TWTD columnist and Town Academy Coordinator Simon Milton has paid tribute to George Burley's achievements whilst manager of the Blues. The former midfielder played under Burley from 1994 until his retirement in 1998.

While understanding why David Sheepshanks and the board took their decision Milton feels that George Burley's successes with the Blues should not be forgotten. He told TWTD: “I think he did some things at this club which people should look back at and be impressed with.

"Not just on the pitch, but financially, we've seen the ground grow to 30,000, the Academy was down to him and the chairman too. But on the other hand he has been responsible for the current position.

“It's a sad day, but if you're a football manager you know that at some stage the ending of your career at a particular club is going to come, and nine times out of ten it's not a happy ending.

“It always happens after a poor results, always happens after bad form and it always comes when you're close to the bottom of the league so you always know it's going to come. But, of course, it's not very nice.

“As I say, I hope George is remembered for his whole time here and not just the last year or so; the players he's brought though and the success on the pitch.

“He must be down, he must be hurt and, as I said in my column, he won't believe he's become a bad manager overnight or over the last few months.

“Other clubs will look at the way he has got Town playing over the years and someone will show interest. Not many managers have ten years of total success and to be fair in his seven years George probably had six decent seasons.

“I think it would have been a really hard decision for the chairman to make. They saw a lot of each other and were very close, discussed a lot and had a good working relationship. A lot of clubs don't have such a good working relationship between manager and chairman. They travelled a lot together and it would have been extremely difficult for David and the board.”

Milton's old Town team-mate Tony Mowbray has taken over in the interim, which Simon says will put the coach in a peculiar position: “Tony must be disappointed for George but he has to be professional and focus himself on his first game in charge at any level. It's OK being first team coach but he's got to pick a team that he's going to be responsible for.

“I hope that the players get behind him and get a decent result at the weekend against Sheffield Wednesday. Tony's got an opportunity and an advantage in some ways because he could go out there and win several games in a row. At the same time he could go out and lose them all and it be a disadvantage.

“I don't see either of those things happening, but he's in the chair at the moment and will be considered just like everybody else.

Mowbray's decision to bring in Bryan Klug to help him is a good one according Milton, Klug is a highly-rated coach who has been at the club for a lengthy period and has been a major factor in the development of the many youngsters to come though the Town ranks.

Milton says that he hopes the new man is put in place sooner rather than later: “You hope that the question of the new manager would be resolved as soon as possible. But the board will take their time until they get the right man. It might take a couple of weeks for them to get the man they want.

“Let's not pretend that it's a crap job being the manager of Ipswich Town, it's not. There will be plenty of people who can't wait to get that job. I've no idea who though, Peter Taylor was touted but he's joined Hull. I really can't think of one name which I'd hang my hat on. It's wide open.”

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