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Milne: Massive Rebuilding Over the Summer
Sunday, 30th Apr 2017 19:45

Managing director Ian Milne believes there’s got to be “some massive rebuilding” at Town over the summer with owner Marcus Evans and manager Mick McCarthy having held their first meeting to discuss their plans for the 2017/18 season.

“Marcus has indicated and we’re indicating that there’s got to be some massive rebuilding over the summer and that’s starting, there’ll be more after the end of the season so they’ve started looking at the options,” he told Saturday’s Life’s a Pitch on BBC Radio Suffolk (47mins 00secs).

“There are loan players that I think we’d all like to keep, so they’ll be working on that. It’s always difficult to say precisely who is going to be here because it’s up to the players, they will have other offers, there will be some players who may go because they’ve got a better offer somewhere else.”

Does this rebuilding mean Evans will be spending some money? “He continues to spend a lot of money, £6 million or £7 million a year. I know fans want more spent but we all have budgets we have to cope with.

“As we’ve said before that squad, the basic squad is good as it proved against Newcastle, but it keeps going up and down, that’s our problem. We had bad day at Rotherham, which was very upsetting. Marcus was there and he knew our thoughts.”

Milne confirmed that McCarthy and Evans met last weekend to get their summer discussions under way: “They did, they had a good meeting, but it was the start of many.”

The MD says Evans is well aware that significantly more money is now being spent elsewhere in the division than was the case in previous seasons.

“He fully understands that,” he added. “At the moment he doesn’t know how much he’s going to spend because we don’t know who’s coming in and going out. But I’ve got no feeling that he’s going to spend less and hopefully he’ll spend more.”

Having said in January that he would make a decision on his future in the summer, McCarthy has more recently stated his intention to remain at Portman Road.

Asked whether McCarthy would still be in charge at Town next year, Milne added: “That’s a question we’re going to have to wait [to hear the answer to]. He’s got another year on his contract, I have no further news on that at the moment.

“At the moment he’s here, he’s going to continue for the season and we’ll see what he says.”

Milne isn’t yet sure when Town will announce their matchday prices and says the club have been discussing more flexible ticketing arrangements.

“Not at the moment, we’ve got a review with Marcus to go through that,” he said. “We want to get that right.

“Basically, it’s around the idea that we’ve got to understand that people’s lifestyles have changed and maybe they can’t come to every match and they want to pick and choose which matches they want to come to.

“I’m not a golfer myself, but they tell me golf club memberships are difficult to sell now because people don’t have that time every week to go and play.

“The same with us, they can’t come to every match, so I think we’ve got to give more options on that and that’s what we’re working on.”

Season ticket numbers are expected to dip to just below 10,000 for the first time since the Blues’ stint in the Premier League at the start of the century - a drop in revenue of more than £1 million - and Milne says the precise total sold before the recent early bird deadline should be known soon.

“We’re processing those at the moment, the DDs [Direct Debits], so we will be coming up with that shortly,” he continued.

“It’s lower than last year but I don’t know the actual figure at the moment. But we’ll come out with that shortly. Of course it is lower, we understand that because of the entertaining football issue.”

Regarding the new kits for the 2017/18 season which are yet to be unveiled, he said: “I think we’re a bit later this year, part of it is because of Adidas and the marketing.”

Milne expects the home strip to go down well with supporters: “I’ve seen it and it’s traditional and I think fans will love it.”


Photo: TWTD



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Superblue95 added 19:56 - Apr 30
Milne feeding us more garbage just the same as last summer and the summer before that. I'd like to believe him but I won't believe it until I see it. Will more than likely be more loans and freebies, followed by McCarthys hoofball tactics and another 15th place finish. Boring boring boring
49

juniorblue added 20:00 - Apr 30
"there's got to be some massive rebuilding" - great observation Milne. The only thing that I would like to observe at the moment is McCarthy's resignation announcement.
41

TimmyH added 20:01 - Apr 30
'The basic squad is good' - sadly I don't think it is, there are a number of younger players whom if coached and managed well will do a job for us as regards to our future as well as a few more experienced ones but on the flip side there are certainly a number who have had better days and really shouldn't be starting and should be let go...an interesting summer awaits to see what happens but wouldn't be at all surprised if we retain some familiar faces and find out this is just more spin from the board.

Otherwise my optimism is at a pretty low ebb, and Milne who just happens to mention the figure supposedly ME puts into the club (never mind the players sold for profit) doesn't fill you with confidence that the owner will change his mentality any time soon.
37

Mullet added 20:01 - Apr 30
He looks like he has just been surprised and sighed "Christ, fetch the biscuit tin of cash then; keep them quiet for a bit"
1

canveyblue added 20:02 - Apr 30
Same old Sh*te. ME ain't got a clue and nor have you! Supporters leaving in their droves and you're still spouting garbage. Feel for the fans that have put up with his lies and MM crap football. Big changes need to be made and you three are the main changes please🙏.
25

RegencyBlue added 20:02 - Apr 30
At the moment just more spin for me.

