| Your Ipswich Town XI of the 2010s 16:18 - Oct 29 with 7406 views | Nuggets |
With the decade almost over, and a long wait until the next league game, it seems as good a time as ever to reflect on the past decade and cobble together an Ipswich Town XI of the 2010s. Unfortunately, the decade will most likely be remembered by many as being a time of being continuously disappointed, occasionally surprised, but ultimately one of a gradual decline in quality. And that’s just the politics. For Town, one season of hope (2014/15) has stood out in a decade of deterioration. Relegation, when it eventually came, seemed inevitable. The rules are straight-forward enough, players are to be judged between their performances from 1st January 2010 to the present day, only in an Ipswich Town shirt. My XI for this rather forgettable decade is:
Bialkowski
C. Edwards — Chambers — Berra — Cresswell
Waghorn — Skuse — Bishop — Lawrence
Murphy — McGoldrick
GK: Bartosz Bialkowski
Three-time Player of the Year (in consecutive seasons) and contributed to the spine of Mick McCarthy Ipswich Town sides that over-achieved in the middle of the decade. For years he was rated as one of the best goalkeepers in the Championship, particularly his performances in a 2016/17 season where we narrowly avoided relegation. However, a poor 2018/19 season culminated in Ipswich’s relegation to League One. Steadily rebuilding his reputation at Millwall.
Honourable mentions: Gerken, Fulop
LB: Aaron Cresswell
Arguably one of the best Ipswich Town left-backs over the past couple of decades, Cresswell always seemed destined for Premier League football following Paul Jewell’s astute decision to sign him from Tranmere. After 132 appearances in an Ipswich shirt, Cresswell has had a solid career at West Ham United and is back in the first-team picture at the Hammers after a poor opening day performance in this season’s 5-0 defeat against Manchester City. He currently has three England caps.
Honourable mentions: Mings, Knudsen
CB: Luke Chambers, Christophe Berra
For a three-season spell between 2013 and 2017, Luke Chambers and Christophe Berra were a reliable centre-back partnership at the heart of the Town defence. With 318 (at time of writing) and 174 appearances respectively, Chambers and Berra contributed to the solitary play-off campaign of the 2010s in the 2014/15 season. Berra’s handball and red card in the semi-final, second leg match against Norwich played a significant part in the eventual defeat. With Berra departing in 2017, the defence never looked quite as solid. Berra is now at Hearts in the Scottish Premier League, while Chambers is still captain at Town, but his ability and reliability has decreased in recent seasons.
Honourable mentions: Webster, McAuley
RB: Carlos Edwards
A problem position for Ipswich over much of this decade, Kane Vincent-Young may have the ability and consistency to make the position his own for the coming decade. However, we’d have to go back to Carlos Edwards to find our best right-back of the decade. A model professional and solid captain, Edwards started as a right-winger under Roy Keane, but was moved to right-back under Jewell and won the Player of the Year award for 2011/12.
Honourable mentions: Pennington (not much competition here)
LW: Tom Lawrence
Lawrence’s goals and performances in the 2016/17 campaign ultimately kept us in the Championship. Several of Lawrence’s eleven goals in a Town shirt could be included in a Goal of the Season montage and looked like credible winners, particularly his efforts against Preston and Reading. A drink driving offence has sullied his reputation, and possibly his legacy, but his 2016/17 campaign is arguably the gold standard of individual brilliance in an Ipswich shirt over the past decade.
Honourable mentions: Fraser, Celina
CM: Cole Skuse, Teddy Bishop
Two long-time servants of the club, Skuse has 249 caps and Bishop has 78 caps at time of writing. Skuse, one of the top interceptors of the ball in the 2017/18 season, has been a consistent midfielder in Town sides normally accustomed to punching above their weight in the second tier. Bishop, an exciting and naturally gifted midfielder, has been less reliable after a succession of injuries. However, his undoubted ability and impact in the 2014/15 play off season, along with being a rare positive in struggling 2016/17 and 2018/19 seasons, ensures Bishop deserves his place in the team and edges the equally injury-prone, but talented, Jonny Williams. It will be interesting to see how an ageing Skuse and Bishop, without an appearance so far this season, will contribute to Town’s fortunes over the next few years.
