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This team isn’t very likable is it? 09:04 - Dec 14 with 4370 viewsWallingford_Boy

Not calling out individuals here, but the dynamic isn’t right and it’s hard to get on board with what’s going on right now.

Remember our league one side when we went up, not as good as this current team, but was really easy to like them, they just seemed a proper team.

Don’t know what the solution is, throw more money at the squad? Probably not.

RIP Sir Bobby

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This team isn’t very likable is it? on 14:29 - Dec 14 with 559 viewsRyorry

This team isn’t very likable is it? on 13:47 - Dec 14 by pointofblue

This outburst isn't because we lost to Leicester. Surely at the beginning of the season, when reviewing the fixtures, we all had this down as a potential defeat. So Leicester haven't hit the heights expected - neither have we.

The issue is what came before - Derby, Charlton, Wrexham, Oxford, Blackburn - coupled with no sign of linear improvement. A case of, at best, one step forward one step back. The lack of understanding throughout the team, and poor use of the transfer market since promotion to the Premier Leagues stands out as a partnership. We are now hoping the January fixing our ills, although we have shown more players will, to start with, lead to more uncertainty and cannot be confident we'll make the right decisions in the transfer market anyway.

With the amount spent, and quality of the division, we should be much closer to or above Coventry or at least showing signs of getting there. As it is we are at a crossroads, and nowhere knows which direction we are going to take. I believe the underlying, unspoken fear, for many is we mess up this opportunity and start sliding back from where we came. The irony being I think most of us prefer being in the Championship to the Premier League in general.


Very much agree with your first two paras.

I'd take losing, albeit with a grimace, if it meant we were playing well, like a cohesive unit with pace in attack & solid in defence, but were getting sh1t decisions from officials and/or outplayed by oppositions.

What's really frustrating/aggravating is our lack of smooth progression in playing with drive, passion, fluidity, understanding etc. At least we'd be able to see the intent & progression. At the mo we seem like a team of jigsaw pieces still in the bag.

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This team isn’t very likable is it? on 14:43 - Dec 14 with 538 viewsWestSussexBlue

This team isn’t very likable is it? on 09:14 - Dec 14 by The_Flashing_Smile

Lads, lads, lads. We spanked the runaway leaders 3-0 a week ago. You weren't complaining this team was unlikeable then. 2 defeats in the last 11, the latest due to two freak goals. Get a grip.


A voice of reason, amongst too few.
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This team isn’t very likable is it? on 14:58 - Dec 14 with 504 viewsThe_Flashing_Smile

This team isn’t very likable is it? on 13:24 - Dec 14 by Cafe_Newman

No one needs to "study downarrows on a messageboard", a good understanding of the means and effects of operant conditioning is enough.

The "answer to being a good psychologist" is certainly NOT to ask AI. I suggested you ask AI to understand (from a psychological point of view) how downvoting silences people. For some reason you have interpreted that in a completely different way.

If you would like to engage on this topic further, I suggest you PM me.

If you don't like me, or think I'm talking "bobbins", please add me to your ignore list.

If you prefer to continue to downvote me, that's fine too as it proves a point: it's the persistent downvotes by articulate posters that are the most meaningful.


I think you're a good poster usually. I just think you're being very patronising here, and the suggestion that a humble downarrow silences people (more than, say, actual words) is a bit far fetched. Unless you're against disagreement generally?

Trust the process. Trust Phil.
Blog: Between The Lines, The Irreverent Poetry Of Ipswich Town. No.22 - Freakshow

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This team isn’t very likable is it? on 15:04 - Dec 14 with 490 viewsThe_Flashing_Smile

This team isn’t very likable is it? on 13:47 - Dec 14 by pointofblue

This outburst isn't because we lost to Leicester. Surely at the beginning of the season, when reviewing the fixtures, we all had this down as a potential defeat. So Leicester haven't hit the heights expected - neither have we.

The issue is what came before - Derby, Charlton, Wrexham, Oxford, Blackburn - coupled with no sign of linear improvement. A case of, at best, one step forward one step back. The lack of understanding throughout the team, and poor use of the transfer market since promotion to the Premier Leagues stands out as a partnership. We are now hoping the January fixing our ills, although we have shown more players will, to start with, lead to more uncertainty and cannot be confident we'll make the right decisions in the transfer market anyway.

With the amount spent, and quality of the division, we should be much closer to or above Coventry or at least showing signs of getting there. As it is we are at a crossroads, and nowhere knows which direction we are going to take. I believe the underlying, unspoken fear, for many is we mess up this opportunity and start sliding back from where we came. The irony being I think most of us prefer being in the Championship to the Premier League in general.


