As Town kicked off the second half of Saturday's 'East Anglian derby' (of sorts), I was heading off to Manchester for the evening.
But fear not, fellow Blue Andy Cross has offered to fill in with a truly honest report on the game as he saw it:
Hoping to avenge for the 7-1 mauling at the hands of the Posh in August, Paul Jewell made just one change from the impressive 2-2 draw against Hull last weekend; bringing in Lee Martin for the unfortunate Jason Scotland.
Ipswich started brightly, with the ever-improving Andy Drury creating a half-decent opening for Michael Chopra, only for Posh keeper Paul Smith to thwart his goal-bound header.
Once reported Town target Tyrone Barnett then went up the other end to miss a glorious first chance for the visitors, as the former Crawley forward stabbed wide after George Boyd had played him in.
Darren Ferguson’s men were, arguably, the better side in the opening stages and Peterborough midfielder Tommy Rowe was next to spurn a great chance as he glanced a free header past Alex McCarthy’s far post.
Jay Emmanuel-Thomas then saw his goal bound effort tipped around the post by Jones. From the resulting corner, the Blues took the lead. After Drury played the ball in, Damien Delaney’s header was cleared only as far as the perfectly placed Grant Leadbitter, and the in-form midfielder made it 3 goals in 2 games as his half-volley struck the inside of the post and nestled emphatically in the back of the net.
The goal came very much against the run of play and Peterborough were very unlucky to find themselves behind.
As Town attempted to gain a foothold in the game, Lee Martin thought he had won a penalty for his side after being shoved off the ball by Paul Taylor, but referee Gary Sutton was misleading in pointing for a goal kick instead of a spot-kick. Probably the right decision too.
After a blistering start from both sides, the game settled down and it was the away side who kept the ball much better than a Town side who looked shaky after Leadbitter’s opening goal.
On the half-hour mark, the visitors’ got the equaliser they fully deserved. Lone striker Barnett latched onto a through ball from George Boyd and although his first effort was blocked by McCarthy, the ball ricocheted back off the forward and skipped across the surface into an empty net. Despite Damien Delaney’s best efforts to stop the ball from crossing the line, Peterborough deserved to be level and could have been ahead minutes later.
Tommy Smith, under no apparent pressure, played a weak pass intended for keeper McCarthy which was smartly anticipated by Posh striker Taylor but the Town keeper done well to block his effort on goal. After the visitors’ great spell of dominance, Chopra had another headed chance, this time seeing his effort come just inches away from beating the stranded Jones.
As the game reached half time, Town have counted themselves very fortunate not to be behind in a first-half performance considerably lacking in the quality that the Blues had consistently shown in recent games. Too many players were underperforming, particularly JET and Andy Drury.
The second half began in similar circumstances as the first ended. George Boyd’s low shot was saved by the impressive McCarthy who was keeping Town in the game. Manager Paul Jewell sensed that a change was needed, and duly replaced the largely ineffective JET with the more experienced head of Lee Bowyer. Town reverted to a 4-3-3 formation with Murphy and Martin supporting Chopra on either flank.
The change seemed to work for the Blues as they started to take control of the game. Chopra shot over from close-range before hitting the crossbar after Martin’s skewed drive. In the midst of Chopra’s chances, Ryan Stevenson had replaced Drury.
Ipswich took the lead on the 77th minute when Peterborough again failed to deal with a corner. Lee Martin’s cross fell to Delaney who forced a good save by keeper Smith, but Daryl Murphy followed up from yards out to make it 2-1 to the home side.
Town’s lead didn’t last long though. After another great ball by Boyd, Posh substitute Emile Sinclair managed to hold off Delaney to poke home for his eighth of the season. After dominating the majority of the second-half, Town found themselves level; if only for a couple of minutes.
Bowyer’s cross-field ball found Aaron Cresswell and the full-back let fly with a 25-yard strike which hit the unfortunate Gabriel Zakuani on its way and landed in the back of the net, giving the wrong-footed Smith absolutely no chance.
The Blues held on for a hard-fought victory which stretches their unbeaten home record to an impressive five games.
Don't forget, if you'd like to write an article about anything Ipswich Town related I'd love to hear from you: tweet me @tractorgirlamy8
Monday, 19 March 2012
Saturday, 10 March 2012
Jimmy Bullard: Do we all still want curly hair too?
The Jimmy Bullard saga continues to take it's twists and turns at Ipswich Town and I'm torn between concern and fascination.
When Jimmy B joined The Blues on loan last season, it seemed as though our saviour had come. He played some great football, lifted a struggling side and in the space of just a few months he earned the Fans Player of the Season award at Portman Road.
I'll never forget the day we signed him over the summer: Twitter filled with #itfc fans in jubilation. Paul Jewell has secured, in my humble opinion, the greatest signing of the summer.
Sadly, the story since then has not been quite so happy. Jimmy has struggled to find fitness and form. Thought he featured in almost every game for the early part of the season and was key to the short success of Jewell's diamond formation, he was eventually dropped to the bench.
All this culminated in the events last week where he was seen on a night out with fellow Town player Micheal Chopra in Newcastle. As we all know, this resulted in the two being late for training an Jimmy being suspended for two weeks.
It led me to wonder, has he done this kind of thing before? Is this why Hull fans can't stand him? Is this why no Premier League club attempted to sign him over the summer?
With my curly blond wig in semi-retirement for another week I decided to look into it, to judge for myself whether Bullard and Ipswich Town are a good mix, or a recipe for disaster.
A little while back I found this excellent article by a Hull City blogger: http://m.bleacherreport.com/articles/425237-jimmy-bullard-where-did-it-all-go-wrong
In it, he explains that when the midfielder signed for east Yorkshire side the reaction among the fans was much the same as it was when he came to Suffolk: 'When arrived in a record-breaking deal from Fulham, the talismanic midfielder with a never-say-die attitude and a sense of humor that had lit up the Premier League, with Wigan and then Fulham, was just that, and a great fillip for the club. His signing for £5 million, was hailed as a giant coup for the East Yorkshire outfit.'
