| I no longer recognise my Ipswich 10:38 - Aug 22 with 18388 views | blueysbackside |
There, I’ve said it and I feel relieved. All these signings….back to back promotions. Wow wow wow. What a time to be a Town fan Maybe it’s an age thing, I don’t know, but this potential £100m summer splurge is, well, nuts for our beloved club. We could already field an XI completely different to the team that got us up. Yes, progress. Yes, we want to stay up. Yes, this is the Prem. It just seems a massive gamble. Even bedding in these new boys will take a while….we’re back to the Cook days when he became the demolition man. Hope the dressing room spirit created over the past two seasons isn’t destroyed by this spend. I feel for Burgess, for Luongo. Oh, well…I guess this is top-level football in 2024. |  | | |  |
| I no longer recognise my Ipswich on 11:36 - Aug 22 with 2174 views | PioneerBlue |
This is a very surreal time. We’ve not seen this type of accelerated investment in our history. Yes there are a few parallels with the first summer of GC20 and Cooky. Even Cooky had an objective when he set about to change the culture unbeknown to us at the time he was laying the foundation for what was to come.
I have always believed that the jump to the PL is too big for most teams these days therefore significant investment was always required to give ourselves a chance. This is actually surpassing my expectations. Not in a negative way!
The key here is that MA and KMcK have been clear what got us here will not take us to the next place. We have players now reaching the absolute panicle of their careers and probably earning more than they felt they could achieve. Their job now is to help stabilise, back up and allow the club to keep moving forwards. Some will make the jump, some might not, but this is all part of re-establishing Ipswich Town back at the top of English football. | |
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| I no longer recognise my Ipswich on 11:38 - Aug 22 with 2164 views | blueysbackside |
| I no longer recognise my Ipswich on 11:15 - Aug 22 by chicoazul |
Amazed you’re receiving so many downvotes Opie for expressing what is a simple normal opinion which seems genuinely held. Success has poisoned some minds on here. |
The down votes don’t bother me as I’m not 16 but it’s great to read so many opposing views. I appreciate your post. | | | |
| I no longer recognise my Ipswich on 11:38 - Aug 22 with 2162 views | Deano69 |
| I no longer recognise my Ipswich on 10:43 - Aug 22 by blueysbackside |
Apart from Leif, Morsy and Omari, I can’t see many of the other promotion lot being regulars |
That’s probably about right with a small number that are decent squad options.
But to even have a chance of survival relying on the other guys that got us here is unlikely.
I was pleased to see 7 league one survivors get their premier league opportunity, but suspect the team that finishes this season will look very different to the 11 that started against Liverpool.
Regrettable, yes I guess so, but the reality of premier league football I’m afraid. |  |
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| I no longer recognise my Ipswich on 11:38 - Aug 22 with 2158 views | Nthsuffolkblue |
| I no longer recognise my Ipswich on 11:36 - Aug 22 by marvellous |
I was going to say something similar. Of the starting XI against Liverpool, 7 played for us in League 1 and 9 played for us in the Championship - that's not a demolition job!
If Hirst wasn't injured then I expect those numbers would've been 1 higher.
I think the evolution of the squad has been excellent. Allowing those that got us here the opportunity to step up to the top level whilst acknowledging that what has got us here might not get us there (wherever that is! Champions League?!)
I do agree that paying large transfer fees and multiple signings each transfer window is not particularly "Ipswich" but the game at the top level has moved on massively since our last visit so we need to do this just to try to maintain our PL status, let alone move forwards. |
Your Hirst injury point should be balanced against Muric's injury meaning Walton started. |  |
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| I no longer recognise my Ipswich on 11:41 - Aug 22 with 2139 views | blueysbackside |
| I no longer recognise my Ipswich on 11:28 - Aug 22 by BlueySwede |
I understand your point.
