| You know, I was quite happy before ME took over 09:33 - Feb 1 with 1922 views | NorthstaNder |
The green shoots of recovery were showing having exited administration. We'd paid our first fee for a player for goodness how long! (Darren Curry I believe, £250k?). Royle, then Magic were in charge and we were playing half decent football.
But the main thing for me, was there was a sense of everyone being in it together. From the top of the club to the bottom along with the fans. Yes Sheepy had made big mistakes, but I always believed he was the best man to turn things around (not making the same mistakes twice and all that).
The club now is a shadow of what it once was and that's what upsets me most. |  | | |  |
| You know, I was quite happy before ME took over on 10:59 - Feb 1 with 1882 views | Lightningboy |
Completely agree - we're discovering at the moment that no money isn't working but chucking millions at the team 8 years ago didn't work either and was ultimately the beginning of our current downfall.
If only we could turn the clock back 8 years. |  | | |
| You know, I was quite happy before ME took over on 11:20 - Feb 1 with 1850 views | Radlett_blue |
| You know, I was quite happy before ME took over on 10:59 - Feb 1 by Lightningboy |
Completely agree - we're discovering at the moment that no money isn't working but chucking millions at the team 8 years ago didn't work either and was ultimately the beginning of our current downfall.
If only we could turn the clock back 8 years. |
If Town had carried on & not courted Evans, we'd have had to persuade creditors, principally the Norwich Union, to take another large write down on their debt. Evans bought the debt cheaply, but that was because they got some hard cash back. Without a new investor, a 2nd administration was possible & we wouldn't have been any better then perennial strugglers in the 2nd tier. |  |
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| You know, I was quite happy before ME took over on 11:22 - Feb 1 with 1840 views | Weekender |
The second paragraph is what I think is the key issue. Sheepy (despite his mistakes) knew how football works and could set a strategy to work to that resulted in constant improvement. The club don't have that now. ME doesn't appear knowledge enough about the game, Milne is a business administrator running the non football bits meaning any manager that comes in has no vision/framework to work within. As a result every time someone new arrives the 1st team approach is ripped up and it has to be started from scratch. IMO this is one of the reason managers get so much time even when results are awful; they control so much the upheaval from sacking them is massive.
Consider the opposite (pre new American owners) approach at Swansea for example. Hew Jenkins would focus new manager recruitment on the basis of how they could implement/develop the pre existing strategy. It all he spoke about in interviews apparently. That's what ITFC are missing. |  |
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| You know, I was quite happy before ME took over on 11:25 - Feb 1 with 1820 views | ITFC_Forever |
It wasn't going to last - we were heading for another spell of admin.
Someone had to come in at some point. Holly B had her chance and decided against it. |  |
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| You know, I was quite happy before ME took over on 11:35 - Feb 1 with 1786 views | Radlett_blue |
| You know, I was quite happy before ME took over on 11:22 - Feb 1 by Weekender |
The second paragraph is what I think is the key issue. Sheepy (despite his mistakes) knew how football works and could set a strategy to work to that resulted in constant improvement. The club don't have that now. ME doesn't appear knowledge enough about the game, Milne is a business administrator running the non football bits meaning any manager that comes in has no vision/framework to work within. As a result every time someone new arrives the 1st team approach is ripped up and it has to be started from scratch. IMO this is one of the reason managers get so much time even when results are awful; they control so much the upheaval from sacking them is massive.