"The issue is what came before - Derby, Charlton, Wrexham, Oxford, Blackburn - coupled with no sign of linear improvement".

Firstly, you've literally just listed the games we didn't win and completely wiped the ones we did. One could just as easily say, "we've only lost 2 of the last 11, and last weekend we spanked the runaway leaders 3-0. Today two freak goals put us on the back foot and it's just one of those days."

Secondly, improvement isn't always linear, as Ashton and McKenna have both said.

Trust the process. Trust Phil.
Blog: Between The Lines, The Irreverent Poetry Of Ipswich Town. No.22 - Freakshow

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This team isn’t very likable is it? on 15:07 - Dec 14 with 481 viewsThe_Flashing_Smile

This team isn’t very likable is it? on 13:51 - Dec 14 by Cafe_Newman

Ashbocking University?


I've no idea what this means, but I'm sure it's very clever. Well done.

Trust the process. Trust Phil.
Blog: Between The Lines, The Irreverent Poetry Of Ipswich Town. No.22 - Freakshow

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This team isn’t very likable is it? on 15:09 - Dec 14 with 478 viewsThe_Flashing_Smile

This team isn’t very likable is it? on 14:43 - Dec 14 by WestSussexBlue

A voice of reason, amongst too few.


Cheers! I feel like I'm the devil incarnate on here today!

Trust the process. Trust Phil.
Blog: Between The Lines, The Irreverent Poetry Of Ipswich Town. No.22 - Freakshow

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This team isn’t very likable is it? on 15:27 - Dec 14 with 452 viewsJoey_Joe_Joe_Junior

This team isn’t very likable is it? on 09:20 - Dec 14 by ITFCSG

Precisely, I for one am perplexed by the slow, ponderous play that has become a trademark of ITFC 25/26. I don't believe our players are that slow, or are doing it on purpose. Its purely coaching but WHY?

Taking ages for a free kick, 30 seconds for a throw in, allowing the opposition to get back and defend in numbers. Also we seem reluctant to go forward, how many times in the past 3 matches Szmodics was waving at one of his teammates to make the forward pass, yet lo and behold they choose to pass backwards. WHY?

Even when we are trailing or drawing in the dying moments of the game, there is still no urgency to push forward and attack. Players strolling over to take free kicks or throw ins. Most of the defence and MF players even Matusiwa love to slow the game down, and pass backwards again at a speed even my grandmother can run. WHY?

Even bottom teams like Oxford and Blackburn play the ball on the ground much faster than us, use the long ball to break away and show some level of improvisation, intent and aggressiveness that the most expensive squad in the entire EFL doesn't seem to have. WHY?

When fans watch such pedestrian football coupled with inconsistent results (a major c0ck up / Sunday league performance guaranteed every 2-3 matches) compared to the back-to-back squad or the free hit season in the PL of course the current squad doesn't look very likeable.
[Post edited 14 Dec 9:25]


I agree with this and the times we do drive forward or put earlier balls in the box we actually create stuff. See the one moment Nunez had yesterday to set up the Clark biggest half chance.

I’d like to see much more tempo.

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This team isn’t very likable is it? on 15:29 - Dec 14 with 453 viewsCafe_Newman

This team isn’t very likable is it? on 14:58 - Dec 14 by The_Flashing_Smile

I think you're a good poster usually. I just think you're being very patronising here, and the suggestion that a humble downarrow silences people (more than, say, actual words) is a bit far fetched. Unless you're against disagreement generally?


And I enjoy your posts generally. What I don't understand is why you are using language like "a humble downarrow" - that has never been my gripe. I have been consistent in stating that it is "excessive or persistent downvoting" by certain articulate individuals towards specific others or specific points of view. Unless you feel I was referring to you, I'm not sure why you decided to oppose my call for a forum with more open debate.

To respond to your last point, I am pro debate, and with that comes disagreement and the need for tolerance of alternative viewpoints.
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This team isn’t very likable is it? on 15:32 - Dec 14 with 442 viewsJoey_Joe_Joe_Junior

This team isn’t very likable is it? on 13:56 - Dec 14 by E_I_E_I_E_I_O

Exactly. The fickleness is off the charts and changes depending on 1 result. I think that's a societal thing unfortunately. Lack of patience and people looking for everything in an instant, no matter what it is.


It’s not one result, it’s being 8 points off autos nearly half way through the season.

