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I finally plucked up the courage to play a recording of the last night's game.
It didn't look any better, but I did note the following:

Each of the back four were to blame for at least one of the goals.

For too long now - at least the last 18 months - MM's philosophy seems to have been, if LC, TS, and CB are available then they play.
Well, what I replayed this afternoon merely strengthened my opinion that..

1) the whole defence is too slow
2) none of them appear capable of playing outside their 'comfort zone'
3) none of them are comfortable on the ball, all they do when they get the ball is hoof it up in the air, and they don't do that very well either

In my opinion, all of them need to be dropped, not just TS - the 3 of them are as bad as each other.
We have been conceding too many goals for far too long, and it's no co-incidence that these 3 have featured prominently most of the time.
I havn't seen enough of the polish guy to be able to offer much of an opinion, but what I did see against Brighton he didn't look much better.

And Knudsen - well, he just can't defend.

To be honest, of all the personnel brought in during the close season, I can honestly say that only Fraser is better than what we had last season.

AMN seems to score wonderful goals for England, but has offered very little to us in my opinion, Pitman is no better than what we already had and he barely touched the ball in the first half yesterday, Coke failed his trial with Blackburn, and as for Douglas, don't get me started - it's easy to see why Brentford didn't want to keep him, he's totally useless.

Quite frankly, it's not good enough.

Your not happy then

rossi wrote:In my opinion, all of them need to be dropped, not just TS - the 3 of them are as bad as each other.
We have been conceding too many goals for far too long, and it's no co-incidence that these 3 have featured prominently most of the time.

But you rate Tommy.

Rossi, who would you replace the defence with?

It's another talking point to say whether we should have got rid/ brought in defenders during the summer- but we haven't got 4 adequate defenders to bring in at the moment.

I would like Johnny Parr to be given a run in the side ( fitness dependent) as he's a genuine full back. This is a frequent talking point about Chambers lack of pace and not being a genuine RB, but Mick wants him in the side.

Chambers is a great club captain and team man, but he shouldn't be guaranteed his place.

Get Parr in at RB,either TS or Chambers to partner Berra and persist with Knudsen ( he's got to be given a chance to learn and adapt). Bart has to be no 1.

Would be happy with a sound defensive performance and goalless draw at Leeds.
It's a long season and we haven't blown our chances over just a couple of games, but there does seem a worrying trend of leaking goals going back to last season.

In my opinion MM is a far better defensive manager than he is an attacking manager but I guess that's more to do with his background as a defender.

I think what we've seen since he took over is that he can easily close up shop and stop the opposition from playing and hope to pick up the occasional three points even away from home by being effective on the break.

However changing his style from defensive to attacking seems to come less natural to him and the team balance seems to go out of the window with the defence being left looking fragile.

After Friday's embarrassment I expect to see at least a couple of games where he goes back to basics and closes up the shop, boring but effective and two draws in the next two games could well be the outcome.

I could tell I'd log on here and see a post like this from you, yet you'll likely disappear for a while when we start doing well, then reappear with the same points when we lose again. Getting a bit boring now.

J4ck22 wrote:I could tell I'd log on here and see a post like this from you, yet you'll likely disappear for a while when we start doing well, then reappear with the same points when we lose again. Getting a bit boring now.

I think you'll find me on here posting regardless of whether we win or lose. If you find my opinions boring, don't read them.

Charnwood wrote:

J4ck22 wrote:I could tell I'd log on here and see a post like this from you, yet you'll likely disappear for a while when we start doing well, then reappear with the same points when we lose again. Getting a bit boring now.

I think you'll find me on here posting regardless of whether we win or lose. If you find my opinions boring, don't read them.

Sorry Charny, I should have been more clear that it was aimed at Rossi, my apologies.

J4ck22 wrote:

Charnwood wrote:

J4ck22 wrote:I could tell I'd log on here and see a post like this from you, yet you'll likely disappear for a while when we start doing well, then reappear with the same points when we lose again. Getting a bit boring now.

I think you'll find me on here posting regardless of whether we win or lose. If you find my opinions boring, don't read them.

Sorry Charny, I should have been more clear that it was aimed at Rossi, my apologies.

