Mick McCarthy revealed that he had turned down loan requests both for scorer Michael Chopra and midfielder Jay Emmanuel-Thomas after Town’s 1-0 home victory over Blackpool.

The Blues boss confirmed that a number of clubs — one we understand to have been Hull City — have made approaches for the frontman, who has started only twice since McCarthy took over as manager, one of those the FA Cup tie at Aston Villa when he scored his last goal.

“They did,” the Town manager said. “But I made the decision that I thought we’d need him and we’d need his goals. With our five loan players, this week we’ve only had 14 players that are contracted to us training.

“There was never any chance, the same with Jay Emmanuel-Thomas, he’s not going anywhere. It was a good decision obviously, an even better decision to put him on I suppose!”

McCarthy felt the finish showed Chopra’s class: “It was the one real bit of quality in the whole game. It was a horrible, scrappy, scruffy, nasty, magnificent 1-0 win.

“I said yesterday, I’m not bothered how we get them, as long as we get the points to keep us in this league. That’s a massive three points for us.

“The one bit of quality was Chops, from the timing of his run, to getting across the defender, to holding him off, to finishing it with his weaker foot with the defender all over him and the keeper having narrowed the angle. It was a real bit of quality.

“He’s got something. I might be being a bit unfair to him, actually. He scores his goals, but it’s the way he went about his job as well, he worked hard today and stopped them playing from the back as best he could and I thought he was excellent.”

Guirane N’Daw provided the pass for the winning goal but McCarthy thought it was Chopra’s contribution which was decisive: “It was, but Chops is savvy enough. He’s on the shoulder of the defender and he read it, which shows that bit of class. Give him credit for making the run in when he did and how he did it, it was very good.”

He says he and Chopra have talked about his lack of games, other than the FA Cup tie his only other start since the change of manager came against Peterborough in November, but not for a while: “We’ve spoken, of course, but that was a while ago. He’s just got his head down, he’s trained well and he’s been a good member of the squad.”

The one negative from Town’s perspective was the injury to full debutant Anthony Wordsworth, who was substituted in the first half.

McCarthy says he’s on his way to hospital to have the problem assessed: “He’s on gas and air in the physio’s room.

“He’s obviously in pain but he doesn’t look that way at the moment. He’ll be going off to hospital, he’s got a bang in around the kidney area in the back.

“I think he’ll be a really good player for us, Woody, and it’s a shame if the injury is going to keep him out for any length of time. But we don’t know yet. He’s going to be taken to hospital as a precaution.”

Daryl Murphy is also a doubt for Tuesday’s home game against Watford, his manager revealed: “Murph got a bang there near the end. He was struggling. Thankfully there was only three or four minutes left.

“We’ll just see how they are because they’ve all had to work exceptionally hard. It’ll be a tough game on Tuesday, Watford are a good team.”

Blackpool caretaker-boss Steve Thompson was disappointed his team again conceded first: “We always said that the first goal was going to be massive. The stats don’t lie, we’re conceding too many. I think it’s 70-something per cent that we’ve conceded first in a game now.

“I think the Tiago Gomes one was a great chance for us. Although he’s hit the post, if he pulls it back Matt Derbyshire’s got an open goal.

“So, they do turn games, although I’m not saying it makes or breaks the game, but especially in these games where it’s a little bit flat, the first goal is always going to be important.”

Thompson, who confirmed there will be a press announcement regarding Paul Ince’s appointment as manager on Monday and that he will become a member of the former England skipper’s staff, says he left Ince’s son Tom out after his travelling late this week.

“He left training on Thursday to get to the airport early,” he said. “He travelled through the night on Thursday.

“He was up at 7 o’clock in the morning on Friday for the meeting/trial, whatever you want to call it, and he got back to our hotel last night at 11.30.

“I spoke to him today and the lad was physically and mentally drained. Really, he shouldn’t have been in the squad.”

He added: “I find it absolutely crazy that my top scorer and one of my main players is travelling around Europe two days before a game.”

Photo: Action Images

Lennyboy added 00:53 - Feb 17 I'm so pleased with this win like everyone who truly loves the town, but I'm not pleased with the performance. Before anyone starts on at me, we all pay alot of money to watch our beloved town and that gives me the right to say where we are poor. 1. Poor communication between N'Daw and Hyam. 2. Too much just lobing it up the field without thinking where the balls going. 3. Not enough running off the ball into space I could go on...but too pleased with the points. We must all understand that this is going to be an ugly finish. The boys looked tired today, slow on the ball and slow to react and I would like to see Chops acknowledge the crowd when he scores. I will be there Tuesday cheering as I've always done, and never booing. We need to get our act together too...and cheer louder and longer. Moan over. Love IPSWICH TOWN FC.

