Please log in or register. Registered visitors get fewer ads.
Season Review - November
Friday, 29th May 2015 12:00 by HarryFromBath and Mullet

In the fourth part of a series reflecting on what has been a memorable season, Mullet and HarryfromBath, with the help of some opposition supporters, reflect on a month when we things really gathered momentum after a lacklustre October.

Season Review:

With Town beginning the month by climbing into eighth position when the videprinter began to roll, November spawned a monstrous run of dominance. Town dropped just two points on their way to turning over the 11th calendar page of 2014 to sit in the lofty heights of second.

Such a marked contrast to the frustrations and flattening form of October began with a trip to struggling Blackpool.

Mick's last visit with Town to this seaside produced unforgettable drama in a place with no shortage of it this season. Confusion spread across the away end as Dean Gerken was named as the starting keeper but when kick-off came, the hulking frame and buccaneering beard of Bartosz Bialkowiski stood amongst the sticks.

Darren Ambrose took up the vacant spot on the bench whilst Tyrone Mings came back into the side to complete a much-talked about back four of Chambo, Tommy Smith and Christophe Berra right beside him.

On the second anniversary of Mick's arrival and the club's survival, Town took to the tiny pitch and proved too big a challenge for the Tangerines, who had new manager Lee Clark in charge for the first time.

Stephen Hunt hit the bar from a curling freekick which deserved a goal, as did Teddy Bishop's scuffed rebound. The lead then came from the familiar sight of David McGoldrick stroking home after 20 minutes. A rare goal this term and even rarer close range finish from the talisman.

Town secured the win in the 61st minute with a move straight out of the 70s. Rising star Bishop flashed past three men, turning them inside and out as if glorified cones. Pulling back to the edge of the box the magnificent Murph slammed home, high and hard.

Two goals, three points for Town the much needed tonic lapped up as the appreciative travelling fans welcomed their first fist pump in a while.

“Sunday league pub football a la Koko”, “I left. That is not even a football team. There is no way I can support that dross again - every Saturday”, “Dross. The poorest performance I can remember in years. The players are clearly not up to this standard of football.”

“I stopped watching midway through the second half. I thought it couldn't be as bad as the first half”, “Now if the players were out to impress Lee Clark I think they all failed. In fact I think they were better under Jose Riga, the team were very poor today.”

Seasiders were more consumed with their own difficulties to pay much attention to how Town were playing, but the general view was that both teams played poorly in what was a scrappy encounter. “Ipswich went defensive for the last 20 minutes and gave us lots of possession.”

“Ipswich might look a poor team but they are still miles ahead of us in terms of quality”, “Ipswich miss another sitter. We are all over the place defensively and lacking ideas on the ball. This is one of the worst Blackpool sides for a very, very long time.”

MonthITFCDaryl Murphy
GoalsGoals per gameGoalsGoals per gameSeason tally
August5110.21
September91.830.64
October60.67317
November81.640.811

Town were soon back under the lights and looking for back to back wins. Mick's old boys lined up in front of Ipswich and provided a stiffer test than previous opponents.

Wolves chased the game when Murphy took a brilliant opening goal 10 minutes before the break as the midfield were missing Cole Skuse and Bishop due to groin injuries. Providing the cover for the new back five and the bullets for the front line were Kevin Bru and Jay Tabb instead.

After both combined with a lovely worked move that was close to a decent goal, it took another 10 minutes before Murphy would show the strength and skill to turn on the edge of the area and smash the first goal of the game off Carl Ikeme's hands and in the net. Another screamer sent delight across the North Stand. We were getting used to this.

After the break Wolves levelled fortuitously and saw a cross from a defended corner missed by all and nestle into the net. Town had hunted down their quarry all game and having taken first blood, would look again to the put the points in the sights of the in-form Irish marksmen.

Murphy hit double figures for the season and the game was settled when McGoldrick gladly took possession from a poor defensive pass. Selflessly pressing until he could play in his partner who lifted the ball and expectations over Ikeme as the winner sat over the line and Town went into celebratory mood - we don't do scrappy goals it seems.

“That was a very bad night. I can’t say anyone came out covered in any glory”, “It was a poor display. We seem to have lost our pattern of play and shape completely in the last few weeks”, “The second goal was real schoolboy stuff. How can we concede a goal from having a throw deep in their half?”