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This team isn’t very likable is it? on 15:34 - Dec 14 with 433 viewsCafe_Newman

This team isn’t very likable is it? on 15:09 - Dec 14 by The_Flashing_Smile

Cheers! I feel like I'm the devil incarnate on here today!


That's strong language. Why do you feel that way? It's a genuine question because I don't want anyone feeling like they are disliked for airing their opinions on here.
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This team isn’t very likable is it? on 15:52 - Dec 14 with 403 viewscarlisleaway

It’s the inconsistency which kills you…..
Not many of these players would get in our Promotion team, missing a Morsy like midfielder
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This team isn’t very likable is it? on 15:55 - Dec 14 with 397 viewsCafe_Newman

This team isn’t very likable is it? on 15:52 - Dec 14 by carlisleaway

It’s the inconsistency which kills you…..
Not many of these players would get in our Promotion team, missing a Morsy like midfielder


We're missing a Morsy-like leader, among other things.
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This team isn’t very likable is it? on 16:32 - Dec 14 with 353 viewsAxeldalai_lama

This team isn’t very likable is it? on 15:52 - Dec 14 by carlisleaway

It’s the inconsistency which kills you…..
Not many of these players would get in our Promotion team, missing a Morsy like midfielder


The trouble is those players were absolutely killing it for that 1 or 2 seasons and all deserved that place for that season or two. But the strange reality is that the squad as a whole and possibly individually is stronger now and yet not as good if that can make any sense. That promotion team had regular appearances from Jayden Jackson, Harness, AAH, Harry Clarke and Dom Ball, even Scarlett and ladapo had quite a few sub appearances. The core teams I think are comparable, but obviously a team flying to 100 points and promotion hasn't got room for a better on paper player and will always get the nod.
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This team isn’t very likable is it? on 17:11 - Dec 14 with 306 viewsThe_Flashing_Smile

This team isn’t very likable is it? on 15:29 - Dec 14 by Cafe_Newman

And I enjoy your posts generally. What I don't understand is why you are using language like "a humble downarrow" - that has never been my gripe. I have been consistent in stating that it is "excessive or persistent downvoting" by certain articulate individuals towards specific others or specific points of view. Unless you feel I was referring to you, I'm not sure why you decided to oppose my call for a forum with more open debate.

To respond to your last point, I am pro debate, and with that comes disagreement and the need for tolerance of alternative viewpoints.


Well I'd agree, if individuals are persistently downarrowing certain other individuals just because of who they are rather than the post in question, then that's not right (I've had it myself in the past). But I'm still not sure it silences anyone, and I don't know what you can do about it (other than removing the mechanic).

Trust the process. Trust Phil.
Blog: Between The Lines, The Irreverent Poetry Of Ipswich Town. No.22 - Freakshow

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This team isn’t very likable is it? on 17:22 - Dec 14 with 283 viewsturtle2

This team isn’t very likable is it? on 09:14 - Dec 14 by The_Flashing_Smile

Lads, lads, lads. We spanked the runaway leaders 3-0 a week ago. You weren't complaining this team was unlikeable then. 2 defeats in the last 11, the latest due to two freak goals. Get a grip.


i was ...... I was looking at us prior to Coventry and thinking we are 60% of a team .. we have no upfront presence at all - Hirst is not good at all, Akpom why bother, Clarke average and the only quality player is Jayden... the rest are nowhere near as good as our league one team up front .... to be frank our midfield is good and personally i think the current back 4 are excellent and the best in the league - the result of all of the above is you will get inconsistent results at best - and thats exactly what we are getting lose to Oxford, Lose to Leicster who i thought were crap apart from 2 moments of brilliance ,,,, and beat the leaders and beat stoke - its inconsistency and its mid table mediocrity that will stem from that - cannot win games with the likes of Hirst, Akpom ,Clarke and Schmodics Im afraid - none of them are good enough and we need 50+ , maybe 100 mill spent in Jan of 2 proven goalscorers and a midfielder ,,,, we have that money easily so show us the intent now
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This team isn’t very likable is it? on 17:28 - Dec 14 with 275 viewsblueislander

This team isn’t very likable is it? on 09:20 - Dec 14 by ITFCSG

Precisely, I for one am perplexed by the slow, ponderous play that has become a trademark of ITFC 25/26. I don't believe our players are that slow, or are doing it on purpose. Its purely coaching but WHY?

Taking ages for a free kick, 30 seconds for a throw in, allowing the opposition to get back and defend in numbers. Also we seem reluctant to go forward, how many times in the past 3 matches Szmodics was waving at one of his teammates to make the forward pass, yet lo and behold they choose to pass backwards. WHY?

