I was just having a look through our squad, and seeing where we are short on numbers, and how light our subs are. Taking out the kids, we realistically have 23 players that will/are playing first team games. The break down is; GK - Gerken (injured) and Bart Def - Knudsen, Chambers, Smith, Berra, Malarcyk, Digby and Foley Mid - AMN, Skuse, Fraser, Coke, Bru, Tabb, Hyam, Douglas Bishop (injured) Toure (injured) For - Murphy, McG (injured), Pitman, Sears and Varney To me, that squad is definitely not a squad that will make the play offs (barring minor miracles). Our defence is so light it's untrue. If either of our first back four gets injured or banned, then we'll have to rely on either Digby, Malarcyk or Foley - that is a scary thought. Ok, we have numbers in our midfield, but the likes of Coke and Tabb are simply not good enough. Even if Bishop does come back this season, he'll need a good 5-6 games to get anywhere near match fit, so in effect he should be ruled out for the season. Fortunately our forwards have goals in them, be it Murphy, Sears or Pitman. Varney is simply not good enough, and McG, well, he seems to be made of glass at the moment, so I can't see him getting much time this season (and will he be given the chance to get back to anywhere near his best?) We seriously need some new faces in, players that can actually improve our team from day one, and not 30 something has beens or 18 year old kids that can't get in the starting 11 of a 3rd division team. MM and ME seriously need to up the ante if we are to be genuine play off contenders. Our squad is too paper thin to continue to mount a challenge, they will not be able to sustain our first half form over the next 20 games or so. If we don't improve our squad, then I seriously think we won't be anywhere near the top six. There are too many teams around us that are strengthening whilst we are being left behind, for whatever reason, which is a shame, because everyone has worked so hard to get close, but the stubbornness of either our owner or manager will definitely cost us dearly.
I've all but given up that we'll bring anyone in this window, but it's a squad that definitely needs a few fresh faces. Focus on the summer and it's clear we need to implement some sort of rebuilding job if we want Premier League football. Gerken and Bart are decent goalkeepers, but I don't think they're Premier League quality. I'd certainly hope we get rid of one of them next window and bring in an experienced, safe pair of hands. Remember the likes of Kelvin Davis and Neil Alexander? I used to feel comfortable when those players were inbetween the sticks. As for Gerken and Bart? Not so much. Granted Gerken was on a good run of form, but he's still error-prone and that gets exploited against the big teams in this division. Our defence is very light. I think the ideal situation is to have two good players for every position, but for a club of our finances and league standing, that's too ambitious. Berra is our best defender. Smith has been improving, but he still lacks composure on the ball. Knudsen's performances have improved of late, but he still has a knack of making mistakes. Chambers is a decent defender, but limited at right-back, where he is ineffective pushing forwards and providing support. I guess, on the surface, those starting four defenders aren't bad, and they clearly benefit from McCarthy's decision to start them consistently together. However, I do not have much confidence that the three substitutes listed are capable of making a positive impression, if given a few matches. Emmanuel, Kenlock, and Yorwerth may have potential, but they haven't taken the opportunities provided to them. We need more creativity in midfield, and we will eventually need more numbers. AMN and Fraser will be gone by the summer, and in Fraser's case, that's a big blow because he is technically our best player. Tabb, Coke, and Toure are all deadwood, bar some kind of career renaissance in the second half of this campaign. Bru, Skuse, and Bishop are good midfielders, for this level, and the hope is that Douglas can find his early-season form and Hyam can overcome injury problems and play to a decent standard. An emphasis on wingers is reduced if we persist with 4-3-3. We have good strikers, on paper, but McGoldrick is injury-prone and doesn't seem bothered, Sears has not found his scoring boots this campaign (granted he's been forced out wide lately), and we should be able to do a lot better than Varney! Murphy is getting back among the goals, and that's good to see, but how many more years does he have before age catches up with him? One or two at best, I'd imagine.
We need players in but after reading these comments from Mcarfy......... It’s always nice to bring somebody in, it might freshen you up for a couple of weeks, but if they’re better than what I’ve got then I’d have had to spend a fair chunk of money and I don’t believe in just bringing players in for the sake of them. “And I’ve got two players for every position. I said previously, before the 11 o’clock bell rings, I’m happy with my squad, I’m delighted with them.” He added: “I’d have to go out and pay a lot of money to get better than what I’ve got and I don’t think that’s going to be the case. I’m happy. “I’ve not been looking, not too much, because there’s no point in me saying I’m happy and then behind closed doors scrolling through all these players thinking ‘I might get something else’. No, I’m pleased, the lads are great. Feck me that guy is sooooo bloody annoying, I don't half wish he would piss off but it ain't happening
All we seem to do each Season is clear out the deadwood and then replace it with more of the same.Each year we bring in on loan one/two good players who are easily the best in the squad and inevitably move on. It's getting worse than effing Groundhog Day! There seems to be no coordinated plan to build a squad capable of mounting a concerted attempt at promotion or even play to a recognisable system other than not lose and get the ball out of our own half asap. For the first time in decades I will seriously reconsider the renewal of my Season Ticket if things don't improve. Rant over!
