The dispiriting and uninspiring defeat to Norwich was undoubtedly a poor performance. The passion was lacking, the creativity, as many of us have highlighted already, was sparse and it was another instance in this fledging season where a defensive error has cost us. Judging by the subsequent fallout, I see that some supporters are sharpening the proverbial blades and have deduced that Mick McCarthy is a terrible manager, who advocates a terrible playing style and should be fired. Not only is that incredibly wishful thinking, it also offers a microcosm of the fickleness and short-termism that has permeated into contemporary football. Now I may risk alienating myself from several of you but I struggle to believe that by sacking McCarthy we will magically transform into a promotion-chasing side. It's a naive concept, and in context of the bigger picture at Portman Road, it is highly unlikely to change anything. Firstly, I believe we have to bite our tongue and acknowledge that, after starting our 13th season at this level, we are a mid-table Championship side at best. The club has stagnated, and with the slashed budget and reduced spending, promotion is not going to be realistically achieved by a change in management. McCarthy led us to a ninth place finish last season, conveniently forgotten already by some of his detractors, and that finish represented a very successful improvement on previous campaigns. Particularly if you take into account the frugal ownership and the previous stints of Roy Keane and Paul Jewell we all had to endure. As I argued in a post only a few weeks ago, we won't be making any real progress if there is no investment coming from the board. Without investment, you don't get promoted. Some people quote Burnley (seemingly an exception that proves the theory in recent years) but they spent £200k in transfer fees the year they went up. That's more than our club has spent accumulatively in the past four transfer windows. The last time we spent any discernible money on transfers was the summer of 2012, when Scott Loach and Paul Taylor were signed. The last first-team player we spent a decent-sized fee on was Anthony Wordsworth, a year and a half ago, and that was only £100,000. While this fiscal conservatism undoubtedly balances the books, particularly to compensate for the fees splashed out during the early years of Evans' ownership, this cautiousness does not often translate well on the pitch. Take into account that we let our best defender go, to join the exodus of talented youngsters that comes through our ranks, and the board don't seem to want to spend the cash. That, and the fact our league competitors are spending money, makes it a slim chance of progress from last season's impressive, yet overachieving finish. While FFP can make spending difficult, I believe McCarthy, and more pertinently, Evans, are guilty of using that system as an excuse to reduce spending. The downfall of this approach, as myself and several others have discussed, is that while we are operating in a limited market, our competitors are securing talented, in-demand footballers from other clubs who, in most cases, want that footballer to remain. Within this context, it's unfeasible that Evans would sack McCarthy and pay out the massive compensation required. With another sacking, there could be a perception of the Portman Road hot seat becoming a 'poisoned chalice', we're going through managers fast when, traditionally, we are not viewed as that sort of club. Plus, will Evans splash out on a large salary in the wake of the firings and cutbacks? I very much doubt it. Now while the football is not pretty, we were in with a shout for the play offs last season and finished in the top half of the table. We have not seen a season like that since the early days of Jim Magilton's tenure. The reality is that Norwich City, a club that has spent the previous three years in the Premier League, and have retained most of their quality players were always going to be favourites against us. As much as it pains me to admit it, they have a higher calibre of players. Now the playing style can be dull and, when results are not coming our way, it can be an incredibly impatient and frustrating experience. However, this squad is simply playing to its strengths. We are a tall side, we are a physically imposing side and so, naturally, set pieces are going to be our primary source of goals. This is moulded to McCarthy's ideology and so, if McCarthy was to go or be fired, Evans would need to hire a manager with a similar philosophy to get the most out of the existing squad. Otherwise an extensive overhaul and clear out will be needed, and that, in an ideal world, would cost money. I believe McCarthy can get us to the Premier League, but it is going to take time, and more importantly, money. If he does not have the funds then we will have to settle for being a mid-table side at best. The sale of Aaron Cresswell would ideally have freed up funds for us to sign players in areas where we need them (right-back, central midfield, maybe a winger and a striker), but that doesn't seem to be the case. David McGoldrick, our primary goal threat and arguably our best player, will probably not hang around if he continues scoring and a bigger club comes calling. I hope some cash is freed up before the window shuts otherwise I think we're in for another long season.