Bullard was rumoured to be on £45,000 a week at this point (something hat puts his rumoured wage of between £15 and £21 thousand at Ipswich into perspective a little).
Jimmy wasn't able to start in the side straight away due to a long term injury he suffered from. When he finally made his first appearance, he played for 33 minutes against West Ham before, once again, picking up an injury.
But Hull fans stuck with him, feeling sympathy for this 'great talent who, through no fault of his own, was suffering from an injury plagued career'. It makes me think of poor old Kieron Dyer at this point!
With the support of the fans, he later returned to the side: 'In a fantastic six-week period that saw him drive the Tigers from a mediocre start to a spell of eight points from a possible 12, in November and winning himself the Barclay's Premier League Player of the Month Award.'
But then, guttingly, he took a knock against Aston Villa: once again putting him out of action, this time for 4 months.
This is when the mood of the fans turned, they felt angry that he was being paid such high wages yet not playing or contributing to the side.
This is where I see the similarities with Ipswich. It feels like feeling among the Blues faithful is starting to turn sour at the moment. To some extend that is, of course, understandable but I just don't see how that will help, how putting him down and moaning will improve his game and help the team as a whole.
Of course the difference here is that he has not found form. His performances this year compared to last year are disappointing and his fitness has been pointed to as the main contributing factor. Perhaps he just doesn't fit as well into this new look side? Or perhaps he just isn't committed enough, as evidenced by his recent night out in Newcastle?
Moving back to the situation at Hull, the comparison in circumstances continues: fans began to be discontented due to his apparent lack of respect for the club.
Because 'it wasn't just the extended time on the injury list but the rumours of scuffles and binge drinking in local bars, that slowly saw the tide turn for the once popular Londoner'.
He eventually returned to the side but was reportedly off form, avoiding tackles and not keeping up to the pace of the game.
The story ended at Hull when over the summer his contract was terminated due to behaviour that ultimately left the club with 'no choice' but to sack him. I don't know the reasons and, to be honest, I'm not sure I want to do. He's moved on now.
But, is it a case of history repeating itself with Jimmy at ITFC now?
It could well be, but this is a man who clearly wants to be playing football and if he can learn from what's happened, not only this week but over recent years at Hull too, he could be a great asset for the Tractor Boys.
For me: I love having him around. I point to a quote from a member of the Ipswich Town media team after one particularly good Town home win:
'Just seen Jason Scotland who says the boys are in great spirits after that result, all I could hear in the changing room was Jimmy Bullard!'
Furthermore, in a recent goal celebration following a Chopra goal, Jimmy B was right in there with them, despite not even being on the pitch.
The truth is we don't know what's going on behind the scenes, we don't know what effect he has on the boys. But going on recent results I find it hard to believe it's a bad one?
At the end of the day WE wanted that big character at ITFC, that passion for the game that seems to have been missing for such a long time.
WE wanted Jimmy to be that character, building him up to be a quirky cool cat who likes to dance on bars and have a laugh and then shooting him down for that exact same thing is hypocritical.
Don't get me wrong: he should NOT have been late for training last Thursday. He's a professional footballer and the club, our club, deserve better than that.
But we've all done it I'm sure, and we've all moved on and made sure it doesn't happen again. Paul Jewell has dealt with it in the way that he sees fit, now let's move on.
You know me, I firmly believe that showing support for the boys brings out the best in them: I'll not bring up the amazing turnaround at Barnsley again because there are better examples recently. The great support against West Ham, Southampton and so many others has transferred to the pitch and the lads have achieved some excellent results.
Can we now extend that same principle to our Jimmy B, please?
He still could be a legend at Town, give him the chance.
In Jimmy I Trust.
When Jimmy B joined The Blues on loan last season, it seemed as though our saviour had come. He played some great football, lifted a struggling side and in the space of just a few months he earned the Fans Player of the Season award at Portman Road.
I'll never forget the day we signed him over the summer: Twitter filled with #itfc fans in jubilation. Paul Jewell has secured, in my humble opinion, the greatest signing of the summer.
Sadly, the story since then has not been quite so happy. Jimmy has struggled to find fitness and form. Thought he featured in almost every game for the early part of the season and was key to the short success of Jewell's diamond formation, he was eventually dropped to the bench.
All this culminated in the events last week where he was seen on a night out with fellow Town player Micheal Chopra in Newcastle. As we all know, this resulted in the two being late for training an Jimmy being suspended for two weeks.
It led me to wonder, has he done this kind of thing before? Is this why Hull fans can't stand him? Is this why no Premier League club attempted to sign him over the summer?
With my curly blond wig in semi-retirement for another week I decided to look into it, to judge for myself whether Bullard and Ipswich Town are a good mix, or a recipe for disaster.
A little while back I found this excellent article by a Hull City blogger: http://m.bleacherreport.com/articles/425237-jimmy-bullard-where-did-it-all-go-wrong
In it, he explains that when the midfielder signed for east Yorkshire side the reaction among the fans was much the same as it was when he came to Suffolk: 'When arrived in a record-breaking deal from Fulham, the talismanic midfielder with a never-say-die attitude and a sense of humor that had lit up the Premier League, with Wigan and then Fulham, was just that, and a great fillip for the club. His signing for £5 million, was hailed as a giant coup for the East Yorkshire outfit.'
Bullard was rumoured to be on £45,000 a week at this point (something hat puts his rumoured wage of between £15 and £21 thousand at Ipswich into perspective a little).
Jimmy wasn't able to start in the side straight away due to a long term injury he suffered from. When he finally made his first appearance, he played for 33 minutes against West Ham before, once again, picking up an injury.
But Hull fans stuck with him, feeling sympathy for this 'great talent who, through no fault of his own, was suffering from an injury plagued career'. It makes me think of poor old Kieron Dyer at this point!
