Blues Must Go On Another Winning Run

The hugely disappointing 0-0 bore draw at Portman Road on Saturday needs addressing quickly. This was a toothless Town performance and cause for serious concern.

It was not just the result that was depressing but our inability to carve out any real chances and our lack of urgency as the clock ticked down. After the introduction of Freddy Spears there was not a lot left on the bench to get excited about and when he introduced Jonathan Parr we knew it was not for his goal prowess.

In my view our manager must listen a little more to what Terry Connor is telling him. The pair work well together as a managerial unit but Mick has the final say and often it is with a view to containment because he believes a point is always a reasonable outcome, whatever the opposition and where ever we get it.

The Wigan away dressing room had to make do with cold showers after the match due to an electrical fault but if anyone needed a cold shower after this overwhelmingly poor display by the blues then it was Town players!

Enough of what might have been and let’s focus our thoughts on Rotherham on Saturday away and a game I believe the blues must get something from.

Actually anything less than a win against another struggling team and we can kiss those automatic promotion places good bye I fear so we must revert to playing with three up front again.

Let us hope Daryl Murphy is available once more after his thigh strain because against The Latics he was sorely missed.

As I have said many times before, I am a Mick McCarthy convert and he has not only provided us with a squad that has excelled beyond belief this term but he has got us within striking distance of the unthinkable before the season began and that is an automatic promotion chance!

The question on everyone’s lips just now is, are we punching above our weight and is the month of January nothing more than a mid-term blip or something much more intrinsic?

I think Freddy Sears will come good as our season progresses but I am not at all convinced by David McGoldrick anymore. Ever since his injury and all that speculation in the last transfer window about him being wanted by Leicester, he has gone decidedly off the boil and he is certainly lacking goals.

Mick McCarthy has said that he does not envisage any transfer activity on deadline day either in or out but I am not sure this is such a shrewd move.

We are still lightweight in some departments and it was interesting to read today that Billy Sharp was allowed to leave Leeds United if he wanted to but decided that his chances would be limited at Town with Murphy and McGoldrick in the team.

Perhaps he should have deliberated a little longer because unless David McGoldrick rekindles some of his form of old then he may find he will be watching proceedings in future from the dug out!

Frank Weston – Editor Vital Ipswich