Stoke City manager Tony Pulis

Could Ipswich Town be about to follow in the footsteps of Stoke City?

By Stuart Watson Thursday, March 14, 2013
2:00 PM

COULD Ipswich Town be about to follow the Stoke City blueprint?

The Potters looked to be slipping towards relegation in 2002/03. Then Tony Pulis was appointed manager on November 2 and – after suffering a 6-0 to Nottingham Forest amid a turbulent start – he soon began to install a hard-to-beat ethos into his side, finishing the campaign with nine clean sheets from 14.

There were four goalless draws during that run and four 1-0 victories, with Ade Akinbiyi’s winning goal against Reading on the final day just about securing safety. Pulis’ men stayed up by the skin of their teeth, with just 45 goals scored and 69 conceded.

Sound familiar?

Ipswich were rock-bottom when Mick McCarthy, left, took over on November 1 and there were some heavy defeats – 5-0 at Crystal Palace and 6-0 at Leicester – during his first few weeks in charge.

Since then he has managed to bring some organisation to the side. The goals may have dried up, just two in the last seven, but there have been five clean sheets in the last eight.

Replicate that over the remaining eight matches and the Blues are on course for a goalscoring total of 43 for and 63 against.

That’s virtually identical to Stoke’s aforementioned record of a decade ago.

The rest, as they say, is history, regarding the latter. Pulis, right, is now in his tenth full season at the Britannia Stadium, with his side currently looking to retain their Premier League status for a fifth consecutive campaign.

It’s not always been pretty, with the style of football a subject of much debate, but there is no arguing that it brought significant progress to a club that looked destined to forever make up the numbers in the Championship.

With eight games to go, the prospect of Ipswich Town being relegated to the third tier of English football for the first time in more than half a century is very much in the balance.

However, if they do extend their Championship status to 12 consecutive seasons, then there may – at last – be a solid platform to build upon.

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9 comments

All I have to say is let's all get behind the boys rest of the season !!! :D

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Mikebassett for town

Friday, March 15, 2013
Well done Steroooooooooooo you have alienated the whole of Stoke as well now.

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bristan

Friday, March 15, 2013
What 7 ft tall centre fwds long balls and hacking the opposition.Sounds thrilling.Might work next year in div 1 though!

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sistheswan

Friday, March 15, 2013
Great to see Norwich fan Mr Steroo back on here with his usual uneducated drivel. Welcome back My Steroo!

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Not Rob Steroo

Friday, March 15, 2013
Great! So only another five years before the prospect of getting anywhere near Premier League football. Well that's cheered me up.

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Mike Rotch

Friday, March 15, 2013
surly the main objective of the manager is to keep the town up doesent matter about the style of football we play the main objective is to stay in this league and rebuild next term give mick a chance loose him and we may finish up with another jewell

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pedro

Thursday, March 14, 2013
Ade Akinbiyi... oh dear now you EADT hacks have reminded Yorkshire Jewell about that terrible non-scoring forward I suspect he is already on his way here on loan. Just a few reasons why Ipswich will certainly NOT emulate Stoke in any way shape or form... 1) Stoke have an owner 2) Stoke's owner cares deeply for the club 3) Stoke are a football club in an unpleasant city not an offshore investment in an unpleasant town 3) Pulis was a high-achieving manager in the lower leagues - hungry for success not a gravy train rider grown rich on pay-offs seeking huge bonuses for grim underachievement 4) The owner and manager built a team - they did not rent wholesale

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Rob Steroo

Thursday, March 14, 2013
Are we going to do the same and kick the other teams off the park next tear then?

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BlueArgyll

Thursday, March 14, 2013
Perhaps Micks tactics are to bore the rest of the teams to death.

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jungle boy

Thursday, March 14, 2013

Could Ipswich Town be about to follow in the footsteps of Stoke City?

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