Blues CEO Mark Ashton believes there will be a domino effect in the transfer market once the relegated Premier League clubs sell more players.

Town have made four signings during the close season - Jack Taylor, George Hirst, Cieran Slicker and loanee Omari Hutchinson - in what has been a relatively slow market at Championship level across the board.

“I think the whole transfer window is dry at the moment,” Ashton said in a lengthy free-to-view interview for TownTV with Blues legend Matt Holland alongside manager Kieran McKenna.

“I’m talking to agents and other football clubs, the parachute clubs haven’t really sold players yet, so until they sell players, the market doesn’t ignite and then there’ll be a domino effect.

“But what we have here is a manager who is brilliant at being very specific in what he wants. He’s adamant that he won’t waste the football club’s money and I think it’s important that the supporters understand the way we construct some of these deals.

“We have targets, we understand what Kieran wants, the specifications that he wants in a player so we enquire about players, but just because we enquire about a player, doesn’t mean we trying to sign the player.

“We’re actually at times just trying to understand what the market’s like, what the value’s like, where people are sitting at.

“There are times when we go down the line on a deal and Kieran will say ‘Mark, I don’t think this one’s for us, let’s leave this and let’s move onto the next one’. You never get every single deal you’re in for.”

Reflecting on the Blues’ business so far, with the window running until September 1st, he added: “This transfer window started in January, we recruited four players in January [Harry Clarke, Massimo Luongo, Nathan Broadhead and George Hirst on loan], who we believed would have the ability to help us get out of League One, which they did.

“But we also believed there were Championship players, coming from Premier League clubs with Championship experience etc. This window actually started in January in some ways.

“Let’s be really clear, the permanent signing of George Hirst started in January. That isn’t a deal when you click your fingers and it happens in two weeks, that was as tough a deal to get done as I’ve had in my career, and it’s taken a while to get done. And I believe at the end of the day it’s good business for us.

“There’s a lot of work that goes on behind the scenes. Jack Taylor, delighted to have him here, that’s a deal that started in January because ideally we tried to sign him January, the two clubs couldn’t agree a deal.

“That’s OK, we came back again in the summer and, let’s be under no illusions, the Peterborough chairman [Darragh MacAnthony] knows how to a cut a deal, he’s a tough guy to deal with and he’s good at what he does, and I think that was a good deal for both football clubs. Transfers take time, they don’t just happen.”

Ashton also reiterated his frustration with supporters revealing Town’s targets or other inside information on social media.

“I know that some fans like to speculate and like to use social media on who we’re signing etc, and I said two years ago that that type of behaviour at times hurt the football club. It still hurts the football club, be under no illusion.

“We live with it and we get on with it but it doesn’t help us. You saw the signing of George Hirst, the way George was almost actually chased around Town.

“I don’t think it’s right, I don’t think it helps the football club. The bulk of this fanbase are incredible and the communication that I have with them, the consistent emails, letters, calls that we have from them are fantastic.

“There are a few that seem to be very obsessed with getting information out, whether that information is right or wrong, and that does hurt us. Whether that’s us signing a player or talking about players that they hear might be injured, for example. That helps Sunderland.

“I said two years ago, this hurts us and the fans said, ‘We didn’t realise’. Well, they realise now. It’s only a very small few, it’s still happening and still take pride and pleasure in doing that.

“It is what it is, but we deal with it, we have to manage it. And as the club gets bigger I expect that to become more of a challenge.”

Photo: Matchday Images

WestSussexBlue added 12:20 - Aug 5 Is this aimed at Frank from Holland by any chance, fully understand where MA is coming from.
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blues1 added 12:31 - Aug 5 CalmoreBlue No, it's aimed at all those fans who do the things he says. We all know that players we sign normally come out of the blue, so those fans don't help. Of course its not all down to them, bcse you have all these rubbish sites like football league world posting rumours, giving fans that initial thought of who we're after. Even tho more often than not, we arent even interested. And there seem to be more and more of those sights appearing by the week. As he said tho, it's only a very few, who'll hopefully take note of what he says.

