The 2016/17 season has been a very disappointing one, never hitting the heights we, as fans, wanted or expected it to.

Seemingly everyone at the club has had a lot of criticism thrown their way, rightly so, we are one of the sleeping giants, right? Thing is, history only gets you out of arguments when talking to our six-fingered trophy less friends up the road. We need to look forward to glory days and no longer just have them as memories.

So who really is to blame and what really went on this year?

Mick McCarthy
Had to start here, didn’t I? Mick has been invaluable to the club since he took over, he has made big profits in the transfer market and took us the play-offs so deserved some leeway. This for me was used up last year and had to have a better 2016/17 season.

Results, performances and league position don't lie. This year we have been, at best, poor. Is that all to do with Mick? Yes, he has to take the lion's share of the blame, the players he brought in have not performed. What kind of a player can you accept on a free transfer? Would Rafa stay at Newcastle, Mourinho at United? Guardiola at City if no funds were available?

His desire to play Skuglas has baffled everyone and, like I say, this year has done a lot wrong.

Mick built a side over three years to hit the 'big man' up front at pretty much every opportunity then the 'big man' gets sold just before the deadline. I, have to admit, thought £3 million was a good deal for an ageing striker. How wrong I was and it showed Murphy was much more influential in how we played.

Mick has been around the block, surely he didn’t agree to this without being assured of funds for a replacement?

Does he stay or go? Don't see how we can tempt a bright young manager to take over at a struggling lower-half Championship club and be told that no funds would be available to transform things. And for that reason only I can see McCarthy staying until November/December.

Mick is many things. Frustrating, pig-headed, but not a stupid man. He knows another season like this is unacceptable so why stay here if you know nothing is going to change re transfer fees?

Ian Milne
This guy! How many times has he come out saying “money available”, “big signing”. Stop! Just stop until they are through the door. Let’s not get started on the ticket pricing, this bloke seriously has lost touch with our fanbase and annoyed the hell out of me this year nearly as much as Simon Clegg. Not sure what he actually has brought to the club!

His Royal Highness Marcus Evans
I have a few grievances with Marcus, but firstly, why did you buy a football club and be invisible? We as fans want to hear from you. We want a comment from the top every now and again. We are not asking for you to be David Gold but maybe break down the barrier between you and us minions who will be here long after you sell up and move onto something else.

I know how easy it is for other people to spend your money (kids and wife do a pretty good job) but Marcus, you, as an owner of Ipswich Town Football Club, have come to a crossroads either Invest in the playing staff or consign yourself to a relegation battle.

We all know this team/club could be great again but requires four or five first-team players, the ones that don’t come free to make a serious push up the league.

If you are not willing to make this commitment, which is totally understandable as it comes with no guarantees; your time at the helm of our wonderful club has come to an end.

Players
Taking Bart and Tom Lawrence completely aside, personally all have let their standards slip this year. Some of the calamitous defending has been stuff I wouldn’t expect from my 15-year-old lad.

Aside from Lawrence, not one striker into double figures for the season is unacceptable. No goalscorers from midfield. Emyr Huws looks a real talent and the kind of midfielder we are in desperate need of. A major clear out is required personally believe Pits, Berra, Douglas, Sears, Coke, Moore, Chambers will all be moved on in the summer. Just hope the replacements are an improvement.

Who’s to Blame?
No one has done anything to be proud of including some fans. Change of manager/owner/managing director? The club seems, from the outside looking in to have lost its passion and drive. Our goals for the past two years has been to make the play-offs? Why not aim for the title? Set goals high and if you fail at least you might hit the play-offs.

Eddie Jones walked into an England rugby team who embarrassed themselves at a home World Cup. Set his standards high from the outset, Number one in the world win the World Cup in four years.

People laughed and smirked but he went on the greatest winning streak of all time, won back-to-back Six Nations titles and a Grand Slam to boot with basically the same team. Belief and direction from management is invaluable. Who aims for sixth place in the League year on year?

How the hierarchy can think its fine to be one of the most expensive clubs in the league to watch a game is honestly laughable. Bottom half of the League with 13,000 attendees proves you have the pricing/transfer model completely wrong and needs to change.

This amazing football club has a 'decent enough' manager and a 'decent enough' owner with supposedly 'decent enough' pockets but 'decent enough' is not what Ipswich Town should ever be and will definitely not help us challenge for the title.

Every one attached to Ipswich Town Football Club needs a long hard look in the mirror, Big investment is required with a bright new manager at the helm, playing the attractive football we all dream of, showing passion week in, week out. (I know, I laughed typing it).

We all know nothing will change over the summer, cause that’s what we do, same things year on year even knowing it doesn’t work. So here’s to staying off Twitter after match days and another mediocre relegation battle for the 2017 /18 season.

obj124 added 14:31 - Apr 21 Personally I think that Sears, Chambers and Pitman should all stay, maybe even Moore. The others however I agree with. Sears and Chambers have been arguably our best players over our last few matches, and if they can carry that into next season then they should stay. Pitman is a natural goalscorer, a clinical finisher, who should remain at the club. Moore is by no means a bad player, just inexperinced, loan him out to a league 1 club until January to get him some experience and then slowly introduce him to life in the Championship. Mick.... Mick, Mick, Mick.... I think he'll stay, and if anyone can get us out of this league it's him. Given even the smallest of funds we have seen the kind of shrewd signing he has made. I think with the right signings and if Mick can field a proper side.... No Chambers at Right-back.... then we will be pushing up the top 6 once again. COYB

