| Best football I’ve seen from a Town side…ever 18:47 - Oct 8 with 8936 views | Hciwspi |
I’m not sure if I’m going overboard with this, but I was born in 1971 and we won the fa cup just before I turned 7. I remember it well and of course I remember the later Robson years but didn’t attend games as neither my Mum or Dad were bothered about it. I started going regularly during the Duncan years when I was old enough to go with a mate.
Anyway, what I’m getting at is I’m convinced the current team are playing the best football I’ve ever seen from an Ipswich team. I’ve seen some suggest our current football is almost as good as the Burley years, but I’m saying the current side is playing better football. Not necessarily a better team, that’s different, but the football is even better to watch.
Some of it is sublime and it’s just so so nice to watch and is also very effective. |  | | |  |
| Best football I’ve seen from a Town side…ever on 14:58 - Oct 9 with 2992 views | CityBlue |
| Best football I’ve seen from a Town side…ever on 09:51 - Oct 9 by DJR |
I think that is a bit harsh. With the exception of Paul Cooper, all the starting 11 of the later Robson team were internationals, and, for example, Arnold Muhren and Franz Thyseen were in my view far better technical players than any of our current players. Indeed, it is perhaps surprising that the current team doesn't have any foreign players who are not from Commonwealth countries. It strikes me that that may well be something we need to change if we get promoted.
I might add that Mick McNeil, a defender from an earlier era, used to take rugby training at Ipswich Rugby club, and, on one occasion I recall, used a football, challenging people to get the ball off him. No-one could get anywhere near him.. [Post edited 9 Oct 2023 10:06]
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As I said, players these days are athletes. Coaching the rugby team is no grounds for arguing they were equally athletic.
I do not dispute their prowess during that era, but no match to todays standards - just as todays players probably would break down and cry at the first challenge from Beattie or Hunter. |  |
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| Best football I’ve seen from a Town side…ever on 16:06 - Oct 9 with 2939 views | DJR |
| Best football I’ve seen from a Town side…ever on 14:58 - Oct 9 by CityBlue |
As I said, players these days are athletes. Coaching the rugby team is no grounds for arguing they were equally athletic.
I do not dispute their prowess during that era, but no match to todays standards - just as todays players probably would break down and cry at the first challenge from Beattie or Hunter. |
I don't think coaching the rugby team was relevant to the point I was making. It is that a player like Mick McNeil had a very high level of technical ability, even though, as a defender, he probably wasn't encouraged to play in a technical way.
In my view, technical ability is one of the major factors that separates players in terms of ability, and it always have been the case that those in a higher division as a whole have greater technical ability than those in a lower division.
The later Robson team played at the highest European level, so dismiss it as lacking technical ability seems to me to to be very dismissive.
Of course, teams in those days didn't necessarily train in the same way, and have all the training back-up, but to suggest there were not athletes doesn't seem right to me, given they arguably had to be pretty fit as they were expected to play the whole of virtually all games in a season where there could be 60 games. And I am sure players in those days, if trained to cope with, and play, the game these days, could more than do it. [Post edited 10 Oct 2023 10:03]
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| Best football I’ve seen from a Town side…ever on 16:43 - Oct 9 with 2913 views | Mullet |
I think the headline gives way to a very subtle nuance if you're going to stack it up.
Plus you can't judge players anachronistically. There's no doubt we're attractive and the closest analogy would be Royle's team in terms of level/aesthetic, but there's probably less imbalance in the quality of this squad to the one he had pushing.
It's been wonderful, and after the years of sh1t we had to endure from Hurst onwards, more than welcome and deserved. But I think we can only judge it with hindsight and knowing where we are in May.
Burley's teams put together years of excellent football and right now we simply don't hold a candle to the peak of this club for obvious reasons. Whilst a lot of fans whitewash Robson's early years and hold a lot of store in the two Dutchmen, when you're beating the best the world has to offer that has to be the pinnacle of what football looks like at that time. |  |
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| HANG ON? I mean really hang on on 16:59 - Oct 9 with 2883 views | unstableblue |
| Best football I’ve seen from a Town side…ever on 16:43 - Oct 9 by Mullet |
I think the headline gives way to a very subtle nuance if you're going to stack it up.
Plus you can't judge players anachronistically. There's no doubt we're attractive and the closest analogy would be Royle's team in terms of level/aesthetic, but there's probably less imbalance in the quality of this squad to the one he had pushing.