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Sir_Bob added 12:39 - Aug 5 TWTD post rumours and links,
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LegendofthePhoenix added 12:57 - Aug 5 Completely get what MA is saying, and once the season kicks off for us then we will have more to talk about. Close season we are just crawling up the walls wanting information - but it's clear that the club try to keep a lid on everything - signings, injuries, recoveries, departures as just a drip of that can hurt the club. 28 hours to go.......
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IpswichT62OldBoy added 12:58 - Aug 5 He speaks well and makes sense, he and K McK are a good match.
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Naylorsrightboot added 13:00 - Aug 5 Fans are always going to speculate, wether that's online or even down the pub. It's what football is about. Not sure Ashton can stop that, it's part of football. Oh, and how about a CH Mr Ashton?
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Help added 13:01 - Aug 5 I don't think it is the fans creating issues there are so many sites that put forward speculation which the fans pick up on and then want to get on twtd. This is today's society. You will not change that. If we are encouraged to idolise this creates the desire to find out more. Fan comes from fanatic. Let's try to be more fam and be part of the Ipswich town family.
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franz_tyson added 13:17 - Aug 5 @CalmoreBlue - No, it's not aimed at Frank from Holland as he doesn't know anymore than we do. In fact, he gets his info mostly from this forum. His channel is a bit of fun - no more. I'm glad Ashton mentioned that Tw@t/s who followed Hirst around - that was embarrassing.
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joyousblue added 13:43 - Aug 5 Sorry help meant to up you
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warktheline added 13:43 - Aug 5 Same old people @blueboy @arnie etc always looking for the negative at every opportunity but are first to jump on board as though they’ve never posted such garbage over the course of the season! Go check out their ‘wise thoughts’ on ‘McKenna, we are working hard…’
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Karlosfandangal added 13:57 - Aug 5 Oh er joyousblue
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Karlosfandangal added 13:58 - Aug 5 See the centre back from Arsenal has signe for Sheff United…….we’re Town in for him or just a rumour
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BeattiesBackPocket added 14:02 - Aug 5 He talks loads of sense as he always does just wish the minority same 3 posters on here would listen to people like Ashton and McKenna that actually know what they’re and what ACTUALLY GOES ON AT FOOTBALL CLUBS instead of thinking it’s a game of championship manager.
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cressi added 14:34 - Aug 5 As Naylor said earlier speculation is part of football fans wise only people close to Ashton or the player even other club can let it out the bag. If a player of another club is seen round Town it will cause speculation nothing new we move on.
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gosblue added 14:46 - Aug 5 I, like most Town fans am interested in who we may or may not be signing and like most I don’t bite on idle tittle-tattle and noise. When TWTD make an announcement re: medicals etc. It’s close but I still wait for the shirt. Until there’s a photo on here with a player holding up a Town shirt then it isn’t done. I love the way this club goes about it’s business.
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Eeyore added 15:36 - Aug 5 Ashton should make a WWII style poster along the lines of ‘careless talk costs lives’. But we should be careful, club managers and executives up and down the country are hanging on every word of wisdom we write on here! :-)
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churchmans added 16:00 - Aug 5 Take note phil@twtd lol
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Steve_ITFC_Sweden added 16:24 - Aug 5 I don't use social media, so I wouldn't really know, but I'd be surprised if those who really make the decisions actually take much notice of it.
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Wickets added 17:26 - Aug 5 Obviously Loyal Town fans don't want to feel they hinder the club in any way and sure they don't mean too . I also think .arks statement saying we are close on one or two deals would maybe encourage speculation?
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Wickets added 17:29 - Aug 5 Mark's not arks ! small phone chubby fingers !
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Pettabelieveit added 19:12 - Aug 5 Agree with the above, speculation is part and parcel. Whilst I think MA has been great and will continue to do a sterling job, I disagree with him on this one - agents and clubs talk all the time, fan speculation is a mere drop in the ocean and can’t imagine it hinder many deals.
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1Warky added 20:52 - Aug 5 In fairness to Mark Ashton, since the local media etc. has come onboard and more frequently only mentioned a potential deal when it's basically over the line, we have signed some very good players. Yes, our extra resources in recent times has helped too. The issue now is that our resources are easily matched in the Championship, so this approach by all is even more important. The difficult reality though, is that there is greater media involvement in the Championship at so many levels beyond local press. Even fan interest by numbers is far greater so information gets out from clubs, player sightings etc. There will always be wider media too, acting on behalf of another club, an agent or just plain journalism, that can't be controlled and fans will naturally comment on these links. I suspect there's a hint of frustration from him with the way the transfer window has gone so far and the fact that it is going to be a mad late scramble by the very nature of the landscape he's outlined. I'm just so grateful that we have the right people at the club to best react to these challenges in a financially calm and considered way.

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1Warky added 20:53 - Aug 5 Damn, that post was longer than War and Peace. Apologies.
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PortmanTerrorist added 22:55 - Aug 5 I have said it before but can that plum 'Frank' please stop posting speculation he is picking up on socials just to build up his part. Put the Club first as Ashton says and maybe go to some games instead to fill your time!
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Steelmonkey added 01:14 - Aug 6 Speculation has to based on some kind of fact imo. If someone can name a player on social media with a 100% certainty, a player that fits McKenna ideal 100% then for my money that person must be in contact with a person that is privy to the future acquisitions of the club. Even more so if it has happened on more than the one occasion. Perhaps Mr Ashton should look closer at his associates who are would be able to supply said person with snippets of information, or maybe he already has? I can’t see how any true fans would want to be scupper deals, but we all probably have encountered someone that has the need to boast about knowing something no one else does.

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