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Updated - Marcus Evans Interview Wednesday, 25th Apr 2018 12:03
Town owner Marcus Evans has given his first ever on-camera interview to iFollow Ipswich, watch it here on TWTD.
Among many topics covered in the near-half-hour interview, Evans talks about the appointment of the new manager - “It’s a big challenge and it’s a big issue for me, to find the right person” - and says he has an open mind regarding the new boss’s profile.
“I’m going to look for a manager who ticks [various] boxes and through a process of interviewing and speaking with those that know and have worked with the applicants I can get down to my final options,” he said.
“I’m not going to prejudge a manager, they could be young, they could be older, they could be experienced at winning promotion to the Premier League or not, but overall I want to find someone that buys into the club’s plans.
“To be clear on that, that’s based on the Five-Point Plan which I announced a while ago and that I feel brings Ipswich the best opportunity for promotion.
“it includes bringing players through from the academy, developing a team to play attractive and exciting football and achieving this within a competitive wage budget which is going to be below many of the parachute clubs in our division.
“It’s going to take some time and I expect to make an appointment towards the end of May or early in June, I would have thought, something like that.”
He added: “There are a lot of names in there and it’s a lot to go through. I think another couple of important factors in the appointment not being rushed are that a lot’s going to happen at the end of the season and management changes anyway are going to take place at the end of the season and we want to see what those changes are because there may be others that come on the list that aren’t currently on the list.”
Regarding out of contract players such as Luke Hyam and Teddy Bishop, who we understand is already in talks regarding a new deal, Evans said: “There are a few players, not that many, that we need to make imminent decisions on and the senior football staff will make the decisions on that.
“They will let me know what they think and then if it’s appropriate for negotiations to take place to renew contacts or do whatever we need to do, they will take place. They don’t need to wait for the new manager to be in place.”
Evans makes reference to the Five-Point Plan outlined in December 2016 on several occasions and says that remains the thinking with the new manager having to work within the same financial constraints as previous boss Mick McCarthy.
“I’m going to give the same answer to the new manager as I have to all the other managers in terms of being up front and honest about the budgets that are available and the way that we’re going to go forwards,” the owner said.
“I will continue to give the manager all the support I can within the sort of budgets that I’ve made available over the last few years.
“But let’s look at the squad we’ve got, it is competitive, it’s a great mix of youth and experience, we’ve got good cover across all positions.
“We’ve got players to come back from injury, Emyr’s going to come back, Adeyemi, Dozzell, and even the players who have been round this season, we’ve had so many who have had stop-start seasons.
“So once we get everyone fit, make a few select additions, I think we can be in the mix next year.
“And it is worth noting, despite what anybody thinks, our spend on the squad in terms of transfer fees and wages has been increasing each year.”
Evans admits he got it wrong when he increased season ticket prices last summer: “When I raised the season ticket prices last year that we clearly a mistake, I shouldn’t have done that.
“The reason behind it was that we needed more revenue to compete, we still need more revenue to compete, but that clearly wasn’t the way to do it and that’s why I’ve dropped the season ticket price this year by 10 per cent.”
The Blues owner has no immediate plans to sell the club but says he would be willing to listen to offers if someone was in a better position to fund a promotion push.
“If I didn’t feel we had a chance [of winning promotion], then, yes, it would be time for me to move on,” he admitted.
“But I’ve got no desire to sell, I think the plan that I’ve got in place has a chance of success and I want to be here to carry out that plan.
“But money is always going to make a difference and more money in this league would give us a better chance, particularly if it’s spent wisely and particularly if someone came along who could do a better job, had the personal and financial credentials to do a better job, I’d always do what’s right for the club.
“I suppose I’m in the fortunate personal position where I don’t have to recoup the investment I’ve made in the club.
“So, I suppose, yes, if the right person came along, offered the right prospect for the club, it would be wrong for me to stand in their way and I’d have to look at that very seriously.
“But I have to be honest with you, I’m not too sure why, but I haven’t seen too many Chinese or Russian oligarchs racing up the A12 in the last few years.”
On why he has chosen now to speak publicly on camera for the first time, he said: “I always thought it was really important that my being involved was certainly not about me in any way, it’s about the football side of the club and I’ve always tried to leave it like that, that the managers do the talking.
“But over this season, I think the circumstances have become different and it’s become clear to me that the fans really want to know where their club was going and I just felt the time was right now for me to have this interview.”
Photo: ITFC
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A very polished media performance from a very smart man.
It would be much easier for him to issue a gung-ho rallying cry that would probably please a lot of fans, but he's stuck to thoughtful and pragmatic answers.
