Forum | I am genuinely staggered at how much this club has changed since GC20 by LegendofthePhoenix

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I am genuinely staggered at how much this club has changed since GC20 19:41 - Aug 23 with 5217 views

took over. It's like a dream. Something that even Ed Sheeran is proud to be associated with. The superlatives just keep coming. Everything that this management team are doing is just better than you ever thought could happen. After two decades of slumber and apathy. Chalk and cheese. Love it.

Poll:

would you rather

I am genuinely staggered at how much this club has changed since GC20 on 11:14 - Aug 24 with 1212 views

PhilTWTD

I am genuinely staggered at how much this club has changed since GC20 on 09:57 - Aug 24 by chicoazul
Someone (may have been you actually luv) made the point to me the other day that the works and investments carried out so far indicate the Yanqui are in this for the long-ish term which I suppose is fair enough. But I can’t help feeling the club is on a real knifes edge right now. What would no promotion this season do to our prospects? Would the Yanqui sell to some madman like Ashley?

I imagine they would eventually get fed up and write it off as a bad investment if we stay in this division for too many more seasons.

This post has been edited by an administrator

I am genuinely staggered at how much this club has changed since GC20 on 11:28 - Aug 24 with 1164 views

itfcsuth

Day & Night.

A complete modernisation of a football club, they have bought the club back to where it needs to be from an infrastructure perspective, they have invested heavily in that.

Work has been done to make Portman Road a proud place to call home.

The squad has been invested in, one of the best young coaches in Europe along with significant investment in backroom infastructure.

Truly exciting times to be an Ipswich Town fan, something I haven't felt before.

I am genuinely staggered at how much this club has changed since GC20 on 11:37 - Aug 24 with 1146 views

Radlett_blue

I am genuinely staggered at how much this club has changed since GC20 on 20:30 - Aug 23 by SuperKieranMcKenna
How Evans made a fortune I don’t know. He’s a cr@p businessman, never remotely maximised the commercial opportunities and potential return on his investment. Either that or he just wasn’t interested.

Evans's Plan A was very sound. Buy a mid ranking Championship club with a solid fan base for a low price, invest £10m or so & get it into the Premier League & then you have a much more valuable asset. Evans did little wrong until he appointed Roy Keane (and the equally hopeless Simon Clegg) & allowed him to turn the club inside out. When Keane failed, Evans got cold feet & stopped investing & hence Town's steady decline. Still, Evans won't have lost a life-changing amount on owning Town, which was just a speculative punt which went wrong.

Poll:

Should horse racing be banned in the UK?

I am genuinely staggered at how much this club has changed since GC20 on 12:15 - Aug 24 with 1077 views

Churchman

I am genuinely staggered at how much this club has changed since GC20 on 09:50 - Aug 24 by FrankfurtBlue

Sadly, you appear to be inventing an argument. Just because you personally realise something, does not necessarily mean others do.

I was merely pointing out that it is not as perfect as, for example, having a rich benefactor, and that I have difficulty in assessing exactly how good the new management team are because the last ones were so poor, but I also asserted that we should still enjoy and appreciate what is happening at out club

I’m not inventing any sort of argument. I’m just saying it as I see it. Jack Walker was perfect, the people at Man City seem perfect providing you turn a blind eye. Leicester - excellent. There aren’t many that offer more than GC20, but I’m no expert. For all I know they’re two a penny.

GC20 are what they are. I’m happy with that and wishing they were Roman Abramovich is pointless in my view.

They bought this club over a grade A waste of space called Evans. You could call him a benefactor of sorts. You can call him many things but his ownership here was catastrophic. GC20 have come in here and done more for this club in 16 months than Evans managed in 12 years. They’ve said what they were going to do and have done it. That makes them a good management team in my book.

The Chairman’s stated aim is to get most decisions right. The only one they may have got wrong to date that I’ve seen is to endorse the appointment of Cook - if they had an input and the gift of foresight.

They’ve given us a chance over a slow death with Evans. I’m enjoying the ride and the first slice of optimism since Burley’s time.

