Town boss Mick McCarthy still plans to cut short striker Kieffer Moore's loan at Rotherham and bring him back to Portman Road in January, although he says that might depend on whether the Blues receive a “bonkers deal” for the 25-year-old, who has netted 13 times in 16 League One starts and one sub appearance since joining the Millers and is currently the highest scorer in the top four English divisions.

Speaking at the weekend, Moore said he is yet to hear from McCarthy about his plans for him in January but the Blues manager says nothing should be read into that.

“He doesn’t need to hear from me directly,” he said. “When he went there I sent him a good luck message and he’s got on with it and he’s scored his goals.

“If he’d scored one and everybody was giving out to him I’d be on the phone to him saying, ‘You keep going, you’ll get your chance’, but I’m probably the last person he wants to hear from, except to know what he’s going to be doing.

“But he’ll be coming back, that’s my view and [we'll] see if he can score as many in the Championship. Unless, of course, somebody comes in and offers a bonkers deal for him.”

After Moore had made a strong start to his loan, Rotherham showed interest in signing him on a permanent basis before the transfer window shut at the end of August, while a number of other clubs, Plymouth Argyle, Port Vale, Stevenage and Partick Thistle among them, were all interested in the former Forest Green Rovers man in the summer.

“He’s doing great, that’s exactly the reason, one, why I signed him, and why I sent him out on loan, to go and get his football,” McCarthy continued.

“He wouldn’t have played here, he wouldn’t have started with Joe and Waggy and Didzy, so it looks like a good bit of management to me.”

He added: “Just let him keep playing and playing well, scoring goals and we’ll deal with it when the time comes.”

Moore, who joined the Blues from Forest Green for £20,000 in January, is contracted to Town until next summer with the club having an option to keep him for a further season.

Photo: TWTD

brazil1982 added 16:29 - Nov 16 Poor fella, coming back to warm the bench.
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Cakeman added 16:46 - Nov 16 Good luck to Keiffer be it at Rotherham, us or another club. I cannot help think it would be better if he would stay where he is though. I cannot see him getting a regular start with us and then all his good progress would gave been in vein. PS I know the Mick fans will slaughter me but did he really have to big himself again by declaring “it looks like a good bit of management to me” Not sure if he is trying to convince us supporters or himself. Either way he is becoming increasingly repetitive and boring with his comments which are obviously aimed as a dig at people who do not think he is great!

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Bluebell added 16:52 - Nov 16 I would love to see him back and see how he does in the Championship. Unfortunately he came to Town when we were going through a really bad time at the tail end of last season, and didn't have the service he needs. Having only got a few minutes at the end of games was never going to show what he can do. I wouldn't want him coming back to sit on the bench again though and I doubt he would want that. If that is going to be the casse it might be best for him to stay there till the end of the season but tie him down here to a longer contract. That way it's a win/win situation. If he eventually leaves he will be worth a lot more than we paid for him!

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midastouch added 16:52 - Nov 16 As much as I'd love to see him come back there's no point really in bringing him back unless Mick's going to give him a fair run of starts in the first team. If he's only going to play 2nd fiddle to the likes of DmG, Waggy and JG (sound a bit like MM now!) then please let KM stay at Rotherham as he sounds like he's having the time of his life there. Personally I'd love to see him come back and for him to be given a fair crack of the whip here. But by that I don't mean 1 game and if he doesn't score he's immediately relegated to the bench. I'd like to see him given a fair chance to show us what he's got. He'll be under pressure to perform here and he might not be able to adapt overnight to our different style and setup. However, he's proven he knows where the back of the net is and for that I think he's well worth been given a proper run in the first team throughout January (should he return). If he's not done much after a whole month then perhaps we need to reassess but if you bring him back at least give him a fair chance. Some will say he's only proven at a lower level. But even so, I'm not confident if DmG, Waghorn or Garner would be on 13 goals already by this early stage of the season if they had of been loaned out to a team in the league below. And a lot of teams from League One don't do so bad when they come up, look at Sheff Utd this season. So perhaps there's not such a big gap as we might think.

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Wickets added 16:58 - Nov 16 Give it a rest Mick ! self praise is no recomendation.
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bluetit added 17:00 - Nov 16 Good, like I said in the previous post where I was slated by many he needs to be performing well at IPSWICH TOWN not ROTHERHAM. Looking forward to seeing him with more confidence playing at a higher level, COYB.
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OsborneOneNil added 17:06 - Nov 16 MM hasn't contacted him at all, despite doing so well. Bit poor that......you'd have thought a nice 'well done lad' would be just what Kieffer would appreciate.
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martin587 added 17:10 - Nov 16 I cannot see who he would replace up front unless we had a few injuries.Yes,he would be better here but not just sitting on the bench which I expect would happen.So for the Lad it would be better for him personally to stay where he is.You never know we just might get a good offer for him.🤔
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Wickets added 17:46 - Nov 16 Same as most i cant see him replacing any of the current front men but there was some talk of Garner needing a shoulder op? so with the games coming thick and fast, who knows.
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Karlosfandangal added 17:53 - Nov 16 Looks like a fight between Moore and Garner, Moore on the bench and starting games here and there to give him more experience in the Championship and if he proves himself at this level could be the main striker next season, however if by a chance we go up this season would Moore be good enough for the Prem just yet.......time will tell.
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cat added 18:11 - Nov 16 Watching today's interview i personally think it would be better for Moore if he stayed up there till McCarthy departs. When MM talks about the likes of Jonas & Skuse you can hear the passion and genuine good will he has towards them, when commenting on Moore it's like he just don't give a flying one. If the Dino had to part company for what ever reason with one of them favourites I mentioned he'd be visiting them every game to tuck on their sock so to speak, but failure to even contact Moore speaks volumes. He will still take the credit if we were to sell him on though, but my respect lies with the Millers for bringing the best out of him, something the Dino could not be arsed to do.

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ClausThomsen added 19:24 - Nov 16 Recalling him is a no-brainer. If there was a 6"6 striker in league one scoring 13 in 16 we would be priced out! And it would seem an ideal signing for our style - relying so heavily on a targetman. If Garner gets injured we're in trouble, Moore would be ideal competition and backup. Last time we had a striker scoring like that in the league below and sold him we regretted it. We might get £3 million but it might be our loss. Again.

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blueheartXT added 20:06 - Nov 16 Does anyone really expect McGoldrick to be here come feb
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Ipswichbusiness added 20:35 - Nov 16 With every goal he scores for Rotherham his transfer value rises. If he sits warming our bench the value will fall. If he is recalled, will he be played and will he get the service? I suspect that Garner/Waghorn are ahead of him in the pecking order.
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heathen66 added 21:40 - Nov 16 I will be very honest I do not think Kieffer coming back is a good move for any party. Firstly I do not think he will be given a fair crack of the whip either by Mick or by some of the fans (sorry but it is true). Is he really going to be given a sustained run of games in front of Garner McGoldrick,Waghorn ....No !!! One or two starts and hauled off after 60mins will be no good for him at all. Secondly, will we give him the service, unless you call a hoof down the pitch from Chambers service, the answer again is No!!!. Thirdly...can you play on the wing like Waghorn, McGoldrick and Sears have needed to do in the past....uhm...No!!! My personal choice would be for him to stay at Rotherham for the rest of the season, score 20+ goals, and let the new manager use him correctly. We still have the option of another year so can negotiate better / longer contract as we go along. What is a bonkers offer. If he was Rotherhams player and we were enquiring about him the bidding would start in excess of £3m, but this is Ipswich and I an sure we would settle for an offer of £500k, for Mick to again gloat what a great manager he is...

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Bowls1e added 21:47 - Nov 16 Reading between the lines Mick is bringing him back & he's expecting that someone will make a bid for him. He's already said he wouldn't be starting ahead of the other strikers & when he's made his mind up he generally closes the door. I hope I'm wrong but just can't see where he'd fit in to the side unless Garner is out long term or Sears moves on.
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NSL added 23:06 - Nov 16 The problem is any amount over 500k is considered bonkers by the current powers that be....
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flyingdutchman added 02:40 - Nov 17 That's what your paid for Also to play football witch is where you fall down
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flyingdutchman added 02:40 - Nov 17 That's what your paid for Also to play football witch is where you fall down
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bobble added 05:29 - Nov 17 once the injury happens to one of our front 3 he will get his chance..
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Steve_ITFC_Sweden added 06:14 - Nov 17 "We'll see whether he can score as many in the Championship." Personally, I somehow doubt it, and the only chance he would have of doing that is if he played as often as he does at Rotherham - i.e. every match. He won't score many goals sitting on the bench for an hour. So I would suggest he continues where he is but with a 24-hour recall (if there isn't one already), so that he could come back if one of our front men got injured or (or needed surgery?)

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therein61 added 07:57 - Nov 17 Leave him at Rotherham for the season where he will play if fit(unlike here where it would be bench at best as Mick likes to mess players(Marriott anyone) about) then give him a full pre season back here and see what he's made of hopefully under a progressive thinking new manager.
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braveblue added 09:23 - Nov 17 Could be the worst man manager I have ever seen.
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PortmanTerrorist added 09:26 - Nov 17 He won't look as good back at ITFC as we simply not as creative as Rotherham. He will get 1 or 2 chances in a game with us and if they don't go in (and they don't always as we well know) he will not get another sniff of a starting spot. . Burley would often publicly say he was giving a player who had shown worth in training or off the bench, 4 or 5 games to show what they can do. Now that WAS good management.

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essextractorboy93 added 09:27 - Nov 17 Bring him back! Any other season if we were linked with League 1 top scorer everyone would be saying buy him! And he is our player, credit to the scouting department for suggesting him and then us buying him for 10k!
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