As owners go, we're very lucky to have him, in my opinion. Grounded, honest, consistent, and building for the future. He's overseen the club through times that have seen many other similar sized and positioned clubs lose out badly through mismanagement and changes in the regulations (FFP, growing parachute payments, academies etc).
Fair criticisms would be about managerial appointments (Keane/Jewell) and perhaps sticking with Mick for too long, as well as the season ticket pricing that he admits. The type of football on offer is down to who he chooses to manage the club, so by extension, the loss of 'the Ipswich way' is also partly his responsibility.
But, sticking with managers is 'the Ipswich way' too, and the rebirth of the academy shows that we have someone capable of bringing better times back - if he can find the sort of coach that can build on our foundations.
My final thought here is to consider what we might have without him. It's easy to imagine that it could be much worse.
Great to see him raise his head and take some questions, good to really see the person and hear his knowledge and thinking. He should/could have had better fan support if this was a more regular approach, and that would help the club immeasurably.
After ten years, he knows his stuff and has learned from the mistakes. I think the club is in safe hands and i am honestly hopeful that with the right manager, Marcus Evans has every chance of being a Premiership club owner.
Let's start with the positives. Thank you for being Interviewed and you came across very well and seemed sincere and upbeat. My negatives are you didn't rule out an older experienced manager so please not McLaren or Pardew!!! Also I detect very little if any investment in the transfer market?? However that is your understandable as you have invested heavily before without any joy and despite being extremely wealthy you aren't a bottomless pit!! Hopefully onwards and upwards with a united club. Coybs.
Interesting. Fair play for coming out and accepting an interview, late May/ early June seems a bit of time to wait for a new manager. Doesn't sound like there is space for new backroad team. Little funds for buying players. Hopefully signs up the players who are out of contract.
Some great questions in there. He definitely did his best to make a calculated avoidance of particular ones though, but ultimately we all know the answers to whether he would sell the club for £100m prior to hearing from him and the budget.
Unsure on this ‘we are going to try something different' quote. For me, it has to be a young and hungry manager, who is ready to prove themselves, whether from a lower league or a big name such as Stevie G.
Well I'm even more of a fan after listening to this. As others have posted, money is not the issue and would prefer to use youth and pick up the odd gem. Always believed we have a very good squad on the books now, injuries permitting and played in the right positions. Who wants a squad of mercenaries, paid popstar wages with a meddling foreign owner who changes manager every season. Rather be competitive in this league with players who care and a manager who connects with us fans. COYB
watched this thinking ity was going to be more whitewash, but i hjave to say I was very impressed. This is all any ressonable fans have wanted to understand what his plans for the club are. I tought he came over very well and genuine. Only shame is its taken thsi long to happen. COYB
Well surprisingly he seems a decent bloke, he answered all questions without hesitation and went to some length to explain .However it is clear that whoever is brought in to manage, the purse is still full of shirt buttons and moths. Money wont be available. He made it clear the Academy is going to be the main source of players. That is fine IF those players are good enough, the fact that they come through is not always testament to their ability at level required. Some will be, some wont, so that leaves us in same state as we have been in past. At least he was asked the questions we needed answered. It hasn't raised my hopes ,but will not give up until we know who the new man will be. At least he has popped his head up, that in itself is progress.
Good interview...he seems down to earth and comes across certainly better than Milne although it's the first time we've heard from him on camera in yonks (trying to remember the last time).
Sounds like the 5 point plan is in the theme relying still on a tightish budget, youth players coming through and players coming back from injury to add to push on for next season. 'The trying something new' in relation to the managers position sounds interesting and hopefully it will translate to somebody like Burley as director of Football and a young progressive manager or first timer, a Lampard, Gerrard maybe wouldn't go a miss but that's me guessing - more likely Cowley or Hurst or even Steijn.
I am genuinely sorry that I seem to be Captain Pessimistic in a sea of positivity, perhaps I was expecting too much. If it all works and success follows then I'll be as happy as anyone. I agree that it's good to hear from the horses mouth, so to speak, at long last. I think we all want something exciting to look forward to - let's hope this heralds it.
Hugely impressed! Comes over as a decent bloke who absolutely cares! What I really want to know is how people think he has starved club of funds and why are you confusing him with the rich overseas owners that are rampaging through the club! I liked him and genuinely think it was an open and honest interview!
All fair enough. Good to hear from the owner that the fans are the club. Let us hope he gets the next manager right, and it would be good to hear from him more frequently. Forward together is a must.
