Blues manager Mick McCarthy says some of the club’s younger players could be involved in the final months of the season with Town now looking unlikely to be in the play-off shake-up. While Flynn Downes is out on loan at Luton, Tristan Nydam could well add to his senior games and striker Ben Morris and defender Luke Woolfenden may be handed their league debuts having made their senior debuts in the Carabao Cup tie at Crystal Palace in August.

“Yes, if we get them all fit,” McCarthy said when quizzed on the likelihood of the squad’s younger players being given some experience in the weeks to come.

“It’s not a shame that Flynn is out on loan because he’s been sent out for a reason and he’s playing and he’s doing great.

“But certainly Tristan and Ben Morris, and we can actually have Woolfie [Luke Woolfenden] as well because he’s out in the National League with Bromley. I would use the games to play some of those players.”

Regarding Nydam, 18, he said: “He played yesterday in the U23s and he looked tired at the end of the game. He needs some football, he’s missed a fair bit of football [due to injury].

“He’s not ready to go in the first team yet, but he will. I thought he was excellent in the first half [yesterday] on a really heavy pitch. But he needs some training and playing and to get back to being really match hardened.”

McCarthy says the England U19 international may also be feeling the effects of his first full season as part of the senior squad.

“It’s not only playing the games, it’s training every day with the first team and it’s a helluva lot more physical and intense and so it’s not only just playing the games,” he continued.

“We try and give them a break and then they get picked for the U19s or the U17s or the U18s and they go away with England and have two weeks away and play three games. That was tough for them and both Flynn and Tristan suffered with that.”

Morris, also 18, has been in fine form in the U23s recently after a slower start to the campaign.

“He’s doing great, he’s doing really well,” his manager enthused. “I thought he was excellent yesterday. He looks like he’s grown, he’s put some muscle on.

“He looks like he’s really got his confidence back and he’s got that pace, which he’s always had. But it looks like he’s starting to use it again. I’m really pleased with him.”

McCarthy says that while he could recall 19-year-old central defender or right-back Luke Woolfenden from Bromley, with his loan currently being extended month by month, he’s not keen to upset the applecart at the eighth-placed play-off-chasing National League side.

“It would be nice for him to come back and play for us but we’ve let him go out on loan to get some experience and I wouldn’t want to destroy Bromley by taking him back,” he said.

“And if he’s got a chance in being in that team that gets promoted, I think that will do him good as well because it’s a tough old league and he’s going to be a better player from coming back.

“I’m not going to be putting out that I’m [bringing him back], I’m not going to affect their chances by doing it. That’s not in my thoughts.”

McCarthy may not be the man to benefit from the development of the youngsters if he departs in the summer, but he says his job is to manage as if he will still be in charge next season whatever ultimately proves to be the case.

“I’ve been here for nearly six years and all I’ve ever done is what’s best for the club, not what’s best for me,” he added. “Never, ever have I done that. And that’s not going to change, whatever happens.”

Photo: TWTD

poldark added 17:31 - Feb 20 Nothing but excuses form Mighty Muck he's not ready he's not quit fit the just play your loan players and improve them for other clubs idiot
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blythburgh_blue added 17:34 - Feb 20 “I've been here for nearly six years and all I've ever done is what's best for me, not what's best for ITFC,” he added. “Never, ever have I done that. And that's not going to change, whatever happens I walk out of here with almost £10m and that at the end of the day is what's important to me.”
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Seasider added 17:58 - Feb 20 Have heard this before several times since Mick has been here,yet there have only been cameo appearances and short runs in the first team for the most part . I cannot recall a single player coming through and establishing themselves in the first team in that time.However I stand to be corrected,as I am knocking on a bit now,and maybe losing my marbles(I used to play marbles)lol !!!

