I think that’s the fairest and most balanced assessment of our present awful position and how the blame should be apportioned.
I really DON'T think you can lay the blame entirely at Hurst's door or for that matter Mick's. Lambert has inherited a side with holes in it but my goodness so did Hurst. McCarthy was given time and he didn't impress me BUT given the current situation I absolutely have to view his tenure in a different light - he was literally turning water into wine, albeit a crap bottle. Hurst did NOT have the luxury of keeping those players mentioned, wasn't given any time and hasn't had the opportunity to improve, grow or see any work bear fruit. Lambert is not proving to be the 'Get Out Of Jail Free' card that many seem to have expected. We have had all the same issues and underachieved for a DECADE. That is a bit of a clue as to what's led to our current predicament. We have the single most inept club owner in football. We need: - A new owner, or - A Director of Football to oversee the long term vision of the club and support the manager. - Succession planning for managers - A £10m net spend in each window for 4 windows. - A Cat One academy Let's get a bit of perspective - David McGoldrick is playing in the side going top right now. It's an absolute farce of a football club under Evans.
Cheers Big Al, I think it’s too simplistic to lay the blame at one person’s door. This is without doubt one of the worst Ipswich teams I can remember watching (although my 27 year old memory isn’t as far reaching as some on here who have seen much better days supporting Town). Right down there with the teams during that mediocre 2008-11 period and 2016-17. The difference between those squads and the one we have now is that this squad, for me, doesn’t contain any stand-out players.
Interesting - we have had similar lack of goals and striking options in the not too distant past on more than one occasion - I recall Claus Thomsen being top scorer with 5 goals one season. To McCarthy's credit he was very good at getting in numbers of striking options and that's why it's such a contrast to now. But I don't ever recall a side with such a lack of imagination, leadership. The Mick McGiven side had some decent players but was absolutely hopeless as a team but I don't ever recall a playing staff that seemingly goes out onto the pitch, pulling down their shorts, bending over and saying to the opposition come and take us. How bad we are is unprecedented in the club's history. We lack someone like Gareth McCauley taking charge of the defence and fighting for every ball, Daryl Murphy picking up the ball and attacking the opposition on his own. Yes we need skill but we need leadership even more.
Mick to blame for even 1% of the current predicament? Absolute codswallop - sheer rubbish. Without Mick, we'd have been relegated years ago. How the hell could Mick plan long-term when the chairman would sell any assets as quickly as was humanly possible? Mick somehow scrambles a side with Tabb / Anderson / Skuse and Bishop or Bru ........ to an automatic spot in January - while having the likes of Connor Sammon on loan for the first half of the season - then what's he rewarded with? Oh £250k for Sears, Fryers + Chaplow on loan. We came 12th last season - which again is massively overachieving considering the budget given. That is with a side that often had 8 plus players injured for every single championship game all season. If people want to attribute any blame to Mick for our current plight then that really is beyond me. However people want to dress it up, yes we've lost key players - yes any manager may well have struggled this season, however I know for a fact if Mick were still here we wouldn't be in this position - we'd be out of the drop zone and not having this conversation. I do agree though it was best all around he went - he like McGoldrick wouldn't have stayed anyway if offered new terms. Hurst + Evans are to blame. Hurst unfortunately was naive in his transfer policy - I'm sure some of them WILL come off yet - however it was far too many far too quick. Coupled with that and his inability to run a football club at this level ( give him his dues, was his first time and we all make mistakes ) and it was a recipe for failure sadly. As for Evans - well I think Nuggets will inform many on this more than others. First of all, we DO I think need to be thankful Evans came along. We were up s*** creek without a paddle back in 2007 - £36 mill in the red ( nothing in todays terms though!!! ) and sinking. He came in, spent ££££ with Magilton / Keane + Jewell. He changed policy completely with Mick - and I don't think now I've thought about it more so in terms of sales / spend help Hurst perhaps enough - though with how he's ' managed ' and some of the signings perhaps that's a relief. Be interesting to see what Evans does with Lambert in January - I think he'll have to chuck more than he'd like to at it, as relegation could well see us lose a hell of a lot more / potential to get stuck there years / become another Charlton. It's all a bit of a mess and hard to get too excited by about now for me. We're in November, and the aim is survival. Absolutely pathetic all around springs to mind.
Your head’s stuck so far up Mick’s arse you can’t see the truth.Also you rarely saw us play when he was manager so don’t appreciate just how tedious it had become.Its’s telling that,on the rare occasions you did attend the blinkers started to come off and I distinctly recall you expressing disillusionment
Rarely saw us play when he was the manager - I went 23 times 14/15 season alone thanks and various times other seasons. The footy WAS crap but I got it. Probably went over 50 times during his reign and watched a good load of other games online, and in bars but thanks for that..... Really not that difficult to acknowledge even now he did a good job given the constraints but people are blind by emotion.................. It WAS tedious - i know that - but give me that over this. Awwww diddums our little style of play upsetting people awwwwww. Bless.
It’s time to realise that NOBODY could do a decent job at Ipswich under the current conditions and those that could with better conditions do not want to come without a sensible transfer budget because they know how it would end up. McCarthy did his best at grinding out results even though the football was dire. Hurst did his best at trying to assemble a team out of next to nothing. Lambert is doing his best to put a positive spin on the hopeless situation we find ourselves in. Everybody apart from Hull has picked up points today and Preston are pulling away so Sheffield Wednesday find themselves back in the mix. It’s looking bad for Hull, Millwall, Reading and Bolton but it looks an awful lot worse for Town stranded at the bottom of the table and comfortably bottom of the form table with 2 points from 18. What matters now is whether this becomes a wake up call for the owner.
I’m with Westlake in this, for all Micks faults we never looked like relegation candidates. For me Evans allowing Hurst to rip the team apart is the main reason we are where we are.
For me, Evans not backing Hurst at the point it was starting to come good and ahead of three vital matches is the main reason we are where we are.
You likewise if you cannot get your head out of the sand and realise Mick did a good job given the budget. I did a serious point before and was rewarded with having my head up someones bottom........... then you don't like it when I bite back. Can't have it both ways.
So you were happy with Hurst's results, bottom of the table, and he required more time? Rightyo. Starting to come good!?!? ONE WIN.
You will not get a serious debate. You'll always get a response that sounds like something from Animal Farm: four legs good, two legs bad.
Still,if you look,sound and act like an adolescent at least you can get into matches without paying your full wack!
The January transfer window will show whether Evans gives a damn about this football club and it's fans, the only good thing I can think of is that Lambert doesn't appear to be a yes man so I hope he will demand funds for players. Also PL must know by now who is up to Championship standard and who isn't worth keeping, so I would hope to see some of Hursts signings and the permanently injured moved on and replaced with decent players.
Lambert has come out this week to say he doesn't want to sign more than one or two players and that he doesn't know what funds will be available, so I wouldn't hold your breath. Even if Evans had the funds to invest I doubt he will throw money at a very low chance of survival come January.
