Lee Martin's days could well be numbered and to be honest I wouldn't cry if he left us. http://www.twtd.co.uk/ipswich-town-news/21983/hunt-on-mccarthys-list
According to the Sun, Mick might go back to his old club Wolves to try and sign Stephen Hunt, a ready made replacement for Martin, who for me is never going to be a regular for us, if we are going to be a force again.
So S. Hunt isn't an over the hill pensioner unwanted at other clubs...? Also, I dont get to watch many games so can someone explain to me why Martin has become the new "boo-boy". This is one of those situations where I see a 31 year old on his way down from football potentially replacing a player who has talent that needs unlocking and nuturing so he can add the end product consistently to his game. If I remember correctly in the end portion of Jewells tenure we were praising Martin on mass as being the most improved player.
I have to say this whole players are rubbish players are great from one minute to the next is confusing me!!! Martin 2 years ago was a scapegoat because people thought he was rubbish and looked on his way out of the club then the second part of last season people were saying he was our best player and it was vital that we should keep him, infact we should build our team around him but now he's not good enough for us. The same people change there mind more than a yo yo goes up and down. It goes from on extreme to the other. It's like Tommy Smith who everyone seems to rate now (am I correct??), a year ago he was seen as cack, then toward the end of last season people were saying he should be made Captain, then at the start of this season he was useless and not good enough for this level now after a couple of decent performances he's a good player again!! I'm struggling to keep up!!
Martin for me isn't a boo boy. He was one of the players giving his all in Jewell's last few weeks, but even now his end product in the final third isn't up to much. But Hunt is absolute quality and linking up with McCarthy again he would be a real, real danger to opposing teams.
Sonko is only 31 now... I wasn't saying he's past it, but he's inevitably on the way down. I accept that some players can go on forever, but he's not making the Wolves squad so by the time he takes to get match fit...? It could be a good signing and if he becomes an Ipswich player then i'll support him. but the whole road seems strikingly familiar. Older players who the manager has worked with before.
If he is big improvement on what we have already got which I believe he definately would be then where's the problem?
As for the current thread apologies for going O/T I'm not sure about Hunt although I do think we are certainly in need of a left winger, as our only real left winger is Carson. I think we've got a few players who can do a job there but none are comfortable, Murphy IMO did a good job there last season but not so much this season. Martin I don't like on the left wing IMO his best position is either centrally or on the RW!!! As for Hunt, he reminds me a bit of a better Westlake one of those players who shows glimpses of quality works hard and if is on the opposition team is really really annoying as he's a scrappy little player!! Not the highest quality but unlike alot of wingers I'm sure will always be in the game due to his work rate!!! Definitely would've had him a few years ago, not so sure now, only time will tell!!
There isnt a problem with any signing if he proves to be better then what we have, and I agree that he has shown himself to be a good player in the past. But didnt we all think Sonko would be better than Smith/Delaney/Ingi didnt we all think Bullard and Bowyer would be the best championship midfield pairing. I say again, my point isnt he's a bad player or wouldn't be a good addition to the squad, its just ringing alarm bells that were taking him off Wolves hands - as is said he's not been making the squad. PTC summed it up in his last sentence. in-fact the original reason i replied to the thread was to 'challenge' the point that Martin should be replaced.
Lets face it at the time my Granny would have been better than Delaney/Smith/Ingi McCarthy has worked with Hunt before and knows him well so I don't think it would be a gamble. He is a proven player at this level having won promotion with Reading and Wolves so imo he would be a better player to have than Martin.
Mike - So we never sign a player in case it doesn't work out? And if we had the chance to sign someone like Tom Ince we'd still stick with Martin? Martin doesn't NEED replacing but Hunt is a far better player. Why is that so hard to grasp?
I think Martin looked a quality player when playing just behind the frontman, i like Martin as a player but if BigMac wants to bring in Hunt to add competition surely thats a good thing(as long as he gets his haircut). I don't think Carson is going to push on to become a first team regular ATM i would like to see him go out on loan somewhere.
1. Signing an player not getting into/unwanted by a rival championship side and happens to be in the latter stages of his career seems very familiar - never said its the wrong thing to do 2. I think Martin gets some OTT criticism. Those were my two points.
From your link "Hunt, 31, is out of contract at Molineux next summer, having rarely featured since Ståle Solbakken took over as manager" and even the possible reasoning for that beyond not being in Solbakkens plans - the hip surgery - under previous regimes Hunt might have been labeled 'crock' by people on this forum.