Honourable mentions: Jonny Williams, N'Daw, Leadbetter
RW: Martyn Waghorn
The Martyn Waghorn show in 2017/18 saw us finish as a solid, mid-table side. A team that looked more than the sum of our parts with Waghorn in it. Notching double figures for both goals and assists, the departure of Waghorn was one of the primary factors in our goalscoring issues in 2018/19 and subsequent relegation. His effectiveness from set pieces, and ability to create something in an otherwise stodgy-looking side, were under-rated abilities we arguably still have not replaced.
Honourable mentions: Grant Ward (again, not many names leaping out here)
ST: Daryl Murphy, David McGoldrick
We have a few options here - which informed my decision to line up in a 4-4-2 formation - with McCarthy’s Town sides typically containing three or four potent strikers in a squad. Freddie Sears’ impact in 2014/15 and his longevity at Portman Road also deserves as a mention, as does the promising potential of Connor Wickham at the start of the decade. Brett Pitman also had a knack of being a goalscoring threat with a penchant for an overhead kick. However, there can only be two candidates here. Daryl Murphy, our all time 12th top goal scorer, alongside the smooth footballing skills of David McGoldrick was our most potent strike-force in the 2010s. Murphy only really took off in Town colours in his third spell at the club, when he joined permanently. His goalscoring prowess in the 2014/15 season, where he dragged us into the top six by plundering 27 league goals, was an emphatic response to doubters of Murphy’s talent. McGoldrick, a more enigmatic talent, was a composed and efficient striker with 45 goals in 142 Town appearances. Injury-prone, he finally achieved a sustained run in the first team and promotion to the Premier League, albeit with Sheffield United after departing Ipswich on a free transfer.
Honourable mentions: Sears, Pitman, Wickham
Who would be in yours? |  |
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| Your Ipswich Town XI of the 2010s on 16:19 - Oct 29 with 6519 views | SpruceMoose |
I like the effort your post took, but by god that's quite the depressing list of players. |  |
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"Imagine being a heterosexual white male in Britain at this moment. How bad is that. Everything you say is racist, everything you say is homophobic. The Woke community have really f****d this country." | | Poll: | Selectamod |
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| Your Ipswich Town XI of the 2010s on 16:29 - Oct 29 with 6494 views | itfcjoe |
Guess you can have a little rejig around in defence, as much as I hated Chambo at RB he did well enough for us there
-----------------------Bart----------------------
Chambers--Smith---Berra-----Cresswell
Edwards---Skuse----Norris----Sears
--------------McG-----Murphy------------
Pitiful really - picking a RB, RW, LW and second CM are next to impossible tasks as there is no-one that has put 2 good seasons together there |  |
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| Your Ipswich Town XI of the 2010s on 16:43 - Oct 29 with 6452 views | MrTown |
| Your Ipswich Town XI of the 2010s on 16:29 - Oct 29 by itfcjoe |
Guess you can have a little rejig around in defence, as much as I hated Chambo at RB he did well enough for us there
-----------------------Bart----------------------
Chambers--Smith---Berra-----Cresswell
Edwards---Skuse----Norris----Sears
--------------McG-----Murphy------------
Pitiful really - picking a RB, RW, LW and second CM are next to impossible tasks as there is no-one that has put 2 good seasons together there |
Bart
Chambers - Berra - Mings
Edwards - Norris - Skuse - Cresswell
Lawrence
Murphy - Waghorn [Post edited 29 Oct 2019 16:44]
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| Your Ipswich Town XI of the 2010s on 16:44 - Oct 29 with 6443 views | Swailsey |
Surely David Wright has to be RB? Sold him in June '10 so he fits.
Either way, good idea for a post!
