Match Day Thread Town v Cobblers

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Nuggets said:
I did laugh when Lambert was droning on about 'getting everyone around the table' and bemoaning the lack of infrastructure. He's been here for over two years, why has it taken him this long to get everyone around the table?! Why hasn't he been more persistent and vocal about the need to overhaul the infrastructure? If you speak to people around the club or read between the lines from some former players' interviews - we come across as a club with a 1990s set-up, an old school approach to scouting and physiotherapy, and a club all too willing to cut corners and to do things on the cheap. Our Director of Football, Sporting Director, and CEO are usually one man doing the same job and, in the case of your Cleggs and Milnes, somebody without any experience in football. We raise it time and again on this forum, but is it any wonder managers are doomed to fail when they arrive and the club has declined so severely over the past decade?

I honestly don't think Marcus Evans gives a monkeys about the club. He certainly hasn't showed an iota of leadership during his time here. He has no vision. His 'Five Point Plan' gets broken every season. He has no connection with the fanbase. You compare and contrast that to how successful clubs at this level - like Lincoln, Accrington, Peterborough, and Portsmouth are run by their owners (who generally appear to care and have a clear business strategy in place) - and it's truly eye-opening. It's frustrating that we have to be so critical of our owner, and I feel like a stuck record having to bring it up all the time, but it's so obvious to us all! I honestly believe that we are saddled with one of the worst owners in English football. Just look at our record. He doesn't invest in the club, it all gets turned into debt owed to him. It's standing at over £100 million now. Evans gets such an easy pass by the media, where the nationals just brainlessly parrot the simplistic 'be careful what you wish for / you shouldn't have sacked McCarthy' line.

I think it is abundantly clear we need a new manager. Just as we need a new owner, a new Director of Football, a new sports science team, a new scouting set-up, a clearer mindset of what we want to achieve as a club, better engagement and communication with supporters, and for someone senior to actually care about the state of the club. Unfortunately for us, there are not many rich, football-mad multi-millionaires who are willing to buy football clubs, particularly in this economy. I don't think he or she even has to be a football fan, they most notably need the passion for football and the awareness to hire the right people around them.

One immediate change that can at least inject some life into this club, and maybe get us in for a decent shout at promotion, is a new manager. Paul Lambert must be a dead man walking. Evans should be talking to the likes of Paul Cook and the Cowley brothers and he should be completely open and honest with them. Lay out the state of the club, get their feedback, and back them to make some much-needed changes. At the very least they'd implement a set of expected standards and have a better idea of how to set this team up. Now it won't be enough for lasting success, not without a change at the top, but it should hopefully be enough to get a strong squad for this level realistically competing for promotion and capable of beating half-decent sides.
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I’m genuinely embarrassed for Lambert after that. I’m sure his days are numbered.

As for the rest of it, how to run a club - it’s what we have all been saying for ten years now.
 
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YorkieLancsHampyLondoner said:
You only have to look at our free kicks. They’re pathetic. The greats like Roberto Carlos are trying to beat world class keepers but in League One it’s a set piece that a well drilled Sunday league side can pull off better than Town. If our players were dedicated to improving themselves and were being coached effectively we’d be at least testing the keeper regularly on our free kicks.
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It’s a regular comment when I’m watching a game with my Dad “What the hell do they do all week?!”
 
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All your thoughts and comments, much repeated are bang on, for many seasons we have been crying out for change.

I think that time has come, and wouldn't be surprised to see a root & branch attack, by someoe with the cajones to go at it.

My preferred route is, as said before and echoed by some, a take-over by the supporters under a new structure and regime, as Portsmouth and others have succesfuly done. A community interest company model has worked well, and there will be thousands of fans who will plough in their passion to make sure it works.

I hope & wish I will be around to see these much needed changes, I like all you guys, long to bring back the excitement and enthusiasm of Saturday afternoon footie at Portman Road. And those glances up at the latests scores...".are we still top?!"
 
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Southcoastoldgaffer said:
All your thoughts and comments, much repeated are bang on, for many seasons we have been crying out for change.

