A moan is a moan, whether it's about not winning or the style of winning it's still moaning nonetheless. I guess you'll never please everybody.
He didn't sound happy did he JWM?? You know with our team that we will usually always be in the game, Micks teams always do the basics but beyond that it's a bit of a grind. I think Mick realises we don't have the best team, which always means he will err on the side of caution, i.e playing a CB at RB, playing a very narrow midfield with the priority of not gettin beat. You can't deny he's done a good job here and in terms of results and what has gone before he continues to but god I don't half find Mick frustratin sometimes. I think it's because he is good enough to get his teams playing a more expansive style of play and taking the initiative a bit more, I think he has the talent to be a top top manager but he won't because he always errs on the side of caution. Substitutes it's always like for like rather than changing the system or bringing on more attack minded player, Mick certainly isn't a risk taker
I would definately take 3 points over 'quality and style' every time so we shouldn't really be moaning about last night. If we had taken a couple more of the plentiful chances we had created then we would all be on here today and waxing lyrical about how great we were! Football to coin a catch phrase is a funny old game! The biggest concern for me and indeed for Sir Mick Mills is that our Midfield just isn't going to contribute the goals that the team as a whole will need over the season. Our defenders have scored as many if not more than our forwards and we have had nothing yet from Midfield. Mick Mills is right to say that we are better than last year but lets be honest last year was down to poor management in the first place. There are positives to be taken in that we are now far harder to beat and that we are showing the grit and determination to come from behind in games. BUT saying that the Midfield has to stand up and take it's share of stick whilst they are not contributing to the goals tally. I have argued that we need a finisher up front with Didsy and that we also need an attacking threat from Midfield. I think Mick knows this only too well but I don't think that Evans will back him.
At least we are trying to walk before attempting to run. Mick has sorted the team out and has stopped shipping goals. Over the next couple of transfer windows we only need to add one or two players to our core to improve the creative side of our game.
I'm sure that we could bring people in to improve us but unlike previous seasons we don't need players IMO.
Sorry Weighty mate but I have to disagree with you. We need a couple of players in that will improve us in the attacking third. It is a long hard season and we shouldn't keep relying on our defenders to score important goals!
I don't care who scores TBH we are scoring enough goals and looking like a team that can score goals....i'm not totally against bringing a player or two in but not worried if we don't........
Have to disagree TBH Weighty mate. We are a team that don't look like scoring many but they are going in. AT present, for me, we either rely on a bit of magic (McGoldrick against boro, Cresswell last night) or we somehow bundle the ball into the net (Murphy, Millwall) As a separate thread has shown we are creating relatively few chances but scoring a highish % of them shots. I don't know if we can do that against the better teams, as has been suggested against QPR & Reading. Im not actually sure we need signings just give the likes of Taylor, Wordsworth, Anderson have a bit of a run and adventure. Its the creation from midfield that for me means we are not getting in many shots, not the strikers lack of quality. Having said that, I said at the start of the season that I wasn't expecting anything special and just signs of progress, a bit of consistency and a top half of the table finish would do me and the team are not looking like letting me down at present. I just feel a bit frustrated that we have had a decent enough start but maybe with just one midfielder given a bit more freedom to express we could be a whole lot better.
I don't think it's a case of not wanting the 3 points, thats always a false debate IMO it's about how you feel is the best way to go about getting results. I think if you're more comfortable on the ball, you keep it on the floor and show a bit more intent you're more likely to win games. I'm not the biggest fan of Micks style, in many ways it's similar to Keanes but Mick actually knows what he's doing and it is effective. I just always feel every game no matter who the opposition it could be a conference team is a slog, we seem to concentrate more on off the ball more than on the ball and I want to be entertained. Credit must go to him though, this is the best defensively I've ever seen an Ipswich team but I long for the days of Ipswich era under Royle where we didn't care how many we conceded because we would outscore the opposition or the days of Burely, Royle, Jim and even sometimes PJ where we'd get complimented on completely dominating the games and teams saying 'they're the best team we've played all season'!!! I have to say I appreciate the fact Mick saved us and we're very lucky to have him but his style really bugs me!!! Yes the midfield not scoring is a big concern but more of the concern for me is the lack of creativity from midfield, lack of balance and ability to dominate games. I think it says alot that our best attacking player this season IMO has been Cresswell, everything seems to come from him and a left back shouldn't be the biggest influence on the pitch!!! Definitely positives can be taken and things could be far far worse but Micks erring on the side of caution all the time really winds me up. We have players (and have had players) who are game changers or are more creative but he goes for the safe bet all the time, he's not a risk taker. Hyam and Skuse for me simply don't work together and our choice of how we deploy and who we deploy in the wide positions is of concern. Then upfront we have 2 very average players in Murphy and Nouble. I think we're in need of more players yes definitely particularly in wide positions and a penalty box striker but also I'd like us to be a bit more forward thinking rather than going safe every game!!
Very true and we've needed to have done that since the mess Keane left us in. The problem with Jewell was he tried to get us to run before we could walk!! With Mick however I don't think we'll ever be what I consider to be a 'good' team, as he never gets his teams to run. I think give him a few seasons (maybe even this one) and he'll have us either promoted or challenging for promotion but we won't be a 'good' team, we'll be a consistent team and then we'll struggle to compete in the PL Mick will leave either sacked or for the Ireland job and we're then left with a very average squad and probably a new manager who would struggle to get the same out of those players. I can't ever see us under Mick being a 'great team' with loads of attacking/creative players but I think the problem is currently, we have a fairly average team and Mick knows this so he is more cautious. It's like last season we weren't scoring enough goals so to solve the problem Mick mades us more defensive so we conceded fewer rather than looking to attack more.
The statistic of us having a high % of finishing our chances and half chances goes to prove (for me atleast) that if we are to add to the team then an attacking wide player would be of most impact to us. Murph is a good player and will always put in a shift and if we were to create more then I'm sure our strikers would look a lot more potent.. But, positives to be taken.. 10 points from 7 matches is a decent start which has set us up to build upon if we use the past few matches as a bench mark. Managers always say "judge us after 10-15 matches" and I'm happy to pass a more detailed judgement on the side at the end of October (at which time we can still utilise the Loan window)
