Ipswich Town must get back to their core values if they are to move forward and bring the fans back to Portman Road.
That’s the opinion of former Blues defender Russell Osman, a member of the FA and UEFA Cup-winning squads under Sir Bobby Robson, who would like to see Ipswich return to playing the ‘good, attacking football’ that defined the most successful periods of the club’s history.
Attendances have slumped to near 20-year lows in recent weeks with sections of the fanbase frustrated with manager Mick McCarthy’s style of play, with the long-serving boss moving on when his contract expires at the end of the season.
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Regardless of who is appointed to replace McCarthy, Osman, who now works in the media, believes the club needs to reconnect with its past in order to move forward.
“Fans want to see some of the old values of the club instilled again down at Portman Road and some people are maybe feeling the Ipswich Town they used to know and what they’re watching today are a million miles apart,” he said.
“I think Ipswich Town Football Club has always been about playing (good) football. I know you have to play winning football these days or you lose your job as a manager but there has to be a happy compromise somewhere down the line that you are trying to retain the ethos of the club.
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“The history and name of Ipswich Town is synonymous with playing good attacking football.
“It’s just a shame we’ve lost that over the last few years.”
With McCarthy now set to move on, Osman hopes his replacement will be able to write the next chapter in the club’s history.
“It wasn’t a happy ship when Mick took over and you have to say he did well to right the ship and keep them in the Championship, but then you have to move forward,” he said.
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“You can’t keep looking behind you. The trouble is there is the history of the football club and that will never change.
“We’re waiting for a team to make the next bit of history because nothing’s happened at the club for a long time.”
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