I would imagine that ME is fed up with pouring money into poor transfer's & decided to invest it into the academy ? If this is so its a bloody good idea IMO. You can pluck the quality lads for us to cherry pick?
i don't like defending ipswich but i will in this case. this decision will have been taken by bryan klug. bryan is a brilliant coach who only returned to ipswich from tottenham after evans and clegg had made the decision to go the category 2 route. i very much doubt he would have returned to ipswich if he hadn't had guarantees from the owner that he would be upgrading in the future. i also suspect they noticed how much progress norwich have already made behind the scenes (we're setting up numerous academies around the country with more to follow and started pinching the pick of other clubs young crops) and they'll have realised that if you're not in category 1 under the new system, there is little point having an academy at all. category 2 is useless - it's harder to produce young players and if you're lucky enough to churn out a couple of gems they will get pinched for next to nothing by category 1 clubs. its a big call to make for ipswich, a club who haven't even been close to being a premier league club for the best part of a decade, but i admire their optimism in regards producing 50%+ of their first team (might have to cut a player in two to actually get 50%!). this plan is great and should be applauded, even if it is our local rivals, and i'm sure given five years they could probably reach that goal - however, if they get promoted they will throw that plan straight out of the window, i absolutely guarantee that. we've announced we want to produce one academy player who is propelled into the first team every year from 2016 (i think) and that sounds far more realistic for a premier league club to sustain. at a lower level youth is always important but paying for category one then becomes more difficult. its a brave decision but i believe it is the correct one for a club of ipswich's size and tradition. whether they reach their goals is another matter and as i say, if they have the fortune to get promoted i am 100% sure they will conveniently forget about their extravagant home grown plans.
just to add, i think their owner is absolutely awful and i genuinely don't think he has the clubs best interests at heart (and never has) and he certainly won't have been a driving force behind this. it will be 100% klug but at least he is a man ipswich fans can trust as opposed to their owner
You must admit though his pissed a lot of money down the drain with his Ipswich project, plenty of other people would of pulled the plug right now.
Guru,as they say in Scouseland you need to man up.OK if it offended you I apologise for the crack but to say "He may have had an illness or something" is a bit weak.The guy looked like he had nothing more than a chronic addiction to pies,although more likely given that he was billed as MD of ITFC Filet aux pate Fois Gras
The fella would have made two of our Grant. BTW Just occurred to me that he has signed for..."The Pie Eaters"
Obviously Marcus can't use his money to bankroll the playing squad due to FFP so he is going to invest in something that is outside of that, namely the academy. It is a good move for us and will only benefit us in the future.
Don't be silly cromer, no offence taken just couldn't understand why the piss take on something that is Only going to improve itfc! As supers has said, bryan klug coming back is probably the best thing to happen to us in the last 12 months
For the last time Guru, it wasn't a piss take on something that is going to improve Ipswich, it was a pisstakeabout the fact your are "copying". We're well aware it's in your best interests, it's just amusing that it looks like you're following the Norwich model.
Nooo, I think there is a few more than just the one. It's a long season, we don't want to use them all up in one go.
Unfortunatly for Ipswich there is a club just to the North doing a fair bit better, so if you had the choice I wonder who would get the pick of the talent. Don't worry lads, I'm sure our cast offs might be good enough for you I found this little clip rather amusing... http://www.eadt.co.uk/sport/ipswich...t_away_following_in_almost_a_decade_1_2308583 Bless em. After the realisation that they are doomed to mid table mediocrity for yet another season the numbers will dwindle off to normal levels. Was also funny that Reading fans don't see the mighty, world famous, history laden binners as a team worth watching
The only thing the binners are laden with is severe debt and an ever decreasing interest in their football club.
As much as I'd love to have an all Prem Old Farm Derby, it is pretty great watching Ippy languish in the Championship.
Reminds me of the joke: A man with a headdress, a fantastic beard and Arabic robes walks into a Norfolk pub. The landlord asks, "bin laden?" The man replies, "nah, bin swarffum". It's better read out loud...
These are the actions of a real club that cares about itself and its supporters and puts well healed poacher clubs to shame - well done Ipswich!
