with skipper Luke Chambers and fellow centre-half Christophe Berra among a number of players whose deals include options for further seasons, as are Best, Giles Coke and Paul Digby as well as youngsters Kundai Benyu, Michael Crowe, James Blanchfield, George Fowler, Jacob Marsden, Monty Patterson, Shane McLoughlin and Chris Smith.

“There’s nothing happening with contracts," McCarthy said. "And when you analyse that, if you sit down and think about it, when a club’s got options on them, that’s exactly what it is.

"It’s an option to take it up, up until the date that option runs out. And that’s just what we’ll do.”

Jonathan Douglas is out of contract at the end of the season, an option in his deal having been triggered at the end of last year, as is young defender Joe Robinson.

Photo: TWTD

Warkystache added 20:34 - Jan 26 Absolutely awful player. Terrible work rate, mercenary attitude, general disinclination on the pitch. Did he sulk 'cos he wasn't picked as often as he'd have liked? Good luck to his next club. Hope it's the scum
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TheSelkirk added 20:55 - Jan 26 Over the years, the club has supported and remained loyal to a number of players that did not warrant it. Irrespective of arguments about where he should be playing I agree entirely that Chambers fully deserves to be treated fairly and honestly in order to allow him to plan his / his family's future.
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grumpyoldman added 21:17 - Jan 26 Panic signing after we sold Murphy, in MMs opinion he was ok to sign then, another example of his judgement under pressure.
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wayway added 21:18 - Jan 26 Obviously not a 'proper bloke' who like Paul Taylor hates hoofball
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Lightningboy added 21:57 - Jan 26 Said a couple of weeks ago that i'd love to see a list of all McCarthy's signings since he arrived... I reckon that there's a hell of a lot more disasters than successes in his time here..treats this club like fantasy league at times taking punts on players that are either past it,totally unfit,injured,untried,overrated,too young,too old - it seems anything other than giving our own kids a decent run...what is it Mick,do you not have the ability as a coach to get the best out of seemingly any player these days?...Bart is only in goal because of crowd pressure,Chambers,Smith and Berra have all gone backwards defensively,Bru,Douglas & Skuse can barely put 2 passes together at the best of times,Sears is a shadow of the player he was..Bishop,Pitman & McGoldrick hardly seem to be busting a gut to get back on the pitch (who can blame them). And this guy is "managing" our beloved football team...give me strength.

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62WasBest added 22:12 - Jan 26 This smacks of scapegoating. Best's Lincoln performance was very poor but he stayed on the pitch a long time, so no worse than the manager's and not much worse than some other players that night.. The ineptitude ran much deeper than Best. And from the comments McCarty has made it sounds as if Best isn't fit anyway. How long has he been carrying that injury?
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strikalite added 22:15 - Jan 26 Varney wasn't the answer, we could all see it except stubborn Mick, now another who we all knew wouldn't cut it in Best has parted...so the spearhead of our attack lies in the hands of a total novice who couldn't make the Forest Green first 11, or Sears who looks shot of confidence and can't score wont score.. Our business end of the team is virtually non-existent...and we're paying how much on the gate to witness this????

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Brownie added 22:23 - Jan 26 Not gonna slate MM over this. To a degree it sums up ITFC - take a gamble & see how we get on. I am going to slate Beat though. Has never looked interested & I built up more of a sweat watching the Lincoln game than he did playing in it. Loans are like this - some good, some bad. Move on and get ME to invest in buying us some players or let someone else do it..
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dirtydingusmagee added 22:24 - Jan 26 not a glimmer of hope from him from day one,
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Carberry added 22:36 - Jan 26 Best was on the books before Murphy left, so he wasn't a panic replacement. We were then told he might be the one to replace Murphy. Then Varney played ahead of him. Then we allow Varney to leave and now Best will never play for us again when we have a serious shortage of strike power. Oh and by the way we haven't signed an adequate, established striker and may not. You could not make this up. Shambolic.

5

heathen66 added 22:52 - Jan 26 I expect Leon came off after the Lincoln game and told Mick a few harsh truths of how aimless hoofing from the defence and the midfield is not the way to play football and score goals. Cross Mick and your days are very much numbered !!!
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henryblue added 23:26 - Jan 26 All this about chambers deserves to know about his contract, what a load of rubbish. The blokes a millionaire for being abysmal at football. He's been a great servant to the club with his fist pumping and enthusiasm but he needs to go, simply awful, easily one of the worst players I've seen in a town shirt.
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MicksZzzTactics added 23:27 - Jan 26 Am I reading this right, also between the lines, that the dreaded Dino for all practical purposes SINGLED OUT Mr. Best as the main culprit (read: scapegoat!!! .... or if you prefer: ludicrously alleged "Lone Gunman" i.e. a la Lee Harvey Oswald or similar) for the Lincoln City embarrassment??????????? Unfathomable!!! And no further comments or profanities are really necessary here imho (incl. whether Mr. Best was/is indeed from roughly Day 1 a complete waste of space and salary or not!) .... other than if all the above first paragraph of mine is true, ehmmm well then there is not only a serious LOT of other squad members (based on that particular match but also other recent ones) who very close to 100% WARRANTS "to never play for you again"!!! ..... but basically this here astounding action & proclamation ALSO just serve to **confirm** many of the repulsive characteristics, incl. the indefensible ultra protecting 'favorizing' ones!, of this here beyond arrogant and living 'In Denial' persona Dino McCarthy! Dear oh Dear ... and judging by the deeper underlying implications of another stunning Thursday TWTD article (the one about "several" 1-2 million offers being placed out there) -- which I also commented on btw -- this wonderful, intelligent & sympathetic manager is likely to now perhaps continue to be here to not only past the summer but to 2020 AFTER ALL??? If so may the Football Gods have mercy on our poor fans' souls!!!

