Blues boss Mick McCarthy says striker David McGoldrick is thoroughly enjoying the way he’s playing having made a terrific start to the season after a couple of injury-hit campaigns.

McGoldrick, 29, has already scored six goals, one more than he did in the whole of last season, and has been the standout performer in what has been an impressive start to 2017/18 from Town, who go into Saturday’s home game against Bristol City sixth a place and a point ahead of the Robins.

Given the Irish international’s previous injury problems, has McCarthy sought to rein him in? “I think you’ll find he’s enjoying himself that much the way he’s playing and the team are playing, he’s pulling the strings a little bit, that if I was to say he’s not playing I think he might have a face on him like a slapped arse.

"And everybody else would, to be quite honest. That’s not likely to happen.

“But certainly with his training, I am conscious of him and if he needs to have a rest, he has a rest.

“Sometimes if we haven’t got a Tuesday game I say, ‘Look, you stay at home’ and he goes and sees his family and try and look after him that way, he’s just had a newborn baby.

“I’m conscious of that and, although I’m talking about David McGoldrick, we do that with every single player, whatever we do to try and get the best out of them, and we’re getting the best out of Didzy at the minute and he’s getting the best out of himself.”

As things stand McGoldrick is out of contract at the end of the season and unlike Cole Skuse and Bartosz Bialkowski, whose terms are also up next summer, the club is understood not to have an option to keep him for a further year.

McCarthy’s deal also ends next summer, although the club has an option to keep him and his assistant Terry Connor for further two seasons, but says that’s not a concern for him.

Would he liked to see new terms offered to McGoldrick and the other players’ whose contracts are due to be up sooner rather than later?

“It’s not all just as simple as that,” he said. “From the outside it’s, ‘Somebody’s got a contract running out’, it’s not just as simple as that. We’ll deal with it when we need to deal with it.”

He added: “Do you know what, there’s one surefire way of upsetting the applecart. We’re doing well at the moment and if people start talking about money and new contracts and the person who is supposedly getting it, it has an effect on them because they’re thinking about something else other than they’re football.

“Other people in the club who think they probably deserve one, all that talks starts filtering through. And it can have a real negative effect. So I’d appreciate it if you’d stop talking about it!”

Midfielder Tristan Nydam’s deal is up at the end of the season as things stand, the youngster having been allowed to sign only a two-year deal when he turned 17. It’s likely that the England U19 international will sign an extension on his 18th birthday in November.

Meanwhile, McCarthy says summer signing Joe Garner has given his side an infectious enthusiasm which rubs off on his team-mates that he didn’t have at his disposal last season.

I didn’t have that up front last season that’s for sure,” McCarthy reflected. “Not like what he brings to the table and that’s what I’ve always loved about him.

“I always thought he was a good player and I have to be honest, he’s a better player than I thought he was. He’s impressed me.”

Martyn Waghorn also joined the Blues from Rangers over the summer - the fees for the pair coming to less than £1 million - and has already scored five goals to Garner’s four.

McCarthy admits he was surprised when he discovered that the 27-year-old was surplus to requirements at Ibrox.

“I remember Waggy playing against us for Leicester and they murdered us up there, they beat us 6-0 and he was outstanding. He played up front, he was great,” the Town boss recalled.

“And when I heard he was available, I thought it couldn’t be right. So we checked it out and he was and I’ve been delighted with them both.

“Why they’ve gone up to Rangers and they’ve not wanted to keep them, I don’t know, but we’ve been the very fortunate beneficiaries of that one.”

Photo: TWTD

ruds added 16:39 - Sep 29 McCarthy continues to suggest the players that we sign are even better than he first appreciated - I wonder whether he mentioned that line to 'Mrs McCarthy' once forth base was achieved =>)
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Ipswichbusiness added 16:55 - Sep 29 I note what he says about contracts, but I still think that it's better to get them signed up early; we don't want our best players to be poached for next to nothing by other clubs!
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jas0999 added 18:19 - Sep 29 Let's hope he stays fit. Crucial to our future successes.
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itfcgene added 18:21 - Sep 29 is that a happy face?
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BotesdaleBlue added 18:23 - Sep 29 “It's not all just as simple as that,” he said. “From the outside it's, ‘Somebody's got a contract running out', it's not just as simple as that. We'll deal with it when we need to deal with it.” Why has Mick not explained what the precise complications are. Surely allowing players contracts to run out is the major risk in all of this; risks that we should definatly not be taking with our key players. The Club (Evans) must learn from the Chambers contract fiasco last season and get sensible contract offers out to these players as soon as possible. We have extended many player contracts in the past few years, so why is it now becoming a sensitive problem that cannot even be mentioned by the media? Come on Evans - positive action please.

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Dissboyitfc added 18:52 - Sep 29 extending his contract should be done immediately, MM's was extended.
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TimmyH added 20:16 - Sep 29 Has to be the longest run of games he's been involved in with without an injury occurring for the last couple of seasons, and yes he's playing well. A big bonus considering Waghorn and Garner and Celina have started well.
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Bluewelshman added 20:44 - Sep 29 I can understand what MM is talking about, if money issues during contract talks start causing issues for the player which effects his play on the pitch, that is not something anyone wants especially with the form he is showing now. With that said, I hope Mick and the club have a solid offer ready to show him when the time is right, or another club may swoop in and offer him better terms for next season. COYB

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Kikapu added 08:49 - Sep 30 I think you forget the dynamics that apply in these situations.  Where money is involved everything gets murky. We know the Chambers situation centred on whether we were demoted or not.  Once resolved - he was offered a contract.  Simples. From the player's point of view, rightly he wants as much money as he thinks he deserves compared to other similarly skilled players.  They don't have long careers and are unlikely to be well paid once they leave the game. From the manager's point of view he needs to be aware of the likely effects that new contracts have on individual players and be aware of the damage it may cause within the team if one player seems to being treated too favourably.  MM has said before that with some players a big juicy contract sometimes gives licence to the player to sit back and underperform for the length of the contract.  Others will react differently.  He has said before that he has seen young players head's be turned if they get too much too soon. From the owners point of view, he wants to get the best from the organisation for the smallest outlay.  Demotion v promotion is a balance that will be uppermost in his mind.  The depth of his pocket will alter his view of the risks involved. From the fan's point of view, he wants the very best for his team and to that end wants an owner to shell out a small fortune for a new goal scorer, but doesn't want to pay too much at the turnstile. It will ever be thus.

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