Mick McCarthy has two words for the Ipswich Town supporters underwhelmed by his latest loan recruits – ‘Trust me’.

The Blues boss added hard-working forward Luke Varney and combative midfielder Richard Chaplow on loan from fellow Championship clubs Blackburn and Millwall respectively yesterday.

Varney, 32, has made just 11 sub appearances in the league for mid-table Rovers this season, while Chaplow, 30, has been told he will be released by the relegation-fighting Lions in the summer.

The duo – whose initial one-month deals could be extended to cover a potential involvement in the play-offs – go straight into the Blues squad for today’s visit of Reading to Portman Road (3pm).

When it was put to him that some supporters may be underwhelmed by the men brought in to bolster the club’s best shot at promotion in a decade, McCarthy said: “Strangely enough, that’s why I’ve been in this game for 20-odd years as a manager. I don’t look at anything and think ‘oh, they don’t want him so why should we?’ It doesn’t work like that.

“You have to look beyond all that. How many times have managers had egg on their faces letting players go?

“My thinking is always have a look at them and see for yourself. We had Balint Bajner and Kevin Bru walk through the door in the summer. Nobody had ever heard of them – me included. Balint didn’t work out, but Bru has just signed a new four-year deal and has been different class.

“But why the hell would we want him after he’d been let go by a team I can’t even pronounce in Bulgaria? It would be stupid even looking at him. That’s how some people think. But not me.

“I’ve done it all through my career –have a look at them. Neill Collins came down from Scotland, we paid 20 grand for him at Sunderland and he us get promoted both there and at Wolves. We took a player from Stockport, Andy Welsh; he was in their reserves for goodness sake, and we got promoted with him.

“We’re all quick to dismiss players and say ‘he can’t do this and he can’t do that’. I’ve found, to my credit, that it’s always worth having a look.”

– Follow @Stuart_watson on twitter for live match updates from Portman Road this afternoon.

MICK MCCARTHY ON LUKE VARNEY

“He’s always made an impact against my sides over the years and been a bit of a thorn in my side. He scored one of the best goals that I’ve ever seen for Blackpool against us; chested it down just over the halfway line and volleyed it into the top corner. Somebody high up in our club (Wolves) said they thought Marcus Hahnemann should have saved it. Let me tell you, if there had been two Marcus Hahnemanns they wouldn’t have saved that one!

“He’s a player I’ve always respected and admired and appreciated because of the way he goes about his business. He’s a whole-hearted player and certainly puts a shift in every week. And everybody who knows me by now will know that I like players like that.

“He’s had good moves. I hope I don’t stop it by saying this, touch wood, but he’s one of those that wherever he’s gone he’s had a quick impact and scored goals. Let’s hope that’s the case here.”

He added: “You watch people play against your teams for years and you tend to get a good idea of their character and what you think they’ll be like. It’s always nice when you get it right and such a disappointment if you’ve got it wrong when you meet them. I would say I’ve got it right with him; he seems a good character and a nice guy. He’s a grafter and he’ll fit in.

“He doesn’t just play different positions, he’ll willingly play them. That’s the thing. It’s about having players who are selfless in terms of what they give to the team and the cause. I think he’s another one of them. In fact, I know he is.

“I hope he has the same impact as Noel (Hunt) did having not played for a while. Players want to play football. It’s almost like you let them out on the pitch at last and they go mad for a while. That’s great. You get the best out of them.”

MICK MCCARTHY ON RICHARD CHAPLOW

“I knew he could play (before he came to train last week). I know about his ability. If you have an opportunity to get them under your roof and see how they settle in with the rest of the lads then why would you not take it?

“He’s out of contract at Millwall, they’re not going to keep him, they’ve got quite a few players and sometimes, in that situation, it’s best not to keep that player around the place.

“He strikes me as a really good lad. Ollie (Ian Holloway) speaks highly of him. I know he’s got good quality – and he’s got a goal in him too.”