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Transfer rumours

Discussion in 'Ipswich Town' started by TopBunk, May 16, 2021.

  1. YorkieLancsHampyLondoner

    YorkieLancsHampyLondoner Well-Known Member

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    It's the blind optimism from supporters and the outcomes of the previous 20 years that are making me feel less than so. It's not so long ago that people were talking about the feel good factor having returned to Portman Road when Paul Lambert was in charge.

    The transfer business has been encouraging but we have no idea at this point who is going to perform or not perform and how the team is going to gel and a lot of capable clubs gunning for two places. We have nothing to go on until we are somewhere between five to ten games into the season.

    Signing players that we can improve with a view to selling on is an absolute no brainer and it shows the ineptitude of the previous owner that it wasn't a strategy. Instead we signed players that we tended to release. Absolute madness.
     
    #301
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  2. itfcptc

    itfcptc Well-Known Member

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    Have to agree mainly with Hampy, I have optimism for the future of the club now but not sure about this season. Lots of new players have come in, with a disrupted pre-season, a few gaps still in the team plus not much strength in depth in many positions. If you'd told me we'd be going into the season with 3 CBs, 2 of which were Woolfenden and Nsiala and another CB who is older than Woolfenden yet has played a similar number of senior games but mainly at a lower level I would not be confident going into the season.

    I think recruitment on the whole has been good (although I know nothing about any of the players other than what I've read) although it is slightly disheartening that so many of the clubs academy players have left however from a footballing perspective the start of Cook's reign as manager couldn't have been any worse IMO and he hasn't instilled me with confidence yet that he has appointed the right backroom staff in that they all have very little first team coaching experience nor has he appointed an assistant.

    I'd be comfortable as long as we see progress on the pitch and we need to be patient due to the amount of changes which have taken place on and off the pitch. However Cook has taken a very high risk strategy in pretty much getting rid of a whole squad in 1 summer add that to the expectation placed on him due to this and the new ownership and budget he has been given, if things don't go well I feel things could turn sour pretty quickly including with players wanting to be off as many have chosen to play for us over Championship clubs and if they can't see us getting promotion anytime soon I'm sure they'll be off (or we have recruited players who just want the pay packet).
     
    #302
    Last edited: Jul 28, 2021
  3. Spanish

    Spanish Well-Known Member

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    Nah, i see nothing but a positive outcome this season, there's a buzz around Portman road at the moment and that in itself is a massive plus!!
    Yes it may take a month or so for the team to gel but.... fortunately we have a kind start to the season
     
    #303
  4. Buckyohare

    Buckyohare Well-Known Member

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    We’ll be a goal machine that’s for sure. Perhaps a la Newcastle under keegan where we have to out score the opposition but if we get a rock of a cb in and/or some depth well be fine. We won’t waltz it as things stand but we’ll fire in a lot of goals trying. Ive got 7-1 on piggot being the division top scorer…
     
    #304
  5. San Diego

    San Diego Sir Mediator
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    Anybody tuning in to the fans forum?

    It starts in ten minutes

     
    #305
  6. San Diego

    San Diego Sir Mediator
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    Well you couldn't ask for more than that.

    Mark, Mike and Paul all gave answers that made me happy that we are finally a club doing things the right way. Talk of building a culture, engaging with the community and improving all aspects of our club have left me feeling really good about where we are headed and how we are going to get there.
     
    #306
  7. Spanish

    Spanish Well-Known Member

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    They certainly talk the talk, let's hope they can keep to their word. Tbh i have no doubts at all that they will take our beloved club forward!
     
    #307
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  8. itfcptc

    itfcptc Well-Known Member

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    Can't fault what they are saying at the moment but the proof will be in the pudding and it's been a long time since we've got it right on and off the football pitch (20 years to be exact). It's seems like we're going in the right direction generally off the pitch but we haven't kicked a ball since the disastrous end to last season which was probably the worst start I have seen any manager make at a football club.

