The Office (UK): Ipswich Town edition

[Davefevs]

5 minutes ago, Sleepy1968 said:

I'd like to rebutt your assertations. But I can't. Fortunately we were just one of the steps on the ladder to Mr Ashton's world football dominance. And luckily for us he took a lot of his toys with him!

Must’ve landed on a snake then, because he’s gone downwards.

1 minute ago, M.D said:

Thats what I remember, he was cooking bacon sandwiches and his misses said 'you better answer that'

Yes, think call was from his agent and SL had contacted the agent.

[Silvio Dante]

19 hours ago, Davefevs said:

I haven’t heard Cook’s interview but reading their fans quotes he seems less enamoured with the signings….apart from Morsy, who he is now looking to save him.

I haven’t read the whole thing but it’s safe to say, he seems a tad under pressure 

 

[Davefevs]

1 hour ago, Silvio Dante said:

I haven’t read the whole thing but it’s safe to say, he seems a tad under pressure 

 

Probably not his best week, his father died last week too.

[Atticus]

Sadly the Ipswich fans seem to be completely moronic. And under the spell of Ashton can do no wrong.  It is genuinely hilarious how they call us bitter. Yet any type of research would see that we are NOT. 

And because of this, I hope they go down. I will be gleefully celebrating their demise if they want to be that stupid and ignorant. 

DELUDED. 

Edited September 13, 2021 by Atticus

[Pezo]

3 hours ago, Atticus said:

Sadly the Ipswich fans seem to be completely moronic. And under the spell of Ashton can do no wrong.  It is genuinely hilarious how they call us bitter. Yet any type of research would see that we are NOT. 

And because of this, I hope they go down. I will be gleefully celebrating their demise if they want to be that stupid and ignorant. 

DELUDED. 

That's the problem with a salesman like Ashton is everything looks good until you try to use the snake oil. Then when you do there are other reasons for the problems that cloud the picture - the first thing in most fans playbook is sack the manager.

Oxford tried telling us and we were apprehensive about listening to them when we were selling players for considerably more than we ever had before and signing players left right and center. When you're in the middle of it it all makes sense sell players for large amounts, buy more players that (he says) needs only a little development and have lots of competition for places and ready made replacements. This is all fine from the clubs perspective but misses out the human element of players actually wanting to play and what happens when they don't.

If Ipswich fans don't want to listen to us then fair enough IMO, you can't get someone to listen by shouting louder - they certainly know what our experience was. I wouldn't wish ill on them for being blinded by the bright lights of a dodgy salesman and if there was a way of separating there eventual pain from Ashtons then that would be preferable to me, it might take them 3 seasons to realise but they will eventually. 

I think the reason we're all over explaining this stuff to Ipswich fans is because in the grand scheme of things we actually quite liked Ipswich before Ashton got there, they are a good traditional club that I can't remember us having any issues with. 

[Oh Louie louie]

No, i dont recall any issues with ipswich.

They helped us out in 82, with a benefit match.

Certainly a friendly ground to visit.

Laid back atmosphere there.

[The Humble Realist]

Isnt it a bit sad that we all seem to be wishing ill on Ipswich in this thread? 

I was certainly no fan of Ashton and am glad he has left but isnt it a bit tin pot that we have a 13 page thread (no doubt WAY longer by the end of the season ?) 

I wonder what we will all say if they end up getting promoted !

[Davefevs]

1 hour ago, The Humble Realist said:

Isnt it a bit sad that we all seem to be wishing ill on Ipswich in this thread? 

I was certainly no fan of Ashton and am glad he has left but isnt it a bit tin pot that we have a 13 page thread (no doubt WAY longer by the end of the season ?) 

I wonder what we will all say if they end up getting promoted !

When they get promoted, let’s assume it’s this season, all their fans will be expecting momentum, more quality signings (they expect to buy top 6 quality players according to their forum), etc.  However, I’m not sure their fans are quite prepared for 1) the cost of top 6 quality players both in fees and wages, 2) their place in the pecking order (low) and 3) how Championship FFP differs from Lg1 FFP.  They are able to ride Owner investment in Lg1.  They can’t in the Championship.  They’ll be wondering why they can’t buy themselves a place in the PL, they could buy Lg1 success.

So, what will we say….welcome to real life under Ashton, good luck trying to get rid of those players who aren’t good enough but are on inflated contracts, more inflated because they’ve just had a promotion wage-rise.

