...but it seems with just four weeks to go, that everyone around us is investing and building for the new season and we have done absolutely nothing.......
"We have a great bunch of lads, who I wouldn't swap for anyone else" "I can't get better than I already have"
I was just letting you know. But on a side note I do dislike the high turnover of players these days not just at Ipswich but all clubs.......I bet come September there won't be many clubs without 5-10 new players............I remember the days when 2 new players in the close season was big news for weeks. But maybe I'm just a grumpy old man.
I can't say I'm worried right now. I'd rather have the right players in as opposed to having players signed up now. If no activity in 2-3 weeks time I'd be more concerned. I find it refreshing unlike Jewell/Keane days when we knew the clubs business, under Mick we pretty much never know anything. Shows good harmony, no worms, no leaks and really it's how it should be. That said, we desperately need 3/4 wide players. I'm not too unhappy with the rest of the squad, but this is our disaster area! Agree Weighty, clubs player turnover is ridiculously high. At least with us, we've had a core of both keepers, Berra, Smith, Chambers, Skuse, Murphy, McGoldrick, Sears, Hyam for quite some time now.
I saw that something like 10 of the players used in the Shelbourne friendly were from the academy. It's just a shame that none of them are wide midfielders, but atleast it shows that Mick is willing to take a look at them, which is far more positive (and cost effective) than bringing in the likes of Toure & Coke etc. to fill the bench, which I don't think Mick will do so much now. He seems to have learnt that only by bringing in players who are better than what we have will be improve. I'm not too worried about the lack of activity yet, as I don't think we have missed out on anyone we are genuinely targeting. I haven't seen a transfer and thought "we missed the boat there..." I expect that we'll suddenly sign 2 or 3 players in the space of a week and the mood will change drastically. Still think we'll be nearly as dull as last year but with a few more bright spells and using our own young players rather than championship journeymen
I have to agree that this situation seems depressingly familiar, just when I thought and hoped we would learn the lessons of last season with regards to journeymen players and crack on and bring in some new blood to remain competitive it would appear we are doing nothing, this could change of course and I hope it does and we are pleasantly surprised but at the moment it seems we have been here before. Just one new player so far so that's not stimulating season ticket sales which are way down despite the "early bird " prices being extended to the end of July, team rebuilding means hope that we can improve on the previous season, which in turn creates interest which means more season ticket sales and more income for the Club, its not complicated it just makes me wonder if anyone at the Club cares as much as we do.
At the risk of sounding like a lunatic looking through rose tinted spectacles, I don't think there is any reason to panic or worry unduly. We are in need of at least 2, but probably more like 4 or 5 new players to add quality and depth to the squad, which I am sure we will and If we don't then I hope that the young'uns are given a fair crack. the fact that we haven't signed anyone, indicates (to me anyway) that we aren't just signing players willy nilly. Coke & Toure being examples often used and we have offloaded a number of players from last season that didn't get near/offer anything to the team (Tabb, Toure, Polish Pete, Alabi) so I am hopeful that Mick is looking to bring in the right players, not just who is available. I'm expecting there to be a few late loan additions, but as with transfers with Mick, you only hear about them either once they're done or just before. It wouldn't surprise me if we signed someone any day and we'll probably get 2 or 3 in the same week, such is how these things often happen. I don't think we'll be brilliant next season either, I still expect us to be pretty dull, but closer the 2014-15 functionality than the 2015-16 dross
I'm not panicking Scowey because I was living in hope rather than expectarion and also I don't want us signing any old player just because they are available, what I was hoping for was a planned and costed measured approach to bring in specific players to advance our team in the positions we know we are sadly lacking. of course it could be that this will take place but ive a horrible feeling we will get loan players to improve other Clubs in the long run, I really want to be wrong on this.
Bottom half finish this season, dinosaur Dan will use same boring tactics, play people out of position to accommodate his face and the town faithful will still blindly back the idyat that is Mick Mcarfy! Yet another rip roaring pre season defeat tonight I see! Hardly created anything against a div 2 side, wahoo!!