With the support of the fans, he later returned to the side: 'In a fantastic six-week period that saw him drive the Tigers from a mediocre start to a spell of eight points from a possible 12, in November and winning himself the Barclay's Premier League Player of the Month Award.'
But then, guttingly, he took a knock against Aston Villa: once again putting him out of action, this time for 4 months.
This is when the mood of the fans turned, they felt angry that he was being paid such high wages yet not playing or contributing to the side.
This is where I see the similarities with Ipswich. It feels like feeling among the Blues faithful is starting to turn sour at the moment. To some extend that is, of course, understandable but I just don't see how that will help, how putting him down and moaning will improve his game and help the team as a whole.
Of course the difference here is that he has not found form. His performances this year compared to last year are disappointing and his fitness has been pointed to as the main contributing factor. Perhaps he just doesn't fit as well into this new look side? Or perhaps he just isn't committed enough, as evidenced by his recent night out in Newcastle?
Moving back to the situation at Hull, the comparison in circumstances continues: fans began to be discontented due to his apparent lack of respect for the club.
Because 'it wasn't just the extended time on the injury list but the rumours of scuffles and binge drinking in local bars, that slowly saw the tide turn for the once popular Londoner'.
He eventually returned to the side but was reportedly off form, avoiding tackles and not keeping up to the pace of the game.
The story ended at Hull when over the summer his contract was terminated due to behaviour that ultimately left the club with 'no choice' but to sack him. I don't know the reasons and, to be honest, I'm not sure I want to do. He's moved on now.
But, is it a case of history repeating itself with Jimmy at ITFC now?
It could well be, but this is a man who clearly wants to be playing football and if he can learn from what's happened, not only this week but over recent years at Hull too, he could be a great asset for the Tractor Boys.
For me: I love having him around. I point to a quote from a member of the Ipswich Town media team after one particularly good Town home win:
'Just seen Jason Scotland who says the boys are in great spirits after that result, all I could hear in the changing room was Jimmy Bullard!'
Furthermore, in a recent goal celebration following a Chopra goal, Jimmy B was right in there with them, despite not even being on the pitch.
The truth is we don't know what's going on behind the scenes, we don't know what effect he has on the boys. But going on recent results I find it hard to believe it's a bad one?
At the end of the day WE wanted that big character at ITFC, that passion for the game that seems to have been missing for such a long time.
WE wanted Jimmy to be that character, building him up to be a quirky cool cat who likes to dance on bars and have a laugh and then shooting him down for that exact same thing is hypocritical.
Don't get me wrong: he should NOT have been late for training last Thursday. He's a professional footballer and the club, our club, deserve better than that.
But we've all done it I'm sure, and we've all moved on and made sure it doesn't happen again. Paul Jewell has dealt with it in the way that he sees fit, now let's move on.
You know me, I firmly believe that showing support for the boys brings out the best in them: I'll not bring up the amazing turnaround at Barnsley again because there are better examples recently. The great support against West Ham, Southampton and so many others has transferred to the pitch and the lads have achieved some excellent results.
Can we now extend that same principle to our Jimmy B, please?
He still could be a legend at Town, give him the chance.
In Jimmy I Trust.
Thursday, 8 March 2012
Bristol and Southampton see the signs of progress at Ipswich Town
'Ipswich Town are playing nice football, it's been a long time since we saw that'. I've lost count of the number of times I've heard that phrase since Saturday!
Following the disappointment of having to come home from the Middlesbrough game after only half an hour of football, I comforted myself with the fact that for those 37 minutes I was watching something really nice on the pitch. (And I don't just mean Jimmy B warming up...!)
The same was true of our performance against Bristol: There was some really attractive play: passing play, attacking play. Just what we've been after for many years. Paul Jewell commented after the game that when we turn up to play we win, but when we don't we lose. Sounds kind of obvious! But he's right.
Against Birmingham and others less than two months ago, Jewell's side were finally putting in the performances we'd been expecting of them - but were frustratingly managing to lose out to last minute goals and individual errors. They've built on those performances, though, and the recent good results are - touch wood - looking to be less like a 'purple patch' or 'false dawn', and more like the turnaround this club needed.
We're not there yet though, not by a long stretch: games like our trip to Brighton are disappointing. But you can't win them all and, as Jewell said, what you have to be able to do is grind out a result even in the games where we aren't necessarily the best side. That's something we achieved on Tuesday night. Going on our recent form against the top sides in the Championship (i.e. West Ham), I must admit I was hoping for a point or three against Southampton; but then, I'm an eternal optimist. Where Town certainly lived up to expectations at St Mary's was in their desire to 'hang on in there' in defence, but keep on fighting at the front too.
Listening on Ipswich Player, I was impressed with the way Town held on for the opening ten minutes - which felt like chance after chance for Southampton. The thing is, against the top sides in the league you have to expect this: you're not going to be able to stop them having a shot on goal, especially at home. But being able to dig deep and stop that ball going over the line is a sign of how far our defence has come since the wobbly days of conceding 13 goals in just 7 days.
In addition, with the league's top goal scorer coming up against the league's leakiest defence it was inevitable that Lambert would score at some point. This Tractor Girl is happy to read that, though he did of course manage the opening goal, our defence was able to keep control of him for the vast majority of the game.
On the other hand of course, you're also looking at one of the top scoring teams in the league in Ipswich Town. Chopra's well on the way to his target of 20 goals this season and was unlucky not to add to it on Tuesday. But what impressed me most from the commentary was the way we moved so quickly to try and catch Southampton on the break.
We truly are starting to play some attractive football and I am thoroughly enjoying this season, for me this team is well into the stages of development now and next season is set to be exciting!
In Jewell We Trust, eh, it seems he may well be getting it right.
See you Saturday!
Following the disappointment of having to come home from the Middlesbrough game after only half an hour of football, I comforted myself with the fact that for those 37 minutes I was watching something really nice on the pitch. (And I don't just mean Jimmy B warming up...!)
