Well I'm delighted in us finally winning a game ! Sounds sad I know, but 7 losses in a row really test your faith at times...... So what are peoples thoughts now ? Still want Jewell out A S A P or not ? I'd love him to succeed with us, really likable character. But really, its 100% essential we beat Derby and go on some positive run for this to happen. My next issue is loans. Its coming up to January, and I cannot see either Andrews or Collins being around any longer......... Also - Bullard. Unused sub the last two games, whats going on there ? Clearly something is.... Who do you think are realistic January targets, and what would you like to happen then ?
Unfortunately January's window never seems to be a good time to buy players, well, decent ones anyway. I dont think Collins will stay, but i believe Andrews will, til the end of the season anyway (will probably stay permanently if we get promoted, but will go if we dont) That said, we need to find another CB, as a matter of urgency. Ingimarsson and Sonko are too old and injury proned, and Delaney and Smith are not good enough. I don't know which quality CB's will be available, therefore will be a big ask of our scouts to find someone. I initially wanted a big overhaul in players, but i now don't think that will be a wise move. We have to make do with what we have, and hope they start producing what they are (were) capable of. Bullard has been dropped, probably because he's playing utter ****e, and that Martin has now come in and done a decent job. Derby is a crucial game, we really need to win that one, get some confidence back, and hopefully can nick a few more wins over the next few weeks. I think our target, reallistically has to be a top half finish. If we can creep up in the top half by January, then you never know, we could push on from there. I still think the play offs are a possibility, but then again, so is a relegation battle. The next four or five games, i think will determine what we will be playing for coming March and April. As regards to transfers, i would like 3 young, hungry players to come in, a CB, a creative midfielder, and a young striker. I know thats a lot to ask, as teams don't want to be selling their best players at this stage of the season. Fingers crossed we get the luck we havn't had for a while.
I agree stretch, although we probably could do with at least 5 or 6 players, I'm not sure January is the time to bring in wholesale changes but we'll have to see. I'd be confident enough if we brought in at least 1 CB we'd be good enough to stay in the division at the very least. I'd like us to keep Andrews and Collins, both are pretty solid and the leadership shown by Andrews on saturday was what we've needed for some time now. I'm not entirely sure what the situation would be with Andrews, as I think he's a decent player but would he be guarenteed 1st team football with a premierleague side and I can't really see him going to any other championship club. Although a pricetag of £2 million has been put on him according to some papers, certainly we shouldn't pay this much, no more than £1 million I think. As for Collins, I think he would come here but it depends on his family situation I think more than anything. Even if we get Collins, we still need at least 1 more CB, as I've mentioned on a previous thread I think Killgalon who was a great defender at this level a few years ago is available and also maybe Morgan from Nottingham Forrest as apparently then need to sell to buy. A RB is a definite also but if we get Andrews and bring back Drury, although we certainly could improve in the midfield area I think we'd be ok for the time being. Would really like to see Drury come back, think he and Andrews would be good as a midfield 2. Although we have strikers I still think we can improve in that area, although its not a major priority atm, I'd just be concerned if Scotland or Chopra got injured or went seriously off form. I'd like to see Murray be given a chance perhaps as the player to come on for Chopra. The same situation goes for GK, we have decent enough cover but could still do alot better, its not a cause for concern but certainly one to look at in the future. Perhaps Loach from watford, I'm sure he would love to come here being an Ipswich lad or I'd be interested in seeing what the loan situation was with Fraser Forster. Or Joe Lewis from Peterborough or Lee Camp as I've said before apparently Notts Forest need to sell. Also I think we need to get another winger probably in this transfer window, I read that Townsend is on his way out of Tottenham, I would say it is worth going all out to sign him as I thought he was a brilliant player, although I would imagine premierleague clubs would be in for him. So in other words in January I would like us to sign, Andrews & Collins + a RB as a minimum, bringing back murray, (and maybe priskin depending on how his loan goes) and Drury. Then anything else is a bonus. In an ideal world I would say we should sign: Alexander, D Wright, McAuley, Garvan, Walters and Rhodes, now what a team that would make us!!!
Garvan !? are you being serious ? 1 hollywood ball a game, followed by 89 minutes of being slow / losing headers / turning like the titanic........ no thanks !
I find it strange that people are saying that Rhodes should return here, he has never been proven at this level, its a case he might or might not, make it in the championship. Several years ago, we had a sharpshooter from the first division, whose name escapes me, perhaps someone could help. When he played for us, he was a total flop. Equally it is strange that not too many people talk about Trotter, a man who plays for Millwall regularly, plays well, and scores goals from midfield. Sorry but Garvan is not consistent enough for this level. One good game in eight, is just not good enough. The top midfielders in our division might have one indifferent game, every so often, but on the whole they are consistent.
Think the man you're on about is Sam Parkin. He was utter crap! I always seem to notice Trotter scoring, he appears to be doing really well for Millwall and just what our midfield needs! Hindsight's a wonderful thing!