I am genuinely staggered at how much this club has changed since GC20 on 12:24 - Aug 24 with 1070 views

Funge

I am genuinely staggered at how much this club has changed since GC20 on 09:57 - Aug 24 by chicoazul
Someone (may have been you actually luv) made the point to me the other day that the works and investments carried out so far indicate the Yanqui are in this for the long-ish term which I suppose is fair enough. But I can’t help feeling the club is on a real knifes edge right now. What would no promotion this season do to our prospects? Would the Yanqui sell to some madman like Ashley?

Yeah it's an interesting one.

I think SomethingBlue (who knows his onions) has made the point a few times that everything behind the scenes is gearing up for us to have a PL set-up - I think he may have said that the intent is for double promotions, which would obviously be bloody lovely (apols SB if I've mis-represented that...)

By all accounts, we're gonna be there or thereabouts this season - the MK and Shrews games were ones that we dominated; hugely encouraging when set against the corresponding performances last year.

This club shouldn't be down here; finally we have owners that recognise that, and are prepared to do something about it. We've got a good (perhaps very good) manager in charge, and arguably the best squad in the league, along with a fanbase that are finally enthused after 10 years of guff (with an honourable exeption made to the Daryl Murphy career season of 2014/15).

As a pessimistic Towun fan, it all looks really rosy right now - but, like you, I have a nagging worry about what happens if promotion *doesn't* happen this year. To reiterate - Ashton would surely get the boot, McKs star would diminish, a lot of the 1st team would want to leave; would 16k of us nobstons all renew our STs? How do GC maintain the momentum if that comes to pass; indeed, would there even be any momentum? Would the Yanks cut their losses, and leg it?

Anyway it's all academic, as we're the best team in the world and are going up with at least 120 points.

I am genuinely staggered at how much this club has changed since GC20 on 12:33 - Aug 24 with 1034 views

Radlett_blue

I am genuinely staggered at how much this club has changed since GC20 on 12:15 - Aug 24 by Churchman

Evans seemed a model owner when he first arrived. Didn't interfere, gave the existing manager a decent transfer budget, appointed a new, high profile CEO etc etc. Let's judge GC20 after a poor season or when we're in the Championship. It's still the honeymoon period & we've made a good start to the season.

Poll:

Should horse racing be banned in the UK?

I am genuinely staggered at how much this club has changed since GC20 on 12:34 - Aug 24 with 1031 views

ringwoodblue

Wholeheartedly agree that Gamechanger have made a massive improvement across every aspect of the club.

I take heart from the likes of Forest and Brentford that it is possible to climb from Lg1 into the PL and be competitive if you have the right manager and player investment. We have to remain patient but it can happen.

Poll:

How do you feel about the EADT digital subscription?

I am genuinely staggered at how much this club has changed since GC20 on 12:37 - Aug 24 with 1021 views

Radlett_blue

I am genuinely staggered at how much this club has changed since GC20 on 12:34 - Aug 24 by ringwoodblue
Wholeheartedly agree that Gamechanger have made a massive improvement across every aspect of the club. I take heart from the likes of Forest and Brentford that it is possible to climb from Lg1 into the PL and be competitive if you have the right manager and player investment. We have to remain patient but it can happen.

Hmm...Forest have spent money like a drunken sailor & they've made a solid start. Maybe that's a better approach than the Budgies' softly softly parachute game, but if Forest go down, they'll have some financial issues.

Poll:

Should horse racing be banned in the UK?

I am genuinely staggered at how much this club has changed since GC20 on 12:40 - Aug 24 with 1011 views

FrankfurtBlue

I am genuinely staggered at how much this club has changed since GC20 on 12:15 - Aug 24 by Churchman

With respect, you are doing it again. You are writing it as you see it, but not in response to the points I actually make in my post, which is a strange thing to do when responding to someone's post.

I am genuinely staggered at how much this club has changed since GC20 on 13:20 - Aug 24 with 947 views

Vic

I am genuinely staggered at how much this club has changed since GC20 on 12:24 - Aug 24 by Funge

You might be right. But there are surely some if's and buts.
What if Sheff weds and P'borough just hit a run and run away with the league? Meanwhile we do well and chase them but fall short and lose in the P/O's? Would that be sackable?

