‘I want a bit more ambition... Town can be great again’

Thomas Seggons, left, with former Town star Danny Haynes (Image: Archant)

The last time we saw Ipswich play was in the 1-0 loss to Coventry.

It seems like ages ago now and I’m feeling empty without football – poor form or not.

I appeared on #GAMEDAY after that defeat, asking one question as I showed off my 1999/2000 home shirt: “What does this shirt represent to you?”

I asked because – to me – this was the last time our club was truly great.

“Reuser… Premiership” we heard as we were promoted. We finished fifth in our first season back in the top division.

Then, after that shirt disappeared, so did the Blues as relegation and administration crept in.

Seventeen long years in the Championship followed, before dropping into League One – the lowest we had been in 52 years.

It has left me wondering. Will Ipswich Town ever be great again?

Will we, the fans, enjoy periods like those enjoyed under Sir Bobby Robson?

It’s certainly not impossible.

Look at Leicester, for example. They were in League One in 2009 but they ended up as Premier League Champions in 2016.

Alright, you could argue that it was a fluke, or that they had an exceptional owner, but they still managed to achieve the unthinkable.

Sheffield United spent a few years down in League One. They rebuilt, strengthened, and are now playing Premier League football, backed by a limited budget.

Similarly, we have the squad to utilise and build on.

YOUR POSTS: ‘Not many of the old ‘crash, bang, wallop’, centre forwards wanted to get too involved with him!’

We have Kane Vincent-Young, who gives us something that we haven’t had for a while in that right-back position and if we can get promoted next season, he will be one of our key players.

A fully-fit James Norwood will, equally, provide goals along with Kayden Jackson. I am certain of that.

Additionally, though, our youngsters will be key. I want to see more of Dobra, Bishop, Simpson, McGavin and El Mizouni.

They are all very talented and will help strengthen us as time progresses. I really like the look of Simpson, and I think if he gets game time over the next season he will definitely come into his own.

Unfortunately, I think Flynn Downes will go, especially if we are in League One for another year. It’s a shame, because he’s been our best and most consistent player of the season.

Optimistically, that money can get reinvested, but I won’t keep my hopes up on that one.

I do hope Luke Woolfenden will stay.

We need to build our defence around him and KVY, for the next season at least. He still looks as if he has a little to learn, but that will come with experience. I guess.

The point I’m getting across here is that we have a good youth development system at Playford Road. Without this, there’s no way that we will reach greatness once again....

...We have had glimpses of greatness in the past 20 years.

The years under Joe Royle were special in their own right (Kuqi and Darren Bent upfront, how we could do with something like that right now), and if he had the financial backing that Keane and Jewell had, we would probably have gone back up in 2005. Jim Magilton did a terrific job as manager. It is definitely a case of not knowing how good we had it until it was gone under Magic.

For all his faults, Mick McCarthy was a good manager for us, especially in his first three years.

He kept us up. He took us to the playoffs, which again, could have been more successful had he received the financial backing in January 2015.

In my opinion, it’s what happened after he left that caused our relegation.

The wrong guy - even though it seemed a great idea at the time – in Paul Hurst.

Nevertheless, the fact of the matter is, our owner needs to step up for us to reach prominence once again.

YOUR POSTS: ‘McGavin I like, Dobra excites. Dozzell keeps being told to take a chance he’s not given!’

Admittedly, he gave both Keane and Jewell money, but they spent wrongly and left the owner with little trust to financially back Mick in the transfer windows. Yes, okay, we had a big wage bill, and we brought in loans, but it meant that Mick couldn’t spend to take our club further – the aforementioned January 2015, for example.

I understand that without Evans, we would be worse-off.

However, I just want a bit more ambition when it is needed.

A little bit more cash to strengthen when needed, to give us that oomph to finish a season with promotion.

Lastly, for me Paul Lambert’s not the man.

Not in my eyes. Don’t get me wrong, he’s done fantastically with the club off the pitch.

However, if this season no longer counts, then he’s gotten off lightly if you ask me.

He’ll have his best impact players fit in August, and hopefully he can learn from his mistakes. No more rotation; a team that plays in week in, week out.

I trust Lambert to bring the right players in – he has already.

So, it is possible for Town to reach greatness again.

We have the set up to succeed, we just need our owner to do things differently.

‘Mr. Gameday’, THOMAS SEGGONS

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