First of all, it's a strange feeling to see us signing several multi-million-pound players. We're not used to it. But would I be happier if we were still in the Championship, under an unambitious owner, signing the likes of Leon Best? Or reading "quiet deadline day expected" when we seriously needed players?
Definitely not.
I want us to stay in the Premier League. Not by gambling the club in any way, but I certainly trust Ashton and the owners to manage that side.
I am immensely proud of the core group of players that got us to the Premier League, and I believe (and hope) that several of them will continue to play a vital role for us. But the reality is that some will inevitably fall away. Jumping from League One to the Premier League in just two seasons is a massive leap.
Professional footballers are accustomed to new signings coming in, and hopefully, it motivates them. They know that there is no room for sentiment in football.
Keeping everyone happy in a 25-man squad is a difficult task, but I honestly believe there are few better capable of doing it than Kieran McKenna. Burgess, Luongo and many others will have a role to play this season. |
Yes, this is deffo how I feel. Of course i want us to succeed and stay up but things are changing so fast - and i hope everything is being done according to the ffp regs. Scary times but like someone above said, perhaps i should forget about worrying and just light up a cigar and enjoy the ride | | | |
| I no longer recognise my Ipswich on 11:42 - Aug 22 with 2134 views | MattinLondon |
| I no longer recognise my Ipswich on 11:15 - Aug 22 by chicoazul |
Amazed you’re receiving so many downvotes Opie for expressing what is a simple normal opinion which seems genuinely held. Success has poisoned some minds on here. |
Not poisoned but simply acknowledging the reality of the situation as well as a desire to stay in the PL. |  | | |
| I no longer recognise my Ipswich on 11:59 - Aug 22 with 2085 views | NedPlimpton |
Not wanting to sound facetious but did you not recognise 'your' Ipswich after the Paul Cook demolition man job? That was only 3 years ago
How long before you started recognising your Ipswich again? Was it after the first promotion, or the second? Presumably if we stay up you'll start to recognise them again? |  | | |
| I no longer recognise my Ipswich on 12:01 - Aug 22 with 2073 views | FrimleyBlue |
Did you miss the game saturday where we had 7 players from league 1 playing the game.
Saturday will most likely include a fair number of them too
As will most games
Have we spent, yes, are we binning off all the squad no |  |
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| I no longer recognise my Ipswich on 12:04 - Aug 22 with 2056 views | Radlett_blue |
I was rather more concerned when we had huge turnover of players of the quality of Conor Sammon, Leon Best, Zeki Fryers & Giles Coke.
Shorter contracts are a fact of modern football, unless you are splurging money like Chelsea. Town have the second shortest contracts on average in the PL right now, so we certainly aren't desperately mortgaging our future. [Post edited 22 Aug 2024 12:06]
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| I no longer recognise my Ipswich on 12:07 - Aug 22 with 2044 views | burnbudgiesburn |
| I no longer recognise my Ipswich on 12:01 - Aug 22 by FrimleyBlue |
Did you miss the game saturday where we had 7 players from league 1 playing the game.
Saturday will most likely include a fair number of them too
As will most games
Have we spent, yes, are we binning off all the squad no |
Yes, we've basically kept 95% of the squad who made the most appearances for us in the Championship and let the weaker squad members leave.
We therefore needed around 10 players due to natural churn anyway. | | | |
| I no longer recognise my Ipswich on 12:08 - Aug 22 with 2036 views | MJallday |
i recognise the ipswich where we were toe punting it up to giles coke and comparing jonathan douglas' moving speed to that of an Oil tanker
and i didnt like it. |  |
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| I no longer recognise my Ipswich on 12:13 - Aug 22 with 2020 views | RadioOrwell |
Utterly bizarre downvoting for a decent post. |  | | |
| I no longer recognise my Ipswich on 12:26 - Aug 22 with 1975 views | Illinoisblue |
It’s definitely strange to see us being so aggressive and having a go. This part of the process doesn’t bother me, it’s the thought of what happens if we become as boring and safe and stable as, say, Crystal Palace. Forever midtable with no real hope of wining anything. That’s the goal (for the owners). |  |
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| I no longer recognise my Ipswich on 12:33 - Aug 22 with 1943 views | Vegtablue |
Sorry for all your downvotes OP but you're quite right in your concluding thought; this is top-level football 2024. We persuaded McKenna to stay because we demonstrated our desire to match his ambition.
