And as the dust settles on another poor performance, how much more of this can we take before we all throw in the proverbial towel? Tomorrow the Blues face leaders Coventry City at Portman Road, and if timing is everything, then this is the last fixture we could ever want to get too excited about!
Once again, we go into this game without our leading scorers James Norwood and Kayden Jackson and perhaps, just as significantly, our midfield dynamo Flynn Downes, who is serving the last of his two-game ban. The only thing that could save us now is probably a postponement through the Coronavirus so spread the word everyone – spread the word!
They say the league does not lie but I am not entirely convinced. When you play a team can make a lot of difference, as we learned to our advantage against a very youthful Bolton Wanderers earlier in the season. If you are lucky you play teams that are out of form; or conversely, you are in form when you play them but tomorrow afternoon we face another massive uphill battle – even before a ball has been kicked.
The hope is however that Town players might just relax for once, and do the things that really should come naturally. Far too often of late we have over-worked goalscoring opportunities or worst still, been frozen in front of goal. At this level, we should have more time, but the way we have wasted clear goalscoring opportunities with such frequency is the main reason why we are slipping down the table with ever-increasing rapidity.
I like our manager Paul Lambert. I did not like Mick McCarthy and the difference is that Lambert exudes commitment to the cause and puts his own ambitions behind those of the club and its supporters. Cynics might say that this is an easy get-out clause when things go bottoms up, but I am of the view that he is completely transparent and should be applauded for his honesty.
In his pre-match press conference this morning Lambert made his feeling known. ” What’s the worst that can happen? I lose my job? There’s more things in the world to worry about. It doesn’t bother me. When I do eventually leave here, I’ll always look back and think ‘wow, what a club that is!”
I genuinely hope this does not happen. I understand how difficult life can be as a manager when that honeymoon with supporters ends but if we are to get angry with anyone, then it should be at parsimonious Evans, who never seems to give his new recruits a financial helping hand.
People will, of course, will say that if it was not for Marcus Evans we might not even exist but I am not convinced that we would not have found someone in Suffolk who has the spondulicks; along with a bit of passion for this fantastic club. And that is why we are so disenfranchised from the owner. He lacks passion. He lacks the love for Ipswich Town. Twelve years ago he wanted success as well, and it could be argued that his desire for success outweighed his desire for this football club. These days he merely tolerates his position and very little else. Passion is a dirty word in the Evans football phrasebook it seems.
Paul Lambert comes from the rough side of Glasgow and knows a lot about toil and strife. He is a fighter and I think even Tyson Fury would respect his work ethics. Football is a strange game. Supporters have selective memories and success today won’t buy you forgiveness tomorrow.
And Lambert summed up concisely where he is at. ” Without the resources, the infrastructure or the finances to back it, it becomes very difficult. You can ask any manager that. You need to have the tools to do it.” Evans are you really listening?!
F.W. – editor of Vital Ipswich