I thought it was a tad harsh J4ck but no need to apologise, I just accepted the fact that we'll never all agree on everything and if we did it would get very boring.

Charnwood wrote:

J4ck22 wrote:

Charnwood wrote:

I think you'll find me on here posting regardless of whether we win or lose. If you find my opinions boring, don't read them.

Sorry Charny, I should have been more clear that it was aimed at Rossi, my apologies.

I thought it was a tad harsh J4ck but no need to apologise, I just accepted the fact that we'll never all agree on everything and if we did it would get very boring.

I'm all for differing opinions. It's just when the same person contributes only that opinion whenever the opportunity arises, then offers nothing else. I pretty much knew what was going to be said before I opened the thread, which is because he repeats it every time we lose then buggers off for the duration between defeats. I do apologise if it's harsh, I just don't really understand it.

I can't believe you thought that first post by J4ck was about yourself , Charnwood. Out on the sauce last night? Bit of a meltdown?

marko69 wrote:I can't believe you thought that first post by J4ck was about yourself , Charnwood. Out on the sauce last night? Bit of a meltdown?

No sauce, no meltdown Marko.... just sitting watching Leicester v Villa game and got a tad bored so looked to see if any response to my comment on MM management strength & weakness and read J4cks comment without looking back any further. I must say I thought it was a tad harsh but sometimes comments can be.

Anyway Leicester v Villa game sparked up in the second half and i've just watched a brilliant final 20 minutes from the Mighty Foxes. I just wish we could play like it sometimes, an unbelievable comeback from what looked like a certain defeat with just 18 mins to play.

Charnwood wrote:

marko69 wrote:I can't believe you thought that first post by J4ck was about yourself , Charnwood. Out on the sauce last night? Bit of a meltdown?

No sauce, no meltdown Marko.... just sitting watching Leicester v Villa game and got a tad bored so looked to see if any response to my comment on MM management strength & weakness and read J4cks comment without looking back any further. I must say I thought it was a tad harsh but sometimes comments can be.

Anyway Leicester v Villa game sparked up in the second half and i've just watched a brilliant final 20 minutes from the Mighty Foxes. I just wish we could play like it sometimes, an unbelievable comeback from what looked like a certain defeat with just 18 mins to play.

I felt the same after watching Crystal Palace against ManC yesterday. Although they lost, CP are playing some great football. I reflected on how I'd love to see Ipswich playing some good football again...

The OP has a point regarding his copmments about the lack of pace in our back four. This is not a new problem. But it is now more highligted since MM has gone with a more attcaking formation AND we have injuires to key midfileders, all of wom have provided protection to the back four.

So what's to do about it ?


Immediate plan:


1. Play Parr in at LB rest Knudsen.
2. Play Bart : End of !
3. Continue with Chambers, Berra / Smith : We have no other viable replacements at present unless we chance the new CB. BUT see below ...


Furture plan:

4. We have a new CB (cant spell his name so wont try). He needs to get acclimatized to the English game speed wise. But I think he will be a long term pairing with Berra.

5. Get a decent GK on loan if possible, neither of our current GK's are good enough IMO


We have players that have just joined the Club that are not used to teh English game or pace of it , but are good defenders . I include the CB and LB in this .

We also have some very good youngsters coming thorugh , but as was shown vs Brighton , are still green through lack of experience. You cant expect those jkids to play 40 games in a jump from the Academy to Championship.

I wonder if we should be getting Clarke back from Pompey in January and consider him for CB pairing at some point ?

marko69 wrote:

rossi wrote:In my opinion, all of them need to be dropped, not just TS - the 3 of them are as bad as each other.
We have been conceding too many goals for far too long, and it's no co-incidence that these 3 have featured prominently most of the time.

But you rate Tommy.

actually I have said on more than one occasion that I rate him higher than I rate Berra - but to be honest that's not really saying much

tangfastic wrote:Rossi, who would you replace the defence with?

It's another talking point to say whether we should have got rid/ brought in defenders during the summer- but we haven't got 4 adequate defenders to bring in at the moment.

I would like Johnny Parr to be given a run in the side ( fitness dependent) as he's a genuine full back. This is a frequent talking point about Chambers lack of pace and not being a genuine RB, but Mick wants him in the side.