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trevski added 00:29 - Jan 27 Is Mick starting to get a wake-up call and starting to listen to the fans? Probably not but this could be a start. Just a shame he is still on our wage budget :( Out of the other contracts coming up soon I would like to see the following: Coke - Go Digby - Not too sure on this one (has moments) Douglas - PLEASE GO Patterson - Keep, I really want to see him get his moment Crowe - Keep (would be good for backup (I am thinking how Supple and Price were when they had to step in)) I think the other youngsters should be at least given all another year as they hardly got given a chance

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shakytown added 00:50 - Jan 27 The only real problem is that he is still with the club. Not Micks fault if a bloke does not have the nuts to even try.
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itfchorry added 01:01 - Jan 27 If you never managed again under us would be preferable - Found out by Sunderland and Wolves And now sadly by us - You are destroying are club and I don't think that you care - Save our Club - McCarthy OUT
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NoelTheDub added 02:19 - Jan 27 Mick message from Leon I never got any service from midfield or the wing to try score goals you plonker tell me any footballer that can do better in the way you play ..Call yourself a football manager..
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GiveusaWave added 03:46 - Jan 27 You are reading it correctly MicksZzzztactics. Scapegoat City. Many people questioned the signing of Best prior to his arrival and Rotherham fans were genuinely shocked that he ended up at a fellow Championship side. Therefore, it's no surprise that he has played the way he has, as he isn't a Championship striker in the first place. I feel sorry for him, he would do ok at a mid-table league 2 side. Regardless, we are now in the unenviable position where a player has been told he will never get picked and yet is training with the rest of the squad. That will spread discord in a already fractured squad. Best and Coke need to leave asap for the betterment of their own careers and the betterment of the club. In my opinion, neither player should have been signed in the first place. Add to that Cameron Stewart, Henshall, Oar, Toure, Alabi, Digby, Connolly, Malarcyk, Yorwerth, Ben Wyatt, Douglas, Bajner, Kenny, Ebanks-Blake, Jack Doherty et al : all of which should never have been signed. MM does get it spot on sometimes but he also signs players who are not at Championship level.

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MicksZzzTactics added 03:56 - Jan 27 Thanx for that assurance @Guentchev :-) Scapegoat City it is ... with the crucial footnote that Gentleman Mick will never ever as much as imply that any of his beloved 'favorites' are really culpable of anything (Lincoln embarrassment included) or quote: Has [NOT BEEN] in right place at the right time and has [RARELY] done 'it' since"!!! Great rest of the post too btw!

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Vanisleblue2 added 06:49 - Jan 27 spmething I don't want to read at 5pm on Saturday. Preston deserved to win they are a great team playing with confidence. Simons a great manager and gets the best Out of his team. We just weren't at the races for some reason. I have no complaints about the result. Preston2 Ipswich 0
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Hegansheroes added 07:11 - Jan 27 Another terrible signing by Dino. Best had a reputation before joining Ipswich as a bit of a lad. ie out on the town etc. I agree with guentchev but wouldn't put Oar in the list as he was used to playing FOOTBALL in the Dutch league which he was never going to do at Ipswich under Simple |Simon. I heard this was the reason he wanted out and to get a settlement he kept his mouth shut. He was recommended by Thijsenn who could play football. You forgot the great Frank Nouble, how the hell did he make 50 appearances for the Town

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Marcus added 07:41 - Jan 27 A bit too much negativity here. We took a gamble on a free transfer who did ok while on trial when we had a gap in our squad. From McCarthy's comments it sounds like there are issues involved both on and off the pitch (by implication of the tone of the comment) that mean he thinks Best is unsuitable to continue at the club. While he hasn't said he's being released or made available for transfer it's implied that if another team wants him then he's available and if this doesn't happen before the window closes his contract will probably be settled - after all nobody wants someone who is (possibly) disruptive at the club. I have doubts about McCarthy's style and team selections but I don't doubt his man management skills.

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Palestine added 08:33 - Jan 27 Erm, maybe we should, like, sign a striker..?
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BotesdaleBlue added 08:36 - Jan 27 I thought Gerkin's and Kenlock's current contracts ran to 2017, both with a one year extention option attached. Neither are mentioned in the article.
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BrettenhamBlue added 08:53 - Jan 27 Very low on strikers now. Varney and Best gone. No replacements. I know we signed Moore but surely he's one for the future not now because he's used to playing non-league. Throwing him in would be a ridicoulous move by Mick because he struggled to get into the Forest Green Rovers first team. Not very impressed with transfer dealings up till now.
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