Revolving Door

The process has begun. No sooner had we left Portman Road behind for another season, than Jim Magilton announced the list of players he is hoping to move on in the summer. Darren looks at whether they should be leaving at all.

With one player retiring, three senior players being released and a further five made available for transfer, it seems like something of a watershed in Jims career as Ipswich manager.

After two years putting together his first Ipswich Town side, the blueprint has been well and truly torn up, as Marcus Evans money has lifted aspirations much higher. The calibre of players being released or sold, several of them having been signed by Jim himself within these last two years, gives an indication of the level of player that might be travelling in the opposite direction into the club.

But are some of these players leaving before their calling at Ipswich? Are some of them still to make their mark?

Billy Clarke was one of the much vaunted young players who it was suggested would form the nucleus of the clubs future back in 2006 when finance was scarce. In the early days of Jim Magiltons reign, he looked like he might very well do just that, as some bright performances, coupled with goalscoring cameos from the substitutes bench, suggested a real talent. The player seemingly acknowleded himself that he thought he was well on his way to being a first team regular, before the goals dried up. And so did the confidence. Since then, rather as with Dean Bowditch, it seems to have been a case of finding a way to coax that confidence back out of him. But time and opportunities are slipping by, without any real improvement. It seems that it may just have run out for Billy. However, I would rather see him spend a season on loan elsewhere and see how things transpire. With a few goals under his belt, he could become a very good player.

Whilst Marcus Evans money means that we can afford to bring in new players, thus affecting Clarkes position in the first team, paradoxically it also means that we can afford to be a little more patient with our young players whilst they try to develop at another club, rather than feeling that we need to release them immediately for financial reasons.

Gavin Williams is a similar conundrum. This time last year, there would have been many Ipswich fans who would have said he was one of the most talented players at the club and could be a key player. However, as with Clarke, time appears to have finally caught up on Gavin. Quite simply, he hasnt delivered as often as required. This has mainly been the result of far too many injuries disrupting his career. Without the knee injury that kept him out of the early months of last season, its quite plausible he may have become the regular option on the left of midfield. But, since returning to fitness, he has struggled to recover any sort of form at all. Again, it seems that patience has finally worn out. Of course, his position as chief comedian amongst the playing staff has possibly speeded up this process- Williams attitude has been called into question on several occasions.

Its arguable that he might benefit from a full pre-season. Magilton himself acknowledged that when unfit at the start of 2001-2002, he spent the entire season trying to catch up with the fitness of everyone else who had enjoyed a full pre-season. But, his previous injury record and lack of form since returning to fitness might just have made that an argument Jim isnt prepared to get into.

Gary Roberts being transfer-listed has probably come of no surprise to anybody. Simply put, he just hasnt been good enough. The player made a huge jump to the Championship from League Two- full of confidence in those early months, he turned in good performances. Once that early confidence subsided, he struggled to find any sort of form and, without it, found himself a little out of place in the Championship. There is no doubt that he is a good, neat player, capable of striking a ball well and a good crosser of the ball, but his lack of pace and general quality marks him out as being a shade below what is needed in the Championship. He will make a good career for himself in League One.

Matt Richards is equally no surprise. A player who has played several different roles in his time at Ipswich, without ever quite managing to hold down one of them permanently. A neat player and a steady passer of the ball, he showed much of the Ipswich traditions that he had been brought up with. Inevitably, once the squad improved, he was going to find it increasingly hard to find a role. His spell at Brighton through most of this year has been largely succesful and he seems to be another player who will find himself more than at home in League One. In the future, it would be no surprise to see him back in the Championship again either.

Dan Harding has suffered from having a disastrous 2007/2008. This time last year, having been Jims first ever signing as a manager, he had been runner-up in the player of the year awards. After years of searching for a genuine left-footed left back, it seemed we had finally found one. A young player who had grown into his career at Ipswich, developing attacking instincts to add to his defensive ones, Harding looked destined to be at Ipswich for some years.This season has been in complete contrast. Nervy from the start, his confidence soon disappeared and mistakes crept in. Far from becoming an attacking force, his defensive abilities were being eroded. In essence, the away match at Charlton Athletic, or the first half in particular, marked the end of Hardings Ipswich career. He became something of a scapegoat for the teams poor performance. Yet, with a vast improvement from the defence in the second half, in particular from the player who had replaced him, Sito, it seemed that the decision had been justified. And so it remained.

Hardings biggest problem is his lack of versatility. Most players, when they lose their place in the team, can wait patiently for an opportunity, often from the bench. However, Ipswich last season boasted Sito, David Wright and Fabian Wilnis, all of which could play at left or right back, all of which offered better cover from the bench. And so he has been cast into the wilderness, from whence it seems he may not recover. With two of the above three having left, there will be a shortfall in left backs, but it seems inevitable that Jim will look to bring in a left back who can provide the level of competition and versatility that David Wright provides.

Of the three players released, Fabian and Sylvain have both been great players who have served the club brilliantly. Both have made real impacts on the club, but it was probably time for them to move on. Where Sito is concerned, he posesses the two aspects where Dan Harding has been found short- versatility and composure. Able to play comfortably in both full back positions, his ability on the ball as a footballer mark him out as a Jim Magilton style of player. His renaissance early in the new year, having replaced Harding was both heart warming and, on the basis of the performances he put in, richly deserved.

And yet, there has always been a suspicion that there is a mistake waiting to happen. To be fair to the player, the mistakes were minimal and he was very unfortunate to be the odd man out when Danny Simpson arrived on loan (though even that was after he put up a fight). It seems that there has always been a feeling that he might not be quite good enough, yet his performances post-christmas have largely shown otherwise. This is again perhaps an indication of where the club is going. It seems extremely unlikely that, without Marcus Evans money, Sito would be looking for a new club right now, so the decision to release him can only really be judged once his replacement has been brought in. Nonetheless, the player can count himself a little unlucky- he should find himself a career elsewhere in the Championship.

So, some minor surprises, but nothing too dramatic. Williams and Clarke could still forge Ipswich careers if given a bit of time. Both have shown talent and versatility, but both maybe need a run of games to recover it. Sito will be a decision that is debated for a while, pending the quality of his replacement. With the money available at the club, we could still perhaps take a gamble on them all coming good. But maybe Jim feels hes waited long enough.

Jaime Peters seems to be the pick of the bunch who got away with it this time.....