Where Will Ipswich Town Finish This Season?

The majority of supporters still appear to be of the view that manager Mick McCarthy is the wrong man for the job. Then again, this is something that has afflicted most in the post, and even Sir Bobby Robson suffered ridicule and abuse before he turned things around in the early seventies.

Another interesting statistic is that McCarthy is now the fifth longest serving Ipswich Town boss in our history as a professional club, which dates back to 1936!

Only Scott Duncan (almost 18 years) Sir Bobby Robson (13 years) George Burley (almost 8 years) and Sir Alf Ramsey (around 7 years and a half years) have surpassed him, so he is at least resolute.

But of course owner Marcus Evans is a very patient man. Either that, or he has come to recognise that there are few in the modern managerial game who like a real financial challenge and being the Yorkshireman that McCarthy is, means spending carefully is I guess, something that comes quite naturally!

Evans sees McCarthy as Mr.Reliable and in football circles, this is a bit of a novelty in itself. No one can doubt his frankness and the owner seems more forgiving than most, when it comes to his outspoken outbursts to the press, which would be considered by many clubs to be fatal character flaw.

He also appears to have the full backing of the players which is crucial, and even though Town have had a stop-start season so far, when everyone is fit again, who knows what the future holds?

Bringing Bersant Celina back into his thinking has been pivotal too in my view and if he continues to take a few risks, we could still go places when our midfield is fully functioning again.

This season our attack is not our worry yet those defensive frailties continue to be a cause for serious concern but as Joe Royle alluded to, when he spoke with the East Anglian Daily Times, this is a very ‘ordinary’ Championship this time around, and that in itself gives Town a chance.

Last season we drew sixteen games and this time none so far and although we have struggled to win against the top half of the table we have coped admirably with the best of the rest and it is not inconceivable that we could find ourselves in one of those play-off places when the final points haul is evaluated.

Mick is going nowhere in a hurry and nor perhaps are we, but when we have a full squad to choose from and one or two new recruits in January, the situation could still change dramatically.

We have a fluid strike force and this is a very big boost. Bersant Celina and Martyn Waghorn are perhaps the pick of the bunch but everyone is wading in with goals and this surely bodes well for the future of Ipswich Town football club.


Frank Weston – Editor of Vital Ipswich