[exAtyeoMax]

1 hour ago, The Humble Realist said:

Isnt it a bit sad that we all seem to be wishing ill on Ipswich in this thread? 

I was certainly no fan of Ashton and am glad he has left but isnt it a bit tin pot that we have a 13 page thread (no doubt WAY longer by the end of the season ?) 

I wonder what we will all say if they end up getting promoted !

I don’t, but MA has to be found out/get his comeuppance. It might need Ipswich to go tits up to some degree for this to happen. I would hope he would get found out without anything awful happening to a decent club but it might just be that happening that ends his self-serving, ego-driven nonsense once and for all.

[Peter1450]

9 hours ago, Davefevs said:

When they get promoted, let’s assume it’s this season, all their fans will be expecting momentum, more quality signings (they expect to buy top 6 quality players according to their forum), etc.  However, I’m not sure their fans are quite prepared for 1) the cost of top 6 quality players both in fees and wages, 2) their place in the pecking order (low) and 3) how Championship FFP differs from Lg1 FFP.  They are able to ride Owner investment in Lg1.  They can’t in the Championship.  They’ll be wondering why they can’t buy themselves a place in the PL, they could buy Lg1 success.

So, what will we say….welcome to real life under Ashton, good luck trying to get rid of those players who aren’t good enough but are on inflated contracts, more inflated because they’ve just had a promotion wage-rise.

     Correct me if I’m wrong Dave, but at least Ipswich have had a couple of spells in the Premier League, mid 90’s and early 2000’s ? More than can be said of City………..used to work nights back then and I seem to remember 5 live followed them for a season and it was down to earth and entertaining stuff.

[Davefevs]

Just now, Peter1450 said:

     Correct me if I’m wrong Dave, but at least Ipswich have had a couple of spells in the Premier League, mid 90’s and early 2000’s ? More than can be said of City………..used to work nights back then and I seem to remember 5 live followed them for a season and it was down to earth and entertaining stuff.

Ipswich are a club with good history, have always been a pretty sensible, well-run and likeable club to the neutral.  They deserve better than Mark Ashton imho.

[BanburyRed]

15 minutes ago, Davefevs said:

Ipswich are a club with good history, have always been a pretty sensible, well-run and likeable club to the neutral.  They deserve better than Mark Ashton imho.

Good team back in the day - Paul Cooper, Kevin Beattie, Terry Butcher, Eric Gates, Paul Mariner, Arnold Muhren to name but a few.

[Port Said Red]

5 minutes ago, BanburyRed said:

Good team back in the day - Paul Cooper, Kevin Beattie, Terry Butcher, Eric Gates, Paul Mariner, Arnold Muhren to name but a few.

Russell Osman a deliberate omission there BR?  Burley, Mills and Whymark were all top players too.  

[The Swan and Cemetery]

12 minutes ago, Port Said Red said:

Russell Osman a deliberate omission there BR?  Burley, Mills and Whymark were all top players too.  

Never sure if teams from the past were rammed full of tip-top players, or just that teams of childhood (eg when focus on Panini was all there was) makes them more memorable, but 1981 UEFA cup winning team was: Cooper, Mills, McCall, Thijssen, Osman, Butcher, Wark, Muhren, Mariner, Brazil and Gates. Pretty much legends to a man in my eyes, but maybe I’ve been wooed by watching The Big Match Revisited (aka an awful lot of mud revisited) this evening. 

[BanburyRed]

19 minutes ago, Port Said Red said:

Russell Osman a deliberate omission there BR?  Burley, Mills and Whymark were all top players too.  

Russell who?!  I was trying to recall by memory alone without resorting to Google or wikipedia, of course George Burley, Mick Mills and somehow in my mind confused Whymark with Widmark, the Hollywood actor!

[Phileas Fogg]

On 12/09/2021 at 14:21, Northern Red said:

I guess the talking point is whether Pearson would have signed on for the long term if he was going to have to work under Ashton.

My completely uninformed belief is that he wouldn't have and knew the score regarding Ashton's future when he first came in.

I think that's probably right. It seemed a bit of an open secret that Ashton was part of that American takeover. Whilst we were able to speculate (hopeful that it was true) on this forum.. I have no doubt it had been in the works for a while before it got to the press. 

[bpexile]

15 hours ago, Marco the red said:

Would be delighted if they got relegated.

