Paul Cooks 1st Transfer Window rumour thread.

[Bluemike]

I rate Downes but he isn't interested in being here so get rid, good riddance I say, Cook had these players spot on, I cannot praise him enough for the tough stance he took with the lot of them, funny how Dobra came out and said he wanted to be here, he showed commitment and it got him back in the main squad, its all Cook was asking, the rest showed themselves up for what they are, talentless w*nkers with no heart or fight in them

[valleyroad]

Maybe Downes is just a young lad who wants to better himself and at the time didn't see Ipswich Town as the way to do it.
With Palace sniffing about and potentially others that nobody on here knows about maybe he's holding out for Championship level club of decent standing than playing in League One again ? With no guarantee of Ipswich actually getting out of it.
So... if I was in his position I'd do the same.
He probably doesn't have any real issue with Ipswich Town but hopes to do better.
I'm sure at the end of the day if there are no better options then Downes will commit 100% to Ipswich and Cook will be more than happy to have him.
Loads of players face these issues at this point in a season.

[AzzurroMark]

Maybe Downes is just a young lad who wants to better himself and at the time didn't see Ipswich Town as the way to do it.

I think you have a very valid point here VR. Taking in Shane Supples comments when he quit the game, also Alan Lee's slamming of the club under Evans, you do have to wonder whether Downes himself didn't like the culture at our club and just felt he had to get out. True, it is an argument that could easily be shot down in flames i agree, but something had been wrong at this club for well over a decade. I personally agree that we shouldn't entertain a player who has handed in a transfer request, but at the same time none of us are privy to what goes on, making it easier to accept the obvious "player has head turned and now wants out" theory.

[Tangfastic]

Maybe Downes is just a young lad who wants to better himself and at the time didn't see Ipswich Town as the way to do it.

I think you have a very valid point here VR. Taking in Shane Supples comments when he quit the game, also Alan Lee's slamming of the club under Evans, you do have to wonder whether Downes himself didn't like the culture at our club and just felt he had to get out. True, it is an argument that could easily be shot down in flames i agree, but something had been wrong at this club for well over a decade. I personally agree that we shouldn't entertain a player who has handed in a transfer request, but at the same time none of us are privy to what goes on, making it easier to accept the obvious "player has head turned and now wants out" theory.

Same here. I don’t know if Downes attitude is wrong, but if he simply wants a move upwards- then I don’t have a problem with it. Football is a short career and we’ve already turned down an offer for him from a PL club. Not sure if he’s sulking over it- I hear no rumours about that. I don’t have a problem with Cook’s stance as well - maybe they want both the same thing and best for both parties and it’s clear-cut.
If he does go - I hope it’s for the best deal for us and it’s not a long drawn-out affair.
I’d rather have a player who wants a move to a bigger club or higher division for a decent fee than someone who isn’t wanted by anyone or someone who runs down a contract.

[Tangfastic]

Apparently bid for Crooks well short of valuation. If true, £400k looks on the lowish side. But I guess it’s start of negotiations.

https://www.twtd.co.uk/ipswich-town-ne ... -valuation

I’d like to think if we’re negotiating with Rotherham then Crooks is on board for a move here.

[AzzurroMark]

I’d rather have a player who wants a move to a bigger club or higher division for a decent fee than someone who isn’t wanted by anyone or someone who runs down a contract.

.....or chooses to join Colchester!

[Bluemike]

I actually think Downes is part of the culture of the club.

[AzzurroMark]

I actually think Downes is part of the culture of the club.

No, that was definitely Boy George.

[Dazzz67]

Well looks like young Gibbs is off after talks broke down, be interesting to know why, I suspect his head was turned with potential move to bigger clubs and higher wages...

https://c.newsnow.co.uk/A/1085956638?-1 ... atest_news

[hallamblue]

He’s another one more interested in the big bucks than play8mg and developing. Cheerio

[Kerry Blue]

Hope he enjoys his money while on the bench he may well regret leaving Ipswich several have I'm sure.

[AzzurroMark]

Cook says "the door is always ajar"!

https://www.eadt.co.uk/sport/ipswich-to ... on-8112140

I guess, however that is a two way thing, so if any of the existing squad training with the first team do not come up to scratch, then U23 training it will be! This could be a test of resolve to see if any others are going to show the desire to fight like Dobra has. Personally, i struggle to see which of those players will show that passion! Certainly, i do not see anyway back for Jackson! PC is quoted as saying....

"To make a good football team you need a good blend of experience, youth, energy, legs, ability, talent and goals. Goals being the operative word. "

...and personally none of those adjectives describe KJ in particular.

[Tangfastic]

Hope he enjoys his money while on the bench he may well regret leaving Ipswich several have I'm sure.

I’m not even sure he’d be anywhere near our first team squad if he stayed.

Cook isn’t looking ahead a couple of seasons- it’s all about now.

If he was that good - why did we get to a situation where his contract was run down?