I think that time has come, and wouldn't be surprised to see a root & branch attack, by someoe with the cajones to go at it.

My preferred route is, as said before and echoed by some, a take-over by the supporters under a new structure and regime, as Portsmouth and others have succesfuly done. A community interest company model has worked well, and there will be thousands of fans who will plough in their passion to make sure it works.

I hope & wish I will be around to see these much needed changes, I like all you guys, long to bring back the excitement and enthusiasm of Saturday afternoon footie at Portman Road. And those glances up at the latests scores...".are we still top?!"
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I just think there’s got to be the money in the county - locally based companies like EDF, BT, Aspall, entrepreneurs, wealthy Suffolk based celebrities like Ed Shereen and Griff Rhys Jones - the support of the borough council to do something better and I’m sure Evans would love to have a route away from the club.
 
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Ed Sheran probably the most successful music artist of the past few years has only about 10% of the wealth of ME. Probably doesn't even have enough money to buy the debt
 
I suspect Evans actually believes he will eventually get a Premier League / maybe even Champions League pay day. But all the evidence suggests he is taking us in the opposite direction. He is deluded.
 
If PL goes and there is no indication that he will we are still left with the cause of our decline, and that is Evans.
Any incoming management team will face the same stumbling block as others and that is no money to bring in better players and a disinterested owner.
 
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YorkieLancsHampyLondoner said:
I just think there’s got to be the money in the county - locally based companies like EDF, BT, Aspall, entrepreneurs, wealthy Suffolk based celebrities like Ed Shereen and Griff Rhys Jones - the support of the borough council to do something better and I’m sure Evans would love to have a route away from the club.
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I am sure you are right Hampy, and there is the wealthy media/tv/musical set at Walberswick, Southwold, Aldeburgh. A powerful Suffolk citizens base allied to ITFC Blue Action type professionally organised supporters group could get up a strong head of steam and drive this forward.
It wouldnt surprise me if something is already stirring along these lines. I bet Mick Mills and others close to Club history, legends, journos will be aware of such a movement.

I feel a campaign coming on!
 
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Agree BigAl he saw us as a quick win to make some money and get his name known by taking over a well run club with no money who were not far off the playoffs all it needed was a bit of cash to get to the Premier League....simple. unfortunately it didn't happen, he got his fingers burnt and is now stuck with a club that is costing him alot of money and isn't appealing to investors because it hasn't had investment for years!!
 
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fieldmarshall said:
If PL goes and there is no indication that he will we are still left with the cause of our decline, and that is Evans.
Any incoming management team will face the same stumbling block as others and that is no money to bring in better players and a disinterested owner.
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Hard to argue.

I think the only hope left is ex-Town players being able to galvanise the squad.

We are in such a mess we could end up dropping down into League Two.
 
fieldmarshall said:
If PL goes and there is no indication that he will we are still left with the cause of our decline, and that is Evans.
Any incoming management team will face the same stumbling block as others and that is no money to bring in better players and a disinterested owner.
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No money and an owner MIA is a problem for sure.

My thinking is that the Ipswich manager's job is now not (and hasn't been for a while) one for a 'big name' manager from the carousel of those sacked and continually re-employed elsewhere after failure. Anyone who has had cash to spend, relative success at higher levels or relies on new players rather than improving those already on the books will have problems working under this regime. The type of person who would succeed here is somebody with lower league experience and lower league contacts, is used to working on a tight budget and uses coaching and tactics to improve a team rather than buying the finished article.

There are plenty of clubs who have a lower budget than ours that are able to assemble a balanced team and play decent football. Just because Evans isn't willing to spend much shouldn't mean that we can't be competitive. We need to have a large clear out of high earning players and let the supporters know that we are building a team for the future. Not getting in the play offs will be seen as failure from Lambert but if we can get somebody in who is ready for the coaching challenge of building a young team from scratch then I think fans would be ok with mid table for a season or two if they can see tangible progress for a change.

