George Shaw, who writes for Sunderland fanzine A Love Supreme, says he hopes Town’s two new signings from the Stadium of Light can make a significant impact at Portman Road.
As the transfer window rather meekly tumbled to its closing, it’s maybe good a time to reflect on the comings and goings from clubs. In a window which saw Steve Bruce begin the arduous task of offloading some of our previous manager’s poorer signings, perhaps the most surprising transfer, or at least to me, was that of Grant Leadbitter and Carlos Edwards, who both rejoined former gaffer Roy Keane at Ipswich.
Keano hasn’t had the best of starts with the Tractor Boys and is somewhat pinning all his hopes on the signing of two of his former players, but what can be expected from the duo at his new club?
Of all the departures this summer one I found most disappointing was Grant Leadbitter. A Sunderland-born lad, who always gave his all for the club, yet found himself slipping down the pecking order after the signings of Lee Cattermole and Lorik Cana.
Under Roy Keane’s stewardship he established himself as an important player in the squad that gained promotion in the first season with the Irishman in charge, playing in every game and contributing seven goals, making him the club’s third top scorer.
In the following season Leadbitter continued his run in the first team, gaining acclaim which led to Keane making comparisons with Manchester United midfielder Paul Scholes.
Some may argue Leadbitter was too weak for the Premier League, but he isn’t one to shy away from a tackle and may provide Ipswich with a dominate force in the middle of the park.
He also isn’t afraid to have a shot now and then, scoring some spectacular goals during his time at Sunderland, most notably against Arsenal, where he came off the bench to score a memorable 85th minute goal, which almost provided a shock win. His celebration which followed showed his true passion, and his own very personal reasons for leaving. Still only 23, he has a bright future and is a promising talent, if he can reproduce the form he did under Keane the last time; he could become a very important player.
The signing of Carlos Edwards marks the second time Roy has brought the Trinidad and Tobago international to his new club. The right winger signed for Sunderland from Luton Town for a fee of £1.5 million in January 2007, and quickly became a key figure in the remainder of the campaign, which saw Sunderland rise to the top of the league, and become eventual champions.
Edwards’s creative play was something the side was missing and his arrival brought a bit of class, with some nice touches and real skill. He scored some important, and spectacular, goals as well, ultimately scoring the goal which clinched promotion back to the Premier League.
Injury hampered the first season back in the Premier League, as he spent the majority of the campaign sidelined, suffering first a hamstring injury, then a leg fracture on his second game after his comeback.
After spending some time on loan at Wolves on loan, Edwards returned to play several games at the end of the season. He began the 2009/10 season further down the pecking order, only featuring in the Carling Cup tie against Norwich, where he played at right-back.
Unfortunately, Edwards wasn’t able to re-find that initial form which made him a fans’ favourite during his first season here, the injury looked to have a made him a weaker player. Again, if Edwards can regain his fitness and find that form which endeared him to Sunderland fans, his creative spark will be an important factor for Ipswich.
In summary then, Ipswich have brought in two players who were at the heart of the revival under Roy Keane, hopefully they’ll both have a similar impact. Good luck.