| A nice national press article by one of our own 10:06 - Apr 19 with 5650 views | Guthrum |
Sums up a lot of how I feel about the current situation.
https://www.theguardian.com/football/2025/apr/19/ipswich-hope-doomed-premier-lea
The Prem was a bridge too far, putting in a valiant effort, but not quite able to pull it off. Defeated by limited resources and unexpectedly - to some of us, despite being warned - strong and resiliant opposition (e.g. the charge by Wolves and Everton after changing managers).
However, despite falling short and having to retreat, there is a feeling that we are in a good position to regroup and give it another go next year, establishing a secure lodgement at the second attempt. |  |
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| A nice national press article by one of our own on 15:42 - Apr 19 with 1257 views | vapour_trail |
| A nice national press article by one of our own on 15:37 - Apr 19 by SuffolkPunchFC |
That completely misses the point. And it was 130M.
The entire point of my post is that we had a lot of headwinds that prevented us from purchasing from a wider pool. This is not fantasy football management - in the real world you have to work within the constraints of what is available to you. Our shopping for players was inevitable limited. |
I get your point, I just don’t fully buy it.
I don’t believe we could not have adopted a strategy of bringing in more experience. I’m not saying it’s easy, but it’s not impossible, given the levels at which we’ve invested.
And as i said earlier, the adopted strategy may be vindicated in the long run. |  |
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| A nice national press article by one of our own on 16:05 - Apr 19 with 1219 views | Axeldalai_lama |
| A nice national press article by one of our own on 15:42 - Apr 19 by vapour_trail |
I get your point, I just don’t fully buy it.
I don’t believe we could not have adopted a strategy of bringing in more experience. I’m not saying it’s easy, but it’s not impossible, given the levels at which we’ve invested.
And as i said earlier, the adopted strategy may be vindicated in the long run. |
What are you saying was possible? Survival?
Would you have deemed any relegation as a failure if strategy?
Obviously in absolute terms relegation is failure but is it always going to be a strategic and identifiable issue? And most importantly is it always going to be something we could have solved at the time with what we had, with realistic odds?
Otherwise it's like saying a person didn't have to go bankrupt, they could have won the lottery. |  | | |
| A nice national press article by one of our own on 16:14 - Apr 19 with 1197 views | vapour_trail |
| A nice national press article by one of our own on 16:05 - Apr 19 by Axeldalai_lama |
What are you saying was possible? Survival?
Would you have deemed any relegation as a failure if strategy?
Obviously in absolute terms relegation is failure but is it always going to be a strategic and identifiable issue? And most importantly is it always going to be something we could have solved at the time with what we had, with realistic odds?
Otherwise it's like saying a person didn't have to go bankrupt, they could have won the lottery. |
I’m saying a different approach to recruitment was possible.
Anyway seems I’m on my own on this one. | |
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| A nice national press article by one of our own on 16:21 - Apr 19 with 1186 views | Axeldalai_lama |
| A nice national press article by one of our own on 16:14 - Apr 19 by vapour_trail |
I’m saying a different approach to recruitment was possible.
Anyway seems I’m on my own on this one. |
I don't think anyone is necessarily fully opposed to you on it, but that it depends what that reality would look like. Most people think we could have recruited a bit better.
The difference is exactly what that means, how likely it was to make a huge difference in reality, and overall whether it is realistic to call it a strategic failure and pull it apart, or just accept we tried pretty well and came up short given obvious disadvantages and constraints. | | | |
| A nice national press article by one of our own on 16:42 - Apr 19 with 1165 views | SuffolkPunchFC |
| A nice national press article by one of our own on 16:14 - Apr 19 by vapour_trail |
I’m saying a different approach to recruitment was possible.
Anyway seems I’m on my own on this one. |
I don't think anyone fundamentally disagrees with your premise (I certainly don't), I'd just argue that it would have been highly improbably that we could get in the experienced players you'd have liked to have seen join (we may have even tried more behind the scenes).
Either the costs would have been too high (wages being a major hurdle) or the experienced players not wanting to join a club seen as a prime candidate for a relegation fight. Where we did secure some experience, it was with players that had been marginalised in recebnt seasons for one reason or another (Philips, Cajuste and Tunazebe). |  | | |
| A nice national press article by one of our own on 17:02 - Apr 19 with 1141 views | waveneyblue |
| A nice national press article by one of our own on 15:24 - Apr 19 by vapour_trail |
Of course there are alternatives. We’ve spent nearly 150 million quid. There’s more than one way you can do that. |
It's been explained. There's more to a transfer than the fee. It's wages, contract length and the small issue of the players wanting to join Ipswich.
We are also going down with nobody on the books draining wages, (possibly with the exception of Muric, but he's hardly at the end of his career) |  | | |
| A nice national press article by one of our own on 17:29 - Apr 19 with 1084 views | Ryorry |
| A nice national press article by one of our own on 17:02 - Apr 19 by waveneyblue |
It's been explained. There's more to a transfer than the fee. It's wages, contract length and the small issue of the players wanting to join Ipswich.
