One of Town's biggest detractors throughout the season has admitted he was wrong. Sky pundit Rodney Marsh has nominated George Burley as his Manager of the Year and admitted he got it very wrong when he predicted a swift relegation for Town.
Marsh famously said he would shave his head if Bradford managed to avoid relegation last year and paid that penalty at the beginning of this season. He made the same rash statements about Town early on, although avoided mentioning any forfeits. The former Manchester City player said: "I gave it straight. Ipswich would go down - no ifs, no buts and definitely no trips to the barbers. Surprise, surprise, I was proved wrong again. Only this time I got it spectacularly wrong. But I wasn't the only one, was I? Oh no, every Tom, Dick and Harry had Ipswich marked down as relegation certainties. I can't recall anyone backing them to survive. Like me the previous year, you'd probably have come out with daft stuff like: "If they stay up, I'll show my backside, run the London Marathon, marry the girlfriend, shave my hair off.""
But Town have done far better than Marsh and his ilk ever dreamed, although there were some, notably Lawrie McMenemy, Alan Brazil and Alex Ferguson, who didn't think Town would return to the First Division.
Marsh praised George Burley: "He's done an outstanding job with a team which hasn't changed too much from that which won promotion via the play-offs at the fourth attempt. On paper, Ipswich aren't one of the best Premiership sides. On the pitch, it's a different matter. The sceptics waiting for the bubble to burst now realise that they've emerged as genuine Champions' League contenders. Incredible!"
TWTD's own pundit Russell Osman has his latest column up on the site. The former Town defender says he isn't surprised by Marcus Stewart's success this season having marked him late in his career. He also looks at the Liverpool game and the Merseysiders' moans about fixture congestion. Find it here: http://www.twtd.co.uk/osman