I have said during the past two recruitment processes (Jewell & Mick) that I would love us to take a punt on a young manager. Someone who has their best years ahead of them and not behind them... Someone who would grow in the role and build something to be truly proud of. Instead we went for old hats and I backed PJ whilst he was here and continue to back Mick but it does have a sense of inevitability watching us play and the archaic style of play is something that leaves a bit of a bitter taste in the mouth. I hate to say it but if you look up the road at when them yellers appointed Lambchop, a manager with lower league experience and a hunger and desire to get to the top.. that is what I would have liked us to do, a manager who can mould/unite the club who would be here for the long haul and would bring new ideas and some exuberance to the club and the team. Obviously I wouldn't call for Mick's head, he is still a very good manager and one that will do well for us but it seems that he is steadfast in his approach and that may make the next few years as testing as the last few have been
Its not only the style of play that needs sorting out its the organisation behind it as well, according to the EADT today ( not the most reliable source of info i know ) we are down to a 16 man squad for Saturdays match at Derby, how the hell has this happened? why were players allowed to go on loan when we were struggling for numbers? Can any be recalled and would MM anyway? It all seems a bit farcical at the moment.
Nice post as always Nuggets but you cant call us Fickle when in reality Ipswich fans have been THE most patient bunch of supporters in the whole of the English game! We have waited 13 Years for promotion and despite a copule of near misses we have never looked likely in achieving it despite all the promises made by Marcus Evans! After all the garbage we have had to endure over the past 10 years I think we all deserve a bloody medal for our patience. We pay the highest ticket prices in the division and are mostly subjected to rubbish football. We are told that we have a paper thin squad and yet we allow a bunch of players to leave on loan! We were promised that the proceeds of Cresswell's transfer would be reinvested back into the team and yet we haven't seen a penny of that money! We were told to be patient while the youngsters were going through the academy and yet we dont give any of them a chance in the first team! Ipswich Town is the most boring football club to support and I for one am mightily fed up!
Exactly fieldmarshall!! Would the grass be greener, your damn fecking right it would!! Get rid of the dinosaur and bring in some fresh ideas, just my opinion you understand!!
Bloody marvelous Warky!! Enough is enough, sack the board, sack the manager and start all over again!! You might as well coz we aint going nowhere under the current regime and those that think MM can take us up are more dillusional than Mr dillusion from dillusionville!!
So are you saying then that we are stuck with the arrogant prick? I need to win euro millions, i would then pay the 3 million to get rid of him!!
Oh **** off warky, dont give me that bollox, so who picks the team, tactics etc etc etc, who drives out any forward thinking player, not ME thats for sure!! Your make up your friggin mind!!
Johnnywarksmoustache That fickleness remark wasn't intended for you mate. There are a few supporters, mostly over on TWTD, whom always seem to advocate change whenever the chips are down and jump on "Manager Out" bandwagons. Sir Bobby would have been fired very quickly in this footballing climate. Not that I'm comparing Mick to Sir Bobby (far from it) but the philosophy of quick hiring-and-firings of managers is not one I ascribe to and, in the case of our football club, I believe it goes against our tradition. I agree that firing Paul Jewell and Roy Keane was necessary because we were languishing near the foot of the Championship table, a position we always used to be near. I didn't agree with those appointments in the first place either, and I know I'm not alone in thinking that. McCarthy has ensured we're more competitive and our play-off run last season shows he's a good manager. As I mentioned in the article, my issue is with the lack of investment. I don't think we're entitled to promotion; our club has got to work hard for it. Ticket prices are expensive, so much so that I have had to cut down the amount of games I go to see. Evans talked the talk, and to be fair to him put up the money for spending early on, but made the mistake of hiring Keane and Jewell. I agree with your concerns about the lack of reinvestment, the loaning out of players and the very rare instances we place our trust in the youth team and academy players. Yet I didn't see many complaints last season on the internet forums when the going was good and we were winning matches. The truth is, the Evans hasn't been interested in us for the past couple of years, backed up by the little amount of money he has spent and the failure to arrest the decline in attendance.