Many thought we'd see much less activity and expenditure but I believe that's testament to how long we've been away, rather than indicative of a reckless or unusually productive summer for a newly promoted team. We remain in good company for our outlay so far and it reflects the wealth and power of the PL. We have the potential to earn more revenue this season than in the past 10 years combined. Even if we finish bottom, we'll probably earn close to what we did between 2014-2023.
The dressing room spirit shouldn't be affected by these arrivals if our manager is as good as we believe him to be. Our 23/24 squad will be very aware of the step up and some will be excited for the reinforcements, even if it squeezes them into a supporting role. Being a smaller part of a successful PL team must be favourable to being the main character in never-ending tonkings. I'm unsure how much some of the Sheff Utd boys enjoyed their debut PL campaign.
I would have been happy and grateful for us to play this season any which way the club decided, such has been the success of these past two years. Go with the EFL heroes and bank a war chest for Championship 25/26, great. Go bold by bringing in the faces we have and continue to strive for, let's give it a right good go. The reason we fell in love Luongo, Burgess, the current crop, is, let's be honest, largely on account of the success they have brought us. Their exploits have filled us with so much pride for our club again, and we've delved into what great human beings they are too as a consequence of their success. Had the group put their hearts on the line but failed to produce the quality for us to leave L1, or had we struggled last season, most would likely have the same opinion of Jackson and others as they did during the painful years.
Lastly, on bedding in, some players have managed to fly out of the traps under McKenna. Hirst, Broadhead, Clarke and Luongo in winter 22/23. We needed then to make impacts as soon as they were fit enough to play and they did. Moore in particular last winter, immediate leap in quality. I'm sure McKenna won't play our new signings until he believes they've at least caught up, if not overtaken those they're competing with for minutes. Let them show the same tenacity and spirit as we've become accustomed to and I'm sure we'll be very fond of them too soon enough. | | | |
| I no longer recognise my Ipswich on 12:35 - Aug 22 with 1918 views | Godzilla |
The reality is that what's happening signing wise has to happen if we are to have a chance of staying up this season. I personally love what is happening to our club and intend to enjoy the ride, its been a long wait, and who knows we might even add to our silverware again over the coming years (can dream). I dont really think the path the club is taking changes the identity of the club, in fact it seems to be enhancing it in a very positive way internally and externally, apart of course from the diffs getting tickets for some. |  | | |
| I no longer recognise my Ipswich on 13:05 - Aug 22 with 1819 views | TractorFrog |
I think you are perhaps underestimating our current squad. The team that finished the league 1 season (Walton, Clarke, Woolfenden, Burgess, Davis, Morsy, Luongo, Burns, Chaplin, Broadhead, Hirst) was so much more than the sum of its parts and is probably still the centre of the team as it was all through last year with the exception of Hladky coming through to replace Walton.
There have been plenty of signings expected to replace those XI which weren't able to. Massimo Luongo stepped up his game and held off Jack Taylor. Luke Woolfenden remained in the team ahead of Axel Tuanzebe. George Hirst got back in ahead of Kieffer Moore. Only Omari Hutchinson really broke into that 11 last year, and even then it could still have been Burns, Chaplin, Broadhead on that final day. I think Clarke would have started more had he not had his injury problems.
It is possible we could end up with a team of Muric, Johnson, Ahmedhodzic, Greaves, Davis, Phillips, Cajuste, Clarke, Hutchinson, Szmodics, Broja which would be a little disappointing to lose so many of those original 11, but I feel like Woolfenden, Morsy, Burns, Chaplin and even Hirst could all keep their places.
