Marcus Evans has now been at the club for 10 years and thought I'd get an oversight from people from a few quick fire questions: 1. Are we a better or worse team since he took over? 2. Best game? 3. Worst game? 4. Best player? 5. Worst player? 6. Best decision? 7. Worst decision? 8. Best season? 9. Worst season?
1. I don't think there are too many differences between the squads in terms of playing personnel between the one Mick has put together and the one Jim assembled, however the Jim's team was far more exciting. I think we had a bit of hope back then whereas now it feels like groundhog day. With that in mind i'd say we're a worse team. 2. Ipswich 3 - 2. Norwich 2009 3. Lincoln City 1 - 0 Ipswich (I'm sure there are many many more however this one due to the caliber of opposition this one stands out) 4. Aaron Cresswell 5. Ben Thatcher or Damien Delaney 6. Bringing back Klug and investing in the academy 7. Appointing Roy Keane 8. 2007/08 - The first one when we had hope 9. 2009/2010 - Roy Keane's first season in charge when reality set in
Hope y'all got a spare half an hour for this one .... 1. Comparing starting elevens between now and back in 2007/08, lining up in a traditional 4-4-2 formation, I think the current squad edge a combined eleven. I'd have Bart over Neil Alexander in goal. Our combined back four would be David Wright at RB, I'd keep Knudsen at LB over Dan Harding, who was pretty poor. A combined centre back pairing of Jason De Vos and Adam Webster would be pretty good, Webster pipping Alex Bruce to the position. In midfield, I'd go for Jon Walters at RM and Celina as LM (over the industrious Alan Quinn), with a central midfield duo of Tommy Miller and Huws (over Garvan). I'd have McGoldrick and Waghorn up front over the 08 strikeforce of Counago and Alan Lee (blasphemy maybe, but they were getting old and ineffective at the stage). Notable mentions from the 08 squad go to the young Jordan Rhodes and Connor Wickham who made their debuts that season and would go on to forge impressive careers elsewhere (maybe not so much Wickham with his injuries). The squad also includes club legend Fabian Wilnis (who was near retirement), the disappointing Jaime Peters (remember him, widely claimed as being a potential £20m player)? Better players include Danny Haynes and David Norris, but other than that there is a lot of guff and, Rhodes and Wickham aside, we had no talent coming through the academy unlike today's squad. While we played a more entertaining style of football under Magilton, I'd argue in terms of strongest starting eleven and strongest squad, the current squad edges it, particularly for being more balanced and having a better strength in depth and attack. 2. Off the top of my head, the 3-2 win to effectively relegate Norwich in the 08/09 season. Also special mentions to the 5-1 against West Ham, a surprising and a brilliant match back in 2012 under Jewell, as well as the 1-0 win over Arsenal in the League Cup semis first leg, the recent 3-1 win over Newcastle last season (best second half I've seen us play for a while), and the 4-3 victory over Millwall this season. 3. Easy, the 7-1 loss against Peterborough United. I was watching it with uni mates in Magaluf and got a fair bit of stick for that result. I think it eventually turned into pity, which summed up that season (2011/12). Quite a few other contenders, the thrashing against Chelsea in the FA Cup rankles, the repeated losses against Norwich, including those two heavy defeats in 2010/11 season, if I recall correctly (I don't want to check!) More worst matches than best matches, overall. The Lincoln result was of course shocking and I was very angry following the defeat but, considering their run to the quarters and how they knocked out Brighton and Burnley, it took some of the pain away and made me think that it was just a very motivated, well-drilled side. 4. In terms of talent, Tom Lawrence. Changed games almost single-handedly and scored several wonder strikes. Arguably the main factor in keeping us up last season. Gio a close second, undeniably gifted but was only here for a short spell. Judging as a whole across the Evans years, it has to be Daryl Murphy for me. Regularly joined us on loan and then when he made the move permanent, he plundered over 50 goals in three seasons, including that magnificent scoring form in the play off campaign. Bart a close second for his consistency between the sticks and the amount of saves he's had to pull off season after season! 5. A toss up between Lee Bowyer, Nathan Ellington, Darren O'Dea, Frank Nouble, Michael Chopra, Lee Martin, Giles Coke, and Leon Best. To be honest, I could probably throw several more names here from the dross that Keane and Jewell brought in. I'll go for Michael Chopra because, for me, he typified the carefree, lazy, mercenary attitude of many of our players in the Keane / Jewell years. 