Blues boss Paul Hurst felt left-back Jonas Knudsen put in a very solid first appearance in Town’s 1-0 win against the MK Dons on Tuesday, the Danish international’s first game for his new manager following his return to the club after his post-World Cup break.

“I thought he had a very solid first appearance with myself as manager, used his experience well and looked nice and steady and assured back there,” Hurst said.

“He does need to do that. I don’t know if it came across as almost a threat [when I said on Saturday], people could take it however they want, I don’t particularly care if I’m honest, but just because he’s been to a World Cup he can’t just come back and think, ‘I should be in the team’.

“Myles Kenlock has been working hard, he scored the goal which turned out to be the winner at Barnet and has put in some good performances, so that’s the sort of competition I want and the dilemma of who is to start. But it was certainly a good first appearance under myself.”

While Hurst already has two left-backs, Scunthorpe chairman Peter Swann confirmed that the Blues had had a bid for another, Conor Townsend, rebuffed earlier in the week, an offer understood to be £400,000.

“If he said it then it must be true!” Hurst responded when quizzed on Swann’s comments.

Asked further whether interest in Townsend might be linked with interest in either Knudsen or Kenlock, Hurst added: “I think I’ve said I just want good players here, so if I can add competition and feel it’s something that will benefit us then that’s what I’ll try and do for this football club.”

The Blues boss says he’s yet to speak to Knudsen about his future with the 25-year-old out of contract at the end of the season.

“Since he’s been back, I wasn’t there [on Monday], I was at the managers’ meeting over in Walsall, so we kind of met face to face as he was getting on the coach,” he said.

“I was thinking, ‘Who’s that lad walking up to get on?’, I thought we’d signed someone I wasn’t aware of then realised who it was!

“We spoke in the summer about when he was going to return. I don’t feel there’s a conversation to be had at this moment in time.

“Again, if he sees it that he’s in the last year of his contract and he thinks he’s going to start looking elsewhere, then I can’t do anything about that. I might not want him.

“At the minute, he’s got to prove himself, all the lads in there have got to prove themselves still, even if at this moment in time I’m not going to make an absolutely definitive decision on who I would like long-term and who I won’t on the basis of some pre-season games because we all know when the season gets under way some will naturally improve, some might drop.

“Pre-season’s great to get minutes in their legs and to try and get some ideas about how we want to play but there’s no pressure around the games realistically and that’s what has to come into account when we get into the league action.”

Photo: PagePix

Steve_ITFC_Sweden added 06:32 - Jul 26 PH seems to balance at the moment between being brutally honest and encouraging. I like his objectivity, but I feel it might put some players off. Maybe PH would then say, "OK, that's not the kind of player I want in my team." He's warned us many times that the revolution will take time, so I'm still excited to see whether it actually brings results. I can see us struggling a bit - at least at the start. We were going nowhere fast, so any new approach is better than what we had before. I hope for both PH's sake and ours that he succeeds. In the best of all possible worlds, there is a place for the leader of the Fourth Reich: Ramsey, Robson, Burley, ...? Is Hurst the man? I hope so. Time will tell.

7

BlueJohn added 07:21 - Jul 26 I think Knudsen was unhappy with the way MM was treated by fans and was equally unhappy with his departure. Maybe he is looking to move on now. Personally, I think Knudsen has a part to play either at LB or CB but there is no point having someone in the squad who is not totally committed to the team.
5

Lord_Mac added 07:27 - Jul 26 Maybe Knudsen should have been equally unhappy with the way fans were treated by MM? And plenty of fans departed too!
7

Suffolkboy added 08:00 - Jul 26 Not sure what sort of smokescreen PH is trying to lay down here ; don't believe he actually hasn't spoken to JK .Thats not the way to man manage anyone ; is he still trying to find his own feet ,both at the club, with the group of players ,and with the media ? It certainly feels so ,and all he's doing is creating an air of uncertainty rather than of confident progression ,and a vision into which every one can buy ! The sooner he relaxes ,allows his natural self to emerge and feels able to speak without fear of hidden agenda , then the better it will be . There are currently aspects of his tenure which are uncomfortable . As an aside , it's high time one and all stopped referring back ,again speculating on history AND looked forward with the positivity we hope for this season !

