Tractor-Boys.com

According to the BBC Website;

Ipswich Town manager Mick McCarthy admits his side's chances of making the play-offs are "slipping away".

The Tractor Boys lost 1-0 at home to Championship leaders Hull on Tuesday, their third successive loss.

Ipswich have now won just twice in 2016 and are six points adrift of the play-off places in 10th, having had a four-point buffer from seventh-place at the start of January.

"Is it slipping away? Well quite obviously it is," he said.

"If you get six points out of the play-offs and just lost three on the bounce, it is sliding away there's no doubt about it."

Town now have a run of fixtures against teams in the mid to lower part of the Championship starting at Huddersfield on Saturday.

"That slide can be halted and we can get back at it," McCarthy added to BBC Radio Suffolk.

"It's not going to be easy as we've got Huddersfield away and that'll be no easy fixture, but we've got to start somewhere, so let's hope it starts Saturday."d that'll be no easy fixture, but we've got to start somewhere, so let's hope it starts Saturday."

As I see it everything depends on our home form.....

Assuming we get nothing from our four away games at teams above us in the league ( Middlesbrough, Derby, Sheff Wed & Cardiff) and one point at each of Huddersfield, Bolton & Wolves)....

It would need us to win all our home games against teams lower than us in the table, eg
Forest, Blackburn, Rotherham, Charlton, Brentford, Fulham & MK Dons.

That would give us 72 points come the end of the season and an outside chance of making the play offs.

So there it is, our home form will decide our season.

Still possible but probably highly unlikely.

Charnwood wrote:According to the BBC Website;

Ipswich Town manager Mick McCarthy admits his side's chances of making the play-offs are "slipping away".

The Tractor Boys lost 1-0 at home to Championship leaders Hull on Tuesday, their third successive loss.

Ipswich have now won just twice in 2016 and are six points adrift of the play-off places in 10th, having had a four-point buffer from seventh-place at the start of January.

"Is it slipping away? Well quite obviously it is," he said.

"If you get six points out of the play-offs and just lost three on the bounce, it is sliding away there's no doubt about it."

Town now have a run of fixtures against teams in the mid to lower part of the Championship starting at Huddersfield on Saturday.

"That slide can be halted and we can get back at it," McCarthy added to BBC Radio Suffolk.

"It's not going to be easy as we've got Huddersfield away and that'll be no easy fixture, but we've got to start somewhere, so let's hope it starts Saturday."d that'll be no easy fixture, but we've got to start somewhere, so let's hope it starts Saturday."

Taken from his post-match comments which, as a whole, were very honest. No doubting that the desire remains, but defeat tomorrow will be another psychological blow to fragile confidence. Interestingly, whilst he mentioned on Tuesday the possibility of bring in a loan signing, today's message has gone back to can't find anyone who is either available, or better than what we have. So it comes down to that old soccer truth - one game at a time. But a win of any sort will be a massive boost, and perhaps get the momentum back on track.

Sorry, inadvertent double post.

I said to Mike before Xmas, that I feared Town would slide away going into the New Year, if we did not bring new players in , and that was well before the crop of injuries sustained at QPR. I felt , and still do that the squad was weak and lacked quality and numbers and that the primary 11 first teamers would become leg weary and pick up injuries as we went into the busy Xmas and then Easter schedule .

Shock amazement, this is exactly whag has happened. But the biggest disappointment is Micks apparent lack of urgency to replace long term injured players and those players that left the club of their own free will.

We are reaping what we have failed to sow. And unless this approach changes over the summer, Town will continue to wallow in the Championship . Painful, but fact.

hallamblue wrote:I said to Mike before Xmas, that I feared Town would slide away going into the New Year, if we did not bring new players in , and that was well before the crop of injuries sustained at QPR. I felt , and still do that the squad was weak and lacked quality and numbers and that the primary 11 first teamers would become leg weary and pick up injuries as we went into the busy Xmas and then Easter schedule .

Shock amazement, this is exactly whag has happened. But the biggest disappointment is Micks apparent lack of urgency to replace long term injured players and those players that left the club of their own free will.

We are reaping what we have failed to sow. And unless this approach changes over the summer, Town will continue to wallow in the Championship . Painful, but fact.

agreed

A look at our bench on Tuesday says it all. However, in the absence of quality reinforcements any time soon, and injuries notwithstanding, MM/TC have to get more out of what they have.

I got the impression that MM had been looking in January, but without success. He has also said that ME is ready to back him should a deal be possible - although we don't know to what extent! By no means a coherent long term strategy, but then I believe it's pretty obvious that we're living in something of a hand to mouth financial environment.

You have to ask the question , have Town become the new "Coventry" of the Championship?

Players may not want to come to a club that constantly appears stuck in the same groove and rarely truly threatening to gain promotion? Maybe things are just too "cosy" for many at PR these days?

hallamblue wrote:You have to ask the question , have Town become the new "Coventry" of the Championship?

Players may not want to come to a club that constantly appears stuck in the same groove and rarely truly threatening to gain promotion? Maybe things are just too "cosy" for many at PR these days?

