Ipswich Town have apparently offered a short term contract to former Irish international defender, Stephen Ward after he impressed in training. Negotiations are still very much in their infancy, but I am not convinced this is what we need at the moment. It could be argued of course that we are short of quality defenders and his vast experience might just solidify us at the back, where we have do have a tendency to leak silly goals.
In fairness to Ward, he has been it, seen it, and got the T-shirt but I fear that he has made such a big impression because he wants another healthy paycheque before he hangs up his boots. Whether he has the wherewithal to be truly committed to the cause is also open to debate.
There is a risk that manager Paul Lambert could be falling into the trap that made Paul Jewell’s job at the club untenable. We already have several ageing players, and if we are to follow the guidance of owner Marcus Evans and stick to his five-point plan then this is not the way forward. Recruiting journeymen is not the answer, and what we need most of all is some fresh blood at the club.
Ipswich, ideally, wanted to resign Luke Garbutt but the prospect of this happening remain slim as his agent has intimated that there is interest from at least one Championship club, and if this is indeed the case, then we find ourselves in a very poor bargaining position.
Ward is a Mick McCarthy type of player. He is a no-nonsense defending with few frills, and with more than 400 first-team appearances and 7 seasons in the Premier League to his name, he is vastly experienced in the left-back berth. He has also been capped by the Republic of Ireland on fifty separate occasions.
If he can apply himself to the job, and perform beyond his years, then I am open to persuasion, but if this is the only contract activity that takes place between now and the new season, I will be left feeling hugely disappointed.