Wright
Wright | Berra | Delaney | Cresswell
Walters | Skuse | Downes | Fraser
Murphy | McGoldrick [Post edited 29 Oct 2019 17:01]
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| Who said: "Colin Healy made Cesc Fabregas look like Colin Healy"? | We miss you TLA |
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| Your Ipswich Town XI of the 2010s on 16:52 - Oct 29 with 6420 views | Swansea_Blue |
---------------------Bart---------------------
Wright - Mcauley - Delaney - Cresser
-------------Norris - Leadboots-----------
-Walters----------McG--------Lawrence--
--------------------Murph------------------ |  |
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| Your Ipswich Town XI of the 2010s on 16:54 - Oct 29 with 6415 views | Swansea_Blue |
| Your Ipswich Town XI of the 2010s on 16:44 - Oct 29 by Swailsey |
Surely David Wright has to be RB? Sold him in June '10 so he fits.
Either way, good idea for a post!
Wright
Wright | Berra | Delaney | Cresswell
Walters | Skuse | Downes | Fraser
Murphy | McGoldrick [Post edited 29 Oct 2019 17:01]
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Yep, DW is a no brainer. Everyone missing off Jon Walters too; he left us in the summer of 2010.
Depressing list - just reminds us that with one or two notable exceptions, we got weaker as the decade went on.
Edit - even more depressingly, it's pretty straight forward to pick a strongest 11. Not a lot of competition and only room for debate on a couple of players at best. [Post edited 29 Oct 2019 16:56]
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| Your Ipswich Town XI of the 2010s on 16:57 - Oct 29 with 6407 views | Nuggets |
On a further depressing note, the last decade where we did not spend a single season in the top flight was back in the 1950s. And that was mainly because we were a relatively new professional team making our way through the lower divisions. | |
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| Your Ipswich Town XI of the 2010s on 18:15 - Oct 29 with 6293 views | SitfcB |
| Your Ipswich Town XI of the 2010s on 16:44 - Oct 29 by Swailsey |
Surely David Wright has to be RB? Sold him in June '10 so he fits.
Either way, good idea for a post!
Wright
Wright | Berra | Delaney | Cresswell
Walters | Skuse | Downes | Fraser
Murphy | McGoldrick [Post edited 29 Oct 2019 17:01]
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R. Wright in goal?
It’s a no from me. |  |
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| Your Ipswich Town XI of the 2010s on 19:38 - Oct 29 with 6201 views | ThisIsMyUsername |
Bialkowski
Wright McAuley Berra Cresswell
Walters Skuse Garvan Fraser
McGoldrick Murphy |  |
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| Your Ipswich Town XI of the 2010s on 19:55 - Oct 29 with 6177 views | Swansea_Blue |
| Your Ipswich Town XI of the 2010s on 19:38 - Oct 29 by ThisIsMyUsername |
Bialkowski
Wright McAuley Berra Cresswell
Walters Skuse Garvan Fraser
McGoldrick Murphy |
Berra and Fraser were the two I ummed and ahhed over. I probably should have gone with Fraser in hindsight, although think Delaney when he was in his proper position was a level above Berra (who was a highlight of the last 10 years though, for sure). | |
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| Your Ipswich Town XI of the 2010s on 20:22 - Oct 29 with 6137 views | ThisIsMyUsername |
| Your Ipswich Town XI of the 2010s on 19:55 - Oct 29 by Swansea_Blue |
Berra and Fraser were the two I ummed and ahhed over. I probably should have gone with Fraser in hindsight, although think Delaney when he was in his proper position was a level above Berra (who was a highlight of the last 10 years though, for sure). |
It was really a coin flip between the two. Probably should have gone for Delaney in hindsight as his partnership with McAuley was immense.
Can't believe I was the first to pick McAuley, by the way. Absolutely scandalous. | |
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| Your Ipswich Town XI of the 2010s on 20:39 - Oct 29 with 6096 views | Nuggets |
Some great names being bandied about here, which I’ve admittedly overlooked or downplayed.