“Am I unhappy Wolves lost? Bloody right I am, but more upset and angry that the problem that is so damned obvious is still unresolved”, “It was Wolves’ poor play that gifted them both their goals and not as a result of Ipswich being a far superior team that created fantastic chances.”


“Nine times out of 10 you don't get punished in the Championship for those pieces of play but Ipswich did well to capitalise on both errors”, “They did a job on us and stopped us and got the goals that gave them the win”, “They were so much quicker to close down our players all over the pitch.”

“I wouldn't say it was all hoofball but they played the long ball on occasion. They certainly were more direct and moved the ball quicker. Whereas Wolves would make 10 passes to move the ball forward just a few yards Ipswich would cover the same ground in far fewer.”

“Ipswich are just a tough side, if you are not up for it and matching them for the basics you will lose”, “The Ipswich number three is class, class, class”, “One final comment. It was really decent of Terry Connor to come across and applaud the Wolves fans after the game.”

Another four days and Town played hosts to Watford. Jonny Williams wandered into the side, a marked change for the suspended Luke Hyam in a game where grit and aggression would be a telling contest for guile. Bru remained in the side but took up another role as the versatile Mauritian sat deep looking to play in colleagues.

A mark of remembrance before the two sides went to battle would set the tone for a game where the Italian-backed Horns would look to bloody Town. Their gamesmanship and plan to hit men at every opportunity would see Town players cleaned out before we looked to clean up.

Joniesta's season came to an end in controversial style after an hour of being targeted. Joel Ekstrand purposely ran from high up the pitch to meet the little man with all he had. As the Welshman lay writhing, the Swede was smiling and taking high fives from colleagues to the disgust of the watching world.

A bad-tempered game which saw Town making much better chances and challenges was won with just six or seven minutes remaining.

Another set-piece sent in deep was controlled by McG and worked on by Bru but the denial only went as far as the waiting Tommy Smith who despatched from short range to snatch the lead and the points. The victory perhaps weighed heavy on Town, ending Williams's stay and cementing us in the top six as the cost of reaching fourth place was yet to be counted.

“For a supposed ‘ball-playing' team, we barely strung two passes together”, “We tried to match a Mick McCarthy team with hoof and energy, and we got what we deserved”, “We were pretty much always going to lose a hoofball duel, so I have no idea what our actual strategy was.”

Hornets felt that their technical superior team was ultimately beaten by our hunger and desire. “Ipswich were technically inferior however they played like they were dying for the cause”, “We didn't want it as much”, “We played like a bunch of strangers, not a team fighting together.”

“They may not be everybody’s cup of tea but what they do, they do well and they are difficult to beat especially at Portman Road”, “Awful pitch, awful team, awful football. Hoof > head tennis > throw-in > hoof > head tennis > goalkick. Why anyone would pay to watch that every week is beyond me.”

Watford fans could not see the irony in accusing Town of primitive football while praising the perpetrator of one of the most violent fouls seen at Portman Road in years.

“Glorious foul by Ekstrand, one of the best fouls you'll ever see from a player who stays on the pitch and the highlight of the game as far as Watford were concerned”, “In an otherwise mind-numbing game, devoid of any real quality, that was a world class foul.”

Two weeks off and two games in quick succession to see out the month. First a trip to fabled fairytale team Bournemouth.

Town got off to a nightmare start. Former Addick Yann Kermorgant hit a delightful overhead kick past now-establised keeper Bialkowski after just two minutes. It rocked the Blues onto their heels as the South Coast side looked to drown us with fast feet and football that flowed like gravy down Grant Holt's chins.

Ando came back into the side and was part of the front three that Hunt had joined previously in attack, but it was all Bournemouth early on. Their lead followed a superb double save from Bartman as the rest of his team-mates struggled to get a foot in the game. Bru turned his and limped off less than 20 minutes in as the revival looked to be a fad.

Soon after, Town got back at the precious hosts, our own diamond Daryl Murphy got above all others to meet a corner. His header failed to cut it and crashed off the bar instead. A warning though. As the half closed out and set pieces looked to be Town best avenue for a result - forcing Artur Boruc to save the Cherries more than once.

