With Ipswich safely through to the 4th round for this season after a satisfactory 3-0 victory over Chesterfield, are thoughts turning towards the prospect of an exciting cup run? John thinks the FA cup is nothing more than a side-issue.
With credit to Jim Magilton, he at least endorsed his own comments about the magic of the cup by playing what amounted to a full-strength side.
Unsurprisingly, the fans didnt quite feel the same at this early stage, with probably less than 10,000 Ipswich fans in attendance.
The question is, at what point WILL Ipswich fans feel the magic of the cup? I believe that, whilst we are in the Championship, FA Cup success is entirely secondary to promotion, to such an extent that a good cup run would be viewed as an indication of underachievement if we arent winning promotion at the same time.
Whilst everybody would love to see Ipswich in the cup final, or in a semi-final perhaps, it would be a waste to see our season meander to a disappointing mid-table finish.
Given the finances spent, I dont think our fans would recognise the FA Cup as an alternative to league success as perhaps Cardiff fans might have done last season. Similarly, if West Brom had failed to win promotion last season, despite their run to the FA Cup Semi-Final, their fans would have viewed it as a disappointing season.
It is already looking like a significant improvement in our form is required to allow us to reach the Play-Offs. To achieve that alongside a long-run in the FA Cup looks to be an extremely tall order and it would seem very unlikely that we will achieve both.
So, whilst it remains unlikely that we are going to reach the FA Cup semi-final, and with the league form struggling to get any momentum, perhaps a defeat against a Premiership team, after a good performance, might just be a blessing in disguise.
Showing posts with label Rivals- John. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Rivals- John. Show all posts
Monday, 5 January 2009
Monday, 25 August 2008
Transfer Time Running Out
With a week left until the closing of the transfer window, and Jim intent on adding several players to the current squad, John is frustrated at the repeated attempts to sign players that evidently are not interested in a move.
In her column last week, Emma seems to have touched on an aspect of Jims transfer policy which has been slowly driving me mad.
Ideas Above Our Station?
We are seemingly desperate to sign a new forward. We have been desperate since January, where repeated attempts to bring in David Nugent and David Healy inevitably failed. Back then, it left us short when Jon Walters got injured and Pablo was suspended.
We are still short now, although the addition of Kevin Lisbie has no doubt helped, and the continued failings of Alan Lee exacerbate it. Yet we are still looking and we are STILL trying to bring in players that are patently not going to come. If you took a straw poll of Ipswich fans and asked them if they thought Charisteas, Nugent or Healy were going to come and play for Ipswich, or hold out for better offers from the Premiership/Bundesliga, I know where the majority would vote. Perhaps if Jim did that in the first place, he could have saved a whole lot of time and negotiation.
Because, despite discussions with the clubs, not one of these players has actually seen fit to sit down and talk to Jim about a transfer. They werent interested. The latest story is that we have bid £2.8m for a Slovenian currently playing in the Bundesliga. His club have turned it down. Yet what will it take to persuade a player to uproot and move country, to drop a level of football, on the premise of helping Ipswich Town win promotion? It seems implausible that this deal will happen either.
Its time for Jim to get realistic and look towards players that we can reasonably attract to the club. International strikers playing in top level leagues are not them. If we fail to bring in a forward at all by end of this transfer window, after chasing extravagant and fanciful targets, Jim may well have written his own "by mutual consent" press release.
In her column last week, Emma seems to have touched on an aspect of Jims transfer policy which has been slowly driving me mad.
Ideas Above Our Station?
We are seemingly desperate to sign a new forward. We have been desperate since January, where repeated attempts to bring in David Nugent and David Healy inevitably failed. Back then, it left us short when Jon Walters got injured and Pablo was suspended.
We are still short now, although the addition of Kevin Lisbie has no doubt helped, and the continued failings of Alan Lee exacerbate it. Yet we are still looking and we are STILL trying to bring in players that are patently not going to come. If you took a straw poll of Ipswich fans and asked them if they thought Charisteas, Nugent or Healy were going to come and play for Ipswich, or hold out for better offers from the Premiership/Bundesliga, I know where the majority would vote. Perhaps if Jim did that in the first place, he could have saved a whole lot of time and negotiation.