Firstly, David Wright at right back is a good shout, but as he only counts for six months in the 2010s, I thought Carlos Edwards deserved the nod (particularly with his Player of the Year award) and his captaincy during a fairly chaotic time at the club. Wright should have got an honourable mention. As for McAuley, he had a year and a half in the 2010s where he did play well and was a bright spark in those dreary Jewell years. I just rate the Chambers and Berra partnership during Chambers’ better years. I think the praise over Delaney is slightly exaggerated over the intervening decade. He’s no doubt carved himself out a decent career after leaving us, but I didn’t think he was brilliant for us and it’s worth remembering just how bad we were as a side back at the turn of the decade.
Having said that, I can’t believe I’ve overlooked Norris and I’d be inclined to pick him over Bishop.
Agreed with the sentiments around the lack of depth in some areas and how straight forward some of the positions are when choosing them. Demonstrates how poor we’ve been over the past decade (and indeed a few years before that too!) | |
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| Your Ipswich Town XI of the 2010s on 20:41 - Oct 29 with 6089 views | Nuggets |
| Your Ipswich Town XI of the 2010s on 16:19 - Oct 29 by SpruceMoose |
I like the effort your post took, but by god that's quite the depressing list of players. |
Apologies Spruce, accidentally downvoted this! Agreed entirely with your judgement. | |
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| Your Ipswich Town XI of the 2010s on 21:35 - Oct 29 with 6022 views | OwainG1992 |
Terrific in depth post.
As a bit of fun I figured I'd put my personal worst 11 for the last decade!
Manager: step up super Paul Hurst!!
GK: Scott Loach
RB: Kevin Foley
CB: Jordan Spence
CB: Paul Digby
LB: Donacien
CM: Giles Coke
CM: Ryan Stevenson
RW: Cameron Stewart
LW: Tommy Oar
ST: Leon Best
ST: Paul Taylor
I might have been harsh on certain players.
Particularly Loach but struggled to think of a keeper.
I also found it hard including many of the players from last season.
Perhaps I've tried to block it out of my mind. |  |
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| Your Ipswich Town XI of the 2010s on 21:46 - Oct 29 with 5994 views | TRUE_BLUE123 |
| Your Ipswich Town XI of the 2010s on 21:35 - Oct 29 by OwainG1992 |
Terrific in depth post.
As a bit of fun I figured I'd put my personal worst 11 for the last decade!
Manager: step up super Paul Hurst!!
GK: Scott Loach
RB: Kevin Foley
CB: Jordan Spence
CB: Paul Digby
LB: Donacien
CM: Giles Coke
CM: Ryan Stevenson
RW: Cameron Stewart
LW: Tommy Oar
ST: Leon Best
ST: Paul Taylor
I might have been harsh on certain players.
Particularly Loach but struggled to think of a keeper.
I also found it hard including many of the players from last season.
Perhaps I've tried to block it out of my mind. |
Very harsh on Foley... He only played about 10 games for us and he was actually decent.
Nottingham Forest at home he was superb I remember.
Probably harsh on Spence as well. Not including Zeki Fryers on this is a travesty, Huddersfield away, worst I have ever seen. |  |
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| Your Ipswich Town XI of the 2010s on 21:47 - Oct 29 with 5990 views | Swailsey |
| Your Ipswich Town XI of the 2010s on 21:35 - Oct 29 by OwainG1992 |
Terrific in depth post.
As a bit of fun I figured I'd put my personal worst 11 for the last decade!
Manager: step up super Paul Hurst!!
GK: Scott Loach
RB: Kevin Foley
CB: Jordan Spence
CB: Paul Digby
LB: Donacien
CM: Giles Coke
CM: Ryan Stevenson
RW: Cameron Stewart
LW: Tommy Oar
ST: Leon Best
ST: Paul Taylor
I might have been harsh on certain players.
Particularly Loach but struggled to think of a keeper.
I also found it hard including many of the players from last season.
Perhaps I've tried to block it out of my mind. |
Ohhh who was that bloke from Leeds in goal? McCarthy was it? He was terrible at the time, although decent later on.