It's been wonderful, and after the years of sh1t we had to endure from Hurst onwards, more than welcome and deserved. But I think we can only judge it with hindsight and knowing where we are in May.
Burley's teams put together years of excellent football and right now we simply don't hold a candle to the peak of this club for obvious reasons. Whilst a lot of fans whitewash Robson's early years and hold a lot of store in the two Dutchmen, when you're beating the best the world has to offer that has to be the pinnacle of what football looks like at that time. |
Mullet I’m sure you find me annoying, but come on buddy?
“It's been wonderful, and after the years of sh1t we had to endure from Hurst onwards”
Really, I mean really?!
I know your confirmation bias is rabid.
But Mick’s last season at Town, and I’d suggest probably the season before is the worst football that I can remember in my DECADES of watching Ipswich.
For you to think that “the years of sh1t” started from Hurst arriving is just well, bonkers.
Check your head?!
PS - I think Mick is a great man manager, and what he did to steady our ship and drive us into the play-offs was remarkable. But he was a dinosaur and he drove fans away in their droves.
Why are we still having this same bloody conversation?! Just WAKE UP… and ENJOY McKenna mate, you’re mad!! |  |
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| HANG ON? I mean really hang on on 17:02 - Oct 9 with 2863 views | Mullet |
| HANG ON? I mean really hang on on 16:59 - Oct 9 by unstableblue |
Mullet I’m sure you find me annoying, but come on buddy?
“It's been wonderful, and after the years of sh1t we had to endure from Hurst onwards”
Really, I mean really?!
I know your confirmation bias is rabid.
But Mick’s last season at Town, and I’d suggest probably the season before is the worst football that I can remember in my DECADES of watching Ipswich.
For you to think that “the years of sh1t” started from Hurst arriving is just well, bonkers.
Check your head?!
PS - I think Mick is a great man manager, and what he did to steady our ship and drive us into the play-offs was remarkable. But he was a dinosaur and he drove fans away in their droves.
Why are we still having this same bloody conversation?! Just WAKE UP… and ENJOY McKenna mate, you’re mad!! |
Accuses me of confirmation bias. Accuses me of not enjoying the last 18 months or so. Blimey. | |
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| Best football I’ve seen from a Town side…ever on 17:04 - Oct 9 with 2851 views | norfsufblue |
| Best football I’ve seen from a Town side…ever on 10:47 - Oct 9 by shady |
True.
I started going in 1964 and thought 'ncle Bill McGarry really had us
playing great football. Then he left feeling he could not lift us any higher
than struggling in the top tier
Along comes Bobby Robson with his vision and style and with the good fortune that some of our youth squad turned out world beaters.
Furthermore he was one of the first to bring overseas players to Portman Rd
The football was great and so were the results but there was always a feeling
of exhaustion. We had 11 exceptional players with little back up and if injuries piled up we couldn't cope with the relentless fixture list of league and cups and Europe.
We lost a few more games than should have been the case.
The Burley years were a true romance and well deserved.
Right now, just pinch me, is it a dream?
The football is of the same top level, a pleasure for us all after years of sadness.
Of course, nothing achieved yet, but it's looking good and another promotion would prove that this team has reached out to the stars. |
One thing Burley did have in his favour to help the quality of football playing was the bowling lawns Alan Ferguson produced, I know we had a reputation for a decent pitch for years but there were times Robsons team had to play on some real quamires!