The same was true of our performance against Bristol: There was some really attractive play: passing play, attacking play. Just what we've been after for many years. Paul Jewell commented after the game that when we turn up to play we win, but when we don't we lose. Sounds kind of obvious! But he's right.
Against Birmingham and others less than two months ago, Jewell's side were finally putting in the performances we'd been expecting of them - but were frustratingly managing to lose out to last minute goals and individual errors. They've built on those performances, though, and the recent good results are - touch wood - looking to be less like a 'purple patch' or 'false dawn', and more like the turnaround this club needed.
We're not there yet though, not by a long stretch: games like our trip to Brighton are disappointing. But you can't win them all and, as Jewell said, what you have to be able to do is grind out a result even in the games where we aren't necessarily the best side. That's something we achieved on Tuesday night. Going on our recent form against the top sides in the Championship (i.e. West Ham), I must admit I was hoping for a point or three against Southampton; but then, I'm an eternal optimist. Where Town certainly lived up to expectations at St Mary's was in their desire to 'hang on in there' in defence, but keep on fighting at the front too.
Listening on Ipswich Player, I was impressed with the way Town held on for the opening ten minutes - which felt like chance after chance for Southampton. The thing is, against the top sides in the league you have to expect this: you're not going to be able to stop them having a shot on goal, especially at home. But being able to dig deep and stop that ball going over the line is a sign of how far our defence has come since the wobbly days of conceding 13 goals in just 7 days.
In addition, with the league's top goal scorer coming up against the league's leakiest defence it was inevitable that Lambert would score at some point. This Tractor Girl is happy to read that, though he did of course manage the opening goal, our defence was able to keep control of him for the vast majority of the game.
On the other hand of course, you're also looking at one of the top scoring teams in the league in Ipswich Town. Chopra's well on the way to his target of 20 goals this season and was unlucky not to add to it on Tuesday. But what impressed me most from the commentary was the way we moved so quickly to try and catch Southampton on the break.
We truly are starting to play some attractive football and I am thoroughly enjoying this season, for me this team is well into the stages of development now and next season is set to be exciting!
In Jewell We Trust, eh, it seems he may well be getting it right.
See you Saturday!
Wednesday, 7 March 2012
GUEST BLOG: Nick Chenery reports from Southampton
24 hours ago I was jumping around my spare room cheering Jason Scotland's equaliser against Southampton.
Yet another good result came Town's way last night and it's become a bit of a tradition for me to support the boys by listening to the commentary on Ipswich Player when I can't make it to a game.
Whilst I'll be publishing my views on Town's latest two matches tomorrow, I thought you might like to hear from one true Blue fan who managed to make the long, long journey to St Mary's last night.
In the second of Diary of a Tractor Girl's guest blogs, I introduce to you Nick Chenery. Nick's long been one of my favourite #ITFC twitter fans to talk to, great for debate and always very positive. So, as he made the very late journey back to Suffolk last night I asked if he'd mind letting us know his thoughts on the game.
Before Tuesday, most Town fans would have taken a point away from this trip to the league leaders.
After all, though Ipswich were on a run of five wins in six, Southampton themselves had won the last four games without conceding a single goal.
Both Saints and Town fielded unchanged sides from their victories over Leeds and Bristol City respectively, so, on paper this pointed to a home win. But that doesn't take into account of the crazy nature of the Championship!
The first half belonged to Southampton for the most part, with Town having to play defensively from balls coming in over the top and down the wings. But, as in recent weeks, the defence stood up to the task. The main chances were a Saints shot blocked by Tommy Smith, an Alex McCarthy save down at the far post, and a disallowed goal.
The second half was notably better than the first, with both teams gunning for the win: Chopra had a glorious chance, but his header was saved at the near post. Soon after Chopra was clipped by a Southampton player and gave JET a chance to hit a free kick from distance, that shot ended up clipping the outside of the post.
Then the deadlock was broken, Daniel De Ridder squaring to Rickie Lambert who was able to finish beyond Alex McCarthy in the Town goal.
But, with five minutes to go, Town shown they hadn't given up yet: as Jason Scotland picked the ball up on the right hand side, took it across the edge of the box and his shot was deflected past Kelvin Davis in the Southampton goal.
There was also a late chance for Town to take all three points as Aaron Cresswell had a shot from distance, but that was blocked by Chopra.
The draw was a fair result, with either side having the better of either half. That makes Town on a run of 1 defeat in 7 and fighting for places in mid-table. Let's hope the boys can build for next season. Southampton were left two points clear at the top, with second placed West Ham having two games in hand.
Don't forget, if you'd like to right about Ipswich Town - you can get in touch with me @tractorgirlamy8
Yet another good result came Town's way last night and it's become a bit of a tradition for me to support the boys by listening to the commentary on Ipswich Player when I can't make it to a game.
Whilst I'll be publishing my views on Town's latest two matches tomorrow, I thought you might like to hear from one true Blue fan who managed to make the long, long journey to St Mary's last night.
In the second of Diary of a Tractor Girl's guest blogs, I introduce to you Nick Chenery. Nick's long been one of my favourite #ITFC twitter fans to talk to, great for debate and always very positive. So, as he made the very late journey back to Suffolk last night I asked if he'd mind letting us know his thoughts on the game.
Before Tuesday, most Town fans would have taken a point away from this trip to the league leaders.
After all, though Ipswich were on a run of five wins in six, Southampton themselves had won the last four games without conceding a single goal.
Both Saints and Town fielded unchanged sides from their victories over Leeds and Bristol City respectively, so, on paper this pointed to a home win. But that doesn't take into account of the crazy nature of the Championship!
The first half belonged to Southampton for the most part, with Town having to play defensively from balls coming in over the top and down the wings. But, as in recent weeks, the defence stood up to the task. The main chances were a Saints shot blocked by Tommy Smith, an Alex McCarthy save down at the far post, and a disallowed goal.
