12 months on from a first day win at Middlesbrough and what a remarkably different Ipswich we have before us.

The goals in that 3-1 win came from Tommy Smith, Tamas Priskin and Jon Stead. Look at those three in yesterday's game, Smith played (after coming on as a sub), Priskin was not even on the bench and Stead was on the other team. Mind you, after Roy Keane's turbulent tenure it's not surprising that so many players have moved on or have altered status.

I liked Keane, but I really like Jewell, he has gone out and got the players Roy couldn’t sign, I know it's early days but in Michael Chopra we have a striker in the Marcus Stewart vein.

Lee Bowyer is a midfield general, but more in the aggressive Full Metal Jacket-style General than the Field Marshal Montgomery type, and both of these signings most clubs would crave and regard as marquee signings.

We also have five more new faces already with more expected to come. Mind you, 14 players left in summer, which included several supposed key men, most notably Wickham, Norris and McAuley, which would initially lead most to believe we would be weaker.

Losing a team's spine (now joined by last season's first choice keeper too) should decimate a squad, but all have been replaced with players at least equal to the job, if not better. Ívar Ingimarsson is regarded as a seasoned pro, but I believe comfortable at the back for us for a year.

Jay Emmanuel-Thomas and Aaron Cresswell are highly-rated youngsters, who both attracted interest elsewhere, and with a good season behind them we could be spending May talking about what great deals they were.

And, of course, our new loanee keeper has today been called up into the England squad (which bothers me as ALB will play on Tuesday now). We also have another striker in 'Duke' Ellington to add to the mix, so 14 out, 7 in and we look stronger!

We need two more I guess, but it's not up to me and maybe we will see some of the youth step up, you know 'the Ipswich way' of bringing talent through regularly. Despite our own son Scowy declaring our darkest day in having no home grown talent on the pitch yesterday, I feel there's a bright future.

I was unable to go to Bristol, due to a friend's wedding, but I had Radio Suffolk to aid me, and of course the wonders of TWTD's finest managing to update the forum via smart phones every moment they could tear themselves from the game.

We sounded good and, of course, our new talisman knocked in his first and second. And with the underwhelming Lee Martin having his best day in a blue shirt, hopefully it will be a kick up the backside for a player who cost us in two ways, he does owe us a good season.

What do I want this year? Well I want promotion, like we all do, but I really want good exciting football with lots to talk about, in front of large crowds. Exciting football will get people through the turnstiles despite our ticket prices, and if we were playing in front of 25,000 minimum every week, well that would turn heads and get the players firing.

Yes, I know that's ambitious, but I want us to be, we have a proud history, why can’t we add to that ?

pazelle added 11:32 - Aug 7 Could have written that after the first game last season! Onwards and Upwards!
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algarvefan added 11:45 - Aug 7 Keane Out!!!
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jbb added 21:32 - Aug 7 For me the positives aspects 12 months on are 1 Have one of the top few strikers in the division in Chopra. 2 Two excellent attacking full backs. If they improve the defensive side of their games, could be contenders for player of the year. 3 The same 451 formation used 12 mths ago, and I hope this season, unlike last,that system is used in all games, despite calls from "fans" to abandon it. With attacking full backs, in modern football you need 3 CM's & the security of a holding CM. 4 Best keeper since Begovic. 5 CM's Bowyer and Leadbitter are excellent with a holding CM alongside. 6 Good man manager in PJ. Worries 1 Will players in their mid 30's last the season. 2 Ability to defend dead balls & lack of height, which Andrews arrival and another CB may help. 3 How will the players react to a bad result/run? Questions regarding discipline of a number of players. 4 JET needs to provide a target, as its not possible to play through the midfield all of the time. He was a high risk signing, and the success of PJ's tenure may hinge on whether he can press the right buttons with that player. At present it looks in the balance as to whether he can be a player or not. 5 Some questions about the balance of the defence. Suprising that PJ gave a new contract to Delaney and let better CB's go in McAuley and O'Dea. 6 Questionable motivation of Ellington and JET. 7 A recall of Stockdale. All assessments seem to have to include a reference to the previous manager. My assessment - He brought a lot of good players to the club, including 6 of Saturdays 11 (I consider Chopra his signing). I would rate the ex Sunderland players - Leadbitter, Edwards, Chopra as very decent players, also Kennedy & Martin. Of the out of favour players, I would rate Scotland (if fit) and Healy (£50k). Admittedly Priskin was a disappointment, though he is still a regular international. - He correctly identified 12 mths ago, Chopra and Derry as key sigings, who if they were signed, could have saved his job. It was surprising that PJ has not, to date, added the holding player that is so blatantly absent from the side for the past few seasons. His failure to do so was the reason for so many bad home defeats towards the end of last season. Andrews would certainly fit the bill. - His biggest failing was very poor judgement of defenders. Peters, Balkestein and Smith were out of their depth. - Once he criticised SC and ME last summer for failure to complete the Chopra and Derry signings, effectively his term was over.

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ozzydog added 09:06 - Aug 8 I stopped reading after you said "I liked Keane"
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naa added 10:17 - Aug 8 jbb: leave it alone. Stop retreading the Keane stuff all over again, please. How is Chopra Keane's singing? He wanted a player rated at £4m then moaned when we didn't sign him, and had no real backup. Maybe PJ got lucky that the price dropped considerably, but it's still good management to snap him up from other teams. And anyway, regardles of what we think of Keane's transfer dealings the fact is that his teams played unuterrably awful football. The like of which I hope to never see again. they played with fear and he never knew who his best 11 was. A truly terrible manager. Now, please let's move on. This season has strted well, let's hope it's a sign of things to come and not a false dawn like last year.

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