Consider the opposite (pre new American owners) approach at Swansea for example. Hew Jenkins would focus new manager recruitment on the basis of how they could implement/develop the pre existing strategy. It all he spoke about in interviews apparently. That's what ITFC are missing. |
I would agree that both Swansea & Southampton - clubs no bigger than Town - did have a strategy which got them from the 3rd tier to established PL clubs. Evans's strategy was to throw money at a 2nd tier club just outside the play-offs & then get his hands on the PL bounty. Unfortunately, largely owing to his choice of managers, that didn't work. He has had no plan "B", apart from giving Town enough funding to maintain Championship status. Even that now looks in some doubt. | |
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| You know, I was quite happy before ME took over on 11:43 - Feb 1 with 1759 views | clive_baker |
The issue is the whole game has changed, not just the club. In Evans's defence, had he not come in when he did we could've been left behind completely. Of course we'll never know, we could be in League 2 right now. He backed Keane, he probably thought getting us to the promised land of the premier league was going to be a cake walk, but it quickly became apparent that it wasn't. I expect his motives and desire have slipped away over the past 5 years, and I'm sure he recognises we're a million miles away from being able to challenge at that end of the table. Trust me he's not stupid, and while he's not spent a career in the game he knows football more than a lot of owners out there. It's evident he's pulling back spend and reducing the cost base, I wouldn't be surprised if it's with a view to sell the club. Come the summer we'll probably be quite attractive to a new owner, very low wage bill committed to the following season as chambers, Berra and co move on, and a manager with 1 year left on his deal. It's a relatively clean slate for whoever takes this club off ME. |  |
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| You know, I was quite happy before ME took over on 11:46 - Feb 1 with 1747 views | Weekender |
| You know, I was quite happy before ME took over on 11:35 - Feb 1 by Radlett_blue |
I would agree that both Swansea & Southampton - clubs no bigger than Town - did have a strategy which got them from the 3rd tier to established PL clubs. Evans's strategy was to throw money at a 2nd tier club just outside the play-offs & then get his hands on the PL bounty. Unfortunately, largely owing to his choice of managers, that didn't work. He has had no plan "B", apart from giving Town enough funding to maintain Championship status. Even that now looks in some doubt. |
Indeed and now the market has moved he's stuck. The money needed to compete is getting huge.
ME strategy development as far as I can make out:
- Big name manager + lots of money (Keane)
- Experienced manager + lots of money + loans/old ex prem players (Jewell)
- Experienced manager + free transfers + reasonable wages (McCarthy)
- 5 point plan but retaining McCarthy who is completely incapable of implementing one of those points (entertaining/attractive football) | |
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| You know, I was quite happy before ME took over on 11:49 - Feb 1 with 1734 views | Randall |
I think Sheepshanks benefited from the parachute payments and great youth players who were coming through. With the current financial situation in the Championship and destruction of our youth setup under Keane/Jewell, I don't think you can compare the two.
The simple fact is that we cannot afford to compete in the top half of the Championship at the moment. We are where we deserve to be and Mick and the players are trying their best.
The problem Marcus Evans has is that he spent millions on Keane/Jewell, Paul Taylor, Michael Chopra, Tamas Priskin, Lee Martin and we were odds on to be relegated to League One.
Mick has come in, made us a solid mid-table side, who (injuries permitting) can challenge in the top 10, whilst spending nothing and selling big. That is obviously better than what we had a few years ago.
Let's face it, we would be happy with 7th/8th challenging to be in the playoffs. Sheff Wed and Norwich are in that position and have just spent £10 million on a striker and £7 million on a winger respectively. How do we compete with that?