Much as I love the idea of bringing kids through the academy to the first team like everyone else, it hasn’t really worked out anywhere as well as expected. I’ve always thought we over-estimated our academy, but I thought this group of youngsters were a strong bunch and with being in L1 they would flourish. They haven’t. It’s been disappointing and I’ve lost yet more faith in the academy.

I think we have a good academy that produces good technical footballers, but they seem too lightweight and unable to deal with the physicality needed. We might as well offload these kids at 15-16 and get whatever money we can. I mean Ben Knights went for a million to Man City at 16 which is the same amount we got for Dozzell at 22. Probably Dozzell was worth a lot more at 16 than he is now and that’s because his potential was worth a lot more than his actual talent.

[hallamblue]

Cant disagree with any of that tang. I think the new owners are very keen to develop the academy and I feel there will be development as either a concurrent phase of once we have got back into the championship. I can see exchanges between Phoenix Rising and Town for make and female teams as the Americans pay more respect to the female game than here in the UK, although this is clearly changing in the UK over recent years .

Cooks recruitment is notably targeting bigger physical players - I can see the academy being streamed that way too.

[hallamblue]

Cook says "the door is always ajar"!

https://www.eadt.co.uk/sport/ipswich-to ... on-8112140

I guess, however that is a two way thing, so if any of the existing squad training with the first team do not come up to scratch, then U23 training it will be! This could be a test of resolve to see if any others are going to show the desire to fight like Dobra has. Personally, i struggle to see which of those players will show that passion! Certainly, i do not see anyway back for Jackson! PC is quoted as saying....

"To make a good football team you need a good blend of experience, youth, energy, legs, ability, talent and goals. Goals being the operative word. "

...and personally none of those adjectives describe KJ in particular.

It’s notable isn’t it that Jackson has now been consigned to the U23 by two different managers . The other senior players on that list must also be showing a very poor attitude ( the problem last season). I just hope they hurry up and p*ss of because they’re not what’s needed at this Club going forwards , IMHO .

[Tangfastic]

Possible CB.Lewis Gibson.

https://www.ipswichstar.co.uk/sport/ip ... er-8113212

We’ve pretty much been through Everton’s under 23 squad. Left sided CB as well. Only a year left on contract, so possible loan or transfer. Played under Franny Jeffers - I can see this rumour has some credibility.

[Tangfastic]

Cant disagree with any of that tang. I think the new owners are very keen to develop the academy and I feel there will be development as either a concurrent phase of once we have got back into the championship. I can see exchanges between Phoenix Rising and Town for make and female teams as the Americans pay more respect to the female game than here in the UK, although this is clearly changing in the UK over recent years .

Cooks recruitment is notably targeting bigger physical players - I can see the academy being streamed that way too.

I wonder that as well. I wouldn’t want to criticise the saintly Bryan Klug, but we do seem to produce a certain type of footballer.
We do regularly get these kids into age-group international teams, but they don’t seem to kick on. There’s no point in producing players for England under 17’s or 20’s if they can’t mix it with journeymen from Rochdale or Accrington.

[hallamblue]

We’ve done it for years haven’t we. Nice tippy tappy , sometimes elegant players, but no real physical presence to them. You can see why McCarthy wasn’t really interested in a lot of them. He preferred hairy arsed “ real blokes”. I certainly accept that’s what we need to get out of this division.

[hallamblue]

Possible CB.Lewis Gibson.

https://www.ipswichstar.co.uk/sport/ip ... er-8113212

We’ve pretty much been through Everton’s under 23 squad. Left sided CB as well. Only a year left on contract, so possible loan or transfer. Played under Franny Jeffers - I can see this rumour has some credibility.

Suspect with the strong scouser connection between the clubs (including Ja Royal too), we could conceivably get one or two from EFC here at some point.

[AzzurroMark]

We’ve done it for years haven’t we. Nice tippy tappy , sometimes elegant players, but no real physical presence to them. You can see why McCarthy wasn’t really interested in a lot of them. He preferred hairy arsed “ real blokes”. I certainly accept that’s what we need to get out of this division.

What with the Jack Grealish comment as well, i am just wondering if MM is being used as a cover for your penchant for the male derrière Liz?

[Bluemike]

TWTD understands the Blues’ move for Everton central defender Lewis Gibson is well progressed and the 20-year-old looks set to become the seventh senior signing of the summer.

Earlier it was reported that Town were considering an approach for Gibson, however, we understand the deal is well down the line and not far from being concluded but with the clubs still discussing whether the switch will be a season-long loan or a permanent move. The 6ft 1in tall centre-half’s Toffees’ contract is up in the summer of 2022.

Gibson was previously a player on the Blues’ list of potential defensive targets in January 2020 when they ultimately signed Josh Earl on loan from Preston.

The former England U17, U18 and U20 cap was with Newcastle’s academy before moving on to Everton’s youth set-up in 2017 for an initial £1 million with the deal having potentially been worth an additional £5 million in further instalments to the Magpies.

