Interesting reading in the letters section here!

[hallamblue]

http://www.eadt.co.uk/sport/mail-bag-to ... 3778677591

[charlton837]

I think the club need to listen to it's fans and try and to really understand their concerns. And in this I include people that want Mick to stay and why that is whilst also equally listening to those are very anti mick. Like anything you be got the 2 extremes and the ones in the middle. The club needs to try and listen and understand all these concerns, make a decision and explain their thinking to try and unite people moving forwards. I'm sure 99%of fans are concerned at the moment,I'm more worried we are self destructing as a club with big divisions and people walking away, thats more of a worry than who the manager is

[Dubai Blue]

The main problem in my view is that people have unrealistic expectations and the media makes more money fanning this than from making it clear that this is the case. Sensationalism is always more interesting. If the local media understood better what we have a right to expect from the club and focused on being positive (even when it's hard) then things might look a little different.

At the end of the day it's all down to ME. If he is serious about going into PL then it seems like more investment is required to match the silly amounts being spent by other clubs. Of course the long term strategy and year on year improvement in the squad is important too but with the beans that he puts in the jar the odds are stacked against us.

I don't have all the answers but clearly if the club wants to bring back some of the fans that have lost interest or win new ones, it will have to reach out into the community more and become part of it.

I'm still very much a fan of MM and would be sad to see him go but I have to admit that he could do a better job of engaging with the fans. Obviously that means swallowing and grinning when faced with some idiot comments or behaviour but surely he's had to do that before at other clubs. Every sample of our species has the full range of IQ and character, regardless of club. Unlike many I was encouraged by the "Fu** *ff" incident since it told me that he still has passion for the club and his job. Far more important than the delicate egos of a bunch of fans that have been screaming the same at him for weeks on end.

I'll get me coat.......

[charlton837]

The main problem in my view is that people have unrealistic expectations and the media makes more money fanning this than from making it clear that this is the case. Sensationalism is always more interesting. If the local media understood better what we have a right to expect from the club and focused on being positive (even when it's hard) then things might look a little different.

At the end of the day it's all down to ME. If he is serious about going into PL then it seems like more investment is required to match the silly amounts being spent by other clubs. Of course the long term strategy and year on year improvement in the squad is important too but with the beans that he puts in the jar the odds are stacked against us.

I don't have all the answers but clearly if the club wants to bring back some of the fans that have lost interest or win new ones, it will have to reach out into the community more and become part of it.

I'm still very much a fan of MM and would be sad to see him go but I have to admit that he could do a better job of engaging with the fans. Obviously that means swallowing and grinning when faced with some idiot comments or behaviour but surely he's had to do that before at other clubs. Every sample of our species has the full range of IQ and character, regardless of club. Unlike many I was encouraged by the "Fu** *ff" incident since it told me that he still has passion for the club and his job. Far more important than the delicate egos of a bunch of fans that have been screaming the same at him for weeks on end.

I'll get me coat.......

on the face of it you may feel that this is the case, as do most outside of the club because quite honestly they haven't seen what most Ipswich fans have seen in the past couple of seasons. It runs much deeper than the league position or even manager. The club has lost its connection to the fans and has simply let this happen and shown no interest whatsoever in wanting to fix it. Mick has had to take the brunt of all this and probably has got fed up of talking about it, however as you say he has not helped himself. Too many times he has been wanting to fight people rather than trying to be a bit more diplomatic and make the fans feel wanted again. He himself talks about liking to feel like hes wanted, its the same for fans, at Ipswich they have basically been told you mean nothing to us and if you dare make a complaint then we will just ignore it anyway, be thankful for what you have. Bit by bit people have walked and the club have allowed it. The biggest insult was that tiny increase in ST costs last season and ripping off the oldest fans, this was just a step too far for many and it comes down to principle not cost. I personally think peoples biggest problem with MM has been that he seems too happy working with these constraints no questions asked, I think fans may have wanted him to "out the owner" just a bit more, put some pressure on, if ME wants to keep MM that badly then he has to give him a chance, in turn MM and ME need to sell a vision to fans rather than we will just cobble together a squad each year and if it happens it happens.

I don't agree about the press just fanning these stories, I think the local press are just talking in the same language as many fans. There has been no plan for a few years and the hope has slowly faded. We don't ever hear from the owner, Ian Milne is just pointless and lies through his teeth and MM takes all the crap that comes from fans about the mess the club has got itself in off the pitch. Above the North Stand a big banner says "what is a club, its the noise, the passion, the feeling of belonging" well maybe Evans should practice what he preaches and make people feel part of it again. Its not even that difficult, a bit of communication every now and then with an update of what we are working towards. If we go with his 5 point plan then fine but it seems to me that MM was no part of creating this and doesn't agree with it anyway. The club is disjointed. I feel whether MM stays or goes the club has to find a way of selling the vision to fans again, they have just left things drift for far too long. I respect your views on MM, I don't think he has done a bad job but I feel he has let us fans down at times with his behavior, im not talking about the incident at Norwich, im talking about lack of understanding of what fans concerns are. Ultimately though this should have been dealt with above MM head.