After the next round of games, if they go our way, we would be twelfth. I think that would be over-achieving with this squad. |  | | |
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| You know, I was quite happy before ME took over on 11:50 - Feb 1 with 1721 views | Weekender |
| You know, I was quite happy before ME took over on 11:43 - Feb 1 by clive_baker |
The issue is the whole game has changed, not just the club. In Evans's defence, had he not come in when he did we could've been left behind completely. Of course we'll never know, we could be in League 2 right now. He backed Keane, he probably thought getting us to the promised land of the premier league was going to be a cake walk, but it quickly became apparent that it wasn't. I expect his motives and desire have slipped away over the past 5 years, and I'm sure he recognises we're a million miles away from being able to challenge at that end of the table. Trust me he's not stupid, and while he's not spent a career in the game he knows football more than a lot of owners out there. It's evident he's pulling back spend and reducing the cost base, I wouldn't be surprised if it's with a view to sell the club. Come the summer we'll probably be quite attractive to a new owner, very low wage bill committed to the following season as chambers, Berra and co move on, and a manager with 1 year left on his deal. It's a relatively clean slate for whoever takes this club off ME. |
The current approach makes perfect sense if, A he is going to sell or B, he is clearing the decks for a new manager. Could be either but my guess is B is more likely than A. | |
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| You know, I was quite happy before ME took over on 11:54 - Feb 1 with 1696 views | NeverTellMeTheOdds |
| You know, I was quite happy before ME took over on 11:43 - Feb 1 by clive_baker |
The issue is the whole game has changed, not just the club. In Evans's defence, had he not come in when he did we could've been left behind completely. Of course we'll never know, we could be in League 2 right now. He backed Keane, he probably thought getting us to the promised land of the premier league was going to be a cake walk, but it quickly became apparent that it wasn't. I expect his motives and desire have slipped away over the past 5 years, and I'm sure he recognises we're a million miles away from being able to challenge at that end of the table. Trust me he's not stupid, and while he's not spent a career in the game he knows football more than a lot of owners out there. It's evident he's pulling back spend and reducing the cost base, I wouldn't be surprised if it's with a view to sell the club. Come the summer we'll probably be quite attractive to a new owner, very low wage bill committed to the following season as chambers, Berra and co move on, and a manager with 1 year left on his deal. It's a relatively clean slate for whoever takes this club off ME. |
I wouldnt be surprised if Evans has had enough either and is looking to sell the club too, possibly even this summer if one rumour I heard is true but I doubt we are that lucky.
Everything does look like its in place for a take over right now, a new owner & manager is just the fresh start this club needs. |  |
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| You know, I was quite happy before ME took over on 12:01 - Feb 1 with 1672 views | hype313 |
| You know, I was quite happy before ME took over on 11:54 - Feb 1 by NeverTellMeTheOdds |
I wouldnt be surprised if Evans has had enough either and is looking to sell the club too, possibly even this summer if one rumour I heard is true but I doubt we are that lucky.
Everything does look like its in place for a take over right now, a new owner & manager is just the fresh start this club needs. |
We thought that when Evans and Keane came in, not the freshest of starts was it. |  |
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| You know, I was quite happy before ME took over on 12:08 - Feb 1 with 1652 views | Bent_double |
| You know, I was quite happy before ME took over on 11:50 - Feb 1 by Weekender |
The current approach makes perfect sense if, A he is going to sell or B, he is clearing the decks for a new manager. Could be either but my guess is B is more likely than A. |
I agree, I think ME initially told MM there were funds available in Jan for new players, but something happened - either the booing/barracking by fans of our style of play, the humiliating cup defeat, or MM talking about assessing him future in the summer - at that point I think ME pulled the plug on a big transfer by refusing to pay £3m+, or by insisting that one or two of the higher earners (Berra/Chambers) were shipped out to help balance the books.
Now it's just a case of getting through to the summer and a parting of ways with MM and T&C, but it's going to be a painful few months. |  |
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| You know, I was quite happy before ME took over on 13:44 - Feb 1 with 1559 views | ITFC_Forever |
| You know, I was quite happy before ME took over on 11:49 - Feb 1 by Randall |
I think Sheepshanks benefited from the parachute payments and great youth players who were coming through. With the current financial situation in the Championship and destruction of our youth setup under Keane/Jewell, I don't think you can compare the two.
The simple fact is that we cannot afford to compete in the top half of the Championship at the moment. We are where we deserve to be and Mick and the players are trying their best.
The problem Marcus Evans has is that he spent millions on Keane/Jewell, Paul Taylor, Michael Chopra, Tamas Priskin, Lee Martin and we were odds on to be relegated to League One.
Mick has come in, made us a solid mid-table side, who (injuries permitting) can challenge in the top 10, whilst spending nothing and selling big. That is obviously better than what we had a few years ago.
Let's face it, we would be happy with 7th/8th challenging to be in the playoffs. Sheff Wed and Norwich are in that position and have just spent £10 million on a striker and £7 million on a winger respectively. How do we compete with that?