We are also going down with nobody on the books draining wages, (possibly with the exception of Muric, but he's hardly at the end of his career) |
Hope Muric has a lovely rest of his career as far away from Suffolk as possible.
And don't say N*****k - he'd prabably manage to play a blinder twice every season ... |  |
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| A nice national press article by one of our own on 18:02 - Apr 19 with 1062 views | Herbivore |
| A nice national press article by one of our own on 16:14 - Apr 19 by vapour_trail |
I’m saying a different approach to recruitment was possible.
Anyway seems I’m on my own on this one. |
You're definitely not on your own, others have expressed similar views. I'm not sure how easy a different approach would have been for us though. Trying to attract experienced Prem players as a newly promoted side isn't easy by any stretch. I also think even if we'd managed it, the points total 17th will achieve this season would still have been beyond us. Our approach may ultimately work for the best, we've got players we can develop and improve in the Championship and with the right business if we bounce back, we may be better placed for a good crack at it next time. Here's hoping anyway. |  |
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| A nice national press article by one of our own on 18:15 - Apr 19 with 1051 views | Guthrum |
| A nice national press article by one of our own on 15:42 - Apr 19 by vapour_trail |
I get your point, I just don’t fully buy it.
I don’t believe we could not have adopted a strategy of bringing in more experience. I’m not saying it’s easy, but it’s not impossible, given the levels at which we’ve invested.
And as i said earlier, the adopted strategy may be vindicated in the long run. |
It's a difficult one. The Prem experience we did hire hasn't entirely worked out, either (Phillips, Godfrey). The problem is that we were always shopping in the range of fringe players, those rebuilding their careers or the injury-prone. Maybe picking over the teams going the other way (e.g. Muric from Burnley).
The really decent Prem prospects are only going to want to sign for establish teams, so as not the imperil their status.
Perhaps not impossible to persuade someone that we are a team on the up long-term, worth taking a chance on. But it's a much harder sell. Especially as I doubt we were offering top-of-the-range wages, either. And, while not that far from London, the charms of Suffolk are perhaps not so alluring for young men as being in a city itself. | |
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| A nice national press article by one of our own on 18:56 - Apr 19 with 1039 views | Swansea_Blue |
I find the attitude from the club quite refreshing. Other clubs would be having meltdowns, sacking their manager and have angry fans despite performing at a realistic level (let’s be honest, we’re small fry and latecomers to the PL party; it was always going to be difficult).
I like that we see this as only a bump in the road on a longer term journey. Whether that turns out to be true is a yet to be seen though. It could unravel if we lose KM and make a bad choice replacing him or if we lose too many players. |  |
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| A nice national press article by one of our own on 19:03 - Apr 19 with 1034 views | homer_123 |
Any sensible fan would have been sanguine about this season.
We are on a journey...this is merely part of it. |  |
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| A nice national press article by one of our own on 20:04 - Apr 19 with 992 views | vapour_trail |
| A nice national press article by one of our own on 17:02 - Apr 19 by waveneyblue |
It's been explained. There's more to a transfer than the fee. It's wages, contract length and the small issue of the players wanting to join Ipswich.
We are also going down with nobody on the books draining wages, (possibly with the exception of Muric, but he's hardly at the end of his career) |
I’m fully aware of how the numbers work. It’s not impossible however. Brentford, Fulham, Forest (outside the rules) Luton (relegated however), all recruited better than us on promotion in my opinion. Not all had recent experience at top level.
Agree with you on the sustainable wage bill, that’s a positive.
And agree with a lot of the other responses made. | |
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| A nice national press article by one of our own on 20:12 - Apr 19 with 977 views | Coastalblue |
| A nice national press article by one of our own on 20:04 - Apr 19 by vapour_trail |
I’m fully aware of how the numbers work. It’s not impossible however. Brentford, Fulham, Forest (outside the rules) Luton (relegated however), all recruited better than us on promotion in my opinion. Not all had recent experience at top level.
Agree with you on the sustainable wage bill, that’s a positive.
And agree with a lot of the other responses made. |
Again not going to disagree with your points, I think they're fair, but, we have no idea what the strategy was.
Perhaps we are playing the long game, were aware that it increased our potential for relegation further but decided that longer term we'd be stronger for it.
The Club can't come out and say 'yeah we thought we'd probably go down with this lot, but we'll be much stronger bouncing back.' |  |
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| A nice national press article by one of our own on 20:19 - Apr 19 with 964 views | PhilTWTD |
| A nice national press article by one of our own on 16:14 - Apr 19 by vapour_trail |
I’m saying a different approach to recruitment was possible.
