Owner Marcus Evans has released a statement giving his view on some of the issues which have impacted the club since the start of the pandemic and the season up to now as Town prepare to welcome fans back to Portman Road in just over a week’s time.

I am looking forward to welcoming our supporters back to Portman Road against Portsmouth next weekend.

It’s nine months since we last enjoyed each other’s company against Coventry back in March. What a different world we are in compared to that spring day when none of us had any real idea as to what was coming just around the corner.

I know that all of us have much bigger issues currently to worry about than football, however I truly hope that a return to the debates (fractious or not) as well as the pleasure and pain of watching our team will bring some much needed distractions from the economic and health issues that surround us.

The team at ITFC from groundstaff to cleaners as well as players to coaches have been incredibly supportive in keeping the club afloat during these very hard times and like yourselves we have had to dig deep to get through what has often seemed like a never ending series of obstacles.

From the farce of the EFL/PL rescue package that has finally materialised to the stop/start of the fans’ return, the odds have been stacked firmly against clubs without the TV income safety net but now with supporters back, although initially in very small numbers and a vaccine around the corner, we can start to look forwards with some hope and optimism.

I am truly humbled by the support of our fanbase over this period with many supporting the club, and I know many others who would have done so if economically possible, with season ticket purchases despite the Government stadia restrictions. I thank all of you for this assistance which has been absolutely vital for the club’s finances.

We will be looking to get as many of you as possible into matches as quickly as we are safely able to do so.

I am also pleased to report that our ITFC Community Trust infrastructure continues to grow (even during Covid) in and around the local area. This is helping us build our relationships with businesses and charities as well as schools and we are currently working with more schools than ever.

On the football side it’s been very difficult to really get a feel for matches on iFollow and I look forward to fans getting back into Portman Road to see for themselves what I believe are the green shoots of a style that will reap its rewards in the years ahead.

After a strong start to the season we have stumbled a little over the last few weeks but that needs to be put into the context that we currently have an entire team of players who are potential starters on the injury list.

It’s not a coincidence that our early run was achieved with few injuries and as always seems to be the case; our sick list grew as we entered a run against what are expected to be some of the best teams in the league.

That said there is always a silver lining and on the plus side it has provided earlier than expected first-team game time for the next promising group of academy products whose performances have strengthened my resolve to ring fence the funds needed to keep our excellent academy running during these hard times.

A good percentage of the first-team squad are homegrown, which is great, but we also need external recruitment and the double whammy of Covid and the very late salary cap introduction made this harder than normal but we still brought in the additions we felt were needed.We also could have easily sold players during the transfer window but decided against it.

I am sure that the combination of the promising young homegrown players that we have - and of course they are still learning the game - combined with the players we have added to the squad plus the desire to hold on to our best players will over the course of the season - as injuries subside - put us in a strong position.

To get out of this league a lot of hard work will continue to have to be done with those younger players, as well as first-team regulars, by drilling our playing styles and patterns of play into everyone at the club as we look to improve both individually and collectively.

We are a big club in the division but that means nothing now with financial fair play rules basically putting everyone on the same footing. We will progress through skilful team management; academy development; financial stability and soon the much needed return of fans as our 12th man.

The manager, coaching staff, captain and players are all doing everything that I have asked of them in building a foundation for the future and as long as I see progress being made I will not be swayed into making the mistakes neatly summed up by the term ‘be careful what you wish for’ which caused our demise a couple of years ago.

I have a detailed view of all of the facts as to what is best for the club, both financially and team development-wise and I will use that unique and privileged access to make the decisions which I believe to be in the best long-term interests of Ipswich Town.

Everything I have seen close at hand, behind the scenes and on matchdays this season gives me confidence that, despite what is always a bumpy path, we are on the right track.

We have a tough but I hope enjoyable season ahead of us but it’s just not the same without you being here for the ups and downs and I look forward to seeing some of you - 2,000 at least - back at Portman Road next weekend. "

Photo: Matchday Images

runaround added 09:19 - Dec 4 Assuming Marcus believes all of what he is saying here, he is delusional and totally out of touch with the general mood in the fan base and media. Only way he can proven right will be on the pitch but the signs don't look good
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Taricco_Fan added 09:25 - Dec 4 The bottom line is - Lambert is still in the first year of a (ludicrous) five year contract and Evans cannot afford to sack him. Lambert probably wants to walk but would prefer to be sacked. And so the malaise continues...
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itfcserbia added 09:30 - Dec 4 So no comments from the owner about banning press representatives? More scandals than success since he took over, enough said. Bring back Phil!
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alfromcol added 10:00 - Dec 4 A good summary of the present position.
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Razor added 10:51 - Dec 4 I guess in the current circumstances he thought he ought to say something-----but why bother with such arrogant tosh!! I n the wprds of Fraser we are DOOMED if this is what he really thinks----he hardly acknowledges that there are problems apart from the obvious injury situation. Having said everything a win tomorrow and we will be right back in it and KVY is being introduced to grass again on Monday-----how exciting!!

