Ipswich Town legend Frans Thijssen hopes that flying winger Tommy Oar will continue to help his beloved Blues play ‘the right way’.
Thijssen has heard all about Town’s latest recruit given that they share Australian-Dutch links.
Australian international Oar started his career at Brisbane Roar and then moved to Holland to play for Utrecht, while Dutchman Thijssen recently spent seven months coaching Brisbane Roar himself.
“A lot of people at Brisbane Roar told me what a talented young player he was there and I’m told by people here in Holland that he made a fairly good impression with Utrecht,” said Thijssen, who, alongside countryman Arnold Muhren, helped Ipswich win the UEFA Cup in 1981.
“He’s an attack-minded player that is capable of exciting the fans and I hope that he can be a really good player for Ipswich, but English football is very different to Australian and Dutch.”
When informed that Oar, whose highlights reel is full of direct-running, trickery and some spectacular goals, should add further to Town’s new brand of attacking football, the likes of Ryan Fraser and Ainsley Maitland-Niles having both impressed in the early stages of the season, Thijssen said: “That’s good to hear. The Dutch teams I grew up with always tried to play football from the back to the front and the Ipswich team I was part of played the right way too.
“I’m not a fan of the long ball game and that’s why it was bitter-sweet for me to see Holland reach the World Cup final in 2010 playing such a pragmatic way.”
He added: “I was delighted to see Ipswich in the play-offs last year and I’m really pleased to see that they have started this season well.
“It’s always a good sign when the coach stays at a club for many years like Mick McCarthy has.”
On his time in Brisbane, he said: “There was a lot of suffering. I was away from my family and there was a lot of travelling – we played Asian Champions League games in China, Japan, and Korea and spent a lot of time on the plane.
“It was a good experience, but I’m happy to be back now and taking a break.”
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