I understand your feelings but the sad fact is that they have been sucked in just as we did & I don't really think that relegation is deserved by trusting someone. A painful exercise as well we know, I just hope they come to their senses before it's too late, if it isn't already.

[exAtyeoMax]

7 hours ago, bpexile said:

I understand your feelings but the sad fact is that they have been sucked in just as we did & I don't really think that relegation is deserved by trusting someone. A painful exercise as well we know, I just hope they come to their senses before it's too late, if it isn't already.

The US consortium may well be a different kettle of fish to SL, they may suss MA out quite quickly and give him his marching orders! If they are on the ball they won’t mess about,

[Davefevs]

1 hour ago, exAtyeoMax said:

The US consortium may well be a different kettle of fish to SL, they may suss MA out quite quickly and give him his marching orders! If they are on the ball they won’t mess about,

Unfortunately Ashton has a big pal in Mike O’Leary, his Chairman and mentor to some extent from West Brom and Oxford days.

The US company state that the pension fund behind this needs to perform, and PL is where the money is.  They seem to think the Championship is also financially viable too.  That’s surprising, it’s a money-pit.

This is gonna give us a good couple of years of interest I reckon.  Starting from when Paul Cook gets sacked through to the first set of accounts under this regime, and beyond.

[1960maaan]

10 minutes ago, Davefevs said:

Unfortunately Ashton has a big pal in Mike O’Leary, his Chairman and mentor to some extent from West Brom and Oxford days.

The US company state that the pension fund behind this needs to perform, and PL is where the money is.  They seem to think the Championship is also financially viable too.  That’s surprising, it’s a money-pit.

This is gonna give us a good couple of years of interest I reckon.  Starting from when Paul Cook gets sacked through to the first set of accounts under this regime, and beyond.

Marky Mark set his stall out early, nice bit of fawning by signing a player on his Chairman's recommendation 

Doesn't look good for Cook though, how much say in strategy does he have if the Chairman & CEO are that hands on. Sacked by the next window?

[Davefevs]

10 minutes ago, 1960maaan said:

Marky Mark set his stall out early, nice bit of fawning by signing a player on his Chairman's recommendation 

Doesn't look good for Cook though, how much say in strategy does he have if the Chairman & CEO are that hands on. Sacked by the next window?

As an outside looking in at Ipswich it feels like Cook’s heart isn’t in it.  That’s poor on his part, but it feels like Cotts when Ashton came back into the club….where in Cotts case he just made himself more and more likely to get sacked, the altercation with a fan being the final straw.  I loved Cotts, but was disappointed that he didn’t try to play the game a bit and stay onside in the hope of buying some time and sorting things out.  Got to say the dynamic between Cotts and Tomlin would’ve been good to watch, might’ve ended in tears too, but would’ve been interesting.

Back to Cook, he’s not been vocal about transfers, is that because he’s accepted his fate, or is it Ashton hogging the limelight?

I don’t think Cook will be here by the next international break.

[Port Said Red]

27 minutes ago, Davefevs said:

Unfortunately Ashton has a big pal in Mike O’Leary, his Chairman and mentor to some extent from West Brom and Oxford days.

The US company state that the pension fund behind this needs to perform, and PL is where the money is.  They seem to think the Championship is also financially viable too.  That’s surprising, it’s a money-pit.

This is gonna give us a good couple of years of interest I reckon.  Starting from when Paul Cook gets sacked through to the first set of accounts under this regime, and beyond.

Makes you wonder where they got that information from doesn't it? But then they must have done their due diligence? 

Mind you there was the infamous Mr MF who's main plan was to put all the Fry's Pensioners money on 14 and 20 to the maximum on a local roulette table, so they aren't all very bright!

[1960maaan]

1 minute ago, Davefevs said:

As an outside looking in at Ipswich it feels like Cook’s heart isn’t in it.  That’s poor on his part, but it feels like Cotts when Ashton came back into the club….where in Cotts case he just made himself more and more likely to get sacked, the altercation with a fan being the final straw.  I loved Cotts, but was disappointed that he didn’t try to play the game a bit and stay onside in the hope of buying some time and sorting things out.  Got to say the dynamic between Cotts and Tomlin would’ve been good to watch, might’ve ended in tears too, but would’ve been interesting.

Back to Cook, he’s not been vocal about transfers, is that because he’s accepted his fate, or is it Ashton hogging the limelight?

I don’t think Cook will be here by the next international break.