The second half was notably better than the first, with both teams gunning for the win: Chopra had a glorious chance, but his header was saved at the near post. Soon after Chopra was clipped by a Southampton player and gave JET a chance to hit a free kick from distance, that shot ended up clipping the outside of the post.
Then the deadlock was broken, Daniel De Ridder squaring to Rickie Lambert who was able to finish beyond Alex McCarthy in the Town goal.
But, with five minutes to go, Town shown they hadn't given up yet: as Jason Scotland picked the ball up on the right hand side, took it across the edge of the box and his shot was deflected past Kelvin Davis in the Southampton goal.
There was also a late chance for Town to take all three points as Aaron Cresswell had a shot from distance, but that was blocked by Chopra.
The draw was a fair result, with either side having the better of either half. That makes Town on a run of 1 defeat in 7 and fighting for places in mid-table. Let's hope the boys can build for next season. Southampton were left two points clear at the top, with second placed West Ham having two games in hand.
Don't forget, if you'd like to right about Ipswich Town - you can get in touch with me @tractorgirlamy8
Tuesday, 28 February 2012
GUEST BLOG: Hypocrisy in Offence
Those living in the world of Twitter would be forgiven for forgetting a game of football took place this weekend.
For, on Saturday afternoon the #ITFC hashtag was temporarily altered to #bannergate.
I say temporarily, discussions about the not-so-clever message a group of Town fans decided to unveil at The Amex went on long into the night and through to Monday morning.
Here, for the first time, I've invited a fellow Town fan and regular feature in my own timeline to offer his thoughts on the 'drama' at Brighton.
Some of you may know him as 'Disgruntled', though following The Blues amazing 4 wins in a row he changed his twitter profile to 'Contented'! As a special birthday treat I though you all would enjoy the chance to hear from him in more than 140 characters!
If you've ever thought of writing about Town please do feel free to get in touch with me: tweet me @tractorgirlamy8
We did play a game of football on Saturday, didn’t we?
Because from the #itfc TL it seems to me the only issue of note for many people who went to the game...was a ‘banner’.
Had the perpetrators of this heinous act been dressed and made up like ‘black & white’ minstrels, whilst burning a rainbow flag and saluting fascism: I may have the same outrage as everyone else.
But they weren't. The only things the 'banner boys' are guilty of are not being funny and unforgivable crimes against English grammar.
Yet, the Twitterati appear to be vying for a Frankenstienesque mob hunt. So be it. But, before we grab our pitch forks, light the torches and storm The Buttermarket looking for these monsters; can I just make sure we truly are the righteous mob we think we are?
If you don't mind, could you please answer these few questions:
1. Have you ever sung or clapped along to ‘There’s a Circus in the Town’?
2. Have you ever referred to a Norwich City fan or player as scum, inbred, 6 fingered or web toed?
3. Have you ever questioned Nugent’s parentage?
4. Have you ever made fun of Paul Jewell’s attempts at entering the adult film industry?
5. Have you ever sung ‘Where were you, when you were s**t?'
6. Have you ever referred to Grant Holt as either fat, a diver, a cheat or worse?
If you answered yes to even just one of those: you are as guilty of causing offence as the 'banner boys'.
If you answered no to all, then you’re truly righteous, go grab your pitchfork...
All I’m trying to say is that there is a great deal of hypocrisy when it comes to taking offence in Twitterland. My own brush with this came when I pointed out that people complaining about the bullying approach of another, were quite happy to engage in the same behaviour they so abhorred in response.
For making this reasonable point, I was given a sanctimonious reply coupled with a patronising end statement! Imagine my surprise when the same person called another ‘retarded’ just a few weeks later, obviously he doesn’t listen to himself.
My plead really is to ask everyone to stop being so sensitive of any comment that doesn’t go with their opinion. Twitter has a block button use it! But, the human brain has a better option ‘IGNORE’.
Just to be very clear: this does not apply to racism, sexism, homophobia etc. We all have a duty to rid society of those evils.
So I say: 'Save the ‘banner boys’ from the hypocrisy at least'.
And next year I’ll be at the Amex with my own banner “A SENSE OF HUMOUR, I DON’T LEAVE HOME WITHOUT IT”.
Thanks to 'Contented for contributing to Diary of a Tractor Girl. I look forward to being able to publish his work again in the future and, again, if anybody else would like to see their writing out on the #ITFC timeline: get in touch via @tractorgirlamy8
BTW, Happy Birthday @ITFC2802!
For, on Saturday afternoon the #ITFC hashtag was temporarily altered to #bannergate.
I say temporarily, discussions about the not-so-clever message a group of Town fans decided to unveil at The Amex went on long into the night and through to Monday morning.
Here, for the first time, I've invited a fellow Town fan and regular feature in my own timeline to offer his thoughts on the 'drama' at Brighton.
Some of you may know him as 'Disgruntled', though following The Blues amazing 4 wins in a row he changed his twitter profile to 'Contented'! As a special birthday treat I though you all would enjoy the chance to hear from him in more than 140 characters!
If you've ever thought of writing about Town please do feel free to get in touch with me: tweet me @tractorgirlamy8
We did play a game of football on Saturday, didn’t we?
Because from the #itfc TL it seems to me the only issue of note for many people who went to the game...was a ‘banner’.
Had the perpetrators of this heinous act been dressed and made up like ‘black & white’ minstrels, whilst burning a rainbow flag and saluting fascism: I may have the same outrage as everyone else.
But they weren't. The only things the 'banner boys' are guilty of are not being funny and unforgivable crimes against English grammar.
Yet, the Twitterati appear to be vying for a Frankenstienesque mob hunt. So be it. But, before we grab our pitch forks, light the torches and storm The Buttermarket looking for these monsters; can I just make sure we truly are the righteous mob we think we are?