I think our new pitch is helping KMc get more out of his team this year but full credit for absolutely taking full advantage of it |  | | |
| Best football I’ve seen from a Town side…ever on 17:46 - Oct 9 with 2807 views | Wonky |
I think Burley's best would win but for sheer entertainment this team trumps them all. |  | | |
| Best football I’ve seen from a Town side…ever on 02:58 - Oct 10 with 2714 views | unstableblue |
| Best football I’ve seen from a Town side…ever on 09:00 - Oct 9 by NthQldITFC |
I'm gonna do the thing that I find a little, urrgh, and quote myself (re. Hull first half):
Particularly this bit:
'Add to that the total co-ordination of the team and the intelligence of the movement - they're like a single, switched on predatory organism at the moment!' [Post edited 9 Oct 2023 9:02]
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Predatory organism - love it!! | |
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| Best football I’ve seen from a Town side…ever on 05:36 - Oct 10 with 2679 views | MK1 |
The Ramsey years were the same at the time, as were the Robson years. Impossible to compare different eras. The players are so much fitter ( Most of Ramsey's squad and some of Robson's smoked, even at half time) and training is so much better. I would agree that I haven't seen this type of attack minded football before from an Ipswich side. It is a beautiful thing to watch. Like I say, impossible to compare the eras, all of them amazing in their own right. |  |
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| Best football I’ve seen from a Town side…ever on 06:23 - Oct 10 with 2659 views | gosblue |
I think KMcK and other ‘young’ coaches have raised the standards of football in general. The manager-go-round of the recent past was killing the game. A manager was picked because of his name rather than whether his football was a good fit for a club and demanding fans were a big part of that. Our club, including us as supporters, has been as guilty as many others. Now Town are helping to change football for the better. Last season in League one, many teams had had to raise their fitness levels to even be on the same pitch as the likes of Ipswich. Hopefully, club owners and fans everywhere will point to us and say ‘We want to be like them’ |  | | |
| Best football I’ve seen from a Town side…ever on 06:59 - Oct 10 with 2651 views | IPS_wich |
I can't comment on the Robson era (sadly just a couple of years too young to recall - my first game was in 1982) - but I want to stick up for Burley so I kind of agree and disagree.
I think we might be seeing the best attacking football I've seen from a Town side in my lifetime; but if we look at it overall, I think the Burley teams were better defensively. So on balance, I think this team is perhaps the most exciting football I have seen a Town team play - but not quite the best football I've ever seen. That said KMac is only just getting started and I actually think he's the best tactician we've had since Robson and I believe his football will end up overtaking that of Burley's era.
It's worth recalling just how damn consistent Burley's teams were between 96-01; including consistently stuffing 1-2 games a year to cost us an automatic promotion. Over those five seasons we had a record of: W 114 D 54 L54 GD: +133
During the 99/00 season we went on an 18 game unbeaten run. In 97/98 we only lost once after Christmas (23 games) and scored 5 goals in three consecutive home games (including Norwich). In 96/97 we had a run where we lost only three times in 28 games. And all of this was in the Championship.
None of this is to diminish what the team are doing now, but the late-90s was generally a wonderful time to be a Town supporter - apart from mid-April onwards when we habitually stuffed up. But - that made Wembley 2000 all the more special. | | | |
| Best football I’ve seen from a Town side…ever on 07:32 - Oct 10 with 2636 views | Metal_Hacker |
| Best football I’ve seen from a Town side…ever on 08:53 - Oct 9 by BiGDonnie |
Born in 72.... I had you down as 30. Mad! |
1930 ....bloody hell you've seen some good football ! |  |
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| Best football I’ve seen from a Town side…ever on 08:25 - Oct 10 with 2609 views | Churchman |
| Best football I’ve seen from a Town side…ever on 06:59 - Oct 10 by IPS_wich |
I can't comment on the Robson era (sadly just a couple of years too young to recall - my first game was in 1982) - but I want to stick up for Burley so I kind of agree and disagree.
I think we might be seeing the best attacking football I've seen from a Town side in my lifetime; but if we look at it overall, I think the Burley teams were better defensively. So on balance, I think this team is perhaps the most exciting football I have seen a Town team play - but not quite the best football I've ever seen. That said KMac is only just getting started and I actually think he's the best tactician we've had since Robson and I believe his football will end up overtaking that of Burley's era.
It's worth recalling just how damn consistent Burley's teams were between 96-01; including consistently stuffing 1-2 games a year to cost us an automatic promotion. Over those five seasons we had a record of: W 114 D 54 L54 GD: +133
During the 99/00 season we went on an 18 game unbeaten run. In 97/98 we only lost once after Christmas (23 games) and scored 5 goals in three consecutive home games (including Norwich). In 96/97 we had a run where we lost only three times in 28 games. And all of this was in the Championship.
None of this is to diminish what the team are doing now, but the late-90s was generally a wonderful time to be a Town supporter - apart from mid-April onwards when we habitually stuffed up. But - that made Wembley 2000 all the more special. |
Burley’s team was lovely to watch. It really was a football team. As you indicate, his sides had a habit of going on streaks of good results then falling over in odd matches against lesser teams like Norwich (sorry Ullaa/Stow, couldn’t resist!) and of course missing out in play offs. How the current side compares? Too early to say. We will certainly know by the end of the season, but I don’t think it’s miles off.
