I'm not sure we're starting with the best players, I think perhaps we're starting with the most solid players in that you generally know what you're going to get every week from each but our team doesn't look that balanced. I think Tabb should be in there somewhere and possibly Hewitt and I'd like to see Taylor given a chance once he comes back. But I agree the starting plan isn't that bad most of the time it's when we go behind or are looking to win the game where the issue is, the changes just seem to be more of the same and he doesn't really have 'unpredictable' players on the bench, who have the ability to do something out of the blue. I honestly think we miss JET in that respect because even last season when he came on he changed games. But certainly Edwards on at RB would be a positive change or a change of formation.
PTC Hewitt, I will agree with. Tabb/ Tunnicliffe doesnt really bother me. Both do a job, neither really inspire me. Taylor I would like to see but he did need match fitness so a month away was understandable. Lets just hope he gets a place on the bench at least in the coming weeks. I dont often disagree with you but getting rid of JET was one of the best things MM has done for me. The boy had talent but showing it for 5 minutes once every 7 or 8 games is not worth it. The minimum I require of any player is 100% effort. Maybe its just me but I dont expect my season ticket money to be spent on someone to have a dream lifestyle but show no interest or no commitment. If his 5 minutes of brilliance was evident every game then I may have given him the benefit but 99% of his appearance was like playing with 10 men on the pitch. I dont actually like Edwards and havent done since he first signed. His positioning is poor when played as a defender and his crossing isnt upto it when played further forward BUT it is an option. No one we have is great at crossing on a regular basis and when playing a CB at RB it restricts us going forward. It may not work but it would be nice to try something.
I was more talking about perhaps Tabb or Tunnicliffe moving centrally with currently either Skuse or more probably Hyam dropping out. Gonna have to disagree about JET, because he made things happen, yes he could be frustrating but look at Nouble, in terms of making things happen he just doesn't, think given the right environment JET could be great but you do need a balance and we couldn't find that with him here. I think thats something not many of our managers in the past few years has acheived a balance of workers and talent we seem with each change of manager go from one to the other. I'd much rather see JET coming on when we're 1-0 down than Nouble. No I haven't liked Edwards since he's been here, infact the only time I warmed to him was when he went to RB and I'm not sure he was as bad defensively as we all thought, I'm not saying he was great but I think how we were set up under Jewell didn't help. If Mick played him there I'm sure he'd be more effective. Going forwards from RB he was immense whereas when ever I've seen him on the wing he's just so timid, which is strange considering it's a more attacking position but I certainly think it's an option if we're 1-0 down. It's depressing though that arguably the 2 players who could make something happen in our team are Cresswell and if played at RB Edwards. It'll be interesting to see if Micks here for a couple of years if he starts to introduce more flair/creative players once we've stabilised as it were.
The weak link is Hyam at the moment! He has been pretty poor of late and I would take him out and replace him with Tabb alongside Skuse! This will add much needed creativity in Midfield. IMO Skuse has been a revelation in the middle of the park and I think with Tabb beside him our Midfield will be pretty decent.
would tabb or tunnicliffe really offer much more than Skuse/ Hyam. For me none of them have that vision or class or spark to make much of a difference. It doesnt bother me too much as we were similarly steady with Holland/ Magilton althougth they did have vision and a touch of class above our current midfielders but back then we had also flair surrending them. A Reuser type player would be a great addition to the current team or a Wilnis type RB. Maybe the creative player could be Taylor. Personally Wordsworth would be my change for CM. Maybe he is not up to it but at some stage we have to find out. Drury put in a handful of fine performances for us and he came from further down the league period than Wordsworth. Your case for the defence of JET appears to be 'he is better than Nouble' That I will not disagree with but personally I wouldnt want to see either of them! Maybe JET could have been our missing link in the workmanlike midfield but how many chances can you give a player before giving up. He made 70 appearances for us. How many of them can you say he honestly looked interested in and got involved in. During that time he scored 8 goals and most of them were spectacular but is that enough? not for me. I dont really buy the wrong position argument. You may not look great but 100% effort doesnt take a lot of tactical awareness. Norris for all his faults showed that! It just means giving your all. Probably the best current situation is Berbatov at Fulham. A superbly gifted footballer but currently cost Fulham points and if I was Jol he wouldnt be near my first team. Doesnt track, doesnt run, blames the rest of the team for not passing to him but when they do he looses out immediately. Its not good enough.
