As we begin 2015, we can only applaud the side's efforts so far and humbly admit that we did not expect that they had this kind of football in them. The Tractor Boys may have become not only play-off hopefuls, not even promotion candidates, but title contenders.

There is still a long way to go in the season and a lot of work still to do, but the Town are looking good. Despite the promising first half of the season, there is still a lot that can change, not least due to the fact that there is another transfer window to come.

Over the next month we will see transfer rumours, gossip and players being linked in and out of the club. So I'm going to let the pundits speculate, but I thought I'd take a different stance to see what kind of players the fans think would make sure of an Ipswich promotion - if you could pick any PAST Town player (in their prime) to come into the current side and get the side back to the Premier League, who would it be?

Do we need a goalscorer? Stewart, Brazil or Gates would guarantee goals, but Murphy is firing on all cylinders and has a good thing going with McGoldrick. Is a striker what the side needs?

With the second best defence in the league, the side is not leaking goals, would the inclusion of the likes of De Vos, Burley or Butcher actually bring anything to the team?

There are currently two keepers to choose from, neither of whom look like making any mistakes, so would your luxury player be between the sticks? Begovic or Richard Wright would improve the standard, but would they ensure promotion?

I would personally be looking in the midfield, but where to go? An in-form and creative Teddy Bishop would not lose his place, so would an attacking midfielder like Jimmy Bullard or Gio Dos Santos be the one to pick? Despite being the most luxury and enticing players, I would place my trust in young Bishop and would look to use my wild car elsewhere.

So there's the wing and defensive midfield left. Skuse, Tabb, Hunt and Anderson would probably be the most susceptible to losing out in my team and this presents a dilemma. Names such as Thijssen, Muhren and Wark would be the three I'd be erring towards had I been about in the late 70s/early 80s, but I would have to go with a player I've seen live. So for me Mick McCarthy, if you're reading, travel back to 2000 and get me Super Matty Holland to control that midfield, break up play and steer us back to the top flight!

Who would make yours?

wkj added 08:40 - Jan 2 Strikers worry me, David McGoldrick's injury last year ended our season in a lot of ways. Mick needs to keep them both in cotton wool for sure. I almost feel Tommy Smith would do a good job as a striker in an emergency, however an Inspired loan signing for a striker is essential. I do worry that Murphy will start to get players start to kick chunks of him.
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GenericIpswichMan added 13:33 - Jan 2 I agree that strikers is the area which needs strengthening the most. I worry who we would replace Didz or Murph with in the event of an injury. Alternatively who would complement the pair in a 4-3-3. Sammon isn't an out-and-out goalscorer, Bajner has been severely limited this season and Marriott, well I fear that he just isn't going to make the grade (Hope of course i'm wrong)

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BlueandTruesince82 added 19:10 - Jan 2 John Wark. Even if we did lose a striker Warky would bang them from midfield to make up for it. That said i think we need a striker.
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horsehollerer added 09:09 - Jan 4 I'm tempted to say Mariner or Brazil, but with our current set-up and personnel, it would have to be a toss-up between Arnold Muhren and Clive Woods. Muhren, because he was the master of the kind of long passes we like to play into the spaces on the flanks, and Woods because of the prolific service he'd give the strikers from wide positions. I'm actually going to say Woods. There.

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