It's a difficult one. 
If you've been brought in, with all the bluster and promise of having the major say in a rebuild ( which could be the case in both Cook & Cotts),when you are cut off at the knees it can go one of 2 ways. You kick back and play up, which didn't work well for SC. But also looks like a missed opportunity by the Club, which could be blamed to a large part on Ashton. Or you can suck it up and go through the motions to keep your job, depends on character, I guess the contracts would be paid up anyway (depending on what they signed). 
Cooks stock was high  , but as a big part of why I would have been happy to see him here (recruitment) has been taken away from him. While there are pure coaches that have little to do with recruitment, they surely must have a say in the positions recruited for and the numbers. Ashton seems to run roughshod over those ideas.

I'd feel a little sympathy for any genuinely ambitious coach under Ashton, Cook is in an unenviable position. A job with a good club, with history and recently under achieved greatly is a good job to take, specially with a new owners money. I think he could really have got them going given the right circumstances. As it is, it feels a bit like when MA came in here, dismantled all that had worked previously and made the managers job unworkable. 

Difference is, from a distance it's easier to enjoy this time round.

[exAtyeoMax]

55 minutes ago, Davefevs said:

This is gonna give us a good couple of years of interest I reckon.  Starting from when Paul Cook gets sacked through to the first set of accounts under this regime, and beyond.

 

41 minutes ago, 1960maaan said:

Doesn't look good for Cook though, how much say in strategy does he have if the Chairman & CEO are that hands on. Sacked by the next window?

Might he walk? He might lose a big payout though

[exAtyeoMax]

35 minutes ago, Davefevs said:

As an outside looking in at Ipswich it feels like Cook’s heart isn’t in it.  That’s poor on his part, but it feels like Cotts when Ashton came back into the club….where in Cotts case he just made himself more and more likely to get sacked, the altercation with a fan being the final straw.  I loved Cotts, but was disappointed that he didn’t try to play the game a bit and stay onside in the hope of buying some time and sorting things out.  Got to say the dynamic between Cotts and Tomlin would’ve been good to watch, might’ve ended in tears too, but would’ve been interesting.

Back to Cook, he’s not been vocal about transfers, is that because he’s accepted his fate, or is it Ashton hogging the limelight?

I don’t think Cook will be here by the next international break.

Perhaps the situation behind the scenes was past that? I’ve worked in companies like that, whatever I did wouldn’t have made a difference. Cotts wouldn’t have stood for any interference in the team/squad.

I don’t know much about PC, what kind of person he is…like you say if he wants to save his sanity and reputation it’s best to get out quick (whether he’s pushed or if he jumps)

[CyderInACan]

1 hour ago, Davefevs said:

The US company state that the pension fund behind this needs to perform, and PL is where the money is.

I hope to Bob that my pension is not with them, then. .  .

[1960maaan]

51 minutes ago, exAtyeoMax said:

 

Might he walk? He might lose a big payout though

I doubt he's in a position to just give it up. But if they perform badly it won't take long for the new owners to start to worry. I can see them putting pressure on a change if the poor form goes on too long. Not a clue what contract he's on, but I doubt it's less than a years salary . 

[headhunter]

Another Ryan Kent situation developing at Portman Road:

https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/aston-villa-told-take-action-21550756 

 

[petehinton]

https://www.eadt.co.uk/sport/ipswich-town/ashton-on-itfc-and-financial-fair-play-8304716
 

sorry if it’s already been posted, but highly recommend this 45 min chat. Absolute gold from start to finish. So much total gash/lies and referring to himself in the third person 

[Davefevs]

1 hour ago, headhunter said:

Another Ryan Kent situation developing at Portman Road:

https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/aston-villa-told-take-action-21550756 

 

As usual, the Villa fans ignorant of the rules!

1 hour ago, petehinton said:

https://www.eadt.co.uk/sport/ipswich-town/ashton-on-itfc-and-financial-fair-play-8304716
 

sorry if it’s already been posted, but highly recommend this 45 min chat. Absolute gold from start to finish. So much total gash/lies and referring to himself in the third person 

I took the trouble to listen last week.  It’s where I picked up some of my gems re Celina wanted before speaking to Cook and O’Leary (Chairman) wanting Kyle Edwards / Rakeem Harper (whichever one it is).  Would love to ask Mr Morrell is Ashton has really spoken to Joe since he turned Ipswich down?

If you didn’t know his “previous form” it all sounds great….he’s a effing bluffer.