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blue75 added 18:27 - Feb 20 I think this sort of thing has been said before only for the proper blokes to carry on playing. Careful what we wish for we might just get it.
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Fen69 added 18:33 - Feb 20 This must be Mick's olive branch, this does not undo Sunday!
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jas0999 added 19:06 - Feb 20 Sadly, we have heard all this before. Hope to see a couple of youngsters start, but doubt it. Not under MM.
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cranky_old_tractor added 19:11 - Feb 20 Twot! Should have been playing on merit and not on who his mates are this month!
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BlueMachines added 19:57 - Feb 20 Phil I think you've accidentally reposted an old story?
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ChestnutSe added 20:19 - Feb 20 Play the kids Mick. We don't care about getting stuffed or even if they are fit enough to play, just play them you old Dino. On a more serious note TWTD really need a better photo of poor old Ben Moriis
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Lightningboy added 20:30 - Feb 20 If fit they SHOULD be involved Not COULD. Unless we're going to be signing Connolly or Iorfa or Carter-Vickers permanently in the summer then our OWN players should be gaining the vital experience at this level for the remainder of the season (seeing as we're not going up or down). Seriously,what is the point now in Everton's Callum Connolly playing for us again if he's going back to his parent club in 10 weeks?..who benefits from that?..certainly not us in the long term...i've nothing against Connolly,he's a tidy player but Flynn Downes or Trystan Nydam should be playing from here on..that's a no-brainer. Still,Mick knows best.......🙄

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blythburgh_blue added 20:34 - Feb 20 It doesn't matter what you do for the last 14 games you're history Mick. And your "amazing" CV. 5+years at ITFC and never won a big a game. Pathetic.
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MicksZzzTactics added 21:48 - Feb 20 Same ol' same ol' pseudo-substantial ITFC Public Relation hymn, neatly presented as some sort of "curveball"?!, as in any other season under 'Mick the Nick' whenever we basically have become nothing but a "Also Ran" i.e. neither going to playoffs nor going down! So ehhhh why is it that 'Muck The Schmuck' ONLY as much as **consider** giving our most exciting academy products & non-loaned youth a genuine & fair chance only when we are realistically safe as well as no longer having anything to play for altogether??? I tell you why!!! Because while there still obviously are other "fossil" managers around in the upper echelon of the FA, ultra archaic 'Mick The Nick' is apart from being extremely tactically limited, or often simply 1-dimensional! or even sometimes tactically inept!, ALSO BY FAR IS THE MOST PLAYER-FAVORIZING, WIMPY & UNDARING OF THEM ALL!!! (And while I fully expect to get downvoted by the usual "Living In Denial" fans & OCD's here, please consider first that my last line all-in-bold in the previous paragraph is not merely my PERSONAL OPINION but an 'GENERAL ASSUMPTION' among most soccer observers which **furthermore** can eaaaasily be backed up by an near endless pile of examples & stats, not to mention lots of contradicting or deluded statements too including even to some degree Clueless Marcus's very own tragically rosy-sounding '5-Year-Plan', from the last 5½ years. 'Muck The Schmuck' out of our moribund club NOW!!!

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TimmyH added 23:17 - Feb 20 This is to show that the boards 5 point plan is fully in action...which we all know is a load of cobblers, last season I think he brought 1 or 2 of the youngsters out at the end of last season. In other words nothing to play for from now in...if there was do you think Gleason, Skuse, Connolly and co. would be replaced by the our youngsters? Be an ideal time for Downes to get some game time in now...hang on

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ArnieM added 23:48 - Feb 20 Our youngsters will get a lot more chances next season Mick - When Town don't take up that 2yrsr option. Cheerio 👋
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brendanh added 23:59 - Feb 20 I'd like to us rebuild our club around the youth team. It's still the club's best asset. That's how we achieved success before. If it means a relegation, so be it. Also must sort the pitch out. Can't pass on a boggy pitch. Investing in a pitch-wide lighting system would be money well spent. It's never been the same since the new stands were built. Fortress Portman Road like the good old days.

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blythburgh_blue added 04:00 - Feb 21 Why have we got 7 loan players in our squad Mick? Why did you play for a draw against Burton when we still had a remote chance of top six? Why didn't you go for the win at NCFC? Did you realise we needed to win to keep our slim play off hopes alive? Seems lots of your substitutions are for real blokes feeling a bit feint or a slight twinge and then being replaced by another negative defensive player. Are you a serial liar MIck?

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SamWhiteUK added 09:49 - Feb 21 I hope the youngsters get us in the playoffs. How amazing would that be? Oh one can dream
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