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Reply | Interesting time for Omari
at 10:21 10 Sep 2025
Ange is good for the Premier League. For the best league in the world, there's a lot of robotic systems which is slowly drawing the entertainment out through a lack of risk taking. At least with Ange, it was chaos at both ends of the pitch which is entertaining.
Ange's system means moving the ball quickly and getting the wingers into 1 v 1 situations isolated against the full back. Omari looked very good for England U21s on the left with both feet, so I guess this will be his best chance under Ange. It looks like he will have too much traffic to get into the team in a central area. |
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Reply | Chaplin interview…
at 10:22 3 Sep 2025
I get the feeling he will be recalled in January and it'll be another Edmundson scenario.
Chaplin won't be back in an ITFC shirt, but Portsmouth will want to keep him and he will want to stay there, so if we can get a fee for him in January, we will. |
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Thread | Leaders in the squad
at 08:49 2 Sep 2025
It's been a high turnover of players that have been a big part of the core in recent years. Losing Sam Morsy was a massive blow, but losing members that you would've assumed were part of the senior heads/leadership team like Chaplin, Luongo and Burgess makes it a tough task for the current crop to step up and fill those boots.
Off the pitch you would imagine those names would be the ones offering advice and giving support to new players to settle in etc, lifting the standards in training and just keeping things under control. On the pitch, they would bring composure on the ball, be vocal and just raise their game to lift others around them.
They were leaders on and off the pitch and if you saw those names on the team sheet, we all felt comfortable in the stands. Even if we lost a game, you felt the leaders in the squad would make sure we'd get it right the following week.
I look at the squad now and I don't see enough leadership quality. It's a squad that's trying to regain its confidence with big pressure to get promoted back to the Premier League. Big money transfers haven't got going and don't look better than what we've just let go this summer - certainly in an attacking sense. Early days on a couple of them, but I think you know who I'm talking about.
O'Shea, Young, Walton, Cajuste, Davis, Palmer, Hirst - these names spring to mind about who could be the leaders in the squad, but a couple of them I'm putting in half heartedly. Are there any other leaders? It doesn't feel like a strong leadership group.
Maybe I'm being a bit OTT, but it kind of feels like we've gone back to the summer when Paul Cook brought in a whole new squad and it took time to build connections between fans and players, the squad took time to come together etc. We saw what happened that season. I hope I'm wrong, but it feels like a massive gamble. There's definitely more quality on paper this season compared to our previous season in the Championship, but they're yet to show that on the pitch. I guess football is a high risk/high reward business and we will see what happens. |
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Thread | Transfer window closing tomorrow
at 07:01 31 Aug 2025
I’m sure McKenna will be welcoming the 7pm transfer deadline tomorrow. It’s the first window where there have been quite a few players who have wanted to leave (as well as coaches and staff behind the scenes), which hasn’t been the case under his tenure, as well as losing the captain of the football club over the last 3 years who has set the standards on the training pitch & on a matchday, who has been a leader and has been imperative to everything this club has achieved in recent years.
Woolfenden wants to go, Broadhead wanted to go, Muric wanted to go, Omari wanted to go. Maybe there’s one or two others who want to go that isn’t as well known, but it’s tough when you’ve got a group who want to be here and a group that want to leave while the window is still open.
When it all settles down over the next couple of days, we will then know what we’re working with and now there’s a weekend off just to reset and be ready for the Sheffield United game in a fortnight.
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Thread | PL2 Games (U23's)
at 10:02 27 Aug 2025
Are all home games played at Colchester's ground this season? I know there's an agreement, but is it for every home game.
Also, are the public allowed to attend these games? I notice they're mainly scheduled for a Monday or Friday evening kick off. |
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Reply | Who would you buy?
at 15:33 13 Aug 2025
This is my opinion, but what I think we need in order of priority from high to low
- 2 x Wide players for both sides - I'm not sold on the quality that Ogbene, Clarke and Philogene are providing us. In fairness to Ogbene, he's just back from injury so it may feel like a harsh early judgement, but Clarke & Philogene are wingers in a system that doesn't play with wingers + they've been here longer. I'm not happy with us compensating Davis' attacking output by playing him inverted either. Let Davis fly forwards and keep Broadhead at the club in the L10 role - it worked as part of our success and doesn't need fixing.
- 1 x Centre midfielder - We've got a ball winner/break up play type '6' in Matisuwa, we've got Cajuste who will physically be a monster in the Championship, but I would like us to sign a playmaker type 6 or 8. Hackney was the ideal one but he doesn't want to come.
- 1 x Striker. I'd be all over Richard Kone. Ali Al-Hamadi isn't showing signs of progression and I think it's time for all parties to move on. Kone has potential to grow and is more physically imposing compared to AAH.
- Lowest priority, but potentially 1 x left back cover. We do have players in the squad who can do this, but a natural left back cover would be more ideal. [Post edited 13 Aug 15:35]
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Reply | Ashley Young set to sign...
at 11:50 21 Jul 2025
Fills the leadership, experience and voice void that Morsy departs with.
Good addition. |
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Reply | The curious case of Jack Taylor
at 11:49 21 Jul 2025
He's an 8 who needs a bit of a licence to break into the box. I actually think the perfect club for him would be Coventry... under a manager who was one of the best midfielders at timing his runs into the box.