I also don't believe fans of Ipswich expect us to be in the top 6 or challenging, they just want to feel part of a project again, some hope it could happen and a plan of how to reach it. That could be a promising crop of youngsters which are playing in the first team, it could be 1 or 2 good signings a year, it could be a more ambitious, calculated risk to try and win a game rather than being overly negative.

[Dubai Blue]

Wow Charlton that's a great response. Thanks for taking the time.

[arana peligrosa]

"The Championship League is a fantastic league to be in"

Are these the words of a genuine Town supporter, don't know about anyone else but I've had my f**king fill of this "fantastic league" after nearly two decades of it.

Don't subscribe to any and all garbage surrounding "without McCarthy we'd be a League One team" also. Sure as hell will never be an EPL one, and the only reason we'd be safe from the fall into lower league is the mind numbing tactics and done to death cautious approaches that just about ensure our safety each and every season.

I try not to accept it but have to realize you could ideally tie the manager to a stake at the center of the field and threaten to douse in gasoline if not swearing an oath to depart, but would continue to rage on and refuse to leave for anywhere else. Maybe we should just accept this is one stubborn individual and no amount of fan abuse or profanities will move his as* any nearer the exit.

So, when people argue we should get behind the manager, realize they may just be right. Many won't like it or show true distaste, but accept any protest or talk seems ultimately futile. Same logic applies to the owner regrettably.

[rossi]

The real problem with the club is the owner and his cowardice.

I'm not suggesting that he bought the club with intentions of running it down - no, I think he wanted (and expected) to gain promotion inside of 3 seasons and provided funds to do so. Unfortunately those funds were wasted by managers that HE appointed, and I think that since then he has changed his directions and intentions for the club.

It's amazing that he chooses to stay in the background at the club - believe me in his major business he is in no way reclusive or silent.

The lack of communication from the owner, the raising of ST prices, the robbing of supporters between 60 and 65, and many other similar things are what is bringing the club down and it's all down to the owner.

But as I say, he is too cowardly to face fans so he uses Milne and MM as his whipping boys.
Milne is just a useless tosser, who has no clue about running a football club, has no spine, and is content to just run with things. MM is the main whipping boy though - he doesn't help himself at times but I think months and months of having to justify his tactics and team selections when he only has loans and free signings not wanted by any other team is wearing him down.

But it suits Evans to have MM as the whipping boy - I have no idea what he pays MM but it must be considerably over the going rate and that is why I think he will make MM an offer to stay on for next season that he cannot refuse.

[Charnwood]

Hey Rossi I think you’re spot on, my only difference is that I’d replace the noun cowardice with the adjective reclusive. I hope i’ve got this right but If not I’m sure you’ll have the gist of it. I’m not convinced he’s a coward but he definitely chooses to be reclusive and for this reason alone so little is really known about him other than his wealth, I’m not even convinced he’s particularly high profile even when it comes to his main business interests as these also appear to be fronted by other people. This apart I agree completely with your comments.

I’m also convinced that it’s his reclusiveness which has contributed massively to the divide between the club and the fans, after all it’s the owner who should be the face of the club not the manager. It’s the owner who sets the vision for the club, it’s the owner who sets the targets and the ambition for the club, and it’s we the fans who should support the club along the way. However like everyone else I have no idea what the journey looks like and I have no idea what ME’s vision is for the club, nor his long term ambitions or targets.

I used to eat sleep and breath Ipswich Town 24hrs a day and have done for most of my life, but to be honest this been has all but taken away from me over recent years and if it wasn’t for being in my blood I could easily walk away and it’s only that long term connection which keeps me interested.

FFS, Evans get a grip and decide what you want to do with our Footbal Club and share it with the rest of us, and let us start enjoying it again.

[Watership Down]

When all is said and done, it's the quality on the pitch where it starts, then the system the manager has them play. No disrespect to any of the players that are currently on this team but they are not the Mick Mills, Matt Holland, Arnold Muhren, James Scowcroft, to name a few, of past teams and unless the owner decides to invest some money in the club it will always be an also ran. You are not going to develop players from your academy overnight they need to be loaned out to gain experience and then you need a manager who will play them alongside some quality players when they have gained the experience. I think when a Premier league club loans you quality players you need to play them, not have them warming the bench because this player or that player has a contract from the team and I don't feel right dropping him to put an on loan player in.

[Bluemike]

I think I am correct in saying that when a team is in the premier league the owner/owners are not allowed to be "invisible", they have to be in public view as it were, therein probably lies the problem.

[Bluemike]

"The Championship League is a fantastic league to be in"

Are these the words of a genuine Town supporter, don't know about anyone else but I've had my f**king fill of this "fantastic league" after nearly two decades of it.

Don't subscribe to any and all garbage surrounding "without McCarthy we'd be a League One team" also. Sure as hell will never be an EPL one, and the only reason we'd be safe from the fall into lower league is the mind numbing tactics and done to death cautious approaches that just about ensure our safety each and every season.

