Ten Years Ago, We Came Close to Promotion. Can We Go One Better This Time? Written by Nuggets on Monday, 15th Dec 2014 21:00 Ten years ago, at this stage of the season, Joe Royle's low-budget Ipswich Town side were top of the table after 21 games played. Shefki Kuqi had scored the only goal of the game in a 1-0 victory over Brighton. Times were good. Fast forward a decade and, ignoring a series of campaigns mostly consisting of disappointment, underachievement, false dawns, and mediocrity, it appears Mick McCarthy's Ipswich outfit are on course to emulate, if not hopefully surpass, Royle's brilliant achievement. That Royle side, with an attacking vim arguably not seen at Portman Road in the intervening decade, contained some brilliant footballers. Reliable goalkeeper Kelvin Davis, towering centre-back Jason De Vos, club legends Fabian Wilnis, Jim Magilton and Tommy Miller, and the prolific duopoly up front in Darren Bent and Kuqi. We were an acknowledged force. Ultimately, the side missed out on automatic promotion by two points, and Ipswich went through the grinding formality of the play-offs, despite being nine points off Derby County in fourth place below us. A semi-final defeat to West Ham ended any hopes of promotion that year and, with the lure of Premier League football proving to be too enticing for some of our more promising players, the club's decline began and we have subsequently failed to make the play offs since. Like that 2004/05 season, McCarthy's low-budget side are looking good value, and a top-six finish appears attainable. Since the defeat to Norwich in late August, a result which had some supporters calling for Mick to get the sack and castigating the lack of quality in the team, the side have only lost once. Bolstered by a stingy defence, an in-form strikeforce, and a management team that seems to know what they are doing, the club sit only one point off the top of the table as we approach the midway point. Having said that, the club has some difficult challenges it must confront over the next couple of months. Most notably is the festive fixture list that, unfortunately, isn't looking quite so festive. Games against Middlesbrough, Brentford, Charlton and Derby, who are second, fifth, tenth, and third respectively, offer a run of crucial games to determine whether we can realistically challenge for automatic promotion. Another concern is the mounting interest in our star players. Tyrone Mings, debatably the most improved player in the side, has reportedly attracted the interest of Premier League clubs such as Arsenal and Chelsea. The potential departure of our key defender, in January, would no doubt bring in some much-needed funds. But at the expense of our accomplished and decent defender, playing with such stability in a settled back four, such a move could derail a promotion push. Another issue is the lack of strength-in-depth up front. Daryl Murphy and David McGoldrick are undoubtedly effective strikers at this level. But Conor Sammon, despite his passion and undoubted work-rate, lacks proficiency in front of goal and Balint Bajner sadly does not look Championship quality in the few appearances McCarthy has afforded him so far. Noel Hunt seems to be a decent short-term move, and his winner at Charlton hopefully indicates he can overcome his poor goalscoring form over the past couple of years. Another concern is whether the club can resist a potential second bid for McGoldrick. Almost sold on deadline day in the summer transfer window, McGoldrick could be tempted to guarantee Premier League football in 2015 and further his career. The club might be tempted to cash in on a player who cost nothing in transfer fees, and net a sizeable profit. However, this is admittedly a less imposing concern. He should stay at a club which has a strong team spirit, and, with promotion looking a more realistic objective than seasons gone by, I would think McGoldrick would stay and relish the challenge of using his impressive abilities to further enhance our chances. A third potential issue is the squad depth, and the feeling that something is missing from our industrious midfield. With Jonny Williams injured and back in London, the need for a creative presence in midfield is something that should be addressed in the transfer window. Kevin Bru is often inconsistent, Teddy Bishop is finding his form at this level and Darren Ambrose appears to be perennially short of match fitness. Bishop has the potential, true, and should get the minutes to further his development. However, an out-and-out, creative attacking midfielder, if only for cover, would be an addition that would go some way in providing the squad depth to prolong a promotion bid. We could also do with cover at right-back. Luke Chambers, while putting in some impressive performances at right back is, naturally, a centre-back. With Elliott Hewitt out on loan, and having limited first-team opportunities at Portman Road, and Jonathan Parr more comfortable at left-back, bringing in some cover in this position should be a compulsory move in the window. Despite the doubts, I am feeling optimistic about the club's future. McCarthy has sorted the team out. We are a lot more organised and efficient with the ball, and we have a knack of gaining points at grounds where, under the previous few managers, we would have been rightly written off. As well as this, the club appear to be sorting itself out behind the scenes too. In the summer, I criticised the board for a perceived lack of ambition by failing to provide McCarthy with a decent transfer budget. Fortunately, McCarthy's management skills and an eye for a bargain has enabled the board to cut costs, slash the budget, and also oversee a period of progress. With promotion looking increasingly more likely, touch wood, after every game, I hope we can avoid the lottery of the play-offs, such as 2004/05, and secure a top two finish to finally return to the Premier League after what would be a 13 year absence. If you like, you can follow me on Twitter - https://twitter.com/NathanBeales1 Please report offensive, libellous or inappropriate posts by using the links provided.
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