For too long it's been all about promotion or the play offs so our managers have mostly made short term decisions based on that target. This has stunted our academy players from getting game time until this season and left us no better as a team for it. The likes of Dozzell, Downes and many others should have way more match minutes than they do at their age. It's also ridiculous that we are giving 18,19 and 20 year old loanees from other clubs plenty of experience whereas ours were nowhere near the squad at the same age!
 
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Oh another thing.....

We'll be lucky if we can even get decent loans soon, it's almost like a punishment being sent to us.
'Here lad, you go to Ipswich for 6 months and see what could happen if you don't put the work in' The boys here are probably thinking 'what the hell did I do to deserve this!'
 
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Totally agree SD. Its not always about money, which we have f***d about for too long.
Proper coaching, motivation, passion, loyalty, energy, fitness, enjoymemt and tactics are all attributes and tools in the box that are lacking in these dire times at the club.
A younger aspiring manager might bring these back. And encourage a youthful mindset, combined with a few senior hard pros who want play for the flag, not the monthly pay cheque.

But I dont believe the current owner and his bankrupt regime would go this route.

If only Evans admitted his desire to pack it all in, looking for way out, open to offers and ideas, then a grown up discussion could happen. But pride before a fall..
 
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San Diego said:
No money and an owner MIA is a problem for sure.

My thinking is that the Ipswich manager's job is now not (and hasn't been for a while) one for a 'big name' manager from the carousel of those sacked and continually re-employed elsewhere after failure. Anyone who has had cash to spend, relative success at higher levels or relies on new players rather than improving those already on the books will have problems working under this regime. The type of person who would succeed here is somebody with lower league experience and lower league contacts, is used to working on a tight budget and uses coaching and tactics to improve a team rather than buying the finished article.

There are plenty of clubs who have a lower budget than ours that are able to assemble a balanced team and play decent football. Just because Evans isn't willing to spend much shouldn't mean that we can't be competitive. We need to have a large clear out of high earning players and let the supporters know that we are building a team for the future. Not getting in the play offs will be seen as failure from Lambert but if we can get somebody in who is ready for the coaching challenge of building a young team from scratch then I think fans would be ok with mid table for a season or two if they can see tangible progress for a change.

For too long it's been all about promotion or the play offs so our managers have mostly made short term decisions based on that target. This has stunted our academy players from getting game time until this season and left us no better as a team for it. The likes of Dozzell, Downes and many others should have way more match minutes than they do at their age. It's also ridiculous that we are giving 18,19 and 20 year old loanees from other clubs plenty of experience whereas ours were nowhere near the squad at the same age!
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This would have described Paul Hurst, but to bring about a revolution when the existing squad are lazy and egotistical we have seen is not an easy thing to do. Without the owner or a Director of Football backing the manager in those situations it’s not going to work.
 
YorkieLancsHampyLondoner said:
This would have described Paul Hurst, but to bring about a revolution when the existing squad are lazy and egotistical we have seen is not an easy thing to do. Without the owner or a Director of Football backing the manager in those situations it’s not going to work.
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Hence the need for a clear out first.

It's obvious there's way too much player power/persuasion/disturbance in the dressing room, and I would point the finger directly in Chamber's direction.
 
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San Diego said:
Hence the need for a clear out first.

It's obvious there's way too much player power/persuasion/disturbance in the dressing room, and I would point the finger directly in Chamber's direction.
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Andre Dozzell is the worst culprit. Chambers has proven only to lead us downward.
 
Its certainly not always about money but it is about having a structure to work in and not flip flopping between ideas because that's when it gets messy. That's always an issue when clubs get relegated because you inevitably have players who have failed on bigger wages and when you try to bring in players to improve you based on the current finances they see players on more money than them who have failed.

This goes back to Evans strategy if there is one, he went from chuck money at something to not spending any money and that lack of consistency has meant there has always been problems within the squad. You can see it, players contracts running down etc. players on long term contracts who barely play which then leads to short term loans.

Lambert hasn't done anything to deserve to stay but he is right, this situation comes from the top and it isn't going to change if he leaves unless we happen to chance upon an exceptional manager
 
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