TB I watched Hyam when we played Burnley and to be honest he did struggle badly especially going forward. Skuse was our best player, he never wasted a pass all game and always kept it alive! I honestly don't think Wordy is quite good enough though maybe as a Sub but definately not to start. Tabb is our best midfielder and proved that with his performances last season so I would rather have him in the side at the moment and withdraw Hyam for a while.
Any ways we are getting away from the OP! Who is a credible alternative to Mick? From the posts so far I think it is right to say that we are struggling for an alernative!
I think the point is Warky that there are dozens of people we'd be better off with than a half-hearted Mick McCarthy. In all likelihood he is going so at that point we'll see who's available.
Fair points from the above, MMs subs can be predictable, would like a bit more variation, ie; give Marriot a 20 min spell at the end of a game. 1 prediction for Friday night, Hyam dropped for Tunni in the middle, then 2 from Anderson, Edwards & Tabb out wide.!
I think you're right Hoppers! Hyam needs to be given a rest and I would give Tabb the nod over Edwards!
I can see where you are coming from Tache but thats more based on form. It is obviously something you have to take into account. I just meant that all 4 of them, when on top of their game, seem to offer pretty much the same. For me the 'energy' levels are the main difference. Like you i have been impressed with Skuse but then Hyam normally looks better when he is sitting rather than being box to box. I can see why you would swap Hyam for Tabb as Tabb is normally very energetic so may suit that role more but he doesnt really seem to offer much real penetration./ vision. If you done that who would be out wide? I Wouldnt really want a midfield of Tunnicliffe - Tabb- Skuse - Anderson either. For me, I think with our current personnal then there isnt really too much you can do with the starting line up. The major changes would be at times of substitutions which brings me full circle to my original comment on this thread!
I think we all accept that it was a huge coup to get Mick last season considering where we were, and on paper there probably aren't any better managers out of work at the moment that we could realistically hope to get. But that doesn't take away from the fact that we could be on the lookout for a new manager, I suppose the real question is, not who is the best alternative to Mick, but who is the best manager available for Ipswich Town football club. We need someone dependable, but will try to attack more than Mick. more importantly we need somebody who will have the clubs best interests at heart and that for only points to Mogga.
problem is warky, there is no point saying there is no one better than Mick if Mick takes a job elsewhere. Mick become irrelevant in our search for a new manager. The longer this goes on the more i am certain that Mick will tell the ROI to go bollocks for mucking him about, that can only be a good thing for Ipswich.
Ok, back on topic if the ROI did manage to prise MM from us then I would like to see Di Matteo (probably out of our reach) Parkinson from MKD or Uwe Rossler seems to be performing well down at Brentford right now.
I think Tabb or Tunnicliffe in the centre would add a little more than Hyam and Skuse, none of them are that creative but I think would be more comfortable in the slightly more advanced position. For me Tabb is one of our best players and when he played wide it was clear to me he looked better in the centre, I certainly think he could be a better option than Hyam currently. But even though Hyam hasn't been playing that well and Skuse has I don't think Skuse helps Hyam out alot, there's nothing wrong with keeping posession but I think Skuse needs to show a little more intent and times and try to get involved or even support attacking play a bit more, I get the feeling that Skuse is the player version of Mick, in that he's certainly a good player but needs to take a few more risks rather than just being content. I'd like to see more of Wordsworth he looks a good player but I think perhaps doesn't suit a 442, I think he'd be more suited to the tip of a diamond or in more of a free role, not sure he gets on the ball enough as a CM. That was just one example about JET but I think probably over the past few seasons if you look at the starts and compared the number of minutes on the pitch and goals, shots on goal, assists, potential assists I think he'd of had the highest percentage out of anyone. In the right team and under the right management he could be a hell of a player, I'm not sure it's his lack of workrate but perhaps he's just a bit to relaxed, it's a shame Mick didn't persevere IMO as we've all seen what he can get out of players with little talent.
