Skuse is a tidy player. I've been associated with giving him stick in the past but he's certainly no worse (if not better) than some of our other current midfield crop. And no Coke isn't really it lol! My argument in regard to Skuse is do we think he'd get in the starting 11 of the Burnley team, or other promotion chasing teams? Is he even as good as Grant Leadbitter? Does he take us where we need to be, i.e. challenging strongly for promotion? Of that I'm not convinced but trust me if he plays a key role in leading us to promotion next season I'd be very happy to eat humble pie! I just think he falls just a bit short of being good enough to get us up. Some might disagree and I totally respect that. Cheers.

I wonder if Emmanuel and Knudsen can make further improvements and give us a bit more natural width, allowing us to play slightly narrower through the middle. They've got a bit of pace for recovery and Skuse can sit and continue to provide cover when you've got creative players linking up through the middle.

McGoldrick's fitness is going to be a massive determining factor in how we play next season. I think we're capable of playing through the middle if the full backs can offer an outlet when needed and still be able to recover.

I think the likelihood of Bishop and Payne starting is slim, given their age and experience, but who knows?

I was sold when I read ‘attacking midfielder' rather than ‘holding' or ‘box-to-box'.

Think our biggest failings as a team is that we don't seem to have a central defender who can bring the ball out of defence or a central midfielder who can take the ball from the defenders and bring in the more attack minded players.

Considering we have some senior ‘holding' midfielders such as Skuse, Hyam and Douglas I rarely see them demand and run.

Monkeyblue - chill out .... I am aware of the fact that most of Micks signings have been neither overv30 nor ex-Wolves and was being tongue-in-cheek tbh as it is often said ..... that's what the 😊 for.
Perhaps sometimes people also only see what they want to see in others posts as well ??
PS my brains fine thank you.

dirty boy - spot on .... our width coming from full backs allows Skuse to sit and a couple of AM to feed a front 2/3 ..... loads more potential for fast paced attacking football & enjoyable to watch.
Trigger is having Full Backs who are capable of this a la Rose, Cresswell, Mings etc.
Hoping Emmanual is this on the right & Knudsen continues to improve on left.
Skuse is integral to all this Imo ..... quietly gets on with his job & the sort of player every team needs. He is our "water carrier" Dunga of the Brazilian 90's team.The player who breaks up the opponents play, gets the ball back & gives it to the creative players.
Unfortunately as he is not playing a "glamorous" role many don't see the work he does & thus slate him but I bet if you asked the players who they rated he would be right up there ..... possible captain in my view.

I agree every teams needs 1 water carrier phillo. I'll put my hand up and admit water carriers don't float my boat, but without one the team would struggle. Given the choice I'd rather Skuse than Hyam, as least you haven't got the worry of him getting sent off and suspended every few games! Ideally even water carriers need to chip in with goals though. Something like 5 or 6 a season would be good. Defenders often do that, some more when they are extra effective at scoring goals from set piece situations using their height. So yes Skuse ahead of Hyam please. Still not sure if he'd get in the Burnley team as that's the sort of standard we need to be aiming for. But if he is to be our water carrier captain, I'd rather that ahead of Hyam performing the role. But personally I'd prefer a Suffolk Pirlo and Gattuso as a deep midfielder pairing along with Fraser and Dozzell or Bishop! I can but dream! :-)

what's happened to bohslegend by the way? please come back boh, we might not agree on much but I find your posts entertaining. nobody can deny that boh knows how to get things stirred up round here!
i miss you boh :-)
and mickzzzzzzzzzztactics, where's he gone? he's great entertainment value too!
i was enjoying the mickzzzztactics and bohslegend show! 2 TWTD titans!

Amazing neck muscles apparently. Good at looking up.

I'll defer to those of you who watch town more often than me (I am afraid persuading my ITFC supporting son or myself to forego his own football in favour of long trips to town has got harder this season with the dross MM has served up). But my observation has long been that Skuse is a reserve midfielder at best (let alone Coke and Douglas) and I think most of our problems arise from having average defenders and central midfielders like him. Hyam not much better but at least has energy and a bit of pace, which is sadly missing in others and maybe in a midfield with Bish and Bru/a.n.other he might calm down and thrive. But none of the existing bunch show for the ball or are comfortable on it and frankly to play progressive attacking football we need better. Dominant, ball playing CB and strong, capable CM for me at the least and then hopefully Bish, McG, Freddy and co can get the service in the right way to push us on next year. Unfortunately I cannot see Mick changing his spots after decades of promoting rubbish football - in fact I actually think it intimidates or upsets him. So more of the same next year I fear.

Seeing that a Dutch side are mentioned as being interested,got me thinking if Ipswich ever look to the continent at all now since McCarthy became Manager.

I know he looks at Eire;but quite honestly cant remember any of the dozen or so players he has recruited from there making it over here;so perhaps he should widen his horizons a little.Not that I am saying getting a midfielder from down the road on a bosman free would neccesarily be a bad signing,as I know nothing about him.

We'll have to agree to disagree re Skuse..said yesterday that player's like him are a lot that's wrong with our team..just happy to knock the ball sideways and backwards..great if you want to finish mid table not so great if you want to drive the team forward and get the supporters on their feet.

He's possibly the best we've got in the middle at the moment which just about sums our midfield up.

We need much better.

It's all very well having a disruptive player in midfield but he needs to be comfortable with the ball and able to see a forward pass rather than give it to the centre half to hoof up the pitch. He also needs to be able to shoot when he gets a sight of goal.
For me Skuse is not that player and the proof will be none of the top teams in the division will come in for him over the summer.
Unless McCarthy has a personality change after next weekend next season will be more of the same for those of us who have renewed

What a good read! Thoroughly enjoyed reading most of your contributions. I hope this high standard continues.
It would be good to see an central attacking midfielder in our team - however small. I hope MM sees enough in him to make an offer. Just need to see a CD comfortable on the ball and a pacey winger brought in as well - for starters.

Good prospect .

Seasider where did Tommy Oar come from again? Who are the dozen players from the Irish League he's signed?

Seasider

Knudsen, Bru, Toure, Malarcyk. Continental signings.

You forgot Foley too as he was in Denmark wasn't he?

Not old, can play anywhere across the middle and up front, can score goals, not from Wolves (even though they are interested), not Irish O_O these are never the qualities that MM looks at

Could be an interesting one. Get him in and get rid of Hyam, Coke, Tabb and Douglas

......... others are interested - so that rules us out.

More of the 'same old' next season - and who really cares anymore ?

Evans and McCarthy - please prove me WRONG.

........ as time goes on, less in the way of promising players will want to come to the home of HOOFBALL.

The longer we continue with our style of play - the more damage it does to our Club - once known across Europe, and beyond, for playing the beautiful game the way it should be played.

Blueboy- Can't think anyone outside Europe has ever heard of Ipswich - let alone that were were decent 35 years ago!

Kirbmeister - I do my best to promote the club, so some outside the UK have heard of us! Can't do much about outside Europe, unfortunately.😄

Sorry Mullet only 9 if you exclude Owen Garvan who only trained with Town after his release from Palace,and lets face it has been over here since a youngster.

Cormac Burke,Jack Doherty,Eoin Wearen,Mark Timlin,Ryan Robinson,Adam McDonnell,Dylan Connolly,Jack Doherty and Cory Galvin.