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[Blog] We Need Hungry Players! Written by tbullitfc on Wednesday, 27th Jun 2012 18:11
This is my first attempt at a blog on here so be kind, these are my views and I do understand that people will disagree but this is what the website is all about.
This summer so far seem to be a fairly disappointing one for Town. Only one new signing who is an untried 18-year-old, who is showing some promise.
I'm not moaning about his age or the club's ambition because he is the type of player we should be after. Hunger in football is what is important, and hungry players are what we need.
Looking at the current squad, we are obviously short in so many areas. Key point number one would be the goalkeeper. ALB is not good enough at this level, yes he did show so signs of promise but ultimately he was not good enough, so who to sign?
Well, for me I have to say that Scott Loach excites me. Why? Because he loves the club and we don't have enough players that play for that badge on their shirt.
For years we have been short defensively. I laugh when I read on here that Tommy Smith is a good player, he isn't. I'm sorry to burst so many bubbles. Yes, he is an international player but he lacks so much! However, I feel maybe just maybe with a solid centre-half at the back with him could make him prove me wrong.
We need a quick, positionally-aware centre-half not a player like Jason De Vos who got caught being too slow at the back. Players like Mark Hudson who plays for Cardiff would be excellent. Looking at other teams around the league we need three new defenders.
In midfield we are OK. We have Luke Hyam who I think is so much like Matt Holland. He will be an excellent player and I really hope that Paul Jewell plays him.
We have good wingers in Lee Martin and JET, also Josh Carson who in pre-season needs to prove that he has the ability to play at the highest level.
Going forward, we could do with one or two more players, maybe a striker and a good attacking midfield player, someone who sits on the edge of the box and smashes balls in. Or maybe this year Jimmy Bullard will step up to the plate (I think he might just do it this year).
So, what's my view for next year? I think Town could make the play-offs, we need new players but if we make Portman Road our fortress and become really hard to beat, then we might just do it.
COYBS!
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Don't think that PJ has much to spend but there are plenty of players aval on free's so I don't think that's much of a problem. Wages will be, that's why I think we are missing out on some of our target signings. I also think it will depend on if we keep Bullard or not.
Maybe a young striker on loan from a London prem club will be our route for this season.
I would pay out for a good money for a c/half 25/26 who could hold the defence togeather.
I know you said you be kind... but you also said that Scott Loach excites you. You can't have it both ways. Scott loach is rubbish. He is worse than ALB. Below is the funniest of his terrible keeping.
Good on you Tbullitfc. All opinions welcome and your views are interesting.
However I tend to cringe when people talk of signing 'hungry' players as if it's a euphemism for ambition. To me that is disrespectful to the players already on the books as it implies that they don't have the ambition to take us forward. However I do fully support the view that we should be looking at players young enough to improve in the game but with a bit of experience behind them too. Ambition is good but it is perhaps better to look to players who might actually be better than the ones we already have. The lower leagues are full of young players desperate for a chance in the big time. At Championship level any such signing would be a gamble and while I agree that we need to sometimes look to this area of the market to augment the squad I am sure that PJ recognises that a club like ours needs to attract a few of the more established players in the game as well.
That's my opinion; hope to read more blogs in the future.
Cheers buddy and your points are noted to but as you say hunger is the same as ambitious in some respects do I was trying to use the phrase widely I think the most important thing to remember is we need players that wanna be here and want to impress. Cressy is the perfect example he is an excellent professional. How someone like JET needs to want it more IMO !!
"This summer so far seem to be a fairly disappointing one for Town"
Not sure I'd agree with that yet, here's some more statistics concerning the FLC, We've made 2 signings so far (I'm assuming here that Cheick Kourouma will sign), as of Thursday only 5 teams in the Championship have signed more players than us, Barnsley, Leciester & Wolves with 3 each and Leeds (Warnock has to have 10 strikers!) and Sheff Wed with 4. Only 3 other teams have made as many signings as us, Brighton, Huddersfield & Peterborough. Of the remaining teams 9 have made NO signings so far and 6 have made 1 signing. 19 Teams have signed the same amount or less players than us, thats around 78% of the league.
Patience is a virtue, we can't say it's a disapointing summer until we're into the back end of July/early August. Saying that I think most football fans get refresh-itus in the close season trying to latch onto any bit of transfer news!
The point about "hungry" or "ambitious players" or even players with a point to prove is well made but hindsight is a wonderful thing. I think Jewel was probably entitled to sign someone like Ellington because he thought he'd "have a point to prove" but it didn't work out, Keith Andrews on the other hand was a master stroke. A hungry player is only proved as such by performances on the pitch, they gain confidence and form and match sharpness and the rest falls into place, (Drury is a good example of this).
More than anything Ipswich need a settled team, the one signing we need, more than any other, is a first choice goal keeper, we saw the benefit of McCarthy on loan from Reading, after a few dodgy starts the settled back four provided the foundation for the progressive players to play.
Once we have this settled team we can then start to feed in the younger players (easier now with 7 subs on the bench this season) to gain experience. Ultimately I'm not concerned too much with results, for now I want reasonably entertaining football, a settled team and time for the club to rebuild from its youth team roots with Mr Klug working his magic.
I agree.. I agree with what you say about ALB, I agree with what you say about Tommy Smith. I agree with what you say about Hyam. I agree with what you say about wingers, carson, bullard, hunger, loach etc etc etc.
In case you haven't guessed... im just full of agreement really.
Ipswichjon, I agree with pretty much every point you make. However, I'm afraid I don't subscribe to the statistical argument you use to counter tbullitfc's submission that the summer has been disappointing so far. We have a seriously depleted squad particularly in the GK & CB departments. We need new signings to replace those who have left but importantly we need to bring in real quality in the areas where we are weak. While the new recruits are welcome additions they do not address the real problems and Tbullitfc is correct to suggest a sense of disappointment. However, as you say, patience is a virtue, so hopefully the obvious deficiencies in the squad will be resolved in the not too distant future. And I couldn't agree more with your view on having a settled team. This will require a strong core of players in a competitive squad without excessive recourse to the loan market.
I agree need hungry players, When we were last sucsessful we brought in Mcgreal from Tranmmere, J Wright from Crewe, Holland from Bournemouth, Johnson from Bury and Stewart from Huddersfield. This is what we need to get back to. Like look of Mcfazden from Crawley, Taylor from Peterborough, Ritchie from Swindon and Lowton from Sheff Utd. Plus need a commanding number 1. Guzan, Gordon or Loach would be good. I also think Baldock and Chambers would be huge signings.
I agree, we need ambitious players. Unfortunately, based on past record, Jewell appears uncomfortable getting up and coming players- for ref see all previous club purchases.
Although I don't particularly have faith in Jewell I like the chances he took with Cresswell, JET, Drury and Hewitt. Not all signings can be a hit but perhaps if Jewell trusted his judgement more, as opposed to getting tried and tested(older) players (Bullard, Bowyer, Chopra, Ingmarsson, Sonko or any number of loanees), then I might be swayed.
The fact is, we don't have much cash, we have a MASSIVE debt and we have completely moved away from the source of the most 'hungry' players at any club: Youth.
Klug coming back was a great decision- Kudos where kudos is due- but there is no point in having a youth set-up if they don;t get a fair chance.... and we are back to Jewell agai...n
[Blog] We Need Hungry Players!
