ESSEX COUNTY STANDARD TOWN CORRESPONDENT MATT PLUMMER DELIVERS HIS WEEKLY THOUGHTS ON THE NEWS FROM PORTMAN ROAD

Ask Ipswich Town fans to name Roy Keane’s best signing and nine out of ten would say Grant Leadbitter.

I can see why. The midfielder is the most obvious choice and his classy, consistent form has been one of the main highlights of a largely forgettable season.

However, I’d like to put another name on the table – Damien Delaney.

At the start of the season, it would have been a laughable suggestion because his erratic form summed up all that was inept about the team.

Shamefully, I remember being highly critical of him in this column.

However, having effectively gone from zero to hero, the defender has established himself as arguably the most important member of the Blues squad.

I missed out on Saturday’s trip to Sheffield Wednesday (inexplicably, my sister failed to check the fixture list before arranging her 30th birthday party) but heard nothing but good things about his heroics at Hillsborough.

And I was keeping a close eye on the Irishman while shivering through 90 minutes at Scunthorpe on Tuesday.

For my money, the colossus was immense, especially when at his gutsy best in the second half.

He was comfortably man-of-the-match and I definitely think an argument could be built to label him Keane’s best signing – especially given that he cost around a third of Leadbitter’s £2.65 million fee.

The midfielder will probably still win the player-of-the-year poll and no-one could dispute that.

Leadbitter has been a top performer from start to finish and the fact he’s shone in such an ordinary side adds credence to the argument.

But Delaney deserves to finish second or at the very least third. Anything less will be a travesty.

It’ll certainly be good to get back on home turf tomorrow, when Bristol City head to Portman Road. Four away games on the trot (only three for me) has been a big ask and the players have done well to notch seven points from 12.

The Peterborough disaster aside, two wins and a draw represents decent form and hopefully they can build on it tomorrow and throughout March and April.

Bristol City, of course, boast the talents of former Ipswich enigma Danny Haynes.

I always found him incredibly frustrating – sublime one minute, anonymous the next – but by all accounts he’s doing well at Ashton Gate and was one of the stars of last week’s televised win against West Brom.

Danny scored plenty of priceless goals for Ipswich, not least against Norwich, and was a key man under Joe Royle and Jim Magilton.

Whether he ever lived up to his huge potential is questionable but he certainly deserves a warm welcome tomorrow.

Talking of warmth, I’m hoping for a milder day than we experienced in the swirling snow at Scunthorpe.

The freezing conditions sparked a half-time conversation among the local press pack about the coldest match this year.

Tuesday would be in the running but I still shudder at the thought of Town’s FA Cup date at Blackpool in early January.

Towards the end of the second half, I was so numb and uncomfortable my interest in the game had long since dwindled.

Then, standing by the tunnel afterwards, I could barely splutter my words out – hardly ideal when you’re about to interview Roy Keane!

Thankfully, I wasn’t the only one struggling and the press conference was wrapped up as swiftly as possible.

Hopefully, days and nights like that will be few and far between now as we head towards spring and season’s climax.

SEE THE STANDARD EVERY WEEK TO READ MATT'S THOUGHTS ON IPSWICH TOWN