Because, despite discussions with the clubs, not one of these players has actually seen fit to sit down and talk to Jim about a transfer. They werent interested. The latest story is that we have bid £2.8m for a Slovenian currently playing in the Bundesliga. His club have turned it down. Yet what will it take to persuade a player to uproot and move country, to drop a level of football, on the premise of helping Ipswich Town win promotion? It seems implausible that this deal will happen either.
Its time for Jim to get realistic and look towards players that we can reasonably attract to the club. International strikers playing in top level leagues are not them. If we fail to bring in a forward at all by end of this transfer window, after chasing extravagant and fanciful targets, Jim may well have written his own "by mutual consent" press release.
Tuesday, 22 July 2008
A much needed aggressor
Ipswich were joined on their pre-season tour by ex-Charlton and Manchester City full-back, Ben Thatcher. Not the most universally popular player, but John, returning from his summer break, thinks its just what we need.
The natives are restless.
Look at this bad guy whos trying to play for OUR club. Ben Thatcher doesnt look like hes going to be the most popular of recent Ipswich Town signings, should he agree terms and sign for the club.
Yet if ever that phrase about not being able to please all of the people all of the time were suitable, its where Thatcher is concerned. For years now, Ipswich have been crying out for a decent left back. In fact, its been more of a problem position than any other at the club. Thinking back, I would imagine that we have to go back to Herman Hreidarsson in 02/03. Since then, only David Unsworth and Dan Harding threatened to provide any sort of long-term solution, before both ultimately failed (or in the case of Harding, appear to have failed). In the interim, the cast of applicants have been many and varied- Fabian Wilnis (a right back throughout his long career), Daniel Karbassiyoon (remember him?), Matt Richards, David Wright (again primarily a right-back), Scott Barron.
Equally, Ipswich have been very short in the department marked "hard men". When was the last time Ipswich lined up with a player in their side who would strike fear into the opposition (and not necessarily for their footballing ability)? Its hard to recall. Perhaps Mauricio Taricco is the most recent example, but even he was a footballer first, and a fine one at that.
So, along comes Ben Thatcher, who quite readily ticks both boxes- a very competent left-back with several seasons of premiership experience, international recognition and large transfer fees to back it up and a less-than-clean reputation on the pitch.
Only some fans are now disappointed that Ipswich are looking to sign a player with such a troubled reputation.Thatcher has had some much publicised on-pitch misdemeanours, for which he has been rightly punished and has rightly apologised for. But perhaps we should be embracing this reputation. Perhaps it might just make a difference that, for once, our team has a bit of steel in it. Somebody who is going to take no prisoners, who is going to get stuck in when things are going against us, who is going to fire up his teammates.
And most importantly of all, he might just be able to defend well too. You cant please all of the people all of the time, but his addition to the team might just pleasantly surprise a few people.
The natives are restless.
Look at this bad guy whos trying to play for OUR club. Ben Thatcher doesnt look like hes going to be the most popular of recent Ipswich Town signings, should he agree terms and sign for the club.
Yet if ever that phrase about not being able to please all of the people all of the time were suitable, its where Thatcher is concerned. For years now, Ipswich have been crying out for a decent left back. In fact, its been more of a problem position than any other at the club. Thinking back, I would imagine that we have to go back to Herman Hreidarsson in 02/03. Since then, only David Unsworth and Dan Harding threatened to provide any sort of long-term solution, before both ultimately failed (or in the case of Harding, appear to have failed). In the interim, the cast of applicants have been many and varied- Fabian Wilnis (a right back throughout his long career), Daniel Karbassiyoon (remember him?), Matt Richards, David Wright (again primarily a right-back), Scott Barron.