If you don't mind, could you please answer these few questions:
1. Have you ever sung or clapped along to ‘There’s a Circus in the Town’?
2. Have you ever referred to a Norwich City fan or player as scum, inbred, 6 fingered or web toed?
3. Have you ever questioned Nugent’s parentage?
4. Have you ever made fun of Paul Jewell’s attempts at entering the adult film industry?
5. Have you ever sung ‘Where were you, when you were s**t?'
6. Have you ever referred to Grant Holt as either fat, a diver, a cheat or worse?
If you answered yes to even just one of those: you are as guilty of causing offence as the 'banner boys'.
If you answered no to all, then you’re truly righteous, go grab your pitchfork...
All I’m trying to say is that there is a great deal of hypocrisy when it comes to taking offence in Twitterland. My own brush with this came when I pointed out that people complaining about the bullying approach of another, were quite happy to engage in the same behaviour they so abhorred in response.
For making this reasonable point, I was given a sanctimonious reply coupled with a patronising end statement! Imagine my surprise when the same person called another ‘retarded’ just a few weeks later, obviously he doesn’t listen to himself.
My plead really is to ask everyone to stop being so sensitive of any comment that doesn’t go with their opinion. Twitter has a block button use it! But, the human brain has a better option ‘IGNORE’.
Just to be very clear: this does not apply to racism, sexism, homophobia etc. We all have a duty to rid society of those evils.
So I say: 'Save the ‘banner boys’ from the hypocrisy at least'.
And next year I’ll be at the Amex with my own banner “A SENSE OF HUMOUR, I DON’T LEAVE HOME WITHOUT IT”.
Thanks to 'Contented for contributing to Diary of a Tractor Girl. I look forward to being able to publish his work again in the future and, again, if anybody else would like to see their writing out on the #ITFC timeline: get in touch via @tractorgirlamy8
BTW, Happy Birthday @ITFC2802!
Wednesday, 22 February 2012
Is this a defence which I see before me?
Town's result against Cardiff City has left me wondering if I'm hallucinating.
For months I've been citing the wobbly defence as the core to all our problems, but on Saturday the solid defence of days gone by made a welcome return to Portman Road and achieved their second clean sheet in two games.
Though credit is due to so many players for our run of 4 wins, I don't feel enough has been made of the improvement shown in the back four. So that's what I wanted to discuss today.
Could it be that Ipswich Town are finally becoming the team we've hoped they would be all season? If so, it seems the turbulent Act 1 of the season could be about to give way to a fascinating Act 2.
Manager Paul Jewell paid tribute to Cresswell, Smith, Delaney and Edwards in the Green Un after the game:
“Whatever back four has played this year has made basic individual errors and cost us goals. Some months ago I guess we would have conceded during that dodgy spell in the first half, but we’re now playing with confidence and belief and desire.
“We’re defending and attacking as a team at the moment and look like a decent team.”
Tommy Smith is becoming a key player for me: several times during his BBC Suffolk commentary on Saturday afternoon, Steve Foley praised him for 'taking charge of the back four'.
Following Town's painful defeat at Leeds, I feared Sonko losing confidence would lead to a loss of organisation in defence: but Tommy has stepped up his game in recent weeks and I’ve felt very proud of him.
(Tommy Smith... WORLD CUP PLAYER - as you may have heard shouted in the North Stand!)
Meanwhile, Steve Foley also credited Damien Delaney with two vital blocks that prevented Cardiff from scoring. He too is showing a clear head and determination to play, despite suffering a barrage of criticism from fans this season. He’s done well to pull through that and though he probably would not have been in the first team if it weren't for Ibrahima Sonko's injury it's nice to see him stepping up to the challenge too.
Meanwhile, Carlos Edwards had a fine game and as such he was rewarded yesterday with an inclusion in the 'Team of the Week'. In the abscence of Sonko, he was given the captain’s armband on Saturday and, for me, appeared to represent everything that is good about our current side.
He was credited with a good block from a Miller shot during the first half, which looked set to go in and would have seen Cardiff equalise and probably a totally different game unfold.
Meanwhile, he was also heavily involved in the build up to Michael Chopra's goal: his excellent cross from the right found it's way straight to Chops, who was able to find the net from close range. Here Edwards is showing his versatility at the other end of the pitch and what a key player he is this season.
But it wasn’t just the back four that provided food for thought this week: as has been reflected many times on my Twitter timeline, 'it’s great to see #ITFC defending right through the team'.
For me the perfect example of this is Jay Emmanuel Thomas. I’ve long been a JET fan, I enjoy watching him play. But, it seems now that he’s finally showing willing to add to his talented attacking play by using that great physical presence to help us out at the back. In recent games he's been getting involved with tackles and blocking balls; things I’d never imagined seeing from him earlier in the season.
Of course, this wouldn’t be a very good reflection on the game if I didn’t mention ALB’s yellow card. Yes, he was lucky – very lucky. Had it been closer to the centre of the field, perhaps, it might have been considered more of a goal scoring opportunity. But Delaney WAS covering for him and I suspect that is why the referee made the decision he did.
If I were a Cardiff fan I imagine I would be absolutely livid with the decision. However, I maintain that it would have been extremely harsh to send a goalkeeper off at such an early stage in the game. Furthermore, I feel karma may have played it's part: following the terrible decision to award them a penalty late on against us when we travelled to Wales and came home with just 1 point when it should have been 3. Swings and roundabouts I say.
The truth is Cardiff ran large sections of the game, once again I point to a Steve Foley quote from the first 20 minutes: ‘Ipswich can’t get the ball into Cardiff’s half let alone find any meaningful possession’.
For me the Town players weathered that storm well and the defensive play was impressive: At one point Cardiff had 8 corners, something you wouldn’t expect for any away side, so for us to hold out against them is quite an achievement. I also remember a time where set pieces were a sure goal for our opponents, so it's nice to see we've learnt from that and are now defending against them in a much better way.
Isn’t that the whole point of football? Sometimes you run the show and score at every chance you get; but sometimes you have to dig deep to grind out a result, even when the run of play is going against you.