Even when we are trailing or drawing in the dying moments of the game, there is still no urgency to push forward and attack. Players strolling over to take free kicks or throw ins. Most of the defence and MF players even Matusiwa love to slow the game down, and pass backwards again at a speed even my grandmother can run. WHY?

Even bottom teams like Oxford and Blackburn play the ball on the ground much faster than us, use the long ball to break away and show some level of improvisation, intent and aggressiveness that the most expensive squad in the entire EFL doesn't seem to have. WHY?

When fans watch such pedestrian football coupled with inconsistent results (a major c0ck up / Sunday league performance guaranteed every 2-3 matches) compared to the back-to-back squad or the free hit season in the PL of course the current squad doesn't look very likeable.
[Post edited 14 Dec 9:25]


Unusually for me I have watched some Premier football today, and that has been exactly as described, slow and ponderous, ages taken over throw ins. It seems a lot of teams play this way, not just Town.
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This team isn’t very likable is it? on 17:30 - Dec 14 with 275 viewsHerbivore

This team isn’t very likable is it? on 17:22 - Dec 14 by turtle2

i was ...... I was looking at us prior to Coventry and thinking we are 60% of a team .. we have no upfront presence at all - Hirst is not good at all, Akpom why bother, Clarke average and the only quality player is Jayden... the rest are nowhere near as good as our league one team up front .... to be frank our midfield is good and personally i think the current back 4 are excellent and the best in the league - the result of all of the above is you will get inconsistent results at best - and thats exactly what we are getting lose to Oxford, Lose to Leicster who i thought were crap apart from 2 moments of brilliance ,,,, and beat the leaders and beat stoke - its inconsistency and its mid table mediocrity that will stem from that - cannot win games with the likes of Hirst, Akpom ,Clarke and Schmodics Im afraid - none of them are good enough and we need 50+ , maybe 100 mill spent in Jan of 2 proven goalscorers and a midfielder ,,,, we have that money easily so show us the intent now


I do find it odd when people laud the 2023/24 team and simultaneously say that Hirst is nowhere near good enough for a promotion chasing team when he literally led the line for us in that promotion winning season. Appreciate he's not playing well currently but he's not suddenly become a different player.

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This team isn’t very likable is it? on 17:32 - Dec 14 with 268 viewsE_I_E_I_E_I_O

This team isn’t very likable is it? on 15:32 - Dec 14 by Joey_Joe_Joe_Junior

It’s not one result, it’s being 8 points off autos nearly half way through the season.


If someone is doing a specific review at this point then yes. My point is how much a persons outlook changes so much from 1 result to the other.
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This team isn’t very likable is it? on 17:34 - Dec 14 with 265 viewsWestSussexBlue

This team isn’t very likable is it? on 15:09 - Dec 14 by The_Flashing_Smile

Cheers! I feel like I'm the devil incarnate on here today!


I don’t know if it’s a generational thing, but the tide quickly turns after one result.
As you say, last week we completely outplayed the league leaders, just Four days later put In a very disciplined and professional performance to take another Three points. Things aren’t perfect and certainly there are things that in hindsight we would have done differently yesterday but, and the facts are Two defeats in Eleven from a relentless period of games isn’t the doom and gloom that some posters think.
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This team isn’t very likable is it? on 17:35 - Dec 14 with 262 viewsCafe_Newman

This team isn’t very likable is it? on 17:11 - Dec 14 by The_Flashing_Smile

Well I'd agree, if individuals are persistently downarrowing certain other individuals just because of who they are rather than the post in question, then that's not right (I've had it myself in the past). But I'm still not sure it silences anyone, and I don't know what you can do about it (other than removing the mechanic).


It does silence people, not necessarily everyone, but operant conditioning (OC) is a very real psychological technique used to modify behaviour.

Questioning the effectiveness of OC because you haven't personally stopped posting because of downvotes you've received is a bit like saying advertising doesn't work because you've never bought a chocolate bar after an ad break.

I don't have a huge problem with the up/down arrow feature on the forum any more than I have a problem with people expressing their opinions. However, constant down-arrowing of certain posters, or certain opinions or by certain posters is almost as tedious as posters constantly expressing the same opinions. OC does suppress the voicing of opinion and that weakens debate which in turn affects the enjoyment of some posters on this forum. Echo chambers are not for me, they do nothing for intellectual thinking and the suppression of free speech does nothing for creative debate or mental health
[Post edited 14 Dec 18:09]
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This team isn’t very likable is it? on 17:44 - Dec 14 with 243 viewsWestSussexBlue

This team isn’t very likable is it? on 15:32 - Dec 14 by Joey_Joe_Joe_Junior

It’s not one result, it’s being 8 points off autos nearly half way through the season.