After the break, sweetness followed for Town. Tyrone Mings and Murphy tore the left hand side of the pitch asunder, Mings crossed low, and Bishop had the Town fans singing as he passed the ball into the net and held his arms aloft to celebrate his first senior goal.

The joyous rapture caused by the teenager would be characteristically short, lasting only four minutes. Matt Ritchie restored the lead from Callum Wilson's run and pass across.

God only knows what Town would have to do to as the Cherries looked to put the icing on their cake. Christophe Berra got booked for stopping Wilson and ending his match, Ritchie would show the princess temperament and join him in the book by kicking the ball away soon after.

With Town accused by the home fans of all sorts post-match, it'd undoubtedly be a foul on Mings that wrote the ending of the game. Ando's lovely freekick was met by Murphy for the 11th goal of the Waterford man's season.

Despite 12 minutes of injury time, a game full of weird and wonderful twists saw Town drop their only points of the month having dropped their guard twice. While one side were punching well above their weight financially, Bournemouth could continue to enlist teams of writers to tell their own version of events.

“That reminded me of a cup tie against a non-league side. Inbred farm boys at the back, kicking and snarling at every opportunity, hoofing the ball into space where strong-armed but pacey forwards scamper like dogs chasing balloons.

“The after-match celebrations where the rosy-cheeked hordes celebrate ecstatically at nicking a draw and getting the big boys back to their barn a week on Tuesday”, “Thank God I don't support and have to watch Ipswich every week”, “If I had to watch that lot every week, I would eff off up the road and watch Norwich.”

“Ipswich were a very physical, gigantic long-ball team and unless you get a strong ref when trying to play football against such Allardyce-esque opposition, then it's always going to be a struggle. That said, we should still have prevented the thumping free header that led to their second goal.”

“I imagine you have to have a special mentality to sign for Mick McCarthy. Say goodbye to expressing yourself, quick feet, imagination, flair, basically all the things that make football fun to play. You have to follow his strict instructions, never take risks, hit the ball long and learn to head a football again.”

There was wave upon wave of Cherries’ criticism of our perceived style of play in their post-match analysis. Many felt that they should have had a penalty after Tokelo Rantie dislocated his shoulder in a second half challenge, including one Cherry who felt he wasn’t in a position to comment.

“The 'assault' should have been a penalty”, “It looked a clear penalty but that ref was never going to give it”, “I can't really comment as it was down the other end. It looked a penalty from even where I was though”, “We would have gained three points with any other referee.”

“McCarthy mentioned in one of his interviews something about ‘different styles’. I think he meant different sports”, “No one denies their battling qualities or organisation but getting a gritty draw away playing like they do is an achievement but no testimonial.”

A week away from Bournemouth and Town were away to Charlton. An early kick-off live on Sky. The game provided little entertainment or value for Murdoch's men until the climax. Unbeaten at home, the South Londoners were tough to beat and drumming against Town's resolute defence more than once.

Transfer InFeeClub
Sean St LedgerFreeUnattached
Noel HuntLoanLeeds United

Jonny Parr came into the side at right-back as Berra was suspended. With Bishop and Bru joining the long injury list Hyam did what Gerken managed at the start of the month and got injured in the warm-up. The symmetry put Town a little out of shape as Stephen Hunt came into the XI and his brother Noel nestled next to another new recruit Sean St Ledger on the bench.

A frenetic start to the game saw way too little from either side for long periods. Town had the better of the chances but failed to apply the killer touch. Charlton carved out clearer efforts on goal but were blunted by Polish stopper Bialkowski each time.

McGoldrick played a beautiful long-ball across field and sent Mings away. The dynamic full-back at full tilt beat all in his path but his perpetual motion meant the ball sped to his right foot and his chance to claim his first goal in spectacular style went all wrong.

With the game remaining a stalemate despite both managers making plenty of changes, Mick made his last by handing a début to another Hunt brother.

Deep into injury time Mings would find McGoldrick. The creative force would steer past all and leave the substitute with just a touch before Noel Hunt fired low and hard across Nick Pope and into the net.

The first Noel goal was to prove to be one of the best moments of 2014. The away end erupted and a deluge of disbelief rained down in front of the cameras. As the smug Budgie Simon Thomas would strain through his post-match interview serenaded by the thousands of Blues behind him, Luke Chambers would give the most accurate appraisal of the scorer, the goal, the winner and the game. Not to mention Town's current run of form.