Maybe, but it would be a considerable improvement on last season and surely set us up for the next season.

if we fall short and it's clear that KM has cocked it up a bit with his management, tactics, team formations etc - then yes, I'd see a case for him being replaced.

But at the moment we can only cheer what we're seeing , and currently it's a darn sight better than anything we've had for several seasons.

Poll:

Right now, who would you rather have as Prime Minister?

I am genuinely staggered at how much this club has changed since GC20 on 13:22 - Aug 24 with 938 views

Cheltenham_Blue

I am genuinely staggered at how much this club has changed since GC20 on 09:58 - Aug 24 by chicoazul
Surely the money is coming from the Pension fund investment team and is ergo being borrowed?

You know how ‘investments’ work don’t you? You don’t generally get your money back if the investment fails.

That’s the risk.

Poll:

Is it more annoying when builders

I am genuinely staggered at how much this club has changed since GC20 on 13:40 - Aug 24 with 882 views

Churchman

I am genuinely staggered at how much this club has changed since GC20 on 12:40 - Aug 24 by FrankfurtBlue
With respect, you are doing it again. You are writing it as you see it, but not in response to the points I actually make in my post, which is a strange thing to do when responding to someone's post.

I’ll try again:

‘MKD and wondering how good were we and how poor were they’ - you can only beat what’s in front of you. We did four in five games. We look capable of winning a lot of games.

‘I have to try to compare GC20 with a reasonably competent management set-up rather than Marcus Evans and his various stooges’ - good luck. Who do you compare GC20 and ITFCs structure with? The rationale of what they’ve put in place looks sound to me. What more would you have them do? Norwich are our neighbours and former peers but thanks to the PL they’re literally in another league. The only true measure is where we were, where we are and where we are hopefully going.

‘The new ownership group and management team are not real fans or rich benefactors’ - most owners aren’t and if they are they often get disinterested (Sugar) or lose their money (Palace bloke)

‘Whilst it may appear that they have the same goals for the club as we do, they are actually in it ultimately for personal financial gain’ - of course they are but unless the club progresses, there is no gain.

‘For example, to whom are they going to sell the club’ - no idea but then Sheepshanks in the hurry to secure his FA job saw the club off to fast buck Evans, a rich benefactor. That went well. Let’s worry about that when it happens. Who knows, by then Sheeran might be so rich he’ll want to buy it.

GC20 could all go horribly wrong, it may not. But under Evans it was definitely going wrong all the way to oblivion.

I am genuinely staggered at how much this club has changed since GC20 on 14:08 - Aug 24 with 846 views

Cheltenham_Blue

I am genuinely staggered at how much this club has changed since GC20 on 08:53 - Aug 24 by FrankfurtBlue

Really don't want to pour water on your fire, but similarly when considering our 3-0 v MKD and wondering how good were we and how poor were they, I have to try to compare GC20 with a reasonably competent management set-up rather than Marcus Evans and his various stooges, who were incompetent and/or negligent, to say the least.

Also, just for balance here, the new ownership group and management team are not real fans or rich benefactors. Whilst it may appear that they have the same goals for the club as we do, they are actually in it ultimately for personal financial gain. For example, to whom are they going to sell the club, whenever?

Having said that, we can only enjoy the ride at the moment and hope it takes us far!

[Post edited 24 Aug 2022 9:02]

I’m glad that they, “aren’t real fans”, as you put it. Fans as owners tend to make decisions based on emotion rather than reality.

And as for them being in it for “personal financial gain”, welcome to modern football and how 99% of clubs are now run.

