Paul Hurst will be an interested spectator at Lowestoft this evening as he continues to assess Ipswich Town’s young players.
The Ipswich manager purposefully left a number of his younger players at home for last night’s friendly victory over Crawley, opting instead to give them significant minutes against the Trawler Boys.
The likes of Barry Cotter, Conor McKendry and Aaron Drinan all played against Braintree on Saturday but were not involved last night, while Hurst has also suggested the likes of Josh Emmanuel and Ben Folami could play again having featured as late substitutes against Crawley.
MORE: Stu says: Six observations following Ipswich Town’s 1-0 win against Crawley Town
Hurst also admitted one, unnamed youngster had already caught his eye in training and insisted the youngsters playing this evening still have a chance to force their way into his plans.
“I didn’t want to bring as many as I did at the weekend (to Crawley) and for them to just be sat on the bench,” he said.
“They’ve got a game tomorrow at Lowestoft. A couple of the lads who came on late will play in that game as well.
“I think that’s better for them all. It gets them 75 to 90 minutes tomorrow evening.
“I’ll be there tomorrow night. I’m not saying I’ll be at every single one, but it’s early days and I want to see them play. Seeing them on the training ground is one thing, but a game against a decent side, certainly it will be a physical test, is another matter.
“In training one lad in particular has caught my eye out of the younger group. I am looking for more of them to do that.”
Hurst has, on a number of occasions, insisted each and every one of his players begin with a clean slate and that goes for experienced pros like Luke Chambers and those involved in the Blues’ youth teams.
“It’s always about impressing and some have and some haven’t,” Hurst said.
MORE: Report: Ward nets winner as Edwards makes first appearance in Crawley win
“People might have found it harsh what I’m saying but some players aren’t as good as what other people think and some have done better than what people think.
“As I’ve said at the start it’s a fresh beginning for everybody and, as I’ve already said, I don’t care, say, how many games Luke Chambers has played because he’s got to impress. It’s the same with the young lads.
“They might really step up and force their way into my thoughts.”
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here