6. Agree with itfcpc, bringing back Klug and focusing on the academy. Now starting to bear fruit and, if we keep investing in it, should produce several first team regulars for years to come. Hiring McCarthy a close second, stabilised the club and, last season aside, has got us competing for top six positions on a regular basis again. 7. Also agree with hiring Roy Keane as worst decision, although we have the benefit of hindsight as he looked like a decent appointment at the time (although I was less enthused, as a big Magilton fan). Ultimately, his tactics, transfers, and level of spending has set this club back seasons. He squandered several million on poor players and couldn't get us playing good or effective football, and responsible for that run of 16 games without a win at the start of his first full season. If we had hired a more competent manager during that period when Evans was ploughing millions into the transfer budget, things could be looking so much different now. 8. Has to be 2014/15 for actually making the play offs for the only time in Evans' ownership. Plus there was that 24 odd game unbeaten run during autumn / winter where we were at the summit of the Championship table. Not experienced that sort of joy and confidence in the team since the early Joe Royle years. Hopefully we can recapture that form this season. 9. Worst season was last season for me. Four points off relegation, lowest league position for years, horrible atmosphere, and a mediocre, underperforming squad which, for that season at least, will be judged harshly in the future. Closely run by the aforementioned 2009/19 Keane season where we didn't win for the first 16 games and did not take advantage of our financial power at the time. The 2011/12 season under Jewell was also very close to being picked for this answer. We were slumped in lower mid-table with a toxic atmosphere, and a squad consisting of players who didn't put any effort in and were just looking for their next pay cheque. Stuffed full of has-beens and never-has-beens, a frustrating time to be a Town fan.
1. Are we a better or worse: Better - But only marginally. I think that squad had more players that you were excited to go and watch, but this side would probably beat it. 2. Best Game: 6-0 win against Doncaster.. Was half cut and got into the ground on a child's ticket so the day out and atmosphere as much as the game itself. 3. Worst game: 6-0 loss against Leicester. Henderson was atrocious in goal and Bradley Orr looked like a bloke they'd dragged off the street. How it only ended with 6 was a mystery as we were battered for 90 minutes. 4. Best player: GIO!! Was far too good for the championship and therefore ourselves, but it was fun to watch. Other than that I'd say Fraser but both are loan signings which probably speaks volumes. 5. Worst player: Bradley Orr would be a fair shout, but I would probably go for Lee Martin as he played more games, cost considerably more money but produced next to nothing. 6. Best decision: Finally sticking Murphy up front after a few seasons employed as a winger. (Also, given the circumstances: Appointing Mick) 7. Worst decision: Appointing Paul Jewell (apparently Dyche was one of the other options we were looking at) 8. Best season: Either the 2007/8 where we narrowly missed out on the playoffs or (the obvious one) of 2014/15 where we were actually involved in the playoffs. 9. Worst season: Easily 2012/13 for me.. We were a dreadful team made up of mercenaries (Chopra, Bullard) and a million Loanees that weren't that bothered. We were regularly thumped and were adrift at the bottom until Mick came in and steered us to safety
After reading both your responses it makes me realise how bad the ME era has been, there are so many terrible matches over the past 10 years which I'd forgotten about. I'm not surprised attendances are so low
1. Are we a better or worse team since he took over? 2. Best game? You'd imagine Ipswich 5 West Ham 1 was special. Wasn't at that. Watford away 14/15 1-0 95th min the best feeling when Chaplow scored, more or less made it clear we were going to be in the play offs. 3. Worst game? 7-1 v Peterborough I saw on Sky. Awful. 4. Best player? Gio by a mile. Class. Murphy's 14/15 season was unreal though. 5. Worst player? Too many to name. Rory Fallon!? O'Dea 6. Best decision? To sack Keane/Jewell 7. Worst decision? To give Keane / Jewell as long as they had. Nice to see faith given in this day and age however laughable. 8. Best season? 14/15 by a mile. 07/08 until we got ££££ was good, then ****e.... 9. Worst season? Too many to name.