“At the end of the day Ipswich are second in the table with 13 points out of the last 15 for a reason. It's no disgrace to lose to them”, “Fair play to Mick McCarthy who admitted they got lucky. Always been a top bloke Mick but this one really hurts.”

Many Addicks were downcast after such a late and painful blow, but their generosity in defeat contrasted markedly with that shown by Cherries after our draw. “We weren't rubbish - just not quite good enough to beat a decent, hardworking Ipswich team.”

“I just re-watched their goal for the first time since it when in on Saturday. The phrase 'Sunday league' comes to mind - two of their players make nine of ours look like absolute pillocks”, “Their greater energy levels and belief made them the more likely winners in the last 10 minutes.”

Home fans were quick to praise the mentality, fitness and work ethic of our team. “While Ipswich probably don't have better individuals than Charlton, they are a team who know their duties and roles and are effective at what they do”,

“I was impressed with Ipswich, especially the young left-back”, “I liked them as a side. They were very balanced and the number three will be off to the Premier League soon enough”, “Ipswich I sense will be there or thereabouts come May.”

MonthGFGAGDPointsHighestLowest
August56-156th19th
September927134th14th
October68-236th10th
November835132nd8th

If McCarthy had been laying the groundwork for success, then November was the month where belief rose like the stability around the side. The squad was being used to great effect and there seemed to be potential for the Christmas period for a Town fans to revel. Little did we know just how good it would be to live in the present.

2014/15 Championship Date Range: 1-AUG-2014 to 30-NOV-2014

PosTeamP WDLGFGA WDLGFGA GDPts
1Derby County19 531208 5231511 1635
2Ipswich Town19 621146 3521413 934
3Brentford19 6311810 4141214 634
4Bournemouth19 5321712 432208 1733
5Middlesbrough19 442177 522117 1433
6Blackburn19 5311711 3431315 431
7Watford19 5322112 3241010 929
8Cardiff City19 7021811 154611 229
9Nottm Forest19 4321813 3431212 528
10Charlton19 451118 252911 128
11Norwich City19 3521713 4141211 527
12Wolves19 522119 2441120 -727
13Sheff Weds19 25359 35196 -125
14Reading19 5131711 226819 -524
15Leeds United19 532148 126918 -323
16Fulham19 423147 2261627 -422
17Birmingham19 334918 243812 -1322
18Bolton19 5231712 117516 -621
19Huddersfield Town19 3421211 2261321 -721
20Millwall19 3331313 154813 -520
21Rotherham19 3341014 144612 -1019
22Brighton19 2531011 1441114 -418
23Wigan Athletic19 261128 127817 -517
24Blackpool19 126512 046819 -189

Season Review:


Photo: Action Images



Please report offensive, libellous or inappropriate posts by using the links provided.



britrim added 14:10 - May 29
Some unbelievable great moments there and December got even better but sadly that's as good as it got regard league position. At this stage I had said we are the best team in this league as skill and ability did show itself, allied with the work ethic and team spirit this was a recipe for ultimate success. As we know though the creative players are injury targets and ultimately that cost us as quality of performance diminished for rest of season. Still some great memories to come though with the mass following at St Marys , the last minute and sweet justice at Watford, the late late relief winners and the unforgettable din once again at capacity Portman Road for the play-off.
3

carlo88 added 12:49 - May 30
Yes I remember Bournemouth took the loss of those two points very badly didn't they, I started to go off them after that. Nice comments from Charlton.
1

carsey added 22:23 - May 30
Whilst I didn't like our footballing style I have to admit November was a great month for results and annoying Bournemouth and Watford (both of whom eventually took the top 2 spots).
I believe it was the injuries picked up this month coupled with too much effort vs Southampton in the FA Cup which eventually did for us. If we had been able to keep McG and Jonny W fit I think we had enough class to have stayed in the top 2.
1

BlueMachines added 14:14 - May 31
When was October published? Missed that!!
0


You need to login in order to post your comments

Blogs 295 bloggers

Ipswich Town Polls

About Us Contact Us Terms & Conditions Privacy Cookies Advertising
© TWTD 1995-2024