Where's a Middle-Eastern consortium or Russian oligarch when you need one?

BossMan - Spot on mate!
Guthrum - Forget the accountants and think football THAT is what this is all about. I hate these people who try to make money out of our club and hope they fall flat on their faces. I respect clubs like Wimbledon AFC and United of Manchester, those clubs are the future of football so why not let us join them. My initial training was as an accountant but thank all the gods I saw the light, why don't you?

@Bossman, I can see what you're saying and at times myself I doubt Evans as our owner, he has made some huge errors in his appointments and allowing money to be all used up by 3 managers on players who aren't even at the club now. I will always say his biggets mistake was appointing Clegg, when he needed a CEO with football experience.
I would have to disagree with you on some of the points on managers having money, I would probably say Sir Bobby had a little, no quite bugger all and Burley had a reasonable amount, if you recall he spent £2.5m on Marcus Stewart back in 2000 which was a large sum of money for a Division one club back then.
The reason Mick has no money is because Evans allowed JM, RK and PJ to waste it all, now with FFP and a significant debt there simply isn't any left.
Although Micks style of play is hardly inspiring, I do think if he had the resources available to him that those three had we would be very much at the top end of the table.

@BillBlue - fair enough, but there's a reason Ipswich Wanderers (or AFC Wimbledon and FC United of Manchester, for that matter) don't have the same record of achievement as Ipswich Town. It takes a certain level of finance to maintain a certain level of football in the modern world. This isn't about making a profit (almost no-one does), but about trying to reduce losses, maybe break even.

I'd love it if we were still in a situation like the early era of league football, when a small club could unearth a couple of skilled players or a talented manager and rise to the highest level. It's how we got there, after all. The chances of that happening nowadays are realistically nil. And while money is being poured in from above, it will remain so.

I'm not an accountant, BTW, I'm a decorator!

Most disappointing is that of all the signings we've made this season, not one is better than we already have. Just don't see the plan or the progress.

Coaching passing /movement football rather than get the ball and hoof it forward to the big guys takes no money at all . leave the accounts to ME I am sure he knows what he is doing , the style of play and selected squad is down to MM , on this I am not so sure

One thing Guthrum fails to mention in his Accounts Analysis is that for y/e 30/6/12 when over £15m loss was made nearly £3.5m taken out in interest but last year it was only three quarters of a million
Will be interesting to see when we receive the accounts for the AGM what shows up for y/e 30/6/14
BTW cannot remember in over 50 years of supporting club when none of players cost a fee.

Also apart from the 2 years in admin,when Joe managed to deliver exciting football;the last time we went thru a season spending nothing on transfer fees was 1983!!!Pathetic.

Evans expected a quick return to the premiership, by recruiting high profile managers (Keane was high profile until he left ITFC), and operating at a loss by investing in squad players. Taking at look at this last part for a sec, he has spent millions on total failures, and hundreds of thousands on players that made millions; his biggest sale was a product of our youth academy, so read between the lines.

FFP is designed to prevent clubs from going into administration and penalizes clubs with unsustainable business practices. In very simplistic terms, it is supposed to favor clubs that operate judiciously - the opposite of Man City and Chelsea (the clubs that can afford to operate at ridiculous losses); too many teams have copied this M.O., gambled with their resources and have wound up in administration. We were there when Evans bailed us out. So, Evans is attempting to build a sustainable business that will be able to operate in the championship, and eventually reach the premier league, using everything at his disposal, from the club's youth system, to outreach programs (donations). Mick's success last year came without spending anything on transfers, bar wages. We were only a few points out of the top six, and we spent some of the season in the top 6.

So, Evans has invested heavily in the football club, to no reward; he has spoken about being committed to this football club in the long term by creating a sustainable business out of it, while operating within the confines of PPF; he is a new club owner and is finding for himself the most effective and profitable way of running a football club; his most successful season involved no transfer fees.