Let’s not forget: Cardiff came to us knowing a win would leave them 3rd in the Championship. They will also have been hoping a win against us would give them a boost ahead of their Carling Cup Final this weekend. This wasn’t a top side who came looking like they didn’t care about the result – as some have suggested West Ham approached their appearance at Portman Road. This was a side hungry for some positivity – but we sucked it all up for us.
What a great time it is to be an Ipswich Town fan.
In Jewell, the players and the wonderful Blue Army I trust.
For months I've been citing the wobbly defence as the core to all our problems, but on Saturday the solid defence of days gone by made a welcome return to Portman Road and achieved their second clean sheet in two games.
Though credit is due to so many players for our run of 4 wins, I don't feel enough has been made of the improvement shown in the back four. So that's what I wanted to discuss today.
Could it be that Ipswich Town are finally becoming the team we've hoped they would be all season? If so, it seems the turbulent Act 1 of the season could be about to give way to a fascinating Act 2.
Manager Paul Jewell paid tribute to Cresswell, Smith, Delaney and Edwards in the Green Un after the game:
“Whatever back four has played this year has made basic individual errors and cost us goals. Some months ago I guess we would have conceded during that dodgy spell in the first half, but we’re now playing with confidence and belief and desire.
“We’re defending and attacking as a team at the moment and look like a decent team.”
Tommy Smith is becoming a key player for me: several times during his BBC Suffolk commentary on Saturday afternoon, Steve Foley praised him for 'taking charge of the back four'.
Following Town's painful defeat at Leeds, I feared Sonko losing confidence would lead to a loss of organisation in defence: but Tommy has stepped up his game in recent weeks and I’ve felt very proud of him.
(Tommy Smith... WORLD CUP PLAYER - as you may have heard shouted in the North Stand!)
Meanwhile, Steve Foley also credited Damien Delaney with two vital blocks that prevented Cardiff from scoring. He too is showing a clear head and determination to play, despite suffering a barrage of criticism from fans this season. He’s done well to pull through that and though he probably would not have been in the first team if it weren't for Ibrahima Sonko's injury it's nice to see him stepping up to the challenge too.
Meanwhile, Carlos Edwards had a fine game and as such he was rewarded yesterday with an inclusion in the 'Team of the Week'. In the abscence of Sonko, he was given the captain’s armband on Saturday and, for me, appeared to represent everything that is good about our current side.
He was credited with a good block from a Miller shot during the first half, which looked set to go in and would have seen Cardiff equalise and probably a totally different game unfold.
Meanwhile, he was also heavily involved in the build up to Michael Chopra's goal: his excellent cross from the right found it's way straight to Chops, who was able to find the net from close range. Here Edwards is showing his versatility at the other end of the pitch and what a key player he is this season.
But it wasn’t just the back four that provided food for thought this week: as has been reflected many times on my Twitter timeline, 'it’s great to see #ITFC defending right through the team'.
For me the perfect example of this is Jay Emmanuel Thomas. I’ve long been a JET fan, I enjoy watching him play. But, it seems now that he’s finally showing willing to add to his talented attacking play by using that great physical presence to help us out at the back. In recent games he's been getting involved with tackles and blocking balls; things I’d never imagined seeing from him earlier in the season.
Of course, this wouldn’t be a very good reflection on the game if I didn’t mention ALB’s yellow card. Yes, he was lucky – very lucky. Had it been closer to the centre of the field, perhaps, it might have been considered more of a goal scoring opportunity. But Delaney WAS covering for him and I suspect that is why the referee made the decision he did.
If I were a Cardiff fan I imagine I would be absolutely livid with the decision. However, I maintain that it would have been extremely harsh to send a goalkeeper off at such an early stage in the game. Furthermore, I feel karma may have played it's part: following the terrible decision to award them a penalty late on against us when we travelled to Wales and came home with just 1 point when it should have been 3. Swings and roundabouts I say.
The truth is Cardiff ran large sections of the game, once again I point to a Steve Foley quote from the first 20 minutes: ‘Ipswich can’t get the ball into Cardiff’s half let alone find any meaningful possession’.
For me the Town players weathered that storm well and the defensive play was impressive: At one point Cardiff had 8 corners, something you wouldn’t expect for any away side, so for us to hold out against them is quite an achievement. I also remember a time where set pieces were a sure goal for our opponents, so it's nice to see we've learnt from that and are now defending against them in a much better way.
Isn’t that the whole point of football? Sometimes you run the show and score at every chance you get; but sometimes you have to dig deep to grind out a result, even when the run of play is going against you.
Let’s not forget: Cardiff came to us knowing a win would leave them 3rd in the Championship. They will also have been hoping a win against us would give them a boost ahead of their Carling Cup Final this weekend. This wasn’t a top side who came looking like they didn’t care about the result – as some have suggested West Ham approached their appearance at Portman Road. This was a side hungry for some positivity – but we sucked it all up for us.
What a great time it is to be an Ipswich Town fan.
In Jewell, the players and the wonderful Blue Army I trust.
Saturday, 18 February 2012
Keep calm: but get a little bit excited!
What a joy it has been to wake up to hundreds of Twitter messages wishing Sir Bobby Robson a Happy Birthday.
Having something all Town fans can pull together to celebrate has been a rare occassion this season and I am really glad to see it happening.
It's not just today, though. Slowly but surely it feels like the family of Ipswich Town is getting itself together and enjoying supporting the team again.
A little under a month ago I checked in with the boys during their visit to Elland Road - a game that had me feeling there was nowhere left to turn for ITFC and only hard times lay ahead.
But, the following three games saw Town earn 9 points from a possible 9. Suddenly, instead of looking over our shoulders at the relegation battle, we seem to be calmly striding our way back to midtable mediocrity.
There's no denying these last 3 wins have been an incredible turning point for the boys, but - in my humble opinion - this is what we've been working towards since Forest scored that winning goal against us in the dying minutes of the game. Twice.
A little while later Town played well against Birmingham City, seeming to have learnt somewhat from their mistakes in the recent run of defeats. To lose again in the final minutes of a game we thoroughly deserved to win was heartbreaking.