Looking back at Robson’s teams is hard. It literally was a different era and there’s always a danger of looking through rose coloured spectacles. Different kit, pitches, fitness levels too. The 79-82 team was as good as it gets though and fantastic to watch. Robson’s 1972-78 team was good too. Balanced, top six and better every year bar 78.
That team should have won the league at least once (76/77?) and the FA Cup in 75. They actually played, in my memory, quite direct at times as teams often did. Not long ball, but the aim was to get the ball to Johnson, Whymark, Mariner quickly. Good box to box player in Talbot, terrific passer in Viljoen and of course the magnificent if inconsistent Woods out wide, overlapping Burley and a couple of absolute titans in defence.
Robsons early side was very much survival mode digging out results, Jimmy Robertson apart. McGarry’s team? Saw it but was too young to remember it. The forgotten team is the 61/62 Champions. How do they compare? Only those who saw them can answer that.
McKenna’s team and how they are going about it is fascinating. The level of cohesion in that group of players and the enjoyment they are getting from it is there for all to see. How will they respond to a few poor results? Time will tell, but the indication is they’ll just work though it, just as they did last season.
You are right in your last paragraph in saying the late 90s was generally a wonderful time to be a Town supporter. I what is happening now is similarly good, but maybe that’s just the contrast to so many years of so little and the near death of this club. [Post edited 10 Oct 2023 8:27]
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| Best football I’ve seen from a Town side…ever on 15:42 - Oct 10 with 2542 views | Radlett_blue |
| Best football I’ve seen from a Town side…ever on 06:23 - Oct 10 by gosblue |
I think KMcK and other ‘young’ coaches have raised the standards of football in general. The manager-go-round of the recent past was killing the game. A manager was picked because of his name rather than whether his football was a good fit for a club and demanding fans were a big part of that. Our club, including us as supporters, has been as guilty as many others. Now Town are helping to change football for the better. Last season in League one, many teams had had to raise their fitness levels to even be on the same pitch as the likes of Ipswich. Hopefully, club owners and fans everywhere will point to us and say ‘We want to be like them’ |
Long ball football has almost disappeared from the top 2 divisions of English football , while fitness levels, the availability of so many subs, better pitches etc makes comparing football teams from different eras near pointless. But yes, this is the most enjoyable football from town since the Burley years. The team also seems to have developed good mental strength & will to win, but whether that's down to McKenna or is more a function of having built up such a long record of hardly ever losing is impossible to compute. |  |
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| Best football I’ve seen from a Town side…ever on 16:51 - Oct 10 with 2486 views | gringoblue |
| Best football I’ve seen from a Town side…ever on 06:59 - Oct 10 by IPS_wich |
I can't comment on the Robson era (sadly just a couple of years too young to recall - my first game was in 1982) - but I want to stick up for Burley so I kind of agree and disagree.
I think we might be seeing the best attacking football I've seen from a Town side in my lifetime; but if we look at it overall, I think the Burley teams were better defensively. So on balance, I think this team is perhaps the most exciting football I have seen a Town team play - but not quite the best football I've ever seen. That said KMac is only just getting started and I actually think he's the best tactician we've had since Robson and I believe his football will end up overtaking that of Burley's era.
It's worth recalling just how damn consistent Burley's teams were between 96-01; including consistently stuffing 1-2 games a year to cost us an automatic promotion. Over those five seasons we had a record of: W 114 D 54 L54 GD: +133
During the 99/00 season we went on an 18 game unbeaten run. In 97/98 we only lost once after Christmas (23 games) and scored 5 goals in three consecutive home games (including Norwich). In 96/97 we had a run where we lost only three times in 28 games. And all of this was in the Championship.
None of this is to diminish what the team are doing now, but the late-90s was generally a wonderful time to be a Town supporter - apart from mid-April onwards when we habitually stuffed up. But - that made Wembley 2000 all the more special. |
Wholeheartedly agree with this! Burley's team was great to watch, we were consistently the best pass and move style team in the Championship. Football has obviously moved on since then with the increase in overseas coaches and premier league academies churning out quality footballers expecting to play technical football on the deck.