    It's strange watching a press conference where the manager isn't front and centre and is pretty much the only figurehead at a club apart from a puppet who's trotting out the party line.

    As I've said before my slight concern with the structure is it seems like Ashton is the main man and whilst we've needed structure and professionalism to support the manager in place for years and we seem to now have it does make be feel slightly uncomfortable having a CEO as front and centre as Ashton, perhaps that's just because we've not had that before, it's always been the Chairnan and the manager who have fronted everything with the CEO being behind the scenes.
     
    #308
  9. Spanish

    Spanish Well-Known Member

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    Personally I think the CEO should be fronting most of it. Ashton has been dealing with the everyday running of the club, so he should be the one to explain what is going on. Cook should only answer questions about on field stuff.
    Think you are slightly not picking there ptc, yes Ashton is like a sales rep and says what you want to hear but I believe him and i would rather that than someone like clegg!!
     
    #309
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  10. itfcptc

    itfcptc Well-Known Member

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    Oh completely, he clearly knows how to run a football club unlike any of the puppets ME had in place. And we finally have other figure heads to take some of the heat off the manager.

    It just feels like the Mark Ashton show and I can see why he's fallen out with fans at alot of the clubs he's been at. Despite his credentials my gut is the same will happen here due to his personality.
     
    #310
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  11. Spanish

    Spanish Well-Known Member

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    To be fair, i would say that when most people's tenure comes to an end at a football club, there is animosity, that's the nature of the beast but I get what you are saying
     
    #311
  12. YorkieLancsHampyLondoner

    YorkieLancsHampyLondoner Well-Known Member

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    I want people who work hard and have some integrity. I don’t care how they structure it or who has an ego, as long as they don’t go all Mike Ashley and strangle the club.
     
    #312
  13. itfcptc

    itfcptc Well-Known Member

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    It's just whether that ego undermines the manager at some point. He uses I alot when talking and eve last night was talking about things I thought maybe should be the managers responsibility.

    But these are very minor things in comparison to what we've had previously, we do seem to at least have people in place who understand football and we have resources to back it up.
     
    #313
  14. YorkieLancsHampyLondoner

    YorkieLancsHampyLondoner Well-Known Member

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    The fella at Crystal Palace hasn’t done badly and he’s probably got more airtime than the rest of the club put together. Same with Ken Bates, Daniel Levy and Karen Brady / Gold. Okay they’re owners / Chairmen but I think high profile top level management can be successful.
     
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  15. TopBunk

    TopBunk Active Member

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    I’ve no problems with Ashton being front and centre especially as a ball hasn’t been kicked this season, most that’s gone on will have a heavy Ashton involvement so I believe he should be taking the lead, and I have not heard him say anything I disagree with tbh.
     
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  16. Bigalreigned

    Bigalreigned Well-Known Member

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    It’s gotta be better than the invisible man,hasn’t it?
     
    #316
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  17. TopBunk

    TopBunk Active Member

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    Absolutely night and day between the two regimes…..and I know which I prefer.
     
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  18. itfcptc

    itfcptc Well-Known Member

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    Lee O'Neill who let's face it he is effectively replacing was not invisible....but that comparison is also day and night
     
    #318
  19. TopBunk

    TopBunk Active Member

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    Lee O’Neill was just a deflector shield for the clueless one.
     
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  20. Buckyohare

    Buckyohare Well-Known Member

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    I thought it was excellent; good, joined up leadership across every area of the playing and non playing aspects of the club delivering measured, thoughtful, honest answers.

    Ashton is up to his eye balls in terms of pulling the strings at the club and with that power comes responsibility to account for his leadership so he has to be at the front talking about stuff IMO and it’s a brave thing to do, especially when things get rocky we’ll see how he handles it…

    I often feel where managers are the figurehead abs the only ‘face’ of the corporate structure at a club they get all the flak for failure on the pitch when they might have complete chaos in the boardroom that is beyond their control and causes said failure yetthey are all hiding behind their, aherm, prawn sandwiches…
     
    #320

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