It will of course be very sad when any of those original 11 mentioned leave the club entirely, just as it was when Kyle Edwards, Lee Evans, Janoi Donacien, Kayden Jackson and Vaclav Hladky left, and Freddie Ladapo, Marcus Harness and George Edmundson would also be a big loss. I guess that is just what happens when you have such a brilliant team getting double promotion, but also particularly when the manager is the most important part of the team. |  |
| They'd all laugh at me if they knew what I was trying to do. To create a new strain of super-wine in half-an-hour with a fraction of nature's resources and a FOOL for an assistant. 'Bernard Black, he's mad,' they'd say, 'he's insane, he's dangerous.' Well I'll show them! I'll show them all! | | Poll: | Who should start in CM with Cajuste? |
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| I no longer recognise my Ipswich on 13:15 - Aug 22 with 1799 views | lowhouseblue |
why oh why have we stopped playing micky stockwell? the team just isn't the same for me. |  |
| And so as the loose-bowelled pigeon of time swoops low over the unsuspecting tourist of destiny, and the flatulent skunk of fate wanders into the air-conditioning system of eternity, I notice it's the end of the show |
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| I no longer recognise my Ipswich on 14:16 - Aug 22 with 1672 views | ElephantintheRoom |
I tend to agree. Supporters of a certain age can remember the anticipation of wondering how last year’s team might step up to the plate with a daft of young players coming through. It was a long time ago that McGarry or Lyall took on the top division with basically the same team that got promoted and Burley only seemed fixated on central defence, signing the permanent-injured John Scales and the relegation specialist puffin eater.
Seems little point in celebrating promotion if your manager promptly touts himself for every available job then gets in a container load of mercenaries
Ironically the same thing almost happened last year but none of the number crunchers’ targets want to come so team spirit remained intact. This splurge on dubious signings risks tossing that baby out with the bath water for not much overall gain. Time will tell - but for Ipswich fans seeing a shed load of mercenaries arrive, including daft rentals whist there are no young players coming through seems more than a little like a poor man’s Chelsea | |
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| I no longer recognise my Ipswich on 14:18 - Aug 22 with 1659 views | MattinLondon |
| I no longer recognise my Ipswich on 14:16 - Aug 22 by ElephantintheRoom |
I tend to agree. Supporters of a certain age can remember the anticipation of wondering how last year’s team might step up to the plate with a daft of young players coming through. It was a long time ago that McGarry or Lyall took on the top division with basically the same team that got promoted and Burley only seemed fixated on central defence, signing the permanent-injured John Scales and the relegation specialist puffin eater.
Seems little point in celebrating promotion if your manager promptly touts himself for every available job then gets in a container load of mercenaries
Ironically the same thing almost happened last year but none of the number crunchers’ targets want to come so team spirit remained intact. This splurge on dubious signings risks tossing that baby out with the bath water for not much overall gain. Time will tell - but for Ipswich fans seeing a shed load of mercenaries arrive, including daft rentals whist there are no young players coming through seems more than a little like a poor man’s Chelsea |
Utter bollox. | | | |
| I no longer recognise my Ipswich on 14:21 - Aug 22 with 1655 views | Trequartista |
The demolition was a good thing, hence where we are now. Cook being unable to get the new players to play was a separate issue.
Do you not think fielding 7 players against Liverpool who played in League One is giving people a chance? That number will decrease, sure, but why would we want to try and set the lowest points score ever, we have to try and compete. |  |
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| I no longer recognise my Ipswich on 14:26 - Aug 22 with 1610 views | Kieran_Knows |
| I no longer recognise my Ipswich on 14:16 - Aug 22 by ElephantintheRoom |
I tend to agree. Supporters of a certain age can remember the anticipation of wondering how last year’s team might step up to the plate with a daft of young players coming through. It was a long time ago that McGarry or Lyall took on the top division with basically the same team that got promoted and Burley only seemed fixated on central defence, signing the permanent-injured John Scales and the relegation specialist puffin eater.