The achilles heel for Burley's teams was a tendency to be bullied - I'm thinking by the likes of Charlton, Birmingham, Sheffield United, Bolton. It took five years to get over the hump and when in the Premier League some of the performances were simply sensational - Tottenham 3 nil at home, Southampton 3 nil away for example.
I can't see McKenna's Ipswich team being bullied in the same way Burley's sometimes were. |  | | |
| Best football I’ve seen from a Town side…ever on 10:37 - Oct 11 with 2392 views | ChampionsofInnsbruck |
I am verging on 40 and I cannot remember us being THIS good, not even under Burley, in this league however if we do get promoted, how we transition will be interesting to see if McKenna can deliver even more than Sir George did. Certainly in the Championship we have never looked better in my life, and that includes 91/92 and 99/00.
If Brighton and West Ham can play in Europe, so can Town. Who's to say McKenna cant get us there? |  | | |
| Best football I’ve seen from a Town side…ever on 11:36 - Oct 11 with 2369 views | Churchman |
| Best football I’ve seen from a Town side…ever on 09:21 - Oct 9 by CityBlue |
I would say that technically this is the best ever squad to wear the blue of Ipswich. I watched the club through the late seventies and eighties and although we had on field success it wasn't always the most technical of football. The game was very different in them days and with only one sub for example and without the money, the influx of talent and the disparity across the top tier was marginal.
Now there are high gulfs in talent and more and more technical aspects to the game. These players are athletes first and not sneaking off to groundsman's hut for a crafty ciggy. |
I really don’t think you can compare. In the 70s the pitches were terrible. Snow? Get the broom out and sweep the lines. Injury? Bucket of cold water, sponge down the shorts and you are up and hobbling. The players certainly weren’t as fit. Booze, fags, steak etc - it was a different world. Even non league teams keep going full tilt now. They didn’t then.
Control? If you were a forward or midfielder you’d better be quick about it before some animal trampled all over you. Heavy shirts, more robust boots, a ball considerably heavier. It was a real contact sport.
If I have to compare (see first line) the Ipswich sides of the Robson era were far superior technically. Most were two footed, players like Mariner had the lot. Given the sport is largely non contact now by comparison, who would have got the ball off him? Muhren and Thijssen? About as good as it gets. Burley? He’d walk into most teams now, waving that arm as he crossed the ball. Beattie? He’d be one of the most valuable players in the country. That’s not time distorting my view. He really was that good. The only one who couldn’t play now is Cooper. He’d simply be too small.
The disparity in the game was lessened by shared gate receipts, but it was still there. We just ran out of steam and players, whereas Liverpool didn’t.
As for comparing to Burley’s teams it’s far too soon. This side might surpass it, but not yet. But boy, just how exciting is it? I listened to the coaches podcast last night. They are clearly a very tight group. For the first time since the Burley era I’m proud to follow this club. It’s fun again. | | | |
| Best football I’ve seen from a Town side…ever on 12:59 - Oct 11 with 2345 views | powinswitch |
I think the philosophy of the coaching and the way the team are set up to play is the major factor. Our system is expansive, positive, easy on the eye. After a decade or so of grinding out results. This team are coached to a system that is attacking, generally plays the ball on the floor, is fast at times, the important times. It’s innovative. We had a number of seasons of either poor coaching, or defence based coaching. That sucked the life out of the beautiful game.
At some point we will find our level,and I’m afraid that will probably be below the clubs who have serious financial backing like Cty, NUFC. Etc. at 5hat point I NEVER want to see us again approach every game scared to impose our system on others. Yes we can of course go to selected games and look to steal a point or even three. But I want to go to home games and see a team given belief and trust, and coaching to take our game to the opposition as the default at the start of games.
About three weeks ago we played premiership Wolves at home. 0-2 after 15 mins or whatever it was. I don’t doubt Sir Kieran of McKenna tweaked things. But we didn’t abandon a positive outlook. And we prevailed [Post edited 11 Oct 2023 13:01]
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| Best football I’ve seen from a Town side…ever on 14:33 - Oct 11 with 2277 views | PrideOfTheEast |
I suspect our mentality as a team and club must be well up there in terms of where we've been in a long time. Burley was great and what a team but we very often failed on the big occasion (local derbies, play-offs, league cup semi, not getting top 4 (!)). I have a strong belief that this team will deliver, but to some extent that is untested. | | | |
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