8 points at this stage is absolutely nothing. In the Two games prior to yesterday, we gained Five points in One week on Coventry. With over half the season, and a transfer window looming I’m very confident the owners, Ashton and Kmc are very aware that improvement is required, players have been brought in during the Summer that aren’t up to it. Those plans and discussions will have already taken place and January will see change to allow quality to come in, compete more consistently and close the gap.
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This team isn’t very likable is it? on 18:03 - Dec 14 with 210 viewsitfcsuth

This team isn’t very likable is it? on 09:13 - Dec 14 by Herbivore

People didn't like our League 1 team much in the few weeks before McKenna took over. Fans like winning teams, we grew to love that team over the insane League 1 run in when we were battering teams all over the shop but there wasn't a lot of love away at Cambridge just before that run or at Bristol Rover, quite the opposite in fact. The 18 months of good times that followed built that bond. Virtually everyone from that side has left and we've not had the good times yet with the new team, maybe we never will. But if you look at some of the abuse Hirst is getting you'll see that whether fans love or hate players and teams is down to results first and foremost, he was a big part of a group that was loved and now he's one of the main targets now we're not doing so well.


We are in the phase of the building of the team we were before McKenna came in. The team now is not the team that will bring success to this club again, this time success being being in and maintaining a PL spot.

We were previously building a Championship squad in L1, now we want to build a PL squad in the Championship - tough task.

In our first build there we also misses as well as hits that had to be moved on pretty quickly: Pigott, Harper, Penney, Bonne, Fraser all spring to mind.

We are in that moment again, players will need to be moved on who are not in the long term picture.
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This team isn’t very likable is it? on 18:18 - Dec 14 with 191 viewsmellowblue

This team isn’t very likable is it? on 17:44 - Dec 14 by WestSussexBlue

8 points at this stage is absolutely nothing. In the Two games prior to yesterday, we gained Five points in One week on Coventry. With over half the season, and a transfer window looming I’m very confident the owners, Ashton and Kmc are very aware that improvement is required, players have been brought in during the Summer that aren’t up to it. Those plans and discussions will have already taken place and January will see change to allow quality to come in, compete more consistently and close the gap.


Very doable. Regarding us.
Bear in mind we conceded 2 special goals, had a Leif brain fart moment for another, Hirst and Clarke woeful, midfield weak as a baby and everybody off-colour. Despite being. generally horrible we still weren't easily overwhelmed by an experienced Leicester side. I take that as a positive.
We still have plenty of potential. I get the impression we are pacing ourselves first half so as to have energy later in the game. We are keeping it tight hoping not to concede first and hoping a flair player will oblige with a goal for us. But this cautious style means that if we concede first we struggle to then up the temp to respond. And of course the opposition can play a few yards deeper as they have the lead and go into protect what we have mode. Basically if we score first we have the energy levels in the bank to dominate as per the Stoke game. If they score first we are in doggy doodo.
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This team isn’t very likable is it? on 18:32 - Dec 14 with 179 viewsKieran_Knows

This team isn’t very likable is it? on 17:44 - Dec 14 by WestSussexBlue

8 points at this stage is absolutely nothing. In the Two games prior to yesterday, we gained Five points in One week on Coventry. With over half the season, and a transfer window looming I’m very confident the owners, Ashton and Kmc are very aware that improvement is required, players have been brought in during the Summer that aren’t up to it. Those plans and discussions will have already taken place and January will see change to allow quality to come in, compete more consistently and close the gap.


Some people are talking as if we have to make up 8 points with only 3 games left or something.

There’s 25 games to go ffs, stop getting your knickers in a twist some of you lot and grow up a little bit.
[Post edited 14 Dec 18:35]

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This team isn’t very likable is it? on 19:05 - Dec 14 with 127 viewsFrimleyBlue

This team isn’t very likable is it? on 17:30 - Dec 14 by Herbivore

I do find it odd when people laud the 2023/24 team and simultaneously say that Hirst is nowhere near good enough for a promotion chasing team when he literally led the line for us in that promotion winning season. Appreciate he's not playing well currently but he's not suddenly become a different player.


Unfortunately hirst has become a different player. This seasons hirst is a shadow of his former self imo.

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