Actions speak louder than words so what actually happens over the summer will show how its going to be!
20

TimmyH added 20:03 - Apr 30
just to add interesting Milne uses the 'rebuild' word as per McCarthy did a few weeks back - all singing from the ME book of spin?
18

warktheline added 20:04 - Apr 30
A vote of no confidence from me! I'm talking to you, Evans, Milne and McCarthy!
31

muhrensleftfoot added 20:06 - Apr 30
So Milne has no feeling that Marcus is going to spend less. What a stupid pointless remark. He couldn't possibly spend less than he has done in recent seasons!
22

cat added 20:08 - Apr 30
So a massive summer of changes it is then, Dino at the helm, Chambers, Knudsen, Skuse and Freddie on the wing, followed by a large dose of hoofball, negative tactics etc etc etc etc!!! BIG CHANGES!!!

On a serious note I will see what happens before I pass judgement, but at this point it's not looking promising.
26

Green_Army added 20:11 - Apr 30
Same garbage, different year!

People's lifestyle 'have changed' because who would want to waste their Saturday afternoon's watching poor hoofball football.

...and be ripped off for the privilege!
34

northernblues added 20:13 - Apr 30
Funny they don't know how many ticket sales are upto, bradford city are over 18'000 but at £149 who can blame them!
29

Gatehouse added 20:18 - Apr 30
The puppet speaks for the MD mr Evan mouthpiece he doesn't know much does he my 6 year old could upload a computer program to enable him to count the current ST sales then again it wouldn't take long to count them. Just reading this sums up our club no direction no drive no passion NO IDEA let's hope by august we've asked the powerful players if they'd still like to play for us persuaded some journeyman old pros to join us , come up with a ticketing scheme that doesn't rip us off and above all persuaded some young keen manager with new ideas to come and try to get upwardly mobile again oh and someone give addidas a nudge to get the new kit here left to Mr Milne I fear it could even have yellow on it and finally why can't we go back to wearing white shorts at home just to get a bit of the old Ipswich back
19

Scuzzer added 20:19 - Apr 30
Massive Rebuilding Programme....he doesn't mean the squad....he means his extension on the back of his house.
6

12th_Man added 20:19 - Apr 30
More cr@p comes out of his mouth
12

Texaco73 added 20:20 - Apr 30
Ugh. Whole lot of nothing. I'm struggling to think what value this bloke adds to the club.
Is he better or worse than Clegg? I just don't know.
Certainly do need a massive rebuild... Starting at the top..
18

BluedanW added 20:21 - Apr 30
Reading this statement I believe the club are in for one hell if a shock. I think they believe that it's not the end of the world the dip in season ticket sales as these people will still come to most games and then they will actually not lose out as single ticket sales are much more than the average price per game for a season ticket. I got rid of my season ticket 4 seasons ago and last year I attended 2 games. People will find other things to do Saturday afternoons. Spend time with my young daughter or watch a team sit 11 players behind the ball? My little girl won hands down
26

jayessess added 20:23 - Apr 30
Season ticket sales for the football league as a whole were up this season so changing lifestyles is BS.
22

ITFCGloryDays added 20:29 - Apr 30
I'm sorry but from a managing director that is waffle, waffle, waffle.

Same story, different day. Nothing to genuinely entice the fan to think anything will change.

And as for the new home kit being 'traditional', why would a fan, with the state our club is in want to willingly advertise Marcus Evans on the respective jerseys.
23

howdonblue added 20:31 - Apr 30
Same old bxxxxxxt Milne !!!!

Insulting the supporters as usual with this crap

19

DoobDude added 20:33 - Apr 30
Still quoting the "6m to 7m a year" nonsense when the latest accounts shows Evans has funded us £500k over the past 2 years.
13

alexsmith111 added 20:37 - Apr 30
I feel we need 6 additions. Loans on top of that fine but 6 permanent signings. Plus replacements for Bart, mcgoldrick, sears and chambo if they go. So possibly up to 10 signings needed. Plus loans and some youth. So yeah it should be a busy ass summer!!
2

OldClactonBlue added 20:41 - Apr 30
Evans out, McCarthy out, Milne out. Now.
14

VulpineBlue added 20:41 - Apr 30
Exactly the same spiel as last year. I trusted them then but sadly experience dictates that I should now do otherwise..
As for rebuilding the squad, didn't MM say that his side of 2016/17 were his best ever ITFC squad? Where does the truth lie in all of this?
The squad does need rebuilding, but much, much more importantly there is zero credibility for the current regime among a sizeable section section of the fanbase. How that credibility is rebuilt is beyond me.
16

wayway added 20:42 - Apr 30
Does that mean they are going to paint the turnstiles again
14


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