Chambers is a great club captain and team man, but he shouldn't be guaranteed his place.

Get Parr in at RB,either TS or Chambers to partner Berra and persist with Knudsen ( he's got to be given a chance to learn and adapt). Bart has to be no 1.

Would be happy with a sound defensive performance and goalless draw at Leeds.
It's a long season and we haven't blown our chances over just a couple of games, but there does seem a worrying trend of leaking goals going back to last season.

Well, I honestly think we could have played any of our strikers or midfielders from the academy and they would have performed better than Chambers, Berra, TS, and Knudsen did on Friday.

J4ck22 wrote:
I'm all for differing opinions. It's just when the same person contributes only that opinion whenever the opportunity arises, then offers nothing else. I pretty much knew what was going to be said before I opened the thread, which is because he repeats it every time we lose then buggers off for the duration between defeats. I do apologise if it's harsh, I just don't really understand it.

Well why did you bother to read it then?

As for buggering off between defeats, that's just pure bollox and totally unfounded. But then again, you never post much of your own opinions on here, do you, you just have a go at other people. That's fine by me - I'm a big boy and can take as many of your puerile moronic comments as you care to throw. At the end of the day, I have my opinions and will exercise my right to voice them whether you like it or not. That's the point of a forum in case you didn't know.

rossi wrote:

J4ck22 wrote:
I'm all for differing opinions. It's just when the same person contributes only that opinion whenever the opportunity arises, then offers nothing else. I pretty much knew what was going to be said before I opened the thread, which is because he repeats it every time we lose then buggers off for the duration between defeats. I do apologise if it's harsh, I just don't really understand it.

Well why did you bother to read it then?

As for buggering off between defeats, that's just pure bollox and totally unfounded. But then again, you never post much of your own opinions on here, do you, you just have a go at other people. That's fine by me - I'm a big boy and can take as many of your puerile moronic comments as you care to throw. At the end of the day, I have my opinions and will exercise my right to voice them whether you like it or not. That's the point of a forum in case you didn't know.

That's probably because you're not around to see them. But seriously though, you posted a similar thing when we drew to Brentford, which was fine, I didn't agree with it all but it was fine. Then we started winning and there was no thread by you, but then we lost again and you're back, pushing the same points as if the previous games didn't happen, just to prove that you might be right.

Oh and as far as 'puerile moronic' comments go, I think you should re-read your OP on the thread aimed at Mike.

J4ck22 wrote:I could tell I'd log on here and see a post like this from you, yet you'll likely disappear for a while when we start doing well, then reappear with the same points when we lose again. Getting a bit boring now.

A lot of Ipswich fans suffer with this syndrome J4CK22. TWTD is like samaritans after a loss, its painful. If I was you I would start going to away games, the fans their are brilliant and it keeps you in love with the club.

Guarantee the people who moan about the shipping of goals were moaning our brand of football was boring last year. When the boot fits and all that.

I admit we were poor Friday but do we really need people starting numerous treads about it or would the match thread been enough? I would rather not dwell on what was a shyte performance and instead look forward to hopefully seeing a response on Tuesday.

AylesburyBlue wrote:

J4ck22 wrote:I could tell I'd log on here and see a post like this from you, yet you'll likely disappear for a while when we start doing well, then reappear with the same points when we lose again. Getting a bit boring now.

A lot of Ipswich fans suffer with this syndrome J4CK22. TWTD is like samaritans after a loss, its painful. If I was you I would start going to away games, the fans their are brilliant and it keeps you in love with the club.

Guarantee the people who moan about the shipping of goals were moaning our brand of football was boring last year. When the boot fits and all that.

I admit we were poor Friday but do we really need people starting numerous treads about it or would the match thread been enough? I would rather not dwell on what was a shyte performance and instead look forward to hopefully seeing a response on Tuesday.

I'd love to get to some away games as I've never actually been to one, getting people to commit to it is difficult. Hopefully I'll get at least one in this season though.

Yeah we were really poor, I fully expect us to learn from it and be even more fired up for tonight. I'm not too worried yet!

They did alright tonight. Credit where credits due.