I try not to accept it but have to realize you could ideally tie the manager to a stake at the center of the field and threaten to douse in gasoline if not swearing an oath to depart, but would continue to rage on and refuse to leave for anywhere else. Maybe we should just accept this is one stubborn individual and no amount of fan abuse or profanities will move his as* any nearer the exit.

So, when people argue we should get behind the manager, realize they may just be right. Many won't like it or show true distaste, but accept any protest or talk seems ultimately futile. Same logic applies to the owner regrettably.

As a "attending genuine Town supporter" my opinion is that YES it is a fantastic Legue to be in, there are far worse places to be, just ask fans of Coventry, MK Dons, Oldham, Wimbledon, Blackpool, Doncaster, Portsmouth, Peterborough, Charlton, Rotherham, Wigan, Blackburn, Bolton, Forest, Millwall, Leeds, Barnsley, Norwich, Brentford, Bristol City, Sheffield Utd, all who have dropped even lower at one time or another, some find it impossible to return while for others the long term effects are disastrous, there are probably others too.

While we may all dream of a return to the promised land of the p*ss boring Premier League (if only for a change of scenery), there are very few advantages to even being in it. Extortionate ticket prices at most grounds, I would certainly not be doing every away game due to costs, ridiculous kick off times to suit bloody SKY etc, Friday nights, Saturday Lunchtimes & evenings, Sunday Afternoons, Monday evenings, you name it, great for those that sit on their arse in a comfy chair but not so great for the real fans. Then we have the reality that most weeks you are getting a hammering, at least in the Championship you have 46 winnable games, any game can and often is won, not the case in the Prem.

It makes me laugh when fans say yes we need to go up "To get the money " WTF ?? We WONT benefit at all, the club may see itself into a better financial standing but hey ho, that really helsps the man in the street, dearer season tickets for Eight less games hardly represents value for money. Yes I want us to go up but the point of my post is that those who think this is a crap league to be in and the prem is the be all and end all are totally wrong.

[Dubai Blue]

Watershed, James Scowcroft? How did he slip into that list? A donkey if there ever was one. I think we have better in today's side

Obvs no issues with the rest of that list although I might consider Chambo as nearly as good a captain as Holland.

[charlton837]

"The Championship League is a fantastic league to be in"

Are these the words of a genuine Town supporter, don't know about anyone else but I've had my f**king fill of this "fantastic league" after nearly two decades of it.

Don't subscribe to any and all garbage surrounding "without McCarthy we'd be a League One team" also. Sure as hell will never be an EPL one, and the only reason we'd be safe from the fall into lower league is the mind numbing tactics and done to death cautious approaches that just about ensure our safety each and every season.

I try not to accept it but have to realize you could ideally tie the manager to a stake at the center of the field and threaten to douse in gasoline if not swearing an oath to depart, but would continue to rage on and refuse to leave for anywhere else. Maybe we should just accept this is one stubborn individual and no amount of fan abuse or profanities will move his as* any nearer the exit.

So, when people argue we should get behind the manager, realize they may just be right. Many won't like it or show true distaste, but accept any protest or talk seems ultimately futile. Same logic applies to the owner regrettably.

As a "attending genuine Town supporter" my opinion is that YES it is a fantastic Legue to be in, there are far worse places to be, just ask fans of Coventry, MK Dons, Oldham, Wimbledon, Blackpool, Doncaster, Portsmouth, Peterborough, Charlton, Rotherham, Wigan, Blackburn, Bolton, Forest, Millwall, Leeds, Barnsley, Norwich, Brentford, Bristol City, Sheffield Utd, all who have dropped even lower at one time or another, some find it impossible to return while for others the long term effects are disastrous, there are probably others too.

While we may all dream of a return to the promised land of the p*ss boring Premier League (if only for a change of scenery), there are very few advantages to even being in it. Extortionate ticket prices at most grounds, I would certainly not be doing every away game due to costs, ridiculous kick off times to suit bloody SKY etc, Friday nights, Saturday Lunchtimes & evenings, Sunday Afternoons, Monday evenings, you name it, great for those that sit on their arse in a comfy chair but not so great for the real fans. Then we have the reality that most weeks you are getting a hammering, at least in the Championship you have 46 winnable games, any game can and often is won, not the case in the Prem.

It makes me laugh when fans say yes we need to go up "To get the money " WTF ?? We WONT benefit at all, the club may see itself into a better financial standing but hey ho, that really helsps the man in the street, dearer season tickets for Eight less games hardly represents value for money. Yes I want us to go up but the point of my post is that those who think this is a crap league to be in and the prem is the be all and end all are totally wrong.

Im fairly sure a lot of games in the PL are cheaper than the Championship, there is a £30 away price cap on tickets so you shouldn't pay anymore than £30 for any away game and I know a couple of teams had actually made tickets more like £10-15 for away fans. However that apart I do agree in many ways, lets face it we would be one of the teams fighting for our lives to try and finish 17th every season whilst unlikely to have a cup run because we will say we cannot afford to drop out of the PL.

I wouldn't mind it for a little while just to be at that level again but I cant help thinking that a club of our size would find it incredibly boring if we were in there for a long time. Just ask clubs like Stoke, West Brom, Swansea to name a few