This year is worrying because of the underwhelming transfer window, but I get what Evans is doing.

Bossman. Most honest, accurate and heartfelt assessment of our current plight. Completely agree with you on all counts sir.

bossman pretty much says it all well done

Boss Man has just got me off my seat......great summary mate!.
Also, nice to see Boss Man comments getting support.......

I can only a see a relegation battle coming on this season I'm afraid. I'd rather not see us do a Portsmouth/Blackpool and for that reason I can accept a relegation battle. Excluding Blackpool, our squad is probably in the worst shape in the championship atm. Everyone who still thinks we should be pushing for promotion are deluded, we're in for a scrappy season. I don't blame MM at all for this (he's obviously had to cut the wage bill)or Evans for that matter (who I believe is working in the long term interests of the club). It's just something we're gonna have accept. Whatever happens this season, I'll still be supporting the boys in every way I can. COYB.

It's because there's so many poor people, if all you hard working wasters went to games we could afford players! Take me, I have loads of disposable income as I live with my mum and work in a call centre, so £35 a game is nothing to me, I'd quite easily blow £250 on an away game. My mate davey moans at the prices but he's got kids and family (excuses!) and he says he can't afford it, he obviously isn't a real fan, when I used to support Liverpool I still went to more games than him!!! What a loser....better go I think mum's done my tea

3,2,1......HEAVY IRONY

The season has hardly started and I'm prepared to wait a bit longer before rushing to judge MM and his plans for the season. He's been unlucky with the injury to Cameron Stewart who I'm sure would have been starting, probably in place of Tabb. Having now seen him twice I've been quite impressed with Bru. He seems busy and with more potential creativity than our current central midfielders. Once he picks up/gets used to the pace of the Championship I think he'll definitely have been a punt worth taking. I'd like to see him start at Derby instead of Skuse who at the moment is way out of form. Bajner I'm not so sure about but with all these players they need game time and he hasn't really had that yet. I suspect, given a chance he could score a few goals. MM is inherently conservative (traditional/old school) in his thinking and approach although he did get Williams,who had flair and industry, in and seemed to appreciate his skills and forward thinking. I suspect as the season progresses we will see Teddy Bishop being used, probably off the bench. Keep the faith everyone, there is a long way to go. Its not even September yet.
COYB

FFS really getting anoyed now!

Lets bring in some lower league talent and give our yonnsters a chance. The bottom line is that the old (80's) tactic of hoofball no longer works so lets go back to a philosphy of football on the deck with wingers and fast fullbacks. There are plenty of lower league younsters willing to make a point and Peterborough do so well in this sphere but have a policy of selling on.

The longer we carry on with this diretribe of footie then we can save money in the winter by not switching the floodlights on as there will be no one watching!

'to outreach programs (donations)'

aside from the newspeak what you are really saying is passing the hat around

Has it really come to this ? Are folk really so blind that they cannot see that this FFP is no more than a smokescreen to cover what are massive cuts.

We should nor be reliant upon the begging bowl to fund the youth programme, nor so daft as to think that ME has not simply trousered the money from the sale of Cresswell.

Saturday was an embarrassment and was a stark reminder of how weak our squad is. A few injuries and we will be down to the bare bones, and still the foolish talk about a play off place.

If it had been Forest not Fulham we played on the opening game would the reality not be a bit more clearer to some on here ? We are not signing any players and bar didzy there is no player any other club would want from us. It should say it all. But it won't and there will still be naive posts as Mick above. I fear relegation more than expect a play off place.

The answer to the question of where would we be without Marcus Evans is clear - in administration .... as this is a "business" that loses around £7/£8 million a year ! This is covered/funded by Marcus Evans ....... & let's remember he doesn't actually have to do that it's his money ..... so to those that say we shouldn't be thankful to him for the continued existence of our club ..... maybe rattle back a bit eh ....

