Ipswich Town - Mick Out!

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smokeytides234

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It's fair to say Ipswich Town is the go-to team every time I get the new Football Manager. Not just because it's my hometown team, the club I support. But because I love removing Mick McCarthy from the position as manager. Always hopeful right. Oh, and the possibility of a chairman takeover is exciting to. Trying to get rid of Marcus Evans is always fun as well.

I can say with a certainty that it is always challenging taking over Ipswich each year. Shoe-string transfer budget from a money stricken chairman is the usual now. Been like that for a 5 years or so. Guess if Mick can work with a small budget, so can I. Unless someone wants one of my star players, it's going to be a tough season money wise. Hopefully the new additions made by Mick in the summer can make for a more interesting save.

So, enough chit chat about me and my aim to flip the whole club upside down, lets get onto this save. And with that, comes optimism for the future, so hopefully we can have a little less of this....

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and a lot more of this...

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and yes to all your pestering Norwich fans out there, I can't be bothered to find a picture of us beating you, would take to long to search for, guess we'll have to settle for the Mad Dog's header instead.

​
UPDATE - I'm currently in October for the save, so some of the earlier pictures like league tables and transfer updates will not be here, but i'll work around it.
 
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Walking in the front door of Ipswich's training ground was breathtaking, being able to say that I am the manager of my favourite football team. It's a dream come true. Nothing could ruin this truly mesmerising moment. And then I heard a voice from down the corridor. I looked up to see Marcus smiling at me from his office. That ruined the mood. Felt kinda depressed at that moment. Still, gotta work through it I guess and get to the good stuff.

We spent about 20 minutes talking about the club and how successful it used to be back in the 'glory days' and how he wanted that atmosphere back at Portman Road again. Oh, and he didn't mention money at all in those twenty minutes. As I was leaving his office, he then said, '​Oh, by the way, you've got a transfer budget of 250k. Good luck.' Cor i just wanted to slap him right there, but I was expecting something like this, so i stayed calm.

Getting to know the squad was always gonna be tough. They had been working under McCarthy for 4 years now. Having the support of Luke Chambers straight away though was huge, and his presence at the back this season is going to be vital to any possible play off push. Getting to know each member of the squad was great, but the next part was going to be harder. Deciding who to keep and who to sell was always a challenge. We only had £250k to spend, and I needed reinforcements.

The first things I noticed when I arrived here was this. 1) man do we have an injury problem, are we just unlucky, or was their training sessions under McCarthy to much.... (Cheeky dig at McCarthy's 110% training days + shoddy physio's)

Gaining funds was the big target for pre-season, and I knew who to call on to bring in extra cash. The same player I sell every time I do an Ipswich save.....

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Off you go son, take your wooden legs down to Brighton. Okay okay that might be slightly mean, but he's the only player worth value in the squad right now that I was willing to sell. Bialkowski and Webster are staying for the long hall (hopefully) but McGoldrick... I just don't like him. Brighton came in for him, and we sold him for £5 MILLION. You having a laugh. In 2013 Leicester came in with a £8 million bid in real life, McCarthy said no. And right now he's linked with Cardiff and Birmingham for £250k. I will take £5,000,000 every day of the week.

That sale meant I could finally look at bringing in some players to the club, and that is exactly what I did.

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5 new signings were brought in throughout the transfer window. All to add strength in depth to this very slim side. Josh Morris was signed from Scunthorpe for £1,100,000. I don't know if this is programmed into the game or something, but every save that I start on this game, it has Ipswich linked with Josh Morris. I mean is that a sign or something. Might see if I can get McCarthy to play this game, then he'll see who we should sign. Great winger, great wing back.

Mauro and Merkel were brought in for reasonably cheap. £37,000 for Mauro. Strong defensive midfielder. Will challenge Skuse for a spot. Merkel was brought in for £275,000 from Bochum. Another midfield cover player whilst Huws, Adeyemi, Bishop and Dozzell are injured. Mousset, Williams and Crawford all come in on loan from Bournemouth, Man Utd and Aberdeen respectively. All 3 will be challenging for first team football. Especially Williams as we started the save with both Smith and Webster injured, leaving just Luke Chambers at the back.

