We made it. In the end we made it by a hair’s breadth, by a missed Darren Bent penalty, by Noel Hunt’s last-gasp winner against Charlton, by any number of scrambled, lucky, happy moments. But we made it. And if it were easy, it wouldn’t be Ipswich.

It’s been ten years. Like any number of current Ipswich fans, the play-offs are my last real memories of Ipswich success. I remember the Premier League, but as a dimly lit memory.

I was at many of those games, but as a child. I was not able to fully understand what I was seeing and who I was supporting. I remember Shefki Kuqi more than Marcus Stewart, Pablo’s second coming more than his first, Bobby Zamora’s two goals for West Ham at Portman Road more than Alun Armstrong’s header against Inter Milan.

It’s been a long ten years in the wilderness and for so long I’ve been yearning for something more than mediocrity. I dreamt of a return to the Premier League. Then it became hope for the play-offs. At the worst, it was desperation just to survive. And now it’s come, I’m rather philosophical.

For me, the play-offs were always a means to an end, the necessary road to the Premier League. This year they’ve almost become an end in themselves. I’d have been more gutted to miss out on the play-offs than I would be to see us knocked out. I remain, as my name suggests, ever hopeful: if we come out triumphant, it’ll be my happiest real Ipswich memory. Nevertheless, at the same time, I’m a realist and we’re certainly not favourites to win.

But the play-offs in themselves are an achievement, the crown on a successful season. When Mick took over, we were bottom. To be sixth gives us a tangible achievement at the end of a hard-working, thrilling season. It means that Murphy’s goals got us somewhere. It means that we’re still in it at the very end. It means that people are talking about Ipswich again.

So ultimately, we’ve got nothing to lose and all to gain. Let’s go into the play-offs, grasp our chance with both hands and just see what happens.

I’m not suggesting a cavalier, reckless, throw-the-kitchen-sink style attitude against Norwich, as I’ve seen some suggest. That we’ve lost twice doesn’t indicate that our tactics are flawed; if we open up and attack Norwich, they’ll dismantle us.

As much as I hate to admit it, they’re a very good attacking side and if we make it a contest of ability, they’ll win. Our success comes on the back of tact and guile, because we out-think our opponents and can play backs to the wall, Alamo-style football against teams like Watford and then sting them on the break.

When we beat Brentford 4-2, they had 65% possession and more shots yet this was our best performance of the season, the ultimate realisation of this tactic. Our problem with Norwich was never that this tactic was flawed, it was that we never took Bradley Johnson out the game like we did Alex Pritchard, stopped Wes Hoolahan playing the passes like we did Alan Judge. We never once dictated the pace.

It can be over-emphasised, but we do have a hole at the right side of our defence. Mick’s tried to correct this by playing Jonny Parr on the right side of midfield, falling back to give an impromptu 3-5-2 and pushing Luke Chambers into a more natural central position. But we’ve conceded seven goals since we first saw this at Wolves, four of which have still come down this side.

I don’t fault Parr, much less Chambers: but I would take Tommy Smith out. He’s one of the few players this year not to have a good season and we saw that again at Blackburn. Whilst 3-5-2 offers us little more defensively, we lose out in terms of attack. Shift Chambers into the centre, put Parr at right-back and let’s have Paul Anderson back on the right side of midfield to bring something to Norwich.

Let’s take pride in our achievements, see the play-offs as an opportunity and trust in Mick. I’m not expectant - but I remain ever hopeful.

Lightningboy added 14:29 - May 5 Putting Parr at right back & Chambers into the middle instead of poor old Tommy is something I and I think around 95% of town fans would agree on - unfortunately it's not going to happen. I think if Mick had done this 3 or 4 months ago when Smith's form really dipped we wouldn't have had to scrape into 6th position on the last day - we would've nailed down a play-off place long before (or maybe even an automatic place - who knows?) As for Saturday's 1st leg (with Mick's choice of back 4) i'd like to see: Bart Chambers Berra Smith Mings Skuse Bru Bishop Parr Sears Murphy

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rhybeaniho added 14:57 - May 5 I'd also go with Lightningboy's team selection for at least the first leg. Making room for Bru at the expense of Tabb is a good move in my opinion as he is the more technically gifted player. And if McGoldrick is available for selection he could make a very effective and dangerous super sub.
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GeorgiDoundarov added 15:04 - May 5 Completely agree on the approach we must take when going to the play-offs! These are facts on which we MUST build on: 1. We making it into the play-offs by a skin was success, Norwich going to the same play-offs is a failure to go up automatically. 2. Being 6th means there is nothing to lose and everything to gain from (I also remember vividly us missing the top 2 back in 2004 by a nose and losing to a West Ham side, which finished 18 points behind us) 3. Mick McCarthy is the only of the 4 managers leading the play-off teams with actual play-off experience at this (and even higher) level, and by far the best manager out of the 4. 4. Strong defensive tactics (as suggested in the article like the one at Watford) is our main advantage over Norwich. We must make them nervous by not letting them play their "attacking" football and the result will come. So to conclude I am cautiously hopeful as well but if Mick manages to apply the tactics he knows how to play best successfully for only 3 more matches there is no one who can beat us, despite of the better quality some of the other teams in the play-offs have. Ipswich have to perform for the younger fans like you everhopeful so that you see the real success as I have seen it back in the 1980s. COYB!

