ie bull in a china shop, syndrome! Thats why he's out banned so much !

Norris
Work rate - excellent
Dedication - excellent
Good enough to get Ipswich into the Premier League - I just don't think he is.

Some strange comments here bearing in mind he has been voted man of the match 9 times this season. (there again so was Priskin, so that probably says it all)

The only one who will decide if Norris stays is the man himself.

If he goes we'll replace him with someone better....lets face it we desperately need a captain who leads on the field.

Leadbitter has had a solid if indifferent season not helped by an endlessly changing midfield. He does have the most league starts this season 36 to Norris' 27. I think as part of a settled midfield next season he will shine and he is only 25 so plenty to come.

So basically because others are looking at him it is not cut and dried, that is hardly shocking. Seems that this news of contract offers has come at a time where two f the players involved have been thrust into the shop window, i.e. GMac for N.ire, had a lot of coverage in the media for captaincy etc, and Delaney getting his call up and subsequent bench appearence. Its seems that is more about the apparent interest in these two that has made it more likely for them to sign.

Fully agree with Topps' comments regarding bad business management. Whether or not you rate Norris or not he was an asset originally valued at over £2m. That value declines as his contract shortens. I accept the point that both club and player might not wanted to have extended Norris's contract earlier in the season with the possibility, at the time, that Town might be relegated. However, how could it have got to that point.

Norris is clearly a useful player, the club captain and desired by other clubs. Simple business logic in the close season last year would have been to secured the asset valuation by negotiating a contract extension. Only if the player was a complete waste of space would a club allow the contract to run down and, thus, lose the asset value.

And this begs a wider question: why, generally, have so many players's contracts been allowed to run down. I know that this has been a subject for much debate on the is site but it does need to be raised again.

The Marcus Evans Group is obviously a highly efficient and well run business. It seems extraordinary that their best practices do not seem to be implemented at the football club that they own. I know that most people just want a sugar daddy owner but I would prefer an efficient and well run club at all levels, particularly the financial side (as we all have only too recent memories of the humiliation of administration) which allows us attract and retain players, pay good wages but always within a rigorous business plan and budget. And no, getting good players and running a financially strong business are not mutually exclusive.

I can speculate on the reasons: the awful influence of Keane dominating the landscape at the club but more questions must be levelled at the Chief Executive as to why the club's primary assets are so casually attended to.

And to finish, we must distance PJ from this. It happened before his appointment and he must have been aghast at what he found at the club (in respect of player's contracts). His statement about Norris was I thought open and realistic and, if Norris does go, I wouldn't blame Jewell or Norris who appear to have behaved with a professionalism and dignity that others would do well to adopt.

i have a feeling one of the things were offering JB to stay is the captaincy......

that would leave DN as a squad player, 2 year deal on the table, maybe a lower waged 3 year deal, but im guessing he will stay......

Some people have very short memories - before his injury, he was voted man of the match just about every week and we would still be in the relegation zone if he hadn't put in those performances.

Remarkable panning of the club captain from people who clearly know nothing about football. Seems people want Xabi and Iniesta in midfield. Norris is a quality player, maybe 2.2million was a bit on the steep side but he has been a good player during some tough times at the club. He also played for arguably the worst town manager ever and did better than most.

Norris at one time was essential to our line up indeed in the Keane days if he did not play we did not win. I have thought all along he will leave as despite his comments that he wanted to stay he also failed to deny he wanted to go to Portsmouth and evaded the question. I suspect he is looking for a 3 year contract which the Club are reluctant to offer. I will be a bit disappopinted if he goes but we move on and have to trust PJ.

Norris stay at Portman Road has coincided with one of the lowest periods of the club. Maybe, this is more than coincidece.

@Topps "I've run a number of businesses in my time" hardly speaks volumes for your business accumen does it?
Although Chuck cost us £2.2million we will have invested somewhere in the region of £3.7million with wages and fee's since he signed.

"He cost us £2.2m two years ago and we are going to let him go for free. How the heck does that work?" It works because giving him a new 3 year contract would cost us c. £3m in wages and signing on fees alone + c.£1m bonuses.

Let him go and it costs us nothing and we get around £14k in wages back to put toward Bullard. Win win. Lets leave the football business to the club eh?