However, Gibson was unable to break into the first team at Goodison Park, where he will have worked with new Town first-team coach Franny Jeffers, who was the Toffess' U23s coach until he joined the Blues in May.

Gibson spent time on loan at Fleetwood in the second half of 2019/20 and last season was with Reading, where he made seven starts and six sub appearances.

In 2017, he was a member of the England squad which won the U17 World Cup in India.

Gibson could face his older brother Liam on the opening day of the season with the left-back with Town’s first opponents of 2021/22 Morecambe.

Meanwhile, Crewe winger Owen Dale, who is understood to be interesting the Blues and a number of other clubs, admits he's flattered by all the interest.

“It's a compliment especially when people are saying there is some quite big teams interested, but I'm a Crewe player and I'll continue to work hard and do the best I can for this team,” he told the Alex's official website.

“I'm happy to be here and I am going to keep playing as hard as I can for this club.

“Until the gaffer comes to me and says we have accepted an offer it doesn't really matter.

“It’s just speculation and I am only focused on getting as fit and sharp as I can be for the start of the season.”

The Railwaymen have reportedly slapped a £1 million price-tag on the 22-year-old's head.

[Kerry Blue]

Like the fact he's left footed but would have preferred someone a bit older with more experience saying that he will be next year when were in the Championship, seriously I like the type of players we are signing they are not all going to make it but it looks to me as most will be able to hold there own a division higher.

[Kerry Blue]

Ipswich Town are preparing to return with an increased offer for top transfer target Matt Crooks, after their initial bid was knocked back.

Reports in South Yorkshire earlier this week revealed the Blues’ opening offer, in the region of £400,000, was rejected by the Millers. We understand both those reports and that figure to be correct.

Crooks is a leading target for the Blues this summer and there is a confidence within the Ipswich camp that they can ultimately prise the attacking midfielder away from a promotion rival.

But they will need to up their offer in order to do that, with Rotherham standing firm and insisting they want a significant fee for a player who helped them win promotion from League One in 2019/20 and performed well in the Championship last season.

[Tangfastic]

Like the fact he's left footed but would have preferred someone a bit older with more experience saying that he will be next year when were in the Championship, seriously I like the type of players we are signing they are not all going to make it but it looks to me as most will be able to hold there own a division higher.

I think we will go for a more experienced CB.

Too early to tell, but he seems he could be an upgrade on Woolfenden. Who knows. Like the sound of him.

This kid, Woolfenden and Toto.. maybe Ndaba .. doesn’t give me a great deal of confidence. Need an experienced CB.

[Bluemike]

I agree Tang, I still get the feeling our main CB is still to be unveiled.
As for Crooks, that would be a fab signing and a real coup should that come off

[Frosty]

Geez if we could sign Bersant Cerlina that would be some coup!

[hallamblue]

OMG , this can’t surely happen can it ????

https://www.twtd.co.uk/ipswich-town-new ... post480591

[Kerry Blue]

TWTD understands the Blues are targeting the return to Portman Road of former loanee Bersant Celina.

The 24-year-old is currently with French side Dijon, who were relegated from Ligue 1 in 2020/21 after finishing bottom of the table.

Celina spent 2016/17 on loan with the Blues from Manchester City, making 26 starts and 12 sub appearances, scoring eight times, in a successful spell under Mick McCarthy’s management.


Now, we understand Town are making an attempt to lure Celina back to Portman Road ahead of the 2021/22 campaign although with other clubs also showing interest.

Persuading the Kosovo international to make a move into League One would be a big coup for the Blues but is illustrative of the ambition of the club under the new ownership and manager Paul Cook.

Celina moved to Norway with his family aged two and was a youth player with Strømsgodset before joining Manchester City’s academy in 2012.

In 2016/17 he joined FC Twente in the Netherlands on loan, then moved to Town on the same basis the following season.

Celina left City for Swansea in the summer of 2018 for £3 million - having made one senior start and three sub appearances for the Citizens - and went on to make 65 starts and 14 sub appearances for the Swans, scoring 10 times, before being sold to Dijon for a reported £2.7 million in September 2020, signing a four-year contract.

During 2020/21, 5ft 11in tall Celina made 26 starts and seven sub appearances in all competitions for Dijon without finding the net.

Capped by Norway at U16, U17 and U21 levels, Celina subsequently switched allegiance to his native Kosovo for whom he has played U21 and senior games. He has now taken his full caps total to 29, scoring twice.

Meanwhile, former Blues forward Martyn Waghorn has joined Championship Coventry City following his release by Derby County. The 31-year-old has signed a two-year deal.

Always liked him and still only 24 years old.

[Bluemike]

That one won't happen, sadly.

[bluejacko]

That one won't happen, sadly.

Looking how this lot operate Mike we wouldn’t have heard anything about if there was not something in it!