Ipswich Town boss Mick McCarthy has today revealed that out-of-favour duo Scott Loach and Paul Taylor have been transfer-listed by the club, while Sylvan Ebanks-Blake will not be offered a new deal in the summer.
The Blues manager – whose side can finish anywhere between eighth and 11th place heading into their season-finale against Sheffield Wednesday at Portman Road tomorrow lunchtime – has already begun planning for what will be the club’s 13th successive campaign at Championship level.
McCarthy has already confirmed that club captain Carlos Edwards, currently on loan at Millwall, will be released when his contract expires in the summer.
He says he will not make a decision on Stephen Hunt (out of contract), as well as loanees Frazer Richardson and Paul Green (both out of contract at Middlesbrough and Leeds) until he has assessed what other players might become available.
Boyhood Blues fan Loach has found himself behind Dean Gerken in the pecking order this season and admitted earlier this year that he would have a head and heart decision to make come the summer.
Taylor was signed by Paul Jewell for £1.5m, but the livewire striker missed most of his debut campaign at Portman Road through injury and has been very much on the periphery under McCarthy this season (four starts, 15 sub appearances).
“Loachy might end up out of the door because he wants to go and play as a number one,” said McCarthy. “To be fair, he wants to play and there’s only one (keeper) position.” He continued: “Paul Taylor will be going. He’s not going to play for me so we might as well clear that up. It’s quite clear, you come and watch every week, he’s not my type. He’s not going to play, he’s going to go somewhere else.
“You might as well hear it because he’s heard it. I’ve not fallen out with him, I’ve just said ‘you’re not going to play for me, you want to play, so let’s do something about it and crack on’.”
Striker Ebanks-Blake joined on a free transfer after recovering from a long-term injury. He has made just two starts and eight substitute appearances though, twice suffering injury set-backs. Left-winger Hunt, 32, has blown hot-and-cold during his 16 starts and seven sub appearances.
Asked if he would be offering the former Wolves duo new deals when their short-term contracts expire this summer, McCarthy said: “Sylvan won’t be staying. He’s not been involved as much as we’d like.
“I’ve spoken to Hunty and told him I won’t be doing anything with him straight away.
“He’s been fabulous. He makes things happen, his personality has been great and I’m not writing him off completely, but I’m not going to be doing anything on Monday morning either.
“We’ve got about 18 of the lads who have been here all season coming back. I’ve got Tabby (Jay Tabb) and Ando (Paul Anderson) still in wide areas. I’m not going to be making decisions on people until, well, into June I would have thought.
“There’s no point signing players now to pay them in May and June when the season doesn’t start until August. I’m not that bonkers and it’s not even my money.
“What I don’t want to do is queer my pitch for loan deals with Premier League players.
“If you think of the quality that Jonny Williams has brought us, if we could get a couple like that, not necessarily his position, then I think that is going to help us.”
On Green and Richardson, who have both found their chances limited since joining on loan, but who have both been praised for their professionalism, McCarthy said: “It’s exactly the same set of circumstances (as Hunt). It works both ways you know. If I was to make them all an offer and it wasn’t the right offer then they’d soon say ‘I tell you what, we’ll hang about and see what else comes along’.
“We’re all doing it, we’re all dancing around our handbags and seeing what will happen.”
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