It’s a way of ownership we’ve been missing for a very long time. The likes and days of the Cobbolds are long gone. All we can hope is this ownership group make the right decisions, and so far, they seem to be. We could easily have got Celina for example, but we chose not to be held over a barrel. See also Tyreece Simpson

[Post edited 24 Aug 2022 14:11]

Poll:

Is it more annoying when builders

I am genuinely staggered at how much this club has changed since GC20 on 15:18 - Aug 24 with 772 views

Daninthecampo

The owners/pension fund have identified Ipswich Town as an investment which is undervalued with a potentially very large upside, so they have allocated a very small fraction of the fund to invest.
With any failing business money needs to be injected to modernise,streamline and to be able operate effectively .
Money has been spent wisely on tangible assets where their value should rise, Something that we haven't done for a long time, Is Waghorn the last player we bought then sold for a profit?
Whilst the end of year profits may not look attractive, with better infrastructure in place, more valuable assets and increased turnover, the clubs attractiveness to potential new owners and subsequent value could already have increased?
Obviously getting promoted this year would increase revenue considerably but if doesn't happen this year I highly doubt the owners will worry.
If we look at the more traditional investments the fund will hold,In the last 12 months the S&P 500 is down 14%, Nasdaq 21% and the Dow 10% and this is before the US go into recession(even though really they just have) it's going to be a tough couple of year for the markets, which shows diversity into potentially increasing assets like Ipswich makes sense.

I am genuinely staggered at how much this club has changed since GC20 on 15:28 - Aug 24 with 741 views

markchips

I am genuinely staggered at how much this club has changed since GC20 on 15:18 - Aug 24 by Daninthecampo

Very well put- I need to buy some more shares.

I am genuinely staggered at how much this club has changed since GC20 on 15:32 - Aug 24 with 734 views

FrankfurtBlue

I am genuinely staggered at how much this club has changed since GC20 on 13:40 - Aug 24 by Churchman

Thanks for the reply.

In return:

"Who do you compare GC20 and ITFCs structure with?"
GC20 v A rich benefactor. Everything else remaining equal, who would you prefer?

"The rationale of what they’ve put in place looks sound to me. What more would you have them do?"
Maybe wrongly, but I get the impression that you think I am being critical of this ownership group, when I was really only attempting to add a bit of balance. With this ownership and management group, we rightly have to applaud what they have done so far. No disputing that. However, some of the improvements are against the backdrop of 13 years of complete neglect and incompetency, meaning there is a tendency to over appreciate even the slightest improvements, e.g. like holding regular fans fora. We think that that is great, but it is actually normal.

Also, despite all the improvements, it is still too early for me to get the prayer mat out. They plan to be around for 10 years or so, but beyond that? I applaud those that can feel completely comfortable with that, and as I wrote myself, we need to enjoy the ride, but I also cannot pretend that that is a positive.

I would not classify Evans as a rich benefactor. Not at all. He made an investment decision that went badly wrong, due largely to his own ineptitude. He was then forced to continue funding the club, which he reluctantly did. It was a tortuous decade for most fans, except those that chose to close their eyes to any form of critical thinking.

I am genuinely staggered at how much this club has changed since GC20 on 15:37 - Aug 24 with 724 views

FrankfurtBlue

I am genuinely staggered at how much this club has changed since GC20 on 14:08 - Aug 24 by Cheltenham_Blue

[Post edited 24 Aug 2022 14:11]

So, if you had the choice and everything else remained equal, you would prefer the owners to be foreign investors to a rich fan?

I am genuinely staggered at how much this club has changed since GC20 on 15:49 - Aug 24 with 708 views

Bluedandy

I am genuinely staggered at how much this club has changed since GC20 on 15:18 - Aug 24 by Daninthecampo

Exactly .... last season we had one of our lowest league finishes since WWII and yet only four clubs in the Championship had higher average league attendances.

If, and it's a big if, we maintain the start to this season until May next year, then expect average attendances to hit 25-26K with ease.

You really don't need to be Warren Buffett to see the long-term investment potential of owning a club with our history and regional fan base.

Maybe the American owners will get it right, maybe they won't, but what they have already proved emphatically is that in the right hands the potential is huge and one day someone will hit the jackpot.

Oh and Gawd forbid, the successful owner might sell us for a juicy fat profit ... so what?

If they do, it probably won't be until we reach the top flight and the buyer will be mega wealthy.

Like many on here I just pray to any deity going that it happens in my lifetime.

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