Equally, Ipswich have been very short in the department marked "hard men". When was the last time Ipswich lined up with a player in their side who would strike fear into the opposition (and not necessarily for their footballing ability)? Its hard to recall. Perhaps Mauricio Taricco is the most recent example, but even he was a footballer first, and a fine one at that.
So, along comes Ben Thatcher, who quite readily ticks both boxes- a very competent left-back with several seasons of premiership experience, international recognition and large transfer fees to back it up and a less-than-clean reputation on the pitch.
Only some fans are now disappointed that Ipswich are looking to sign a player with such a troubled reputation.Thatcher has had some much publicised on-pitch misdemeanours, for which he has been rightly punished and has rightly apologised for. But perhaps we should be embracing this reputation. Perhaps it might just make a difference that, for once, our team has a bit of steel in it. Somebody who is going to take no prisoners, who is going to get stuck in when things are going against us, who is going to fire up his teammates.
And most importantly of all, he might just be able to defend well too. You cant please all of the people all of the time, but his addition to the team might just pleasantly surprise a few people.
Monday, 24 December 2007
Laurent Robert to sign? Do we want him?
Weekend speculation linking former Newcastle winger Laurent Robert with a future at Ipswich seem to have intensified with confirmation that the player attended the Burnley match at the weekend. But is this someone we want at Ipswich? How will affect the current squad?
It only takes a look on youtube video site to see the quality of compilation videos dedicated to Robert. The guy clearly has talent and what is there to suggest that, at 32, he wont be able to showcase that talent comfortably in the Championship? After all, he would be coming to Ipswich at a similar point in his career to Sylvain Legwinski, who certainly has proved to be more than capable. So he looks to have the ability.
Saturdays game was probably the perfect opportunity for Robert to see why we would need him. Our lack of left-sided players has become so acute that we have now taken to playing our outstanding performer this season, Jon Walters, out of position on the left flank in the hope that this might give us some kind of threat. Which has been to the detriment of his own performances- its enough to ask a forward to play out of position at right midfield, but to then expect him to do the same at left midfield is possibly a step too far. Similarly, with Sito getting injured, we found our entire left flank devoid of a naturally left-footed player. So, he looks to have a role to play in the team.
But the biggest question mark has to centre around his perceived attitude. A player who left English football under a cloud after an extremely disappointing spell at Portsmouth. Even the great Sir Bobby Robson came to question his attitude on numerous occasions at Newcastle.
And furthermore, the lack of support to our full-backs has been an issue of discontent for some time. Of all the players who have been used in this position over the past few years, it seems that Robert is the least equipped to offer the required defensive work to protect Dan Harding or Sito.
Inevitably, it seems that the supporter base will be split if Robert signs. It could make or break our season.
It only takes a look on youtube video site to see the quality of compilation videos dedicated to Robert. The guy clearly has talent and what is there to suggest that, at 32, he wont be able to showcase that talent comfortably in the Championship? After all, he would be coming to Ipswich at a similar point in his career to Sylvain Legwinski, who certainly has proved to be more than capable. So he looks to have the ability.
Saturdays game was probably the perfect opportunity for Robert to see why we would need him. Our lack of left-sided players has become so acute that we have now taken to playing our outstanding performer this season, Jon Walters, out of position on the left flank in the hope that this might give us some kind of threat. Which has been to the detriment of his own performances- its enough to ask a forward to play out of position at right midfield, but to then expect him to do the same at left midfield is possibly a step too far. Similarly, with Sito getting injured, we found our entire left flank devoid of a naturally left-footed player. So, he looks to have a role to play in the team.
But the biggest question mark has to centre around his perceived attitude. A player who left English football under a cloud after an extremely disappointing spell at Portsmouth. Even the great Sir Bobby Robson came to question his attitude on numerous occasions at Newcastle.
And furthermore, the lack of support to our full-backs has been an issue of discontent for some time. Of all the players who have been used in this position over the past few years, it seems that Robert is the least equipped to offer the required defensive work to protect Dan Harding or Sito.
Inevitably, it seems that the supporter base will be split if Robert signs. It could make or break our season.
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