Why do you think Paul Taylor was the outcast at Portman Road. Were misdemeanors off the park his only downfall or was it something a bit more sinister?
I am the first to admit that under the Mick McCarthy regime, there have been many more positives than negatives but when Mick makes a gaff, he does it in some style! I am referring of course to the sad demise of Paul Taylor.
Before we examine the extraordinary case of the former Peterborough man, it is only fair to applaud the good things that have occurred under Mick McCarthy and Terry Connor`s watch.
Since they arrived on the scene, Town have become a difficult side to beat and they certainly know how to grind out results. Finishing ninth last season; in their first full term at the helm, was a remarkable achievement, given our sorry plight when they took over on the 1st November 2012, when the blues seemed certain for the drop. This was indeed progress!
The fact that being a Yorkshire man means that he is tight with the purse strings has been good news too for owner Marcus Evans, who has had to shell out very little of late. In fact Town only spent 25,000 pounds last season on a player who went back to Ireland without kicking a ball in earnest in the first team. This time around they have started the season spending absolutely nothing in the transfer market and yet this squad of journeymen, is well capable of holding its own in this division, if nothing else.
Christophe Berre and Jonathan Parr have been excellent defensive additions but then again this is an area that Mick should know something about, as he was of course a defender himself! The capture of new polish keeper Bartosz Bialkowski will add further strength to the back line too and he seems on paper at least, to be a smart acquisition.
It is when we come to the midfield and our attack that serious questions need to be asked. Cole Skuse does the simple things well but he does not inspire us to expect much else. Jay Tabb remains the endless enigma. One moment he looks polished and assured and the next, he gives the impression he has never kicked a ball in his life before and sadly he won`t get us many goals.
New recruit Kevin Bru has the potential to bring Portman Road to its feet but at the moment that`s all it is. Our lack of goals in the midfield department puts greater pressure on our forwards and they are hardly the most prolific at the best of times. Luke Hyam is a local lad made good and although he has many qualities, scoring is not one of them.
Graham Blackburn, who hosts the community radio show entitled, Naked Football, made a mischievous point last week. He suggested that Mick seems to prefer monosyllabic names like Skuse, Bru and Tabb perhaps because they are easier for him to pronounce? I would not stretch the imagination that far but McCarthy`s quirkiness is certainly apparent in other ways. In the strange case of striker Paul Taylor, he does not seem to see what the rest of us have been seeing for so long.
According to Mick the Man, Paul Taylor never showed the kind of form that is getting him glowing reports in South Yorkshire these days. Rotherham manager Steve Evans says that he has been terrific every time he has played and although he hasn’t scored in his first four encounters, he has provided the missing spark to their attack and is the engine room of creation at their set-pieces.
We all know about how good he was at Peterborough too. That is why Paul Jewell had to fork out 1.5 million to get him on board and then there was that horrendous injury against Burnley that curtailed abruptly his promising start. Jewell left and then McCarthy was left with Taylor, who had already lost the plot off the playing field, when he was involved in a pub brawl. I suspect the writing was already on the wall for Tails from that moment on because no matter how much the supporters sang his praises, Mick the Man thought otherwise. On hearing of his recent performances at Rotherham McCarthy remains cynical. He suggested that he never performed like that in a Town shirt. He seems to be of the view that once your card is marked there is simply no way back – no matter how good you are!He is too proud to admit he is wrong and that is McCarthy’s strength and weakness. Call it stubborn resolve if you wish or conversely stupidity. They both apply in this case I am afraid.
I am sorry Mick but you are deluding yourself here because one man may not be right but can all of these supporters be wrong? He got M.O.T.M. awards on those fleeing occasions when he got into the team, only to be dropped again at the first opportunity!
Former England and Ipswich captain Mick Mills thinks we must forget him now and move on but with the new kids on the attacking block consisting of Conor Sammon and Balint Bajner it hardly fills supporters with much optimism. Thank God Mick still likes McGoldrick!
What is your take on the great Paul Taylor debate? Remember your view matters and together we really can make a difference.
Vital Ipswich Editor – Frank Weston