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carlisleaway added 11:16 - Dec 4 Think Marcus Evans should take a good look at our clubs results and cup runs since he took over. We must be one of the most football starved clubs in the leagues. One League Cup semi-final and one play off final against Norwich thanks to Derby. No cup runs, promotions or play off visits to Wembley. Take a good luck at other smaller clubs who have given there fans a run of success or lifted spirits by a trip to Wembley even if it was the Mickey Mouse Trophy. Then come back to us fans and say, yes, whatever I have been doing the whole is getting bigger.

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BigBlueJim added 11:20 - Dec 4 Evans has got himself into a tricky position. There's little doubt that yesterday's statement was / is an attempt to deflect from the fact that even if Evans was inclined to bring an era to Lambert's tenure, he can't (or wont) because of the financial consequences flowing from his decision to award a 5 year contract earlier this year. To run a football club, you must understand the sport, its as simple as that. These are sad times for ITFC. A sobering piece on the Guardian website: https://www.theguardian.com/football/2020/dec/01/paul-lambert-battles-for-ipswic

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Cheshire_Blue added 12:16 - Dec 4 I don't know why anything is reported on here as it is always 'rubbished' by the negative attitude which prevails. Marcus hits the nail on the head when he says 'be careful what you wish for'. Look where it has landed us. The truth always hurts, hence all the wailing and moaning going on at present. I may be considered a 'happy clapper' by the numpties responsible for landing us in League ! but after a lifetime (70+ years) of SUPPORTING (not rubbishing) ITFC I have a realistic attitude and appreciate the efforts of those working in difficult circumstances.

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BeattiesBackPocket added 12:36 - Dec 4 I'm still waiting on one person who supports evans and this statement to just tell us why? And where? they think we have made any progress in his 13 years because their are only negatives hence a negative fan base now. Most owners would've been hounded our by now at any other club but no ours as the poster above sums up we have been settling for mediocre or decline and just put up with it but when it's a manager we kick off it makes no sense to me the main issue in all these managers and directors and other puppets evans has had is Evans! Any fan who blames supporters for why were now in league one is not a fan. We didn't sell off our assets to the lowest bidder and bring in lower league players on the cheap? We didn't cause the debt to go from 30 million to a 100 million and if you take the 50 mill plus from player transfers we've lost a total 120 million in his 13 years with us when our losses before him were only 2.5 on average a season, we didn't sack a passionate manager and ex player who had us on the verge of challenging the championship play offs for a one trick pony in Keane, Jewell, McCarthy, Hurst etc, we didn't hire non footballing people to head the club in Clegg and Milne the former letting any assets we had like leadbitter Norris etc leave for zero money and we wonder why our debt is appalling now because of evans himself. You don't let someone hold you at gunpoint then be thankful if they let you go ffs that what some fans are doing on here

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istanblue added 12:46 - Dec 4 I'm actually quite glad ME has made this statement as people are now slowly waking up to the fact that Evans is the cancer at ITFC. Not only is he utterly clueless and deluded, but he blames the fans for his own costly mistakes. Just go Marcus, and take PR Paul and PE Lee with you. #EvansOut #FOME
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BlueRich added 13:10 - Dec 4 Well that's a relief that Evans, O'Neill and Lambert know what is going on!! There was me thinking that we are all totally useless and had never seen a football match in our lives despite watching this club for 50 years!! Let me know when they have solved this shambles and I will come back. Oh and before I am also accused of being negative we will continue to pay for our Season Ticket as a small gesture towards ITFC even though we are currently chucking good money over bad.

