Is It Time For The Town Inquisition?

No one can blame Christophe Berra. It was a spontaneous reaction to a given situation that happened as suddenly as a clap of thunder.

One moment we were looking reasonably comfortable and then all hell let loose! Berra has been magnificent all season and it is especially sad that he, of all people, should become the scapegoat for this hugely disappointing defeat.

In fairness though few Town supporters have been critical. They know that on another day it might have slipped past him. He had to make an instant decision that could perhaps have been avoided if other errors had not occurred leading to the goal itself.

Tyrone Mings will not feel very happy about losing the ball cheaply and this ultimately was the beginning of our demise.

I feel too that Bartosz Bialkowski will think he should have done better with the second and third goals. One went through his legs and the other through his arms so it was a bad day at the office for him as well, it must be said.

Jay Tabb was introduced only to give the ball away carelessly which decided our fate when Norwich went on to score that decisive third but quite frankly the damage was already done.

Mick McCarthy argues the game rested on penalty decisions but in truth few refs would have given the one in the first half when Teddy Bishop went down under a challenge from Redmond and we all know about the one he did give, which lead to the departure of our very own Christophe Berra!

In the first half we were dealing with our fiercest rivals with aplomb but it all began to unravel when Berra was shown that red and although Tommy Smith showed the sort of fighting spirit that the whole squad has displayed all season when he hauled us back into the match, the writing sadly was already on the wall.

If I had listened to my head I would have betted against Town on Saturday but how could I when my heart was telling me it would be sacrilege to do such a thing so as usual I put my money on the blues in the hope that they could overcome the odds.

As we look back on what has been a wonderful season, no blame should be directed towards the players or indeed the management team. This was a magnificent collective effort and supporters know when players give it their all and they all have to a man!

I am hopeful that if the nucleus of the squad can stay together then next season we will go from strength to strength.

There maybe a need to add a few and inevitably some will move on but I think with a heavy heart as this has been an extraordinary attempt to do the improbable and we all came so very close.

Next season is another chapter in the Ipswich Town story and as we turn the page on our football history we can proudly state that with Mick McCarthy at the helm, the only way is up!


Frank Weston – Ed – Vital Ipswich