SkuseMe

It would have been shorter and more honest to write that you just hate Ipswich. Clarke, with his long-standing Achilles issue, isn't 1st choice RB as an aside. It was Janoi Donacien, who picked up a season-ender in our third game sadly. Subsequently we went all-out for Brandon Williams (8 starts, 7 subs), whose wages we continue to cover while he battles his off-field issues in Manchester. Axel Tuanzebe is our replacement 1st choice RB now he's fully over his back troubles (15 Starts, 2 Subs). Appreciate those numbers don't support your post so well. Moore has made himself available throughout, albeit he played through a back strain and facial injury. Al-Hamadi has needed groin surgery since early February, and so hasn't featured since Hirst's recovery, but he and Moore covered CF on a 20:80 basis from February to mid-April. Travis' signing was important, with Taylor injured for 8 games and Evans out for most of the season, but he hasn't played much since February on account of Morsy and Luongo staying available, plus Taylor recovering. How does this compare to Leeds' starting XI, one might wonder? Meslier - 42 Starts Gray - 40 Starts, plus 3 Sub Appearances Rodon - 41 Starts, plus 1 Sub Appearance Ampadu - 45 Starts Byram - 23 Starts, plus 9 Sub Appearances Kamara - 32 Starts, plus 4 Sub Appearances Gruev - 19 Starts, plus 9 Sub Appearances Rutter - 43 Starts, plus 1 Sub Appearance Summerville - 40 Starts, plus 2 Sub Appearances James - 28 Starts, plus 12 Sub Appearances Piroe - 30 Starts, plus 14 Sub Appearances Notable others: Gnonto - 18 Starts, plus 17 Sub Appearances Bamford - 15 Starts, plus 18 Sub Appearances Struijk - 22 Starts, plus 1 Sub Appearance Firpo - 18 Starts, plus 7 Sub Appearances Leeds' star attackers have been injury-free throughout, excepting Bamford who missed the first 8 games. Bamford and Piroe have shared CF, Gnonto and James RW, while Summerville and Rutter have been almost ever-present. Their two notable injuries of the season were in defensive areas: Struijk and Firpo (half-season injuries in the George Hirst category). Yet they were able to cover the back 5 positions with just 7 players for the vast majority of it. In the two DM positions, they have had almost permanent access to their best four of Kamara, Gruev, Ampadu and Gray. Quite remarkable really. Suggestion Ipswich has benefited more than Leeds on this front is for the birds, albeit you may consider both to be anomalous. I don't recall injuries to Leicester's big guns; a quick glance shows the following have 38-45 league appearances this season KDH, Mavididi, Winks, Faes, Justin, Pereira, Vestergaard, Hermansen, and Fatawu (Vardy 34, Choudhury 33, Ndidi 31). Leicester's availability of "first teamers" may actually be the best of the three.

I think you're seeing what you want to in your form table to be honest. It's 51 points from 21 games, followed by 9 points from 9 games, followed by 27 points from 10 games. I won't bore you with the context behind the mid-season slump, save to say that our performances since have been a continuation of what came before (be this dominant, lucky, dogged, or other description). Equally with injuries: I'm sure we've fared much better than some clubs, but I also know we've had a worse time of it than Leeds. Leicester and Saints' appearance pages appear similar to our one you posted, but I confess to being less knowledgeable on their situations. Still, very tough games remain for sure, every chance we finish 3rd. Pleased to see your uptick in form too, 3 wins from 4 now! #RootingForManning *oh and the officials were booed off at HT, in case this wasn't clear on TV. We weren't abusing the players :laugh:, could you imagine!

In the spirit of sharing TWTD resources, we have a league calculator that lets you input predicted scores for the teams you're interested in (you need to zoom in with fingers to input if on a phone screen, as it isn't a mobile site). You're then provided with a final league table involving just those clubs selected. Bit early with so many teams below you mind, could take all day. https://www.twtd.co.uk/league-calculator/?step=2&lge=2

Yes Henry, his father passed away during his time with us and the pressure was (comparatively) enormous without the personal difficulties. And I don't recall the interview well Dave but remember Steed being a character. A steep FFP learning curve has been required on our forum, given we haven't had money for most of this era and then moved from one set of rules to another, but I believe the knowledge expressed on TWTD is now decent for a footy space aha. I'm not sure a challenger to OTIB's monster thread exists anywhere on the internet tbf.

Fair do's, I will plonk myself in the learned bracket then. Cook arrived before Ashton and the takeover, in answer to 1960Maaan's question. We feared his arrival was indication that the deal was off at the time, but happily Evans sold 5 weeks later. Cook, Ashton and co. scrabbled around in the summer to recruit and let go of as many players as possible, squad was so broken, dressing-room culture shocking. I'd like to credit Cook for several of our best acquisitions that summer (Morsy and Chaplin wouldn't have dropped down if not for Cook, IMO) but regrettably he couldn't piece it all together, began calling out players in increasingly emotional post-match interviews. Thought the new operation did right by him honestly, as much as Cook felt he warranted more time and believed his position was always in jeopardy.