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On the outs, no one of real note except McGoldrick. All loan deals. Nydam and Downes sent out on loan for first team football, same with Bru and Rowe. Rest are youngsters who could feature in a few years.​
 
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The one problem I always have when playing Football Manager, is trying to find the right tactic to use. You have no idea how many times I have tinkered and changed tactics around trying to find that one perfect solution. Spain's false nine formation from 2008-2012. Breathtaking. Pep Guardiola's 4-3-3 at City. Sublime. Sean Dyche's 4-4-2 at Burnley. Simple, yet effective. Throughout pre-season I experimented with a bunch of different tactics. But I finally decided one two that fit. One for home. One for away.

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Some people call it 4-5-1. 4-1-3-2. 4-1-2-2-1. Who cares. It has 11 players. That's all that matters. Having that CDM sitting in front of the back 4 is vital for this formation. Skuse and Mauro will fight for that spot. 2 midfielders in front. Grant Ward and Crawford will fight for the Mezzela role. Both central midfielders who can play as a winger, they'll drift wide inevitably. Advanced playmaker is a shoot out between about 6 midfielders, no idea who'll play there. Celina and Waghorn are first choice for wingers, no doubt. Up front, Mousset and Garner will fight for the Poacher role, both very strong strikers.

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2 years ago, you would never have seen Mick McCarthy venture out of a 4-4-2 formation. But, I give him credit, he has tinkered around lately. He's used this formation a bunch as well recently, so I thought I'd give it a try. This formation will be perfect for when Webster and Smith are back from fitness, but Spence and Williams can slot in for now. Iorfa is a great wing back on this game, nothing like the donkey in real life. Garner, Mousset and Waghorn will fight for attackers, with Crawford probably sat behind.

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Friendly wise, we did much better than expected. 4 wins and 1 lose. The games weren't that challenging to be fair, but you know how Ipswich are with friendlies. Usually play poorly. So I'm very happy with how we played.

Oh, and a little side note. I thought I'd check out the state of the club and the facilities. Just to get a general overview of the club this season. First thing that I saw. Like a big cloud of disappointment over my head.

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*******.​
 
August

Start of the season comes around quickly, and I do have to admit that we don't have a tough start to the season, but it's not an easy month either. Ending the month with a game against Fulham is going to be tough. Seeing them at Portman Road this season was brilliant, the way they spread the ball between their midfield and attackers, is the way every fan wants their team to play. First game up against Birmingham at home, going with the 4-5-1 tactic. Hopefully we can start the same as real life, and pick up a victory here.

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Bialkowski, Iorfa, Chambers, Spence, Knudsen, Mauro, Downes, Ward, Celina, Waghorn 1, Mousset 4

Wow, okay. that was unexpected. 5-1 home victory. New signing Mousset comes up with 4 goals on his debut, alongside 4 assists for Celina. If this was real life, the excitement would be back at Portman Road straight away. Even more surprising, over 20,000 home fans. Where has that come from? Haven't seen that in a longgggg time. Except Norwich maybe.

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Gerken, Connolly, Spence, Knudsen, Kenlock, Skuse, Bru, Hyam 1, Sears, Morris, Garner

Slightly poor victory but who cares. Through to the Carabao Cup 2nd round. Hyam with the only goal against Colchester. Dominated, just couldn't find more.

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Bialkowski, Iorfa, Chambers, Williams, Knudsen, Mauro, Downes, Ward, Celina, Waghorn, Mousset

Pretty boring 0-0 away at Barnsley. 16 shots, with only 1 on target was not good enough however. But a point away from home us always good.

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Bialkowski, Chambers, Spence, Knudsen, Iorfa, Morris 1, Skuse, Ward, Crawford, Waghorn, Mousset 1

Really good 2-0 away win at Millwall, first game with the 3-5-2 formation. Morris getting is first goal for the team from left-wing back was nice as well.

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Bialkowski, Iorfa, Chambers, Williams, Knudsen, Mauro, Ward, Crawford, Celina, Waghorn, Mousset

Another strong performance from the boys, 2-0 at home to Brentford. Both goals came from substitutes Joe Garner and Flynn Downes, both getting their first goals for the club. So far, we have 6 goalscorers, and 5 of them have notched their first goal for the club.

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Gerken, Connolly, Spence, Knudsen, Kenlock, Skuse, Bru, Hyam, Sears 1, Morris, Garner 1

3 2-0 games in a row, wholesale changