Town boss Mick McCarthy says Flynn Downes’s loan move to League Two leaders Luton until the end of the season will benefit both clubs and the player.

The 19-year-old broke into the Blues first team in pre-season and, coincidentally, made his first senior start in the Carabao Cup tie between the clubs at Kenilworth Road when Town ran out 2-0 winners.

However, the England U19 international hasn’t added to his five senior starts and seven sub appearances since November.

“It’s a good signing for both of us, for Luton Town and for Ipswich,” McCarthy said.

“I’ve always been impressed with Luton manager Nathan Jones from when he was the coach at Charlton, his teams played with a diamond, he went to Brighton, then he then went to Luton.

“I said to him after the Luton game, ‘You’ll get promoted, your team’. I thought they were an absolute nap and it looks like that now. He’s going to a team that are doing very, very well.

“I think they want to play him at the base of the diamond and it’ll suit him fine. It’s not the Championship but he’s more than capable of playing in League Two because he’s capable of playing in the Championship.

“If he can get 10 or 12 games between now and the end of the season and they get promoted, it will be brilliant for him. It’ll be a great experience and he’ll come back to us next year a better player for it.”

Not all supporters were impressed to see Downes being allowed to move on even if it is just for the remainder of the season, the Brentwood-born schemer having signed a contract which runs to the summer of 2020, with the club having an option for a further season, in July.

“Fans being disappointed and if there’s any criticism levelled, let’s just clear that up,” McCarthy responded.

“I’m disappointed, I’d love him to be in my team. But he got in it and he got injured, he’d played in the England set-up and then he got injured and his injury probably came through overwork, stress.

“He’d suddenly be coming in here, training with us every day. So he’s had to take a step back.

“He’s not going to dislodge Skusey, Gleeson or Callum so he might as well go and play somewhere else.

“And if he goes and plays in a team that gets promoted, it’s for his development, which is something I consider about all the players as well, it’s not just about me.

“But if he was the best midfield player and he was fit, he’d still be here. But he’s not, so he might as well develop and come back next year as a better player.”

Photo: TWTD

cromwellblue added 18:47 - Feb 1 Correct me if I'm wrong but our best run this season was the first 4 games. Who was in midfield then?
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cat added 19:16 - Feb 1 McCarthy explained the Flynn situation, but I simply ain't getting it. Why accommodate other teams loanees at the expense of our youths, specially in a season where a mid-table finish seems the likely outcome. MM bangs on about championship football being tough, what better way of preparing them than playing them in our team. Looks like them favourites will always be first on the sheet, same old McCarthy, scared to play them youths. Roll on the summer, ‘simply blinding' plenty in the tank!!!!

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Mark added 19:20 - Feb 1 “He's not going to dislodge Skusey, Gleeson or Callum so he might as well go and play somewhere else." Why is Downes not going to dislodge Gleeson? That seems rather a bold statement to say Gleeson is nailed-on first choice already, ahead of our of our own young player who was excellent a few months ago during the fantastic start to the season. If Gleeson really is so good though, perhaps we should sign him up for longer than the short-term contract we have given him?

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Ipswichbusiness added 19:23 - Feb 1 MM says that he's not going to dislodge Gleeson. What a message for the youngster; however good you are, however hard you train, you're not going to dislodge an older player who arrived from Birmingham reserves on a short term free a couple of games ago. What happened about that five point plan and developing our own youth players; was that just another bit of spin?

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Garv added 19:25 - Feb 1 Why can't he dislodge Gleeson?
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TimmyH added 19:33 - Feb 1 Will it benefit us if we have another injury in midfield?...he did okay considering it was his first Championship games earlier in the season so why he needs to go down to league 2?!? McCarthy needs to get the ship in order: 1. What he's doing after this season 2. Many players contracts left to run down 3. Too many loan players again cropping up
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TimmyH added 19:35 - Feb 1 Surely any manager requires back up (even if he isn't going to dislodge Gleason) it's called having a squad Mick - and we already have an injury hit midfield, don't just throw another youngster out on loan. Really doesn't make sense.
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massivemole added 19:42 - Feb 1 Arguably our best midfielder, this season. But not a proper bloke - out on loan you go.
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Taricco_Fan added 20:41 - Feb 1 We need a new manager. McCarthy doesn't put enough faith in the kids despite a player like Downes impressing during our most successful period of the season. McCarthy just wants his 30-year-old, 7/10 every game, journeyman cloggers and proper blokes. Fed up of it.
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muccletonjoe added 21:06 - Feb 1 If you're not fed up with it by now you have joined the ranks of apathy at the exits of portman road. Why is a lad like Downes unable to play ahead of a guy who is only at the club for another 12 weeks or another who has been at the club a matter of days and has played less football thus season than Downes. Moronic talk from a guy who used to kid us that it all made sense.

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BrettenhamBlue added 03:46 - Feb 2 "He's not going to dislodge Gleason" Reputation and experience obviously more important than raw talent. Pity Nydam/Hyam also, it's obvious MM rates those 3 as his first choice.
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harlingblue added 03:59 - Feb 2 It is a great loan move for both Downes and ITFC. Having watched him this week in the U23 game against Millwall, coming on for the eternally injured Adeyemi, you can see that he has had a 'growing spurt', much taller and now needs the strength to be added. Alongside Hyam, he had a fine game, but the hurly burly of The Championship could soon see him again injured. Next year, could see him take centre stage as our box to box player to replace Connolly, perhaps we might have them both?

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Theipswich added 08:47 - Feb 2 “He's had to take a step back but he's not going to dislodge Skusey, Gleas and Callum, so he might as well go and play somewhere else in a team who could get promoted." He is better than the 2 loanees and he should be playing week in week out and as we are not going anywhere than under a forward thinking manager, our youngsters would be played but under McCarthy our youth players don't stand a chance. Bring on the loanees...way to go...

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vanmunt added 09:41 - Feb 2 I am at a loss whether he doesn't get it or just doesn't care.. a season drifting into malaise, what do all Town fans want, a bit of hope. Hope that there is a future for Town and the best thing for that would be to see some youngsters coming through, not some loan player or has been. Sums up everything wrong with our club at the moment..
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