The article below could make for a nauseating read, everyone's been warned, but it feels safe to conclude he was the driving force behind McKenna's appointment. Ashton gave interviews early doors in which he spoke of his own careful research and his headhunting him, effectively, when our direction of travel wasn't so clear, which lends credence to the narrative. I can't say if Mark's homework was irresistible here, if he showed incredible vision or utterly fluked it, but the outcome has been brilliant for us. https://www.eadt.co.uk/sport/23190988.ipswich-town-mark-ashton-landed-manager-kieran-mckenna/

Ipswich fan here. The Ashton view really isn't common among Town fans, perhaps they were just trying to bond with you in extending that olive branch? When scanning the forum pre-match I also read a line from Fevs that we were lapping up Ashton's claims about our spending being net zero, which also isn't honestly true. The majority won't have heard or engaged with his comments at all, of course, beyond one-line remarks maybe if mentioned on matchday, but those who do engage are mostly very aware that he would have utilised "political" figures (ones which bear little resemblance to the reality of our increased expenditure since the new ownership arrived). Most Ipswich fans are delighted with everyone employed by the club right now, understandably. The months before Ashton arrived were our nadir, seriously: relegation to the third division for the first time since our infancy in the 50s, followed by not even seriously challenging for promotion at that level. Off the field it couldn't have been more amateurish, too. Quite unbelievable the cesspit that had been allowed to develop. I won't bore with what's happened since, only to say that the pace of progress on and off the pitch has been remarkable. He receives much praise for it all, not least for the crucial hiring of McKenna. We are, of course, equally aware of his Brentish charms and recognise he would have made a very good estate agent. My own instinct is Lansdown was comfortable with the risks your club took under Ashton's stewardship, rather than blindsided by them, but we seemingly have more oversight here in the event of the alternative. I fully expect us to be close to FFP, and subsequently unsustainable without ownership investment, like most of the Championship, but importantly not in breach. All claims to the contrary are without guiding evidence. On Manning, it would surprise me if half the fanbase hold an opinion. Those who have followed his career regard him in a positive light though, for sure. He's consistently given us a hard game, not least midweek, and he had Dons and Oxford playing good, effective football for decent periods. You were probably the best-drilled side to come to PR this season and brought plenty of shothousery too, which impressed us all the more because it isn't synonymous with Manning sides. It was a classic away performance until our depth ultimately overwhelmed you, which I suggested may happen in the match thread (we've done it to almost everyone). You totally nullified us for 60 minutes, working very hard in the process. However, if it doesn't work out here his stock will naturally fall. Much too early for us to have formed a watertight opinion on the guy. Hope he brings better results your way soon.

Great write-up again on my boys in blue Jerseybean, I knew China owed us a lot but had forgotten about the lawnmower fame. A little more info on McKenna, for the poster who touched on this: his Spurs playing career effectively ended aged 20. Uni and youth coaching experience at various clubs followed, before taking over Spurs' U18s in 2015. Headhunted in intervening years by Liverpool and Man Utd, he ultimately opted for United and quickly progressed up to First Team Coach, spanning three managers I think. So 37 tender years belie his experience, really, and I genuinely expect him to go close to the summit (ultimately without us :laugh:, but enjoying the ride while it lasts). Fully braced for a tough battle tonight, however! Know you aren't happy following the Pearson debacle, understatement, but it was a tight contest back in October and Town have had many more tight ones since. Conquerer of most, destroyer of few. Broadhead and Burns shouldn't feature. Luongo was sick at the weekend. It's our depth that tends to overwhelm over 90 mins more than the starting XI, which is less relevant with those players out. We're borderline buccaneering at home too, which like in the Southampton game may suit you. The above being said, we do have big Keiffer Moore and he is a handful! As are the smaller ones, so secretly think a 2-goal margin is on the cards. Manning is a manager our fanbase has kept tabs on, with his L1 work, style and background, yet fair to say you think he's rubbish? No element of following a fan favourite, or of needing a few windows? I can see his PPG was the same at one point but you've since lost three on the spin, and points only tell half the story of course. Safe travels!

Another nice Ipswich fan here looking forward to the game today. Southend does appear to have compared you to Rotherham and "successful event" is an interesting turn of phrase on another club's forum! In defence of unstableblue, we were asked to provide a summary of ourselves for the people of OTIB and I think he delivered a considered post in the main: sensitive to the Ashton angst, wasn't that an olive branch of a paragraph? Most Ipswich I speak with know very well that we've had just three easy points on the road so far (SW); unfancied Huddersfield edged us in large parts and QPR could easily have ended a draw. We're understandably proud parents and believe in our team - we've seen many awful ones in the past decade I assure you - but we also know the Championship better than most and how tight the margins are. I honestly don't think you'll find many more level fanbases than ours, off the back of 24 wins and 4 draws in our last 29 competitive matches. It remains one challenging game at a time for the majority and plenty haven't shifted their sights from a top half target! Personally, the sample size is large enough now to be quietly confident of the top 6 but equally clueless as to where points will come. You don't seem to take any risks at the back and we thrive on winning the ball high upfield, so that negates a real strength of ours and it could be a case of who has their shooting boots on. Finally, in respect to our attendances, we were in a slow death spiral for most of the last decade and many couldn't bear to prop up the owner any longer. Loan players were slamming the culture in the press and that's when you know you're in real peril. We averaged 22K in 2021/22, the season after he left: we finished 11th in L1 and managed to go the whole season without placing above 9th. I wouldn't begin to suggest we're a big club in terms of support (24th in England historically for numbers now), but we don't have much to be embarrassed about either and I wouldn't describe us as fickle. 21 years waiting for a promotion was a long time to wait (runaway 2nd to Oldham in case anyone's interested, who are now into year 30 of their quest!). Good luck to you after tonight and I hope Nigel gets his extension.