After the next round of games, if they go our way, we would be twelfth. I think that would be over-achieving with this squad. |
I don't think there was parachute payments when we came down. | |
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| You know, I was quite happy before ME took over on 13:47 - Feb 1 with 1543 views | artsbossbeard |
| You know, I was quite happy before ME took over on 13:44 - Feb 1 by ITFC_Forever |
I don't think there was parachute payments when we came down. |
Correct. |  |
| Please note: prior to hitting the post button, I've double checked for anything that could be construed as "Anti Semitic" and to the best of my knowledge it isn't. Anything deemed to be of a Xenophobic nature is therefore purely accidental or down to your own misconstruing. | | Poll: | Raining in IP8 - shall I get the washing in? |
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| You know, I was quite happy before ME took over on 13:56 - Feb 1 with 1510 views | PrideOfTheEast |
| You know, I was quite happy before ME took over on 11:25 - Feb 1 by ITFC_Forever |
It wasn't going to last - we were heading for another spell of admin.
Someone had to come in at some point. Holly B had her chance and decided against it. |
Not true. Holly and a consortium were ultimately ruled out by the club. | | | |
| You know, I was quite happy before ME took over on 14:10 - Feb 1 with 1483 views | Darth_Koont |
| You know, I was quite happy before ME took over on 11:25 - Feb 1 by ITFC_Forever |
It wasn't going to last - we were heading for another spell of admin.
Someone had to come in at some point. Holly B had her chance and decided against it. |
Indeed. We'd had a stay of execution with the deferring of the loan repayments but that was a temporary reprieve. However, results masked this overall poor position as we were consistently above the level of our off-the-field situation under Royle and Jim (first 18 months anyway).
It's important for people not to use hyperbole about our current situation. Because while it's deeply disappointing and looks like taking a lot of work to turn it around (and perhaps time and money too), we've been lower as a squad under Jewell and a lot worse off financially before ME came in. Either of those situations were far more perilous to our long-term future. |  |
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| You know, I was quite happy before ME took over on 14:13 - Feb 1 with 1463 views | No9 |
When getting in a new 'owner' isn't it always going to be a risk?
Maybe if Sheepshanks had played fair with the fans the shares would have been affordable & the shareholder base having been extanded would have been a bit more vocal etc. over who Sheepshanks dumped the club on? | | | |
| You know, I was quite happy before ME took over on 14:15 - Feb 1 with 1454 views | hoppy |
I was happy in the haze of the Burley era
But heaven knows I'm miserable now
ME was looking for a club, and then he found a club
And heaven knows I'm miserable now
In my life
Why do I give valuable time
To people who don't care if I live or die |  |
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| You know, I was quite happy before ME took over on 14:19 - Feb 1 with 1433 views | Radlett_blue |
| You know, I was quite happy before ME took over on 14:15 - Feb 1 by hoppy |
I was happy in the haze of the Burley era
But heaven knows I'm miserable now
ME was looking for a club, and then he found a club
And heaven knows I'm miserable now
In my life
Why do I give valuable time
To people who don't care if I live or die |
I was thinking of starting a thread containing appropriate Smiths song titles, but I think I would rather be knocked over by a 10 ton truck. | |
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| You know, I was quite happy before ME took over on 14:21 - Feb 1 with 1416 views | hoppy |
| You know, I was quite happy before ME took over on 14:19 - Feb 1 by Radlett_blue |
I was thinking of starting a thread containing appropriate Smiths song titles, but I think I would rather be knocked over by a 10 ton truck. |
Or a double decker bus could crash into you, perhaps? | |
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| You know, I was quite happy before ME took over on 14:22 - Feb 1 with 1407 views | oldbluestu |
| You know, I was quite happy before ME took over on 10:59 - Feb 1 by Lightningboy |
Completely agree - we're discovering at the moment that no money isn't working but chucking millions at the team 8 years ago didn't work either and was ultimately the beginning of our current downfall.
If only we could turn the clock back 8 years. |
I agree up to a point, but going into administration was the actual start of the downfall
For a small club like Ipswich, administration was always going to be a killer. |  | | |
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