We could not bring in our target list of players as we had no funds available.
What MM may have decided is that the free market for permanent players is simply not good enough to meet our needs. Therefore the only option is to go for decent players via loan system. If this is the case then MM announcement today is actually positive.

Rushing out and securing the wrong players with limited resources we have would be a disaster. Instead maybe better to wait a few more weeks, identify the right players and give youth a chance such as Bishop.

Dear Mr McCarthy,

I want fullbacks playing at fullback.
I want a positive attitude when the team goes out on to the pitch.
I want wingers playing on the wing and not central midfielders or wide midfielders with a defensive mindset, wingers that can actually beat a fullback and get to the byeline to provide chances for our strikers.
I want the ball played out from the back through the midfield and not just hoofed up to a big striker.
I want a central midfield that has vision, can pass the ball more than 10 yards, that can take a man on and drive at the heart of the opposition and that has a creative footballing brain that can see that sliderule pass for the striker to run on to.
I want fast goalscoring strikers that think about nothing more than scoring as many goals as possible and are always looking for that sliderule pass.
I want a fluid footballing system with a plan a, b , c and d depending on how the games progressing.
I want fullbacks that overlap the wingers and get crosses in instead of sitting just over the halfway line.
I want a footballing philosophy that belongs in the pro game and not in an alehouse sunday league team.
I want to see excited faces on the way to the ground on a Saturday afternoon instead of the resigned looks im used to seeing.
I want to talk in the pub before the game about how much im looking forward to a good game of football now ive seen the team sheet instead of accepting that the teams being set up in a negative fashion to try and avoid defeat.
I want exciting flowing passing football with plenty of goals and value for money for my season ticket.
I WANT IPSWICH TOWN FOOTBALL CLUB CAN I HAVE IT BACK PLEASE?

...... I'm convinced we have a Manager who couldn't care two hoots - as long as he continues to get from ITFC what he currently is, and that's just being on the payroll.

How can his words , or actions, be construed as being anything other.

Not a mistake to employ him to keep us up - but a huge mistake to renew / extend his contract, which has now well and truly snookered. Where do we go from here ? - serious times pending.

Final point to guthrum. I admitted financial ignorance, to see your "angle". The numbers do not add up to me.

Read through this whole thread. Bossman ++++++

bluelady ....... admire your honest post, and good to see you acknowledge the current situation as it really is.

Fact is there is very little to be optimistic / excited about, or even remotely content with right now - and no point in trying to convince oneself otherwise.

We all need better - and for the good namesake of ITFC.

after promising opening game it is ''as you were''.The games since have indicated that little may have changed from previous seasons ,,.Like everyone else im gutted we lost to budgies,but wasnt surprised .People will soon be baying for blood, wanting Mick McCarthy out, their calls may be granted .But i think Town will probably bumble along as in the past few seasons of mediocrity.I personally feel it will remain this way whoever the manager is whilst flying the Marcus Evans banner. The pot is empty.Football has changed,it has evolved into a,dog eat dog,kill or be killed greedy business.The Prem , which so many fans crave to reach,is now an apocalyptic world which we could not hope to survive in ,I have followed Town 50 years,but i dont enjoy football anything like i used to,striving to reach the top now is like hoping for a ticket to hell . I cannot summon up the enthusiasm to go to matches near so often now .

Mick does have the best win ratio since Joe Royle so we can't be too critical, however I am a fan who's unwilling to spend the little money I have on watching the supposed entertainment at Portman Road.

He's done well with the resources he's been given, however for us to progress we need better quality players in offensive area's. We can do that via loans, however I don't see Connor Sammon as a great improvement on what we had - a GS ratio at Derby of 1 in 8 and 1 in 32 at Wigan.... I like someone's suggestion of Serge Gnabry, that's what we need in a loan a player with clearly more ability than those we've got.

The other alternative to is to buy better technical players and we can't do that without more money, the biggest source of that is gate receipts and they won't increase until we start playing more entertaining football or winning most games