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Eireannach_gorm added 02:15 - Feb 17 Regarding the actual article, Chops was never going to be loaned. We were either selling him or playing him. Loaning him at this stage of his career would be pointless. On the other hand I cannot understand why JET has not been loaned out. Mick does not pick him and he needs games. I think a period away from the club with a regular playing situation would show Mick what he is missing.

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nobbyclark added 02:24 - Feb 17 http://www.wawsport.com/english-championship-2013-ipswich-town-1-0-blackpool-hig The goal Chopra scored. I just hope he concentrates on his football now and not socail network sites.
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bluefeast added 07:35 - Feb 17 Why is it so many Ipswich supporters on here are bothered by personalities or indeed at the moment performance standards ,we want to win ,you cannot play expansive quick attcking football unless you are full of confidence. A watford if you like. What we need is 50 points ASAP how they arrive i do not care.
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Kesgraveblue57 added 09:32 - Feb 17 25 goals to then Chopra before the end of the season
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brittaniaman added 09:37 - Feb 17 As players have said,,, the only way to forget your off field problems is to get on that pitch and play football !!! I thought that was proved today when Chops came on with grit and determination to prove himself,, good luck to him and keep doing it Chops !!!! Well done today lads for the gritty 3pts.!!!!!!!
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Keaneish added 10:16 - Feb 17 @eireannach_gorm - I like the way MM and TC are handling JET. He's obviously not doing it in training so I like the approach of starving him of football and getting him to concentrate on what he needs to in coaching. If this works we'll almost have a new hungry signing for next season. If not, we'll know it's a player with undoubted talent which can't be harnessed with any consistency. No doubt in my mind he's better than Nouble. Hopefully we'll be safe with a few games to go and then we'll see a hungrier, sharper, more intelligent and better JET ahead of next season. No doubt Time with TC will be good for him.

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bluey123 added 10:30 - Feb 17 Chopra and Thomas not fit PEOPLE to wear the ITFC shirt
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Warkys_Tash added 11:21 - Feb 17 Well done Chops, absolute class finish. Everything MM said about the goal was true, timing of the run, strength to hold off the defender, finish with the weaker foot. That's why we signed him, on his day he is the best in the Championship. Technically Better than Campbell IMO. His ball control was sublime yesterday and hold up play decent. He has a football brain, now just needs to use this brain off the pitch, get his head down & repay us fans. Many of us have supported him through this past year, even though we don't always like what we hear. As for the money picture incident, has anyone stopped to think that he might have googled that & put it on there to wind up some abusive Norwich haters? Internet Trolls are up to their tricks all the time to stir up negativity! For those that booed him, you are an utter disgrace. If the manager sees fit to give him the Town shirt, then respect the decision and back him, Martin or anyone else. We need our best players and Chops was the only ray of quality in a very poor game. I hope MM rewards him with a start alongside McG on Tues night.

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blueherts added 12:16 - Feb 17 Whilst I think Chopra has not been especially supportive of a Club that has given him a genuine lifeline in life !! Financially - HE IS A PROVEN GOALSCORER But lets have credit to MM and TC here and I also seem the same for JET I think JET being left out is good management - I think I would start both against Watford - who are gonna come out and play attacking open football looking for a win So unlike some recent home games against teams around us I , strangely , like with the Boro game -- fancy us for Tuesday night Players like Chopra will change games and JET maybe has 'cooled his Jets' and will come out with everything to prove - Play him just off front and I think he will step up in a game like this I like our Back 5 at the moment and Hyam is a class act sitting in there Edwards need to step up on Tuesday I agree with the Booing - no place for at PR for that - we can all have our opinions but when they are out there on the pitch - support the TEAM - which will always include players we dont 'like' Well done to MM and TC for the way they have handled things recently Priority - Survival in Champ - Step 2 - the rebuild

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Michael11 added 15:44 - Feb 17 How fickle are some of you on here. Seen a few of the same people saying how fantastic he is and to give him a break when they were slating him last week about the bag of money incident, saying he should leave the club. I still don't like him but if he keeps scoring goals then he's fine by me!
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