Earnt a lot of respect from me after both Arsenal games, playing against the likes of fabregas and arshavin, in the first game dominated them. In the second, it was a losing battle but never gave up and kept running. For that reason I'd be happy to see him stay. However I have to use my head and say I don't think he's quite good enough, irritatingly slow at times and will never run a midfield like Bullard will. But his qualities always have to be mentioned, like against arsenal never stops going, and give him a chance inside the box and he'll score.

Would be sad to see him go as he loves the club and you always want to keep those players. I'm on the fence as to whether he should or not.

regarding players being 'assets' .......they arent.....

yes ME is very shrewd as a business man, players are a one off cost as a purchase, which will be drawn down against that specific years trading figures, unlike a genuine asset in the accounting & financial sense which gets a set rate of depreciation. So, in short, once we buy someone, forget about the fee, as thats about as relevant to the business as the newspapers printed on the day the deal was done.

Its then all about wages and total contract value, as they are the only ongoing commitments the club has......

So, in short, if we lose Norris, we dont lose £2m, thats already been lost, we only commit to the new deal, which might, or might not, be good enough to keep him.....

Never worth what we paid for him. A decent player at this level, but not a world beater. We shouldn't break the bank AGAIN for him and if he doesn't want to be here I'd rather see the back of him.

anyone who thinks we should let Norris go without a serious attempt to keep him clearly doesnt go to games...if its the difference between a two year or three year deal then its a no brainer in my eyes..

anyone who thinks Bullard and/or Dyer are somehow the future are deluded

anyone who thinks both needs serious help...

Norris has shown what he can do when OTHERS DO THEIR JOBS..at times he has been hollandesque this season..but only when he has had players around him performing to some degree.

Bullard is class..no doubt... but class with a huge ? over fitness..Dyer? well he gets injured walking into the training ground...

Lets hope we can keep Norris and Bullard somehow..Dyer? irrelevant!

with Fulop (getting better year on year) Mac and delaney hopefully staying (heart of defence) and Norris, Leadbetter Bullard (heart of midfield)..Wickham up front..that is the spine of a promotion winning team..

fit a bit of quality in and around that lot and we stand a chance..(we have some already Edwards, Hyam et al)

The joke is there is a ? about every one of those players.. Evans, Clegg, Jewell now sort it out ffs!!

If we can bring in better then fine,but I think he's got a great engine,never stops running and has knocked in some valuable goals this season..I can think of a few others that i'd prefer to see the back of.

Why is he even captain?

Not overly disappointed, he does give 100% but always seems a bit small and hasn't had the impact I thought he would when we bought him. As other people have mentioned there are others I'd rather see go, particularly Leadbitter whose game has gone downhill rapidly.

Agreed I'd rather see leadbitter leave.

WTF is it with this I would rather keep Norris than leadbitter? Is this article related in anyway to leadbitter? No, are Norris and leadbitter the same type of player? No. How about we keep both and add to strengthen and not replace, which I believe Jewell has said in a round about way this is what he's looking to do. In my opinion this is what we have to do to push on.

Agreed Lightningboy - good engine, works his socks off, gets stuck in, bangs in a few goals.

What more could we ask for in a central midfielder?? Norris needs to stay IMHO.

really could not bring my self to read all the comments but here is my input.

Just checked the club site.

Leading scorer this seasons J. Scotland 9 goals - On this site apparently slow and useless

Then D Norris 9 goals - according to this site, not good enough

Then T.Priskin 7 goals, this site celebrated his departure.

4th Place C Wickham 6 goals (3 in one game) - Hailed a Hero.

Me thinks if the club has a problem it may be surrounding the pitch not on it!

I think we should sign Norris, I admit he has had an indifferent season, but he gives 100% & given the chance to play with better players (which i'm sure will arrive in the summer) he will florish. & why people are saying get shot of Leadbitter I just don't get, we need to have a strong squad, which means adding to what you've got, not shipping every player out who wouldn't make your starting 11!!

Wouldn't be too disappointed if Norris and Leadbitter both left as long as we get Bullard.PJ likes Healy and giving a chance I think that would be a good centre mid partnership.Although saying that I can not fault Norris for effort but him and Leadbitter pick up to many silly bookings for my liking.