 | News
Comment | McKenna: More Than Likely Town Will Be in the Championship Next Season
at 07:54:58
It's hard to stomach a gutless 2nd half performance in a must win game. I've no complaints about relegation. We have been out of our depth all season, sometimes embarrasingly so! Some factors have not helped the cause. Two poor recruitment windows, sticking with the dreadful Muric, injuries and naive managerial tactics. The journey has been amazing, but the reality of getting spanked week in, week out has not been fun! I have a 45 year plus relationship with this club, mostly painful, but will keep believing. |
| News
Comment | Town Complete Palmer Signing
at 02:30:18
So, I’ve had plenty of time to reflect after the sickening defeat to the Saints. I didn’t want to post anything immediately after the game, as I felt that would be a knee-jerk reaction. Here is my honest appraisal of our current situation.
McKenna has done an outstanding job since coming in at the end of 2021. Not only has he transformed our beloved club, but he has also been instrumental in giving us back our pride. The manner in which he conducts himself is exemplary which has gone down particularly well with pundits. However . . . let us not forget that this is his first managerial role. We smashed League 1 but massively over-performed in the Championship. McKenna’s generated ‘feel good’ factor and the fact that he was able to squeeze every drop of effort out of lower standard players was exhilarating. How many times last season did commentators remark that we would fall away?
However . . . what this season has shown is that you simply cannot compete in the Premier League with lower standard players. Often, its not down to effort. More like, when a lower standard player makes a mistake, they will get punished. The Premier League has some of the best players on the planet. The Premier League is brutal! McKenna still has plenty of kudos in the bank, and rightly so. But, promotion came too soon for us, so we have become victims of our own success. McKenna, like so many of the current squad, is out of his depth. It pains me to say that, but once again, we must remember this is his first job in management. He will learn and he will get much better. I pray that his developmental journey is with us.
I fear that with only 14 games remaining, time is running out for us this season. It would be nice to go down with a fight though. The 4 defeats on the bounce have included some well-below par performances. Needless to say, Muric must never be allowed to wear a Town shirt again! |
| News
Comment | Town Complete Palmer Signing
at 02:29:50
Not a great Jan window. Whilst the acquisition of Palmer is a massive plus, unfortunately there is not enough top quality in this squad to see us through. My prediction is 2 wins, 4 draws and 8 defeats from remaining games. 26 points isnt going to cut it. Before all the haters start throwing their teddies out I want to make it clear I'm as gutted as everyone else! I will explain my post-Saints reflections in the post below, which I feel are fair and balanced. It was a step up too soon, simple as. If I'm proved wrong I will eat that Haaland humble pie! |
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Comment | Ipswich Town 0-2 Brighton & Hove Albion - Match Report
at 00:57:06
Totally outclassed tonight. I don't mind losing if we give it a real go, but overall I thought it was a gutless, insipid performance. It was very difficult to watch and hard to understand why we blow hot and cold. We clearly need more quality players through the door. Difficult to see where the next points are coming from. Could do with Leics and Everton being slapped with PSR fines! |
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Comment | Ipswich Town 1-2 AFC Bournemouth - Match Report
at 00:12:13
In my view, Muric is the worst Town keeper I have seen in the past 30 years. It's beyond belief he manages to keep his place every week. Given Walton a run of games and see if things pick up. The defence can't have much confidence in Muric, his decision making is very poor. We don't appear to have any back-up plan, tactically. Been a wonderful 3 years, but nailed on for relegation. Damn shame. |
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Comment | Ipswich Town 0-1 Crystal Palace - Match Report
at 22:56:49
Second game in a row where the performance has been flat and insipid. It must be clear now that the current group of players are not good enough to compete week in, week out in the Premier League. I was very optimistic after the Man Utd game, however, without a very strong Jan transfer window we look nailed on for relegation. Come the end of Jan, of course, we may already be cut adrift. I guess the ethos must be enjoy it whilst it lasts. Damn Shame! |
| News
Comment | Ipswich Town 0-0 Watford - Match Report
at 01:35:45
Its seems churlish to be critical after such an amazing season. However, we appear completely spent and running on empty. My concern is that we appear to be running out of steam at a time when we absolutely need to be on top form. Sadly, I think we will fall short and end up playing them lot in the play-offs. Absolute nightmare scenario! |
| News
Comment | McKenna: We Take the Positives From the Performance
at 01:35:07
Its seems churlish to be critical after such an amazing season. However, we appear completely spent and running on empty. My concern is that we appear to be running out of steam at a time when we absolutely need to be on top form. Sadly, I think we will fall short and end up playing them lot in the play-offs. Absolute nightmare scenario! |
| News
Comment | Plymouth Argyle 2-1 Ipswich Town - Match Report
at 06:57:21
I agree with 'North Stander' who writes in the EADT, Ladapo and Jackson are not the answer. They will hardly have defences quaking. Perhaps the team (like so often in the past) have flattered to deceive? The style is undoubtedly better, but the worrying aspect is that the whole league will now be aware that Town have a very soft underbelly. They will know if they fall behind that all they have to do is pile on enough pressure and Town will collapse. I think the club is moving in the right direction, but until they sort out these frailties, then for me they are not top 2 material. I would look to involve a sports psychologist. It's worked for some of our greatest Olympians. They just don't seem to believe in themselves to finish the job against the top teams. The great Town teams of the past (lucky to see them all from '78 onwards) have either had prolific individual or partnerships racking up the goals. None of our current strikers have 20+ goals in them in my view. The frustration is that the plethora of chances that are created are not clinically converted. My prediction is that we will now have a 'wobble' for a few games before settling down again. Top 6 finish for me, unless striking situation sorted out in next transfer window. |
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Comment | Plymouth Argyle 2-1 Ipswich Town - Highlights
at 06:47:12
I agree with 'North Stander' who writes in the EADT, Ladapo and Jackson are not the answer. They will hardly have defences quaking. Perhaps the team (like so often in the past) have flattered to deceive? The worrying aspect is that the whole league will be aware that Town have a very soft underbelly. They will know if they fall behind that all they have to do is pile on enough pressure and Town will collapse. I think the club is moving in the right direction, but until they sort out these frailties, then for me they are not top 2 material. I would look to involve a sports psychologist. It's worked for some of our greatest Olympians. They just don't seem to believe in themselves to finish the job. The great Town teams of the past (lucky to see them all) have either had prolific individual or team partnerships racking up the goals. None of our current strikers have 20+ goals in them in my view. My prediction is that we will now have a 'wobble' for a few games before settling down again. Top 6 finish for me, unless striking situation sorted out in next transfer window. |
| News
Comment | Barrow 2-0 Ipswich Town - Match Report
at 05:10:02
Well, for me, last night's performance and result was an all-time low for our beloved club. We demonstrated to the nation just how low we have sunk. All talk and reference to 'Kings of Anglia' needs to go. Its an embarrassment. For a long time it was to cast the odious Evans as the 'pantomime villain'. Years of chronic under-investment reinforced by disastrous appointments in senior positions. However, what the last month or so has exposed is that our club is fundamentally broken. I'm tempted to even say the club is cursed! I'm old enough to remember that the England job was once seen as THE 'poison chalice' in football management. Perhaps that unwanted title now belongs to our club. Having followed Town since 1973 I can't believe how many managers we have had in a mere 10 years. None of them have breathed sustained life into this rotting corpse of a club. Big Terry is right, we are just a footnote in football history. The new manager needs something more than just good luck. Sadly, I've yet to see any name that inspires confidence. No doubt in 6-12 months we will be back at square 1 again. I'm no stats genius, but has any club endured so many 'false dawns' in living memory? I wonder how our American owners feel about this tragic circus. |
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Comment | Aluko: A Very Disappointing Result in the End
at 07:54:04
I'm beginning to sound like a stuck record, a bit like Cook's lame post-match rhetoric. I like the man, its hard not to. However, the amount of games thrown from winning positions is alarming, and perhaps, ultimately costly. I was desperate for Cook to succeed here, but he looks out of his depth without his trusty number 2. He appears to completely lack any tactical nous and stubbornly refuses to change things up with different formations. The defence from keeper onwards is shocking. Fratton Park is a difficult place at any time, let alone when you have absolutely no consistency. I fear a Pompey backlash. We won't get anything there. I think I've seen enough of Cook now to state that Town will not get out of this league with him at the helm. If we're still fumbling around come Crimbo, I'm sure the Yank owners will act. As 'Northstander' stated in his column today, these performances are frankly unacceptable. Yet another false dawn! Grrrrrr! |
| News
Comment | Cook: An Absolutely Shocking Performance
at 23:10:08
I like Cook as a person, its hard not to like him, even though his press conferences are littered with banal, football cliches. His win ratio at Town is simply appalling and I wonder if the key element in past successes was Leam Richardson. He seems to be doing well on his own with Wigan. Cook doesnt appear to have any tactical nous. 10 games in, promotion looks a very distant pipe dream. I wonder how long our American owners will let this uninspiring trend continue? I wonder if we will get a mention in future dictionaries - under the term 'long-suffering' there will be a photo of a Town fan, trudging away from yet another false dawn! |
| Blog
Comment | Cook is No Gamechanger
at 07:23:46
I wonder if Cook has been found out without his trusty number 2? Clough was never the same without Peter Taylor. Perhaps the former sidekick has the tactical nous? Certainly, Cook appears stubborn with his formations and bereft of back-up plans. If we still havent won after 10 games I can't see the Yanks putting up with it. I don't really go in for boring stats, but is this the worse start we've ever had? Surely must be up there? |
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Comment | Wycombe Match Postponed
at 02:00:44
I feel this is a welcome reprieve. The current first team appear mentally weak at the moment. The defence probably lacks faith in the new keeper who looks extremely shaky. The current Captain doesnt appear up to the job either. Interesting that Cook is apparently chasing one of his former Captains. Will be good business if we get that keeper from Brighton in. Cook's post-match press conferences are becoming quite formulaic and worryingly, very Lambert-esque. I'm still optimistic, but Cook's goodwill is running a little thin! |
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Comment | Cook: The Reality is We Need a Little Bit of Time to Gel
at 05:32:14
Len Brennan, a well-written and observed synopsis of the current situation. We just appear very limited and tactically inept at times. The basic errors would be laughable, if not so costly. Let's be clear, this is a very talented group of players at the manager's disposal. I wonder how long we hang in there to see what Cook can conjure up?
Can't help but feel the man is a fraud at the moment. The glib, throw-away statements are a little 'Lambert-esque'.
Perhaps when we each come to our final day of reckoning and we're beckoned to step forward at the Pearly Gates, St Peter will state, "one final question, which team did you support down there?"
"Ipswich Town Sir."
"Ok guys, let this one through. Send him to the executive suite, he's suffered enough." |
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Comment | Cook: The Reality is We Need a Little Bit of Time to Gel
at 00:29:17
Well, after all the pre-season hype the mood of optimism is quickly evaporating. The "time to gel" mantra will soon wear thin. There can be few excuses. This is a group of highly talented players, well beyond what we might have expected to get through the doors. They have all week to practice tactics. Mistakes being made are an insult to school boys (school boy error etc). To have an 8 point gap already seems ridiculous. Although not a fan of pressing the panic button, at some point the spotlight has to be shone on Cook. His record at Town so far is abysmal. Next game is a 'must win' for me. |
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Comment | Sheepshanks: We Need a Beating Heart Again, and I Think We’ve Got One
at 04:49:36
Very exciting times ahead and such a relief from the 'wilderness years'. History will record Evans' tenure as our lowest point. A period where we lurched from one disaster to the next. Thankfully that is all behind us. Lets blitz this league and then push on further!
C'mon you blues! |
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Comment | Ipswich Town 0-1 Sunderland - Match Report
at 01:48:09
“The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.” A quote often attributed to Albert Einstein. Whether he said it or not is not the key point. Evans is clearly insane as he has made 13 years worth of poor appointments, over and over. A change of manager is akin to putting a plaster pot over an already gangrenous wound. The club is rotten to the core, the core being Marcus Evans. There can be no healing, optimism or hope for ITFC until the charlatan is gone. The club is on the cusp of oblivion, IMHO. |
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