1

Balders added 14:46 - Apr 21 Agree that Chambers and Sears have been good but Isn't that the problem? over a season they haven't produced the consistent form required. We all know Mcgoldrick is going to miss at least two months next year. Pitman a natural - 14 in 61 games, to make playoffs we need a striker who can hit 20 plus a year, we don't have that.
0

cat added 16:19 - Apr 21 Balders- good blog, I enjoyed the read. I don't often read through the whole of blogs, but yours kept me interested!. Can't really debate much of what you say unfortunately!!, as there's nothing on there which I don't really agree with.
0

itfctrent added 16:28 - Apr 21 Very good blog indeed. The only thing that I would disagree with you would be on the players who should/not go. I personally would not like to see Sears, Pitman or Chambers leave. Chambers has been a great servant to the club who has been played out of position for the past few years and the only person who failed to see that he was not cut out to play at RB was Mick himself. Same could be said for Sears, somebody who works tirelessly and selflessly for the club and is a real fan favourite. We know he can score, take his first half season when he signed and in the past few games as well. The only reason why he has not scored more is because he has predominantly spent the best part of this and last season out on the wing . Once again, if played in the correct position, he will score. As for Pitman, you are correct in saying that his goalscoring record is not good enough, however we must take into account that he has barely started any games this season. At one stage he was (wrongly) lower than Moore in the pecking order. Most of his appearances this season have come from the bench and he has not had enough time to influence games. I personally believe that we have the right players and with a few additions, we could do quite well, but ultimately, we do not have the manager to play the way that we crave. Launching balls up to Pitman, Sears and DM will not work, neither will playing Chambers at RB.

2

Lightningboy added 16:54 - Apr 21 Sears and Chambers are great if played in their correct positions - as has been displayed over the last few games & Pitman is decent back-up in this league. Personally I think far too much blame is placed on the owner and not enough on our out-dated manager..he's the one that's been making all these stupid decisions on the pitch for the last 2 or 3 seasons. I'd love to see the back of Skuse,Douglas and Bru over the summer..they provide zero in midfield and i'd rather see their wages go on new faces.

4

therein61 added 17:29 - Apr 21 Good article "Balders" It looks like we are stuck with Mick for another season and are being fed with the same spin about changes etc(lets hope something happens for a change after 4 years) but I cannot see Mick altering his policy of we have a point before we kick off keep it boys!!!! if we are not in the top 10 of the table by Christmas(that's being kind) then he should be shown the door as he would not walk because he does a great job.

1

Balders added 17:41 - Apr 21 Cheers! Was my first attempt at a blog! Personally agree, would love Chambers and Sears to stay just reading between the lines can't see them wanting to play another year out of position. regards Chambers am sure this would have been done and dusted if he was staying.
0

armchaircritic59 added 18:04 - Apr 21 Yes, very good blog. Spot on about aiming high in my opinion. I'm totally in agreement with the saying " I'd rather aim for the top and fail, than aim for the bottom and succeed".
3

bluelodgeblue added 18:29 - Apr 21 Good blog some valid points. It seems as if we try to achieve the bare minimum, we should aim to be top not sixth? But you look at the academy when we tried for cat A status we weren't going for 100% but a couple of points away from the minimum score required? Evans wants to do everything on the cheap! Whilst that attitude persists we will not achieve anything except go backwards!

1

SpiritOfJohn added 20:09 - Apr 21 An interesting read. I like your comments about Eddie Jones aiming high - that reminds me that Sir Alf said we would win the World Cup in 1966 when he took the England job.
2

Kikapu added 11:27 - Apr 24 Well written, good points - except the Eddie Jones point. Both managers have similar characters, blunt and abrasive leaders attracting praise from players and other managers in equal measure. The trouble with your point is that Eddie was parachuted in to the richest team in the world with the largest infrastructure of teams, players and supporters, whereas Mick came into team in debt and struggling financially with few supporters and a small budget. The only similarity is that both teams have illustrious pasts. I guarantee you that if you switched managers (if you could) Eddie would have little chance of success at Ipswich without the same financial backing he has with the England set-up. Everything has to be in place to give the manager a chance. We need to move Ipswich closer to London or Manchester for a start.

1

ipswich1992 added 23:30 - Apr 25 Your right kikapu- Mick and Eddie jones have similar tactics too only pass the ball backwards and when it's close to your goal boot it as high and as far up the pitch as possible. #mickout
0

ipswich1992 added 23:31 - Apr 25 Also must have missed the rule change in international rugby where they could start signing players from other nations?
0

bobble added 05:44 - Apr 26 your comment says that eddie jones and his english rugby team " went on the greatest winning streak of all time " not very true ,as the english rugby team havent played the number 1 rugby team in the world in that time how can their winning streak be considered as such......pure nonsense..
-2

Balders added 09:58 - Apr 26 The "Eddie Jones" part has caused a bit of controversy. "Bobble" they did go on the greatest "Winning streak" of all time, matching New Zealands record, how is that not very true?? New Zealand didn't play England during there winning streak so does that make theirs irrelevant??? "Kikapu" if our Rugby team has the best resources in world rugby why did we fail to win a six nations for 5 years and a grand slam for 13years and go out of a World cup in the group stages??? Eddie Jones is a winner and has instilled that winning mentality into his players, do we have that winning mentality at Ipswich? No!

0

ipswich1992 added 11:04 - Apr 26 Sorry bobble down arrowed by mistake!
0

Blogs 295 bloggers