I just watched the highlights on the ITFC website iplayer thing and really could have been four goals down by halftime. Hair-raising stuff. I don’t know whether by some miracle that second half has given them the kick they needed and they’ll be able to play actual football henceforward, but even if that’s the case I worry about what will happen when the loanees go home. A new right back and centre back are definitely required postehaste. As is Bullard getting his form back. Jewell’s going nowhere as long as spells of good football here and there and a home defeat to Watford are considered sure signs that he’s “getting it right”. Four games to the New Year: Derby (home); Leicester (away); Reading (away) and Forest (home). The way things seem to be, four points from that lot will see him safe for the season, unless we’re starting to look doomed come March.
From a outsiders veiw, Andrews seems to be a real find for you guys & has scored a few vital goals from midfield, he would be one that you defo need to tie down in Jan if you are to do anything this season. So after a win it seems you guys are a bit more optimistic now, even read one post saying about going up? That i think is a bit to far this season, but hey, 2-0 down, then five 2nd half goals who knows, anything's posible?
I would just say guys, I wasn't being totally serious about signing those players back, I'm not sure we should, although I don't think we should have got rid of them in the first place. Garvan was consistent until we became a team which no player was consistent!! If he played well Ipswich would win the match, he certainly hasn't progressed the amount he should have done, I've never seen a 17 year old midfielder control a game the way he did when he first broke into the team. I still think he is a good player. And tbh how many midfield playmakers have pace or can tackle? He may not have been the best in terms of tackling or having pace but his positioning was good, whereas someone like Norris who had pace and could tackle but is positionally inept was more of a damage in our team than garvan. I feel he was unfairly made a scapegoat whilst Keane was here, most times he player he was MOM, and then when he(aswell as the whole team) had a bad half he was dragged off and got nowhere near the team again for months. With the right management and application, he could certainly be one of the best CM's in the division. and truth seeker, I doubt he could do anymore to show that he could make it at a higher level?? Until given the chance what more can he do?? Ok then if the chance came to sign him, you would say we shouldn't because he hasn't ever proved it at this level, so why should we take the risk??? To me he would score goals in any team, he's just a natural goalscorer. Buying any player is a risk, whatever division. And as for parkin, I actually don't think he was that bad, he was the first signing Ipswich spent a bit of money on, we'd lost Bent and Kuqi, he got alot of flack and was in a poor team not given any service, who then got his confidence ripped to shreds. He wasn't brilliant but under different circumstances may well have been a good player for us. I was never a big fan of Trotter, he looked like a big lump who didn't do alot apart from keep garvan out of the team. But tbf on the lad he's done very well since going to Millwall. canarie-chippy that was probably me who said that, but I was being sarcastic, I try to give measured responses, alot of fans on here after we loose one game we are the worst team ever to exist and then after one win we are promotion material. The reality is atm, I think we are neither and will hopefully finish just above midtable!!
I dunno you guys moan about ITFC fans bangging on about our history but all you guys go on about is your history going down to league1!! And tbh I think a 7 game losing streak was hopefully some sort of character building, they certainly showed some of that at in the 2nd half against barnsley!!
Never mind Norwich's status as a League One club, I'm worried about our squad. There's a report in the EADT about how many of our current dross are out of contract in six-and-a-bit months. If we got rid of the ones that deserve it we'd look something like this.... Players out of contract - Ideally:- Scotland – possible one-year extension. Leadbitter – No Edwards – No Carson – Yes Wright – No Kennedy – No Smith – No O’Connor – would be nice to give him a chance, but probably no. Sonko – No Ingi – No Bowyer – No Hyam – Ditto O’Connor – how can we tell? He certainly looked good in his brief appearances last season. Priskin – No Murray – Ditto Hyam. Are we ever going to see him? Cropper – Only the coaches know if he’s worth a new deal. Burke – ditto cropper. Ainsley/Griffiths – see Burke and Cropper. This would leave: GK: Lee-Barratt, possibly Cropper. Right Back: None. Unless you want to count Peters who PJ doesn’t seem to like. Left Back: Cresswell, White. Central Def: Delaney. Right Midfield: Peters, Drury if he’s still here. Carson if he’s here. Left Midfield: Martin (still on his everlasting deal), JET? Carson if he’s here. Central Midfield: Bullard Forwards: Chopra, Ellington, Scotland if he’s here. Threadbare, to say the least, and requiring a huge amount of signings. This is why releasing the amount of players who deserve to be released is completely impractical and why we’re destined to retain (or at least try and retain) a whole heap of players who have so far shown themselves as undeserving to be here. It also shows that next season we’re likely to be lumbered with another army of loans. What a way to build a squad!
You wouldnt offer Sonko a new deal? We cant win without him in the team and I cant see any other obvious choices here to replace him. The list of out of contract players isnt too worrying when you consider how few of them actually play or more importantly deserve to play and their relevant ages.
Indeed we will continue to require quite a few new signings for next season but the difference is(If Jewell is still here) I think he will be a bit more settled in the job, have a better idea of players out there than he did last summer. We will have to certainly wait and see but the mess we've got ourselves into was never going to be a quick fix. I'd agree there's noone in that list who I would really be concerned about leaving apart from Carson. Although I'm depressed to see Delaney's name on the other list, I was pretty annoyed when Jewell gave him a new contract last season but then again he was our only senior central defender. I think Scotland deserves to be offered a new deal and the club will do all it can to offer Carson a deal. As for the rest I think it depends who we manage to get in on whether we offer them a deal.