I tell you what, why not get someone on here to write a letter to the board, asking what the f is going on and if there is any money available etc etc etc, not me though, someone more elequent than me, you never know, you may get a few answers!!
Spanish Put simply, we cannot afford to fire McCarthy. The amount of compensation would be astronomical for our club, particularly in the frugal times Evans and the board are living in. If they do fire him, will they offer the next manager a big salary? I doubt it. I'd imagine if McCarthy was to go, Evans would probably make an internal appointment to avoid spending money on a staff and player personnel overhaul. We're all in the same boat. We're annoyed at the board, annoyed at the result against Norwich and, most importantly, annoyed at spending so long in this division and not fighting it out with the clubs in the Premier League. 13 long years in Division Two, and what makes it worst are our neighbours in the adjacent county spent a few years in the top flight in that time. McCarthy's playing style will be tedious and boring when we're losing, that's the crux of playing with a direct style. What I hoped the board would do, after the sale of Cresswell, is use some of that money to bring in the reinforcements and quality in areas we lacked last season. By failing to do that, McCarthy's hands are tied and he's relying on a limited market. While sometimes we can strike gold in the freebie market, a lot of those players were released by their clubs because they couldn't cut the grade there. If Evans is serious about promotion, he'd give McCarthy some of the cash necessary to continue making progress and improve further on last season. We've spent peanuts over the last couple of years! Without it, I'm fearful we're just going to tread water in mid-table, or possibly return to the days of Keane and Jewell and battle relegation. A lot of clubs are spending money and bringing in good players. We need to do the same and, because of our geographical position, cash is what's going to entice those players here. Either that, or use the young players we have and hope they come good.
Spanish, believe me I share your frustrations but sacking Mick now would be a disaster! We dont know whats going on behind the scenes and thats the problem. We have a reclusive owner who runs the club through press statements and a lacky who oversees the day to day running! I believe that if Mick were to receive some cash to spend he would invest in the quality we need. Look at the great job he did with Wolves when they were on their uppers in a similar situation to us! I dont think long term that Mick is the answer but it would be kamikase to get rid of him now.
Nuggets,if we are to agree with your first point,that we are a mid table Championship side(my own feelings are that we should expect to be upper quarter of this Division or better)then we at least ought to be able to expect to be entertained at Portman Road which has been sorely missing for most of MM's tenure.OK shut up shop away from home but give the home crowd something to cheer and get behind and you never know crowds might improve(I know that sounds like "stuff" the poor souls who follow Town away but on balance some of our away games are at present better than what we see at PR e.g. Brighton away last season)
Mainly agree with you Warky. The real problems are higher up the tree but, and admittedly under difficult circumstances, his town signings are average and uninspired. Hunt/Tabb/Anderson/ Nouble/ Skuse the list goes on. What we really need is to go and nick Peterboroughs chief scout. I have no idea how they do it but every season they seem to take the best of the unknown gets two seasons of brilliance from them and flog them for millions. If we have to penny pinch then surely that is the way we should be going rather than footballs waifs and strays. The way we have been going we should get a link with Battersea Dogs Home
Bigalreigned I'm simply basing us as a mid-table Championship side by taking into account our previous league positions, the amount of money spent on the club and the quality of our squad. Talk of promotion should be encouraged, that's our ultimate objective, but I think with a bit of perspective and some reality, Mick did really well to get us competing for a playoff place for so long last season. Mick has his style of football that he's comfortable using, teaching and implementing. It's the way his sides have been playing for years. To demand a different style that has, up till now under MM, been used week-in, week-out, would take more training, poorer results and more time to adapt. We have a physical, tall side that are an aerial threat. Playing direct suits our strengths right now, as much as it pains to me to say it. I agree there should be more emphasis on attack at Portman Road. I hear fans go on about the 3-5-2 formation and I think Mick should give it a go.
This is kinda my point TB, i think MM has bought in very average players, part of the posh success is because they look at lower league rather than average champ/below ave prem or journeymen!! I have zero faith in MM and feel all we have to look forward to is more sammonesque signings, where is Micks scouting network??