Whether people like Mick's approach or not it's a hell of a lot better than Jewell and Keane " we're in for this player we're in for that " then Keane blaming the bloody area for players not signing you couldn't make it up. Back then we had idiot Clegg too. Dear god. Under Mick he won't give the press anything. He'd praise a lump of wood / piece of bluetack. " That lump of woods great, fabulous " - would I want to play for a manager who kept everything internal and didn't create a problem looking in? You're damn right I would. That doesn't escape the fact I would love to know what the bloody hell we're doing! Frustrating as hell. But that isn't going to change, Mick's been with us since 2012 so I just disregard any press conference as we are going to find out absolutely nothing new. Two in please.... We got Wood / Fryers on loan last time around. Williams too actually. I think we'll get a loanee or two in yet. Wednesday meanwhile have just signed Aiden McGeady. Gulp..... that does not help us.
How long are we going to keep comparing everything to how we were under Keane and Jewell? For me, that period is dead and gone. I'm only looking at what is going on today, and the tomorrow. We are not rebuilding the club, we are just covering up all the cracks we have/had. If, and that is a huge If, we somehow managed to get promoted, how many of our players could genuinely play and survive in the premiership without embarrassing our club? I'll answer that, NONE (ok, maybe 1 or 2, but that is it) We need to be buying players like Fraser and AMN, not getting them on loan and buying 32 year old has beens - we are not progressing as a team (yes, our league positions are). We need to plan for the future, not just any old tom dick and harry that will scrape us up.
Stretchy I agree with that 100%, looking forward as things stand there's not a lot to be positive about,we need a wholesale shift in outlook which just isn't going to happen under Mick.
Henshall been released and Town linked with Gills midfielder, righto pmsl. Gills Midfielder Linked Monday, 1st Feb 2016 15:04 Surprise deadline day reports are linking the Blues with a move for Gillingham midfielder Bradley Dack. According to The Sun’s Alan Nixon, Town have made a £2 million approach for the 22-year-old, who has scored 14 goals from midfield for the Gills in League One this season and has also been mentioned in connection with Bristol City and Reading. As if!
I must admit that things are better than they were under Keane and Jewell but.... It's a little like saying Iraq is better than it was under Saddam but I still wouldn't ****ing holiday there!
A lot of the population of Iraq would probably say that things were different than under Saddam but not necessarily better!
The lack of investment is worrying. If this was happening every transfer window at a club like Newcastle for instance, the fans would be staging protests by now. Marcus has it easy with the Ipswich supporters, that's for sure. The things that piss me off are things like having his name on the shirt. We're not making any money from that and I don't understand why we can't sell that space to somebody else. We don't seem to be generating too much cash flow from outside sources, everyone already knows that I think we should have electronic advertising boards to create more revenue. Marcus has a stranglehold on the club and the majority of supporters don't want to rock the boat for fear of him dumping us and just because things are better than they were a few years ago. If things don't change I can see a gradual resentment begin to form towards our owner.
Lack of transfer fees is a little different from lack of investment ...IMO............now I know we haven't spent anything in transfer fees but I don't know about any other investment in other areas....as for creating revenue and the shirt sponsor that makes no difference if the additional income is not put back into the club. I think too many January signings can disrupt a team ....but one or two can galvanise a team for the run in...... As I've said before I will give Mick until the end of the season before I decide if I will continue to back him............but to be fair I don't think my opinion holds much sway either way.
What I was trying to say Weighty was that whilst other clubs are doing business, we seem to be standing still. I don't doubt that we offer competitive wages but we are only able to do that because we are not spending money on fees. There are only so many unattached players out there who we can tempt with that policy, the rest have to be bought out of contracts. I'm sure there are good levels of investment being made but it is mostly in the background so we as fans don't see it or appreciate it as much. It certainly can't hurt us to sell the shirt sponsor spot Weighty, regardless how the money is used. If the money is used solely for keeping our debt to Evans down then that in itself is a positive. Sorry mate, I can't find any negative to bringing extra money in.
I know what your saying SD......... But I'm not that fussed about the accountancy side of Ipswich really as long as we steer clear of financial ruin...... ....I thought that Evans sponsored the club as an additional way to inject money without falling foul of FFP I could be wrong............my point was its neither negative or positive if any additional income goes away from the club..
There's probably no money put into the club though, I would think it's just cancelled out by the debt.
Your probably right I have no idea........ I do know that Evans puts a fair bit into the acadamy.....which is why he wanted to get Cat 1 so we would recieve more in grants and he would have to invest less.