That could well be a very true point. We are becoming/have become, a home for tired old warhorses who are after a final few pay days before retirement. I can well imagine any young talented inspired players will want to avoid Ipswich and go somewhere with a little more ambition! It would seem any ambition ME has , departed with Keane and his millions invested during those fateful years.

nicscreamer wrote:

hallamblue wrote:You have to ask the question , have Town become the new "Coventry" of the Championship?

Players may not want to come to a club that constantly appears stuck in the same groove and rarely truly threatening to gain promotion? Maybe things are just too "cosy" for many at PR these days?

That could well be a very true point. We are becoming/have become, a home for tired old warhorses who are after a final few pay days before . I can well imagine any young talented inspired players will want to avoid Ipswich and go somewhere with a little more ambition! It would seem any ambition ME has , departed with Keane and his millions invested during those fateful years.

Don't you think this is a common failing amongst older (2nd tier) managers? They tend to drag in players who they know or who have played for them in the past. Trouble is of course, they are usually several years older and on the wane.

I know it has been argued that our current squad is better then last year, but it doesn't give me the impression that they are anything like good enough to fight for promotion.

Charnwood wrote:According to the BBC Website;

Ipswich Town manager Mick McCarthy admits his side's chances of making the play-offs are "slipping away".

The Tractor Boys lost 1-0 at home to Championship leaders Hull on Tuesday, their third successive loss.

Ipswich have now won just twice in 2016 and are six points adrift of the play-off places in 10th, having had a four-point buffer from seventh-place at the start of January.

"Is it slipping away? Well quite obviously it is," he said.

"If you get six points out of the play-offs and just lost three on the bounce, it is sliding away there's no doubt about it."

Town now have a run of fixtures against teams in the mid to lower part of the Championship starting at Huddersfield on Saturday.

"That slide can be halted and we can get back at it," McCarthy added to BBC Radio Suffolk.

"It's not going to be easy as we've got Huddersfield away and that'll be no easy fixture, but we've got to start somewhere, so let's hope it starts Saturday."d that'll be no easy fixture, but we've got to start somewhere, so let's hope it starts Saturday."

How very astute of McCarthy to point out something that all will be aware of. Quote : "That slide can be halted and we can get back at it," - maybe talking out more in hope than expectation

And even if there are opposition games against teams in say 'favorable positions', don't we often struggle to find a result against sides in the lower reaches (or those we are expected to beat)

You feel the damage done thus far this season - while not irreparable while time remains - has set the club back to such an extent that perhaps the only thing left to do is write off what remains of this campaign and set focus on August onwards.

Not something you'd necessarily wish to write about your own team but we got to be realistic regards our situation.

I dont see Fraser, AMN, Pitman, Knudsen, Pringle, Sears, Bru etc as tired oild warhorses.

hallamblue wrote:You have to ask the question , have Town become the new "Coventry" of the Championship?

Players may not want to come to a club that constantly appears stuck in the same groove and rarely truly threatening to gain promotion? Maybe things are just too "cosy" for many at PR these days?

perhaps you're right about the cosiness.

Micks certainly got the core squad of players he's comfortable with. I do wonder if he's just too much now in his comfort zone and doesn't want the hassle of working with/coaching younger players who need more work on.
He's definately got rid of the troublesome elements like Paul Taylor which is a big plus, but I wonder if hes gone too far in favouring a certain type of player who he knows, puts in a shift and won't rock the boat. If it works - then great, but there's that tendency that it goes stale or too cosy and maybe it's showing on the pitch with flat performances.
No major dramas about Parr or Oar leaving, but I'm guessing they were outside Micks inner circle and felt there was no opportunity to break into the side. Couldn't care less about Oar, but Parr was seriously hard done by.
Foley looks like the player Mick likes. After Foley's first or second game he's doing interviews talking as if he's a veteran of the team. It's pretty standard 'experienced pro' drivel he came out with and reading between the lines it sounded like he was talking just for Mick ' I'm 31, I desperately need a contract and I won't moan if I'm not in the team....give me a contract!'.

tangfastic wrote:

hallamblue wrote:You have to ask the question , have Town become the new "Coventry" of the Championship?

Players may not want to come to a club that constantly appears stuck in the same groove and rarely truly threatening to gain promotion? Maybe things are just too "cosy" for many at PR these days?

perhaps you're right about the cosiness.

Micks certainly got the core squad of players he's comfortable with. I do wonder if he's just too much now in his comfort zone and doesn't want the hassle of working with/coaching younger players who need more work on.
He's definately got rid of the troublesome elements like Paul Taylor which is a big plus, but I wonder if hes gone too far in favouring a certain type of player who he knows, puts in a shift and won't rock the boat. If it works - then great, but there's that tendency that it goes stale or too cosy and maybe it's showing on the pitch with flat performances.
No major dramas about Parr or Oar leaving, but I'm guessing they were outside Micks inner circle and felt there was no opportunity to break into the side. Couldn't care less about Oar, but Parr was seriously hard done by.
Foley looks like the player Mick likes. After Foley's first or second game he's doing interviews talking as if he's a veteran of the team. It's pretty standard 'experienced pro' drivel he came out with and reading between the lines it sounded like he was talking just for Mick ' I'm 31, I desperately need a contract and I won't moan if I'm not in the team....give me a contract!'.

See new thread concerning today's EADT article - worth an on-line read, in the context of this thread.