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bluefeast added 15:15 - May 5 No chance of a major change to the team now , can you imagine the poor man management of taking smith out for the play offs ,that would do a lot of harm to team moral , like it or lump it smith has been an ever present apart from a couple of games in a team that has finished 6th. Yes he should of come out of the team for longer when he was dropped , but then again he came back and scored ,he has not scored for a while ,so why not Tommy get the winner vs norwich that sends us to Wembley. Mick has played a very good management game over 46 matches ,galvanising a range of free transfers and so on to great effect. If you look at the top 6 , We drew twice with bournemouth , we did the double over Watford , we lost twice to Norwich ,won 1 and lost one vs bork , won one and drew one vs Brentford. All of those games we have had far less possession , so there are more ways to skin a cat than controlling possession. Will Norwich make it 4 wins out of 4 vs us this season , the law of averages would suggest not, Our semi final games will see progression to wembley with a draw and a win ,so lets hope we nick the game at home. Lets not fear norwich ,lets not change anything ,lets get in their faces , deny them space , lets attack with aggression and defend for our lives, this is Ipswich and we will not be disappointed on this occasion.

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Pickersblue22 added 16:07 - May 5 Good read. My own Town memories don't even stretch back to the Premier League, so this really has been the majority of a lifetime in waiting. Will be fascinated to see what Mick will do if we have to go for it and attack Norwich, although on Saturday he will probably set up quite solidly. Would love to see Bru start, but can't see Mick dropping Tabb. Can't wait for an electric PR atmosphere.

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Len_Brennan added 17:46 - May 5 Really nice blog, very well written, in particular the opening few paragraphs which conjure up the highs, lows & plateaus of being a football fan over the years. As others have said, MM isn't going to change his back 4 now, so while I agree with you about the weakness that exists at right back, we have accept that the defence will definitely be Bart, Chambers, Smith, Bears & Mings, barring injury/suspension. LIghtnining Boy's team is good and I would certainly not be unhappy if that's the starting XI on Saturday. Maybe Varney for Parr on the right, with Parr or Anderson coming on when he'd invariably run himself into the ground. I think we have to win our home leg and would like to see us take the game to Norwich, without being careless.

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KiwiBlue2 added 00:03 - May 6 As well as a win in the first leg I hope that we can keep the budgies scoreless as it might come down to away goals deciding thew contest. I also think that Bru should start but Mick is bound to go for the 'different class' Tabby. Fingers crossed for a win
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KiwiBlue2 added 00:04 - May 6 Also meant to add that I enjoyed your blog.
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WeWereZombies added 07:01 - May 6 In true dampener fashion I should point out that the original 'The Consolation of Philosophy' was written in prison (compare with 'if it were easy, it wouldn't be Ipswich' in the blog) and that Boethius, it's author, was then executed. He had asked 'how can evil exist in a world governed by God?', and can we not ask 'how can Norwich exist in an East Anglia where the only trophies of note have been won by Ipswich?'

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itfcserbia added 10:00 - May 6 no more away goal rules kiwiblue, they have cost us enough in the past...
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Lightningboy added 10:21 - May 6 Needless to say that our defenders have to be switched on 100% for both these games. No more stupid free kicks given away by Chambers..Smith has to actually get off the ground when marking his player at set pieces and Mings needs to be more restrained about bombing forward. We could win 2-0 saturday and i'd still fear for us in the 2nd leg..unfortunately they really are that good going forward. Huge effort needed lads but you can do it!

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everhopeful added 10:52 - May 6 Thanks all, really appreciate it. WeWereZombies, glad you appreciated/noticed the reference - I should point out that when you're 3-1 down to Blackburn it can at times feel like a prison, where you've got no choice but to watch and suffer. And after all, Saturday is somewhat looming on the horizon right now... Then again, given that come Saturday I will be at Portman Road and not in a Roman jail I suppose I should feel grateful...

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Superblue95 added 11:29 - May 6 Bart Parr chambers Berra Mings Bishop Skuse Bru Varney Murphy Sears Subs: Gerken, Smith, Hewitt, Chaplow, Tabb, Anderson, N. Hunt. Would fancy our chances if we went with this, but don't think it's likely
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tractorgrl added 16:17 - May 6 Everhopeful, are you a mind reader? Too late to drop Tommy so lets keep the faith with the whole team, we need 'em every last one of them for what they bring to the team as individuals. We need our twelth man too,all we need now is to be able to take a nice big goal advantage up to carrut rud.
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Miles added 16:55 - May 6 Most agree with the smith out chambers in and parr at right back change. Mick won't change it now and why would he? The 3-5-2 for me is a no no. It's not a formation many players are used to and to get it to really work effectively you need a lot of training to get it right. I think we should stick to what we know as ultimately that's what's got us here in the first place.

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Kirbmeister added 11:40 - May 7 We conceded 18 goals in 23 home league games this season. The defence wont be changed.
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