The eagle-eyed reader will have noticed there was no column last week. Instead, I was celebrating my graduation whilst also getting to grips with a relocation to Bath. Naturally, I feel a great sense of sadness any time I leave home, but that was nothing compared to the total feeling of apathy I felt as the goals rolled in on Saturday. As I left Portman Road for the final time, minutes after Wimbledon had snatched a 95th minute equaliser, I stood alone for a few moments and wondered: what do we have to do? We’ve ripped up the script and seemingly eradicated all that was wrong with the club, yet regression still rolls with unyielding speed.
I want to preface this column by sending my condolences to Paul Cook and his family following the death of his father. Many, many things are bigger than the game we love and whilst this column will look at a more negative subject, it is always important to maintain perspective and realise that football exists in a vacuum, and the unfortunate realities of life will always be more pressing and will always be more important.
Regarding the football, I’m bemused. When someone asks me: ‘what’s going wrong?’ I genuinely struggle to find an answer. In the past I could linger on the Marcus Evans neglect, or the Lambert mis-management, or the endless tirade of veteran players that seemed to divide the dressing room, but now I can’t find an obvious excuse. We have new, passionate ownership, we have a sensible infrastructure that will allow the club to flourish for years to come, and we have a manager who has a track record of success in this division. All of those variables should be more than enough to make this club better, and that’s without mentioning the incredible team that has been assembled.
Saturday’s match was embarrassing. I have tried to maintain a positive spin throughout the course of the first five games, but having hopeful ambition shouldn’t allow you to become naïve to the turgid defensive performances and unacceptable mistakes that have marred Town’s opening games.
I get no pleasure writing this. As any Town fan knows, this season was supposed to be the beginning of a resurrection for the club, but it has started in a fashion that feels all too familiar to the past eras that haunt our memories. As a fanbase that has sat through years of horror, yet still turn up in our numbers to support the team, we deserve more.
I think we need to focus on the now. It’s a dream to listen to the Premier League ambitions that exist at the club, and it’s great that people want us to progress beyond the League One doldrums, but are we losing perspective? We are currently a side that sits in the bottom three of the division without a single win to our name. We’ve scored some lovely goals, but individual errors and a lack of game management has seen multiple points thrown away. We cannot let that continue, and no one knows that more than the players and the manager.
The bottom line is simple: currently, this is far from good enough. Whilst we can understand a lack of cohesion due to the many changes that have taken place, why isn’t the same happening to sides like Wigan? And how did Morecambe, a team that have had a similar player turnover, turn up and almost beat us? Cook stated in his post-match presser that Sam Morsy will showcase the class needed, but it seems slightly concerning that we are resting all of our hopes on only 1 of our 19 signings, when the rest should be more than good enough to beat teams like Bolton.
We have spent money, there is no doubt. We have assembled an incredible team for this division but that means nothing if they can’t carry the weight of expectation and deliver what is required. We all want what’s best for Ipswich Town, and the reason we are reacting with such fear and panic is because we know how this story ends.
Football isn’t a patient game, fast results will be demanded and whilst I have every faith in Paul Cook and the team, they need to start backing it up with wins. We can’t shy away from the fact that we are currently a laughing stock (again!), but that now has to be used as motivation to quickly turn the tide and allow us fans to forget this mess when the ultimate goal is achieved in May.
Please Town, don’t let us down again.
Thank you for taking the time to read my column. If you enjoyed, feel free to share it around. I’ll see you soon!
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