By the time West Ham came around, though there was serious discontent off the pitch (due to a lack of player purchases during the January transfer window) the players at least seemed up for it. Finally they showed us the team we've been waiting for for months. Winning 5:1 against the team who are top of the league was a phenomenal result and brought some much needed joy to the long suffering Blues fans.
But, to take these improving performances and grind out a win at relegation-battling Coventry was a far more important result for me. The Ipswich from earlier games of this season would've succumbed to last minute nerves and missed that chance that lead to Chops' late winner (most likely, they would have then watched the ball go straight up the other end of the pitch and into the back of their own net instead).
I am so pleased to see the boys finally overcome their nerves and have a little faith in themselves. It's about time they started fighting for the win and showing the rest of the league what they're made of.
And so we moved on to a rather disappointing day last weekend, when the match against Middlesbrough was called off. Having made the trip from Barnsley to Suffolk myself, I will never forget the way my heart sank when the referee was called over for a discussion with his fourth official. I had really been enjoying what I was seeing: for the first time since the second half at Barnsley I was given an insight into what Paul Jewell must be picturing for his side.
A team that were playing with passion, intelligence and a mutual respect for each other. JET was superb, Tommy Smith was playing with a new found confidence and Martin was - as usual - a key part to every move we made. It felt there was more organisation to the side, and finally they are playing well as a team as a whole.
The following win against trouble-hit Portsmouth on Tuesday night was yet another example of a side in control... And so Pompey once again lead us to a great record of four games unbeaten - just as they did earlier on in the season.
But with these four wins in a row comes the pressure of keeping that going, and it unnerves me to consider what that might be doing to the side. I truly believe that they are now showing the strength to deal with that, but what will help them with that is YOU.
Regular readers will know that the positive atmosphere is something I've long cited as a contributing factor to Town's better performances. That support from the crowd was clearly evident at Portman Road against West Ham and I honestly feel it has gone a long way to helping the boys start to turn their season around.
What I'm trying to say is: whatever happens today, back the boys. Win, lose or draw these recent results have been exactly what we've been hoping for. Please show them the support you have done so well in demonstrating in recent weeks and remember: football is meant to be fun!
Though we must not to get too far ahead of ourselves with the wonderful recent results, I want to also give you a nudge and say 'go on enjoy yourself a bit'. After all: it's quite fun being an ITFC fan.
In Jewell and the players, but most of all the Blue Army we trust.
Happy Birthday Sir Bobby, I hope you're watching today's game too!
Having something all Town fans can pull together to celebrate has been a rare occassion this season and I am really glad to see it happening.
It's not just today, though. Slowly but surely it feels like the family of Ipswich Town is getting itself together and enjoying supporting the team again.
A little under a month ago I checked in with the boys during their visit to Elland Road - a game that had me feeling there was nowhere left to turn for ITFC and only hard times lay ahead.
But, the following three games saw Town earn 9 points from a possible 9. Suddenly, instead of looking over our shoulders at the relegation battle, we seem to be calmly striding our way back to midtable mediocrity.
There's no denying these last 3 wins have been an incredible turning point for the boys, but - in my humble opinion - this is what we've been working towards since Forest scored that winning goal against us in the dying minutes of the game. Twice.
A little while later Town played well against Birmingham City, seeming to have learnt somewhat from their mistakes in the recent run of defeats. To lose again in the final minutes of a game we thoroughly deserved to win was heartbreaking.
By the time West Ham came around, though there was serious discontent off the pitch (due to a lack of player purchases during the January transfer window) the players at least seemed up for it. Finally they showed us the team we've been waiting for for months. Winning 5:1 against the team who are top of the league was a phenomenal result and brought some much needed joy to the long suffering Blues fans.
But, to take these improving performances and grind out a win at relegation-battling Coventry was a far more important result for me. The Ipswich from earlier games of this season would've succumbed to last minute nerves and missed that chance that lead to Chops' late winner (most likely, they would have then watched the ball go straight up the other end of the pitch and into the back of their own net instead).
I am so pleased to see the boys finally overcome their nerves and have a little faith in themselves. It's about time they started fighting for the win and showing the rest of the league what they're made of.
And so we moved on to a rather disappointing day last weekend, when the match against Middlesbrough was called off. Having made the trip from Barnsley to Suffolk myself, I will never forget the way my heart sank when the referee was called over for a discussion with his fourth official. I had really been enjoying what I was seeing: for the first time since the second half at Barnsley I was given an insight into what Paul Jewell must be picturing for his side.
A team that were playing with passion, intelligence and a mutual respect for each other. JET was superb, Tommy Smith was playing with a new found confidence and Martin was - as usual - a key part to every move we made. It felt there was more organisation to the side, and finally they are playing well as a team as a whole.
The following win against trouble-hit Portsmouth on Tuesday night was yet another example of a side in control... And so Pompey once again lead us to a great record of four games unbeaten - just as they did earlier on in the season.
But with these four wins in a row comes the pressure of keeping that going, and it unnerves me to consider what that might be doing to the side. I truly believe that they are now showing the strength to deal with that, but what will help them with that is YOU.
Regular readers will know that the positive atmosphere is something I've long cited as a contributing factor to Town's better performances. That support from the crowd was clearly evident at Portman Road against West Ham and I honestly feel it has gone a long way to helping the boys start to turn their season around.
What I'm trying to say is: whatever happens today, back the boys. Win, lose or draw these recent results have been exactly what we've been hoping for. Please show them the support you have done so well in demonstrating in recent weeks and remember: football is meant to be fun!
Though we must not to get too far ahead of ourselves with the wonderful recent results, I want to also give you a nudge and say 'go on enjoy yourself a bit'. After all: it's quite fun being an ITFC fan.
In Jewell and the players, but most of all the Blue Army we trust.
Happy Birthday Sir Bobby, I hope you're watching today's game too!
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