1

crazyblue68 added 08:35 - Jul 26 How about some signings then Hurst? One week to go and still nothing done about getting central defenders in. Evans get off your sun lounger in the Bahamas and get some deals done.
-4

NottsTractor added 08:47 - Jul 26 Agree Suffolkboy. I am looking forward to the new season and really excited about a new approach on the pitch, but struggling to understand the approach to the media of the new manager. That said it could be a very shrewd way of managing fans, players and the press if he has, as I suspect, totally different conversations with the players in private. Lets see how it shakes up, on and off the pitch.

2

Radlett_blue added 08:51 - Jul 26 I get this uneasy feeling that we won't do anything about offering Knudsen a new deal, which would be idiotic, and a good player will walk for free next summer. We need to get this sorted in the next week, or else he will hold all the cards or go for a pittance in January.
0

Ipswichbusiness added 08:59 - Jul 26 I suspect that PH was just stating the bleedn' obvious which is that just because you've been to a World Cup doesn't mean that you have a place in the team automatically, you have to prove yourself like everyone else.
0

timspencero added 09:22 - Jul 26 SuffolkBoy - Bang on.
0

Steve_ITFC_Sweden added 09:38 - Jul 26 I don't think PH is laying down any smokescreens. Quite the opposite In fact: for me one of his plus points is that he doesn't trot out the usual platitudes. So far, I think he has been very up front with the media, but you can't expect him to reveal all the details or thinking behind his planning publicly. No-one in football or any kind of business for that matter is going to do that, in case things don't work out or in case a tactical advantage is lost. He's not even clear himself yet where he stands with the team building, but he's given us plenty of indications about what his goals and ideas are in general. Please give this likeable, driven, articulate man time to get his system into place. Then you can judge whether he has lived up to expectations. I for one think we have got exactly the man we needed at this time in our history - someone who actually seems to be on the fans' side rather than in a constant state of conflict with us.

1

bobble added 09:45 - Jul 26 seems like a fair bloke so far, has good things to say about both candidates for leftback, while bidding for another...unlike others on here i dont read deep magical subconscious mysticism into his every utterance and fart...my respect will be gained by performances and results, not media statements...
0

Skip73 added 09:55 - Jul 26 Maybe Knudsen is getting fed up of being unjustly slagged off by some of the fans. Hurst has said he's a solid defender so 2 managers can't be wrong, can they?
0

Bluebongo added 10:41 - Jul 26 Absolutely stupid of PH to tell Knudsen that he has to prove himself following his exploits i
-1

Bluebongo added 10:48 - Jul 26 Absolutely stupid of PH to tell Knudsen that he has to prove himself following his World Cup exploits. Can,t see Ba rcalona treating Messi like that.
-1

Blue_Again added 11:26 - Jul 26 Everybody on here second guessing what's going on behind the scenes and becoming negative already. We wanted change we got change, everyone just stfu whinging already
2

Marshalls_Mullet added 11:48 - Jul 26 Bluebongo - What planet are you on. What exploits?
0

Bluebongo added 11:58 - Jul 26 Well he earned a World Cup cap and his lo9ng throw resulted in a goal for Denmark. That ,s good enough for me Marshalls Mullet.
0

Marshalls_Mullet added 12:03 - Jul 26 So he shouldnt have to prove himself based on his long throw alone? Get real. As a pro he will be happy to prove himself. Players should continue to prove themselves on a daily basis. Hurst is complimenting him, in this interview. Not sure where the negative is.
2

Bert added 13:03 - Jul 26 Like others I too feel that PH has not yet got the balance right between constructive criticism and telling it as it is. There is no evidence to suggest that because Knudsen played in the World Cup he thinks he is a shoe in so why say what he has in public. He didn't say the same about Bart. Don't get me wrong, I am 100% behind PH but he may need some media training and display greater emotional intelligence when talking about individuals. If I were Knudsen I would not be amused.

0

Bluebongo added 13:07 - Jul 26 Totally agree Bert
0

Blogs 297 bloggers

Ipswich Town Polls