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KernewekBlue added 14:06 - Dec 4 Airing a topic for healthy debate here is always productive... having heated arguments with other, fellow supporters is not. We all want the same things for our club, don't we? Passion, ambition, a winning mentality, good football on the pitch and a concerted drive for promotion back up the leagues. We all have opinions about our club, that's part and parcel of supporting our team and it is that very fact that should be binding us all together, not creating hatred and division. That being said, I will go on to the point I want to make here today. BigBlueJim posted a link to The Guardian's take on the situation at our beloved ITFC, which is a very interesting read. https://www.theguardian.com/football/2020/dec/01/paul-lambert-battles-for-ipswic I don't think there is any reason for The Guardian or it's journos to be biased in this article, it just about sums up our ongoing situation perfectly, written by someone from the outside looking in. Our decline over the last decade plus isn't due to just one thing. There are many factors which have contributed to this slow death but all have one thing in common... Marcus Evans' tenure as owner. Marcus Evans doesn't appear to be football man, at least, not from what I've seen and heard... he is a businessman and a very successful one by all accounts. The trouble is, football isn't JUST a business, it is much, much more than that. It is that extra dimension that he seems incapable of understanding or addressing (or perhaps he just tries to ignore it). He is a numbers man not an emotions man. You cannot apply the same rules to running a football club as you do to running any other business. You don't see the fanatical supporters of Barclays Bank taunting those who prefer The Royal Bank of Scotland or shoppers who prefer Tesco making up a funny chant about ASDA. These businesses don't generate that level of personal involvement and fervent passion from an emotionally invested, paying public. Since Mr Evans took over as owner, we have slipped and slid our way into a catastrophic loss of playing and management talent, plummeted down the league structure, a huge loss of form and playing style, much reduced investment in good players, fanbase alienation, dwindling crowd sizes, increased injury lists and general bad feeling all around. Quite frankly, I don't think Paul Lambert or anyone else has a snowball in Hell's chance of getting us back up the leagues under Marcus Evans. Paul Lambert is always going to be the scapegoat for our lack of form, lack of wins, lack of points, lack of good players etc. ad infinitum. What has to be realised by each and every Ipswich Town fan is that ANY manager will fare the same and share the same fate as Lambert and all his predecessors whilst Marcus Evans is in charge. I genuinely feel sorry for Lambert and to some extent those who came before him... they were all sent into a major battle zone with depleted stocks of ammunition, very little body armour and with no chance of reinforcements. Whilst the managers take ALL the blame and deserve some of it, the owner is accused of very little in comparison but in reality, he's by far and away the main protagonist. The best thing that could happen to our club now, in my opinion, is for Marcus Evans to sell up and ship out.

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pistolpete added 15:12 - Dec 4 I think someone needs to tell Marcus he has subscribed to the wrong iFollow subscription - must have signed up to Everton's iFollow by mistake. To be fair to him, they also play in blue and white so I can see how he has made this mistake with his extensive football knowledge!
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RegencyBlue added 15:50 - Dec 4 Spot on KernewekBlue. Some of us have been saying this about Evans for years but have been dismissed as negative by the happy clappers who think the sun shines out of his backside. He has been a complete disaster for the club and I fail to see how anybody can argue otherwise. The usual 'What would we do without him' argument put up by his supporters wont wash anymore. Where the hell do these people think we will end up with him? Relentless decline is all Evans has given us and all he will continue to give us if he remains!

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BeattiesBackPocket added 16:14 - Dec 4 KerneweBlue well said 👏🏻 You're correct we all want one thing success for our once great football club and we will have differing opinions but I still whenever I ask never get one response from those that support evans as how they think progress has been made and why they think we're better off in his 13 years? We are clearly worse off all we've ever had From his support is ‘name someone else who'll buy the club' even that's been proven that there has been offers they have come away from that as a defensive comeback but there is nothing from them is response to why they think we're better off and progress made

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HarleydavidsonBlue added 17:22 - Dec 4 Looks like we are going nowhere slowly ! COYB P.S. A good read & well said KernewekBlue
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warktheline added 22:04 - Dec 4 Good to see people are just about seeing the hapless, clueless and disinterested tenure Evans has offered/provided to our club! Unfortunately as I've remarked many times before, this owner will lead Ipswich Town FC into Conference football ! Time to stop ‘sniggering' at such ‘outlandish' predictions, because it's happening before our very eyes!
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portmanteau added 11:04 - Dec 5 So what is ME's red line? Lose three more matches on the trot? He doesn't sound as if even that will change anything so it is quite likely we shall still be tearing our hair out this time next year while we try to get out of L2. And every year while PL is here. " One shot on target in the 90th minute " will be our epitaph.
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Bluroo added 17:19 - Dec 5 Marcus, there is nothing wrong with a 5 year plan to develop a total footballing philosophy through the club and have a team made of predominantly home grown players going places with it. Yeah, we wished for that. Guilty as charged. The problem seems to be you and your lieutenants complete inability to execute any of it. You have made numerous incomprehensibly poor recruitment and operational decisions in the last decade or so and this is where we find ourselves as a result. There are no green shoots. They would come in the form of some big changes that would start to lead us towards where we're supposed to be headed.

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