New signings at last

Once again, after a long running transfer saga, Jim Magilton has got the player who appeared to be his first choice all along. Paul examines the signing of Gareth McAuley and Jims determination to build the new Ipswich Town "spine" that he has talked about.

Jim Magilton is a very determined man. Very clear in what he requires. Sometimes he has shown himself to be perhaps just a bit too determined for a referees liking, either whilst playing or managing..... but, its a quality which is very welcome.

Jim has spoken quite a bit about how he sees the need to build a new spine to the team. Quite simply, it seems that he is interpreting the teams brittleness towards opponents in a very literal sense. Time to strengthen the side right through the middle with some real quality.

He achieved objective number one when he brought in David Norris. We thought that was a drawn out saga, with several bids refused and a stubborness on behalf of Plymouth to sell the player. But, eventually he got his man before the end of the transfer window.

Objective number two has proven to have taken slightly longer still. Gareth McAuley was first enquired about back in January. Again, after more bids were turned down, it seemed as if Jim had given up, but talk of other targets was simply a smoke-screen. Because come the summer, further bids were made and finally Jim got his man.

Objective number three is the longest of all. Richard Wright was supposedly on the brink of signing for Ipswich throughout last summer. It eventually did not come off, but stories have persisted ever since that he will make his long awaited return to his boyhood club. Indeed, it seems ever more likely that Wright will finally re-sign for Ipswich in the coming weeks, marking a completion of Objective number three.

After this, it seems the final piece of the new "spine" of Ipswich Town will be a forward. There has not particularly been any player continually linked with Ipswich over the past few months in this area, but one thing that we can be sure of is that Jim is more than likely to get his man again.