Seems little point in celebrating promotion if your manager promptly touts himself for every available job then gets in a container load of mercenaries
Ironically the same thing almost happened last year but none of the number crunchers’ targets want to come so team spirit remained intact. This splurge on dubious signings risks tossing that baby out with the bath water for not much overall gain. Time will tell - but for Ipswich fans seeing a shed load of mercenaries arrive, including daft rentals whist there are no young players coming through seems more than a little like a poor man’s Chelsea |
Legend. |  |
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| I no longer recognise my Ipswich on 14:29 - Aug 22 with 1588 views | Trequartista |
| I no longer recognise my Ipswich on 11:15 - Aug 22 by chicoazul |
Amazed you’re receiving so many downvotes Opie for expressing what is a simple normal opinion which seems genuinely held. Success has poisoned some minds on here. |
I suppose if downvotes are taken to heart it's harsh, but I tend to downvote things where I simply disagree and there's not much to debate (although i didn't here as there was something to say). A downvote is not necessarily a vote of hatred or outrage at an opinion.
So not surprised so many disagree. | |
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| I no longer recognise my Ipswich on 14:33 - Aug 22 with 1551 views | Trequartista |
| I no longer recognise my Ipswich on 14:16 - Aug 22 by ElephantintheRoom |
I tend to agree. Supporters of a certain age can remember the anticipation of wondering how last year’s team might step up to the plate with a daft of young players coming through. It was a long time ago that McGarry or Lyall took on the top division with basically the same team that got promoted and Burley only seemed fixated on central defence, signing the permanent-injured John Scales and the relegation specialist puffin eater.
Seems little point in celebrating promotion if your manager promptly touts himself for every available job then gets in a container load of mercenaries
Ironically the same thing almost happened last year but none of the number crunchers’ targets want to come so team spirit remained intact. This splurge on dubious signings risks tossing that baby out with the bath water for not much overall gain. Time will tell - but for Ipswich fans seeing a shed load of mercenaries arrive, including daft rentals whist there are no young players coming through seems more than a little like a poor man’s Chelsea |
You're like someone who doesn't like change, and let's say for example you are 100% right that a specific change was a bad thing, you still plough on regardless trying to put coins into a parking meter that will only accept payment on an app. Bless you for entertaining us. | |
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| I no longer recognise my Ipswich on 14:34 - Aug 22 with 1538 views | victorysquad |
This is a tough league, Luongo, Burgess etc need help, it will take time to adjust to this league and the last thing any player wants is to start, get 'done' and confidence get shot straight away. It is a squad game and we will fully utilise it. | |
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| I no longer recognise my Ipswich on 14:38 - Aug 22 with 1509 views | portmanking |
| I no longer recognise my Ipswich on 14:16 - Aug 22 by ElephantintheRoom |
I tend to agree. Supporters of a certain age can remember the anticipation of wondering how last year’s team might step up to the plate with a daft of young players coming through. It was a long time ago that McGarry or Lyall took on the top division with basically the same team that got promoted and Burley only seemed fixated on central defence, signing the permanent-injured John Scales and the relegation specialist puffin eater.
Seems little point in celebrating promotion if your manager promptly touts himself for every available job then gets in a container load of mercenaries
Ironically the same thing almost happened last year but none of the number crunchers’ targets want to come so team spirit remained intact. This splurge on dubious signings risks tossing that baby out with the bath water for not much overall gain. Time will tell - but for Ipswich fans seeing a shed load of mercenaries arrive, including daft rentals whist there are no young players coming through seems more than a little like a poor man’s Chelsea |
Your name is Mick Dennis and I claim my £100.
FOYSC. | | | |
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