Anyway seems I’m on my own on this one. |
No, you're not on your own, I'm sure the summer recruitment will be one of the areas most looked at the end of the season. How many of the players we signed last summer will be coveted by Premier League clubs in this close season? Very few I'd say. Delap obviously, O'Shea probably, but not sure anyone else, which indicates most haven't hit the required level. |  | | |
| A nice national press article by one of our own on 20:53 - Apr 19 with 908 views | Herbivore |
| A nice national press article by one of our own on 20:19 - Apr 19 by PhilTWTD |
No, you're not on your own, I'm sure the summer recruitment will be one of the areas most looked at the end of the season. How many of the players we signed last summer will be coveted by Premier League clubs in this close season? Very few I'd say. Delap obviously, O'Shea probably, but not sure anyone else, which indicates most haven't hit the required level. |
I can see someone having a nibble at Hutch. | |
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| A nice national press article by one of our own on 20:55 - Apr 19 with 901 views | vapour_trail |
| A nice national press article by one of our own on 20:53 - Apr 19 by Herbivore |
I can see someone having a nibble at Hutch. |
I’d be surprised. Maybe someone coming up but still doubtful.
I think very few of our players are of greater interest than they were 12 months ago. | |
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| A nice national press article by one of our own on 20:57 - Apr 19 with 895 views | WestStanderLaLaLa |
| A nice national press article by one of our own on 20:04 - Apr 19 by vapour_trail |
I’m fully aware of how the numbers work. It’s not impossible however. Brentford, Fulham, Forest (outside the rules) Luton (relegated however), all recruited better than us on promotion in my opinion. Not all had recent experience at top level.
Agree with you on the sustainable wage bill, that’s a positive.
And agree with a lot of the other responses made. |
Which Fulham promotion, 18, 20 or 22  |  |
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| A nice national press article by one of our own on 20:58 - Apr 19 with 893 views | Herbivore |
| A nice national press article by one of our own on 20:55 - Apr 19 by vapour_trail |
I’d be surprised. Maybe someone coming up but still doubtful.
I think very few of our players are of greater interest than they were 12 months ago. |
I think he's had enough good games for people to see his potential. People are talking about Dibling from Saints going for massive money and he's had about the same number of goal contributions as Omari. We probably hoped for/expected a bit more from him but he's not had a bad season for a young player at this level. | |
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| A nice national press article by one of our own on 21:02 - Apr 19 with 880 views | SomethingBlue |
| A nice national press article by one of our own on 20:55 - Apr 19 by vapour_trail |
I’d be surprised. Maybe someone coming up but still doubtful.
I think very few of our players are of greater interest than they were 12 months ago. |
I’m certain there will be people in for Omari - the job he’s done, at his age and in that position, is quite something and the underlying numbers will bear that out. | |
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| A nice national press article by one of our own on 21:03 - Apr 19 with 871 views | vapour_trail |
| A nice national press article by one of our own on 21:02 - Apr 19 by SomethingBlue |
I’m certain there will be people in for Omari - the job he’s done, at his age and in that position, is quite something and the underlying numbers will bear that out. |
Fair enough. What level of club and what sort of money do you think? | |
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| A nice national press article by one of our own on 21:04 - Apr 19 with 866 views | vapour_trail |
| A nice national press article by one of our own on 20:57 - Apr 19 by WestStanderLaLaLa |
Which Fulham promotion, 18, 20 or 22 |
Ha, excellent point.
I think I’ll go for the most recent one please. | |
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| A nice national press article by one of our own on 21:17 - Apr 19 with 816 views | SuffolkPunchFC |
| A nice national press article by one of our own on 20:55 - Apr 19 by vapour_trail |
I’d be surprised. Maybe someone coming up but still doubtful.
I think very few of our players are of greater interest than they were 12 months ago. |
I agree with what others have written about Omari having potential suitors. It’s also unwise to judge Omari on his perceived contribution in a struggling team, and having had time out punctured by injury. He’s contributed well in the England 21s, and will likely be part of the on-field players during the summer.
I expect interest, but also anticipate that we will aim to hold onto him. He is crucial to our success next season and then in our return to the EPL. | | | |
| A nice national press article by one of our own on 21:27 - Apr 19 with 785 views | SuffolkPunchFC |
| A nice national press article by one of our own on 21:04 - Apr 19 by vapour_trail |
Ha, excellent point.
I think I’ll go for the most recent one please. |
The point here is that for Fulham and many clubs, it’s taken a few years of yo-yoing to get the critical mass needed to stay in the EPL, and get established. This is arguably where we are, on the first cycle and having the added disadvantage of being in L1 only 2 years ago. | | | |
| A nice national press article by one of our own on 21:35 - Apr 19 with 762 views | waveneyblue |
| A nice national press article by one of our own on 20:04 - Apr 19 by vapour_trail |
I’m fully aware of how the numbers work. It’s not impossible however. Brentford, Fulham, Forest (outside the rules) Luton (relegated however), all recruited better than us on promotion in my opinion. Not all had recent experience at top level.
Agree with you on the sustainable wage bill, that’s a positive.
And agree with a lot of the other responses made. |
Have to say, your clearly a decent guy. I was probably too harsh to jump on perceived negativity.
It is refreshing to see you interact and not double down like others.
Up the town! | | | |
| A nice national press article by one of our own on 23:50 - Apr 19 with 667 views | Herbivore |
| A nice national press article by one of our own on 21:03 - Apr 19 by vapour_trail |
Fair enough. What level of club and what sort of money do you think? |
I could see a Bournemouth, Brighton or Forest type taking a punt at £30m. | |
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