Also, Eastman is a good shout for right back, during Keane’s favourite formation era of:
GK
CB | CB | CB | CB
CM | CM | CM | CM
Priskin | Whatever [Post edited 29 Oct 2019 21:48]
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| Who said: "Colin Healy made Cesc Fabregas look like Colin Healy"? | We miss you TLA |
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| Your Ipswich Town XI of the 2010s on 23:41 - Oct 29 with 5878 views | OwainG1992 |
| Your Ipswich Town XI of the 2010s on 21:47 - Oct 29 by Swailsey |
Ohhh who was that bloke from Leeds in goal? McCarthy was it? He was terrible at the time, although decent later on.
Also, Eastman is a good shout for right back, during Keane’s favourite formation era of:
GK
CB | CB | CB | CB
CM | CM | CM | CM
Priskin | Whatever [Post edited 29 Oct 2019 21:48]
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I had completely forgot about Eastman.
Spence was appaling whenever I saw him. | |
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| Your Ipswich Town XI of the 2010s on 00:18 - Oct 30 with 5867 views | bournemouthblue |
I'd go with
----------------------------------Bart
KVY Webster Macauley Mings Cresswell
-------------------------Skuse Bishop
-------------------------Lawrence
----------------------Walters Murphy
A strange formation and the total lack of central midfield options is staggering quite frankly
Did Giovanni Dos Santos squeeze into this decade? Both him and Fraser were dynamite, imagine rotating Lawrence, Fraser and Gio alongside Murphy, Walters or Waghorn
For me David Wright was solid enough but even in his short time here, we have had no one at right back as exciting as KVY. |  |
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| Your Ipswich Town XI of the 2010s on 01:53 - Oct 30 with 5843 views | CanadianBlue |
Bialkowski
Edwards - Chambers - McAuley - Cresswell
Fraser - Bullard (loan version) - Skuse - Lawrence
D. Murphy - McGoldrick
Subs: R. Wright, Smith, Berra, Downes, Anderson, Sears, Pitman |  | | |
| Your Ipswich Town XI of the 2010s on 07:10 - Oct 30 with 5776 views | BlueBadger |
Edwards at RB speaks volumes about the dearth of talenet we've had in that position for the past decade, personally I'd have gone for David Wright. |  |
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| Your Ipswich Town XI of the 2010s on 22:31 - Oct 30 with 5471 views | bluethomas |
Bart
Wright McAuley Berra Cresswell
Walters Skuse Leadbitter Lawrence
Murphy Sears
Honourable 7 Mentions on the bench - Stockdale, Chambers, Mings, Fraser, Williams, Waghorn, McGoldrick |  | | |
| Your Ipswich Town XI of the 2010s on 22:44 - Oct 30 with 5450 views | footers |
| Your Ipswich Town XI of the 2010s on 22:31 - Oct 30 by bluethomas |
Bart
Wright McAuley Berra Cresswell
Walters Skuse Leadbitter Lawrence
Murphy Sears
Honourable 7 Mentions on the bench - Stockdale, Chambers, Mings, Fraser, Williams, Waghorn, McGoldrick |
Sears makes your first XI of the decade? Have you been drinking? |  |
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| Your Ipswich Town XI of the 2010s on 11:23 - Oct 31 with 5312 views | rickw |
______________Bialkowski
Wright___Chambers___Berra___Cresswell
________________Skuse
_______Bullard (Loan)___Bishop
____Walters___McGoldrick___Murphy
I don't want to include those who were just here on loan, but then again I've selected the Bullard who was on loan, not the impostor we signed! |  |
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| Your Ipswich Town XI of the 2010s on 12:20 - Oct 31 with 5266 views | itfcjoe |
Is it just me who thinks David Wright was over rated? He never really nailed down the right back position here | |
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| Your Ipswich Town XI of the 2010s on 12:24 - Oct 31 with 5262 views | J2BLUE |
Bialkowski
Wright - McAuley - Berra - Cresswell
Walters - Skuse - Bishop - Fraser
Murphy - McGoldrick |  |
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