Joe: Still on Course - Ipswich Town News
Boss Joe Royle says that the Blues are still on course for a promotion-chasing season despite last night's 3-2 defeat at Stoke City. Royle manages the Blues for the one-hundredth time at West Ham on Saturday.
The Town manager says the Blues are in a much better position than this time last year: "As annoying and frustrating as it was to lose at the Britannia Stadium, we are still averaging two points per game and that's promotion form.
"When I look back at last season we did extremely well to make the play-offs after a poor start and we were still getting over administration. All things considered it was a very good season and we are looking to go one better this time."
Royle's record as Town manager in his first 99 games with Town is 48 wins, 21 draws and 30 defeats, having started with a 1-0 victory against Slovan Liberec in the UEFA Cup in October 2002.
He says the club's financial problems have meant his time at Town has differed from his expectations: "The job has changed since my appointment - it's not the one I originally came here to do - but I am nevertheless enjoying it and I love it here in Suffolk.
"When I took the job I was looking forward to working with players like Matt Holland, Hermann Hreidarsson, Jamie Clapham and others. My hope was that with a bit of fine-tuning we would be returning to the Premier League.
"I knew that one player would have to be sold, but in fact we have had a complete turnover in staff because of our financial circumstances and going into administration.
"Now, though, our wage bill is virtually a quarter of what it was and we are on our way back."
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