I have to say that I cannot fault ME for that interview. I am old enough now to spot somebody who is just using BS to pander to what he thinks people want to hear. He certainly was not. It is clear to everyone now where the clubs debt lies and the level of investment that is going to be there going forward. I for one am happy with him as the owner of my club. I was, as many were, unhappy with the style of play under MM and am glad he has departed giving us the chance to get a new team in. Who that will be is still up for debate and it is clear that the backroom team will not be sacrificed and the manager wont be making wholesale changes to that area. Good management in my opinion as he has basically said that the team he has now are staying and should not be worried about their jobs. Sounds as if there will be a DOF coming in leaving the manager to manage. Sounds sensible to me. The 5 point plan and ME clear mantra for what he wants from the next manager will no doubt rule out a lot of the present contenders especially as they will need to come to the club and accept the backroom staff that are already here. Hopefully that leads us to a young and upcoming management team and not one of the "Merry go round" brigade. Roll on the new season with renewed hope.
I have been as peed off as anyone this season and I have been calling for MM head for some time. The owner also needed to take the full brunt of supporters anger because you need to have interaction with the fans, this is a family club which is supposed to be part of the community after all.
I have to say that I agree with the 5 point plane. The academy is definitely the way forward. Look at where the academy is now to where it was a few years ago. Since we have invested in the academy and bough Klug back how many young players have come through to the first team..... bishop, emmanual, kenlock, nydam, dozzell, downes etc.
Yes it is disappointing that we don't have millions to spend but look at the likes of Derby (bottle it every year) Sheffield weds, sunderland (relegated) scum, forest, they have all spent a fortune and got nowhere. And look at the likes of millwall, Brentford, preston, all fighting for play offs and on a similar budget to Ipswich.
I have been very negative this season and the previous season but that was because MM was in charge. If we can bring the right manager in then we can be competitive. A manager with enthusiasm for the club, passion, football playing style and a manager that sets the team up to attack his way and not worry about what the other team are doing every game and only thinking about how not to loose.
I didn't expect much rom this interview but it gave me enough to be positive. I am excited about next season........ as long as he brings in the right manager, he needs to get this totally right because if not then nothing will change
I thought he sounded really genuine, honest about the limits of the club, which, regardless of what people think, are there and Evans can't be expected to suddenly increase his current investment by an unrealistic amount. My one hope is that he attempts to maintain a rapport with the fans and is a bit more public about where he wants to be with the club.
Fair play to him As expected no real concrete answers but he came across straight forward. But obviously can't say who manager will be or budget. Like he says sheff wed, derby have spent big in recent seasons but are still in league.
Personally not overly concerned with lack of 'big' investment, obviously Portman Road needs to be 'looking good' and if and when required player recruitment ! Really hoping 'we' fill the ground to the rafters next season, and give the 'Cowley's' and players a massive hand going forward !!!!! It's 'good' to talk Evans!
Wow !! Thank you Marcus for this honest and well thought out interview which I believe could be the catalyst for a new start. I only wish you had come out and shown the fans this understanding of you earlier as I am sure that by the majority it will be well received and very reassuring.
I personally am very pleased with this and now will think twice about what I say about our Chairman, lets just get a good manager for the long term (Gary White??) and take this club forward and back to the top league where it belongs.
Yes it was well rehearsed and by no means a challenging interview... BUT that means that the depth of speech and the fact he was willing to be open about finances to be open about the credentials for the style and type of manager the fact he is not allowing the new manager to take over the whole club (aka Keane) and rip the great work that has been done already out makes sense.
We all want youth in the team but if we start spending millions what's gonna happen to the youth set up it will stifele
Our best years the ones the old boys talk about came when we were a team back by young players managers with a point to prove and an ability to sign season and club changing players l (e.g Crawford, thisen murhen terricco Clapham Marshall mathie Stewart Mason) all done during times of fiscal responsibility look at the time we lost that .. expanded the ground signed a lot of eurotrash and nearly went bust.... In some ways this is the true careful what you wish for sentiment we should be thinking. I for one don't want to be watching league 2 football at Portman road ...
Really don't understand why people don't like him. He has invested millions. millions we wouldn't have had spent without him.
He doesn't interfere with the team or manager. I don't think many of us were too upset with his managerial appointments.
What do you want???? Oh even more money..... Fine, go find an investor who is going to spend even more.
Whats's wrong with people. good interview. I'm satisfied. If other's are not then they need to be more realistic. Or maybe i have just forgotten what a MASSIVE club we are.
Standout statement for me "I'm fortunate enough that i don't need to recover my investment" that to me suggests that £80 mil debt exists on paper onky and at least much of it will be written off at some stage even if point of future sale
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