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Big day of results for ITFC Women
at 16:21 13 Mar 2022

Town beat Cardiff City Ladies comfortably 3-0, whilst Southampton conceded an 88th minute equaliser to Bridgwater (who ITFC defeated last week) to draw. Meanwhile, Oxford were beaten by MK Dons.

In theory it means even if Southampton win all of their five games in hand on us, an ITFC win when we play them at the Goldstar would have Town one point better off. Clearly lots of football still to be played, but a real swing of momentum in favour of the Tractor Girls today!
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Interview with ITFC Women ahead of FA Cup 5th round
at 08:45 24 Feb 2022

Morning all,

I hope you don't mind a plug or a distraction from events in the wider world. I've just done an interview with three of the ITFC Women squad - Natasha Thomas, Paige Peake and Olivia Smith - ahead of their FA Cup 5th Round against title rivals Southampton on Sunday.

The interview is hopefully accessible for anyone with a passing interest, who's maybe thinking about attending on Sunday or beyond and wants to find out more. For those a bit more keen there's plenty of insights on the team, the season so far, and obviously Sunday's big game.

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Christian Walton interview
at 18:25 2 Dec 2021

We've just put a Blue Monday podcast interview up with Christian Walton which I hope you'll enjoy. FIngers crossed the link to the Tweet will work below so you can access it via YouTube or podcast audio.

Obviously as a courtesy to CW and ITFC I couldn't go in all guns blazing, but lots of insights including working with Cook (and Mogga briefly); evolving as a keeper; growing up a Plymouth fan and having a kickabout with a club legend as a kid. We talked briefly about him being in the Wigan team that beat Man City in the cup a few years back.

Its clear he's a football fan - he understands what its like for us and appreciates the backing we give. Mentions the away following particularly - selling out away ends and being a big percentage of the total gate etc..

Its really great that the club are being more open and accessible than under the previous regime. Both Talking Town and Rainbow Tractors did interviews with Conor Chaplin in the last week too.

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Ipswich Town and our contempt for League One
at 08:37 3 Oct 2021

Two managers in a row now have seemingly tried exactly the same strategy to try and succeed in League One, and our divisional rivals continue to find us out.

That is to:
1) Adopt a passing style of football, regardless of the opponent.
2) Sign better players than everyone else to try and overawe them.

This strategy might work if you're a master tactician, and/or have excellent coaching staff, and/or can build something with the same players over the course of a few seasons (e.g. MK Dons). But its not a guarantee of success either.

For two seasons prior to Paul Cook's arrival that strategy failed under Lambert - who thought we were Man City in the third tier. It has also failed in a similar fashion for Sunderland, Portsmouth and Charlton, and potentially come the end of the season Sheffield Wednesday (though Darren Moore knows better from his time at Doncaster).

What's more, the corporate memory which might have guided Paul Cook (who frankly should know better) and our new owners to take the division more seriously was rapidly dispensed with during the spring and summer. The opportunity to bring in coaching staff who could prepare our players for the battle that is League One has also been rejected.

Games like Accrington, played in conditions like Saturday, will not go the way we want whilst we focus on sticking as many top class attacking players in our XI and try and pass around our opponent. It is human nature for a diminutive attacking player up against 6 foot plus midfielders and defenders, being fouled with only 1/5 being awarded by lousy officials, perhaps in the pouring rain or on a crap pitch, to go into their shell. I'm sure most of us have said one of the following in the past two years - 'we're too nice', 'we need to be more physical', or 'we lack the right characters'?

So for me, League One demands a different type of recruitment. It also requires a tactical plan b, especially away from home.

The fact that Pauls Lambert and Cook persist with the same strategy, maybe occasionally tinkering with the team shape, is either a sign of insanity or hubris. Until Cook recognises this, I fear we may end up meandering into the winter, remaining bottom half. Under the previous owner that may have illicited a programme note urging us for patience or to be 'careful what we wish for'. For Gamechanger, he'll surely be gone - along with our chances of making something of yet another season down in the third tier and back to square one with a new coach/manager.

To me its not difficult to form a secondary tactic which is more direct, and is more physical. We have some players who could easily do it - Edmundson, Burgess, Nsiala, Donacien, (Coulson?), Morsy, Norwood, Bonne - though obviously not enough. The rest would need...coaching!

Cook is surely not going to be given another season to get his current approach right if we're bottom half at christmas. Its incumbent upon him to make his passing game work fast (maybe it will?) or to try and think differently.

I saw another post about us lauding our history and status over other clubs as a factor - being over-confident. Maybe it is, but it should also serve to motivate us. If only the playing staff and coaching staff felt as acutely the embarrassment us supporters feel about being in this division. The bigger embarrassment is how we've gone about trying to escape it (the right way!) - and maybe it'll end up leading to another managerial departure and continuing our stay even longer.

I hope I'm wrong.
[Post edited 3 Oct 2021 8:40]
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ITFC Women win again
at 18:39 19 Sep 2021

I know this isn't the first post on this subject today, but as I had a free Sunday afternoon I drove down to Felixstowe & Walton to watch the Women's team. £5 to get in and able to park metres from the ground itself; food and drink (incl beer) available and can be consumed in the view of the pitch too!
As for the football, Joe Sheehan and his coaching team have put together a really positive, creative team. Admittedly punching below their weight most weeks even a division higher - this is a team built around exciting youngsters with some experienced wiser heads around them. They attack with width, pace and intensity.
If you want to watch great football - played by an Ipswich Town team - at a great price, close to the action, with plenty of space for youngsters to run around if you wanted to bring them too (for free if they're under 16 and with an adult), then may I recommend you get along and support them.
There were just below 300 spectators there today - it really should be more. Yes I know the logistics aren't great being down the road in Felixstowe, but there really is no excuse for the numbers to not be much higher. As the chant goes, its more fun if we all join in.
[Post edited 19 Sep 2021 18:40]
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The Beat video tribute
at 11:57 16 Sep 2021

I hope you don't mind me using this sad anniversary to publicise video content, however Dave Dymond from our BM pod team did an excellent footballing career profile of The Beat a few years back. We updated it last year with some images and video footage.

If his playing career was before your time, or if it wasn't but you need a reminder, you may find this video useful in explaining why he was such an important player for ITFC:
Blog
[Blog] My ITFC Season 2012/13 Rules of Engagement
at 21:46 24 Apr 2012

As another Ipswich Town season meanders to an unsatisfactory lower mid-table conclusion, with play-offs, promotion and the Premier League seemingly further from our grasp than ever in recent times, my thoughts turn to pre-season and the blind optimism that a new campaign brings.
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