Is The Optimism For Next Year Unfounded

[truefan2005]

i totally agree with hyallamblue

[hallamblue]

I think people are losing sight of just what a horrendus time Ipswich Town FC has gone through.

Many Clubs have sunk into oblivion having suffered far less turmoil than us....credit where credit is due Joe has done an unbelievable job with this team since he has arrived.

Reality check for a good few of us I think !!!

No, I disagree - that's quickly become urban folklore around town, and its also becoming a staid and tired excuse. Yes we've been through difficult times, but you can and should judge performance based on visible tactics, effort, managerial decisions and the players we bring in.

Royle has made good decisions on all fronts, but a number of bad decisions on all fronts as well - and performances have ranged again, from the very good, to the very bad.

This has nothing to do with the horrendous financial situation of a few years ago now, and this needs to stop being wheeled out as the excuse for everything.

I agree with you he's made some bad decisions - but thats human nature in all walks of life ....but he has been forced to work for the last two seasons with less than the bare bones ...and been asked to re-build at the start of each season.

HE has had no stable base to build upon because of this ..so has for the last two years been asked to work from scratch each time. This I feel has affected some of his decisions in terms of who he has available to pick ....he has lost for almost this entire season a complete experienced strike force ..who has he had left to choose from ? MacDonald, Haynes, Bowditch (only recently has he had Lee).

Most managers take time to repalce the odd key player when they move on - JR had to find FIVE new players and had no money to boot ...the issue regarding his willingnes to blood youngsters will never go away..but the fact remains he is right when he says certain individuals cannot perform week in, week out for 90 mins, at this level.

Consequently I feel he has had no option but to chop and change the team week in / out in an effort to find the "best available" combination with the players he has at his disposal - not ideal but all things considered he's done very well.

the lack of finances IS still affecting this Club and probably will continue to do so for many years - hence the blooding of our acadamy players...you get good and bad with the use of so many young players at the same time IMO. Their form will ebb and flow as they develop.

Next season will be an exciting one - but will also be very frustrating too due to the age of the team - and if we dont buy our ST the better ones will be sold off - I too hate this "emotional" blackmail that seems to eminate from PR these days but I like to watch Town so will continue to cough up the dosh for my ticket - but a lot of others probably wont though !