I think he will be moved on this summer, but it won't be until we have bolstered up our own midfield plus made a decision on Humphreys. |
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Reply | FAO Phil/Or anyone else ITK
at 14:52 17 Jul 2025
I know it is a different league and it'll be more of a level playing field in terms of quality, but one thing (and game in particular) that was noticeable was the lack of intensity and penetration against a team defending in a low block. The game I'm thinking of was Man Utd away in the second half.
I'm guessing we will be coming up against this more this season - I'm interested to see how players like Jack Clarke & Szmodics operate in central areas where the space around them is more compact. Szmodics had more of a free role at Blackburn and Clarke was more of a touchline winger at Sunderland. I feel these areas of the pitch, despite the depth we have in these positions, will be the concern for me. We need these players to come good and have the impact needed to win games. |
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Reply | Brentford know what they're doing
at 10:13 16 Jul 2025
If Brentford had met the terms of the release clause before 5pm yesterday, then there's not a lot we could have done.
Not a lot will change, I imagine the fee if he was to leave will be roughly the same, maybe slightly over the £35m mark, but the club have more power and control over the situation. |
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Reply | Omari - new contract coming his way..?
at 15:53 15 Jul 2025
I take your point and I agree. Omari will leave one day and it will be for a profit which sees the process working.
However, there is also a balancing act. We want to be playing in the Premier League and we need to have the quality to get back there. He's an exception that he's just too good for this league. |
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Reply | Omari - new contract coming his way..?
at 14:58 15 Jul 2025
I guess we could offer him one before, but it depends on the terms in the contract.
Take Delap's contract here, where Man City had a buy back clause inserted into the deal, it meant we couldn't offer him a new deal because you can't legally invalidate that clause that was originally signed. If Chelsea have a similar clause with Omari, then we can't (although, this hasn't been made public).
But if his release clause expires, then it doesn't rule out that he will stay, especially if he wants to leave. The club have more control over the player, but there might be room for negotiation that suits all involved to ensure he stays, which could be a better contract on better money, but which an agreement that we failing to get promoted means we will allow him to move on. |
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Reply | Omari - new contract coming his way..?
at 13:22 15 Jul 2025
I agree. A new deal with wages close to his PL wage (perhaps meet in the middle of the 40% decrease you've mentioned) with a clause that protects the player next summer if we fail to get promotion.
Otherwise, Ashton has to increase the price tag for the rest of this window with little negotiation. If a club is desperate, they'll pay it. |
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Reply | Omari - new contract coming his way..?
at 13:17 15 Jul 2025
It may not be necessary if he's happy and wants to stay. However, I think he will want to be playing PL football next season, so I feel we will need to offer something better than what he's currently earning in order to guarantee he is here this season.
I don't often feel this way with many players, but I feel we need Omari more than Omari needs us, so hopefully we keep him and do everything we can to keep him. |
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Reply | Omari - new contract coming his way..?
at 11:16 15 Jul 2025
That's what I'm thinking. Financially I'm sure there's no barriers in the way for the club to offer him a lucrative contract that would even compete with wages that a PL side would offer, it's just whether he's happy to play Championship football for at least another season with Ipswich. |
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Reply | Strict contract negotiations
at 11:12 15 Jul 2025
No he isn't, that's true. But if he wants security over his contract, the thinking would've started this summer.
I don't know the details, but if I was to have a guess, I think the cards would've been left on the table from the club saying that a new deal won't be offered, but they're not actively pushing him out of the club, but more of a mutual agreement that if a better offer is on the table that ensures longer term security than his Ipswich contract, he will explore it.
Kuwait FC have probably offered him a longer term deal along with other factors that won't be made public, and that's what he's chosen to do. I don't blame him, I'm sure most would do the same for more stability with a young family. |
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Reply | Strict contract negotiations
at 10:58 15 Jul 2025
There's a multitude of reasons though.
- They want to play regularly week in, week out and another club can guarantee that
- They want to play at the highest level
- Geography/location; they want to be closer to a particular geographical area
- Longest deal on the table given their age for financial security/young family
- Money is too good to turn down
I think all the players you've mentioned, each one of them would be able to pick one of those reasons for why they moved.
Hladky wouldn't have been good enough for the PL. Axel wanted to go back to the NW. Burgess wanted to play regularly week in, week out ahead of the World Cup next summer - something I doubt would've happened here. Morsy is probably wanting more security over his contract. |
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Thread | Omari - new contract coming his way..?
at 10:46 15 Jul 2025
The club cannot offer him a new deal that removes the current release clause, but if he remains an Ipswich player beyond the expiry of the release clause, then I'm guessing conversations with his representatives will have taken place regarding a new bumper contract to ensure he stays with us?
Keeping Omari will be the best business we can do this summer. |
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Reply | Time to move on Town
at 09:53 9 Jul 2025
As someone has already mentioned, he will decide what is best for the next stage of his career. Whether that's Ipswich or not, who knows, he will have his reasons either way.
I think what is clear though, his next move will be wrapped up in the coming days with several clubs interested and making their moves. Let's just see what happens. I think the bets way to look at this is more with hope than expectation that he returns - unless Ipswich is the only club he wants. |
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Reply | Ambitous summer plans
at 13:30 25 Jun 2025
I'd go one further and say I feel Palmer is no better or worse than Walton. Muric is the best option if you were to compare strengths and weaknesses.
Whilst Palmer would be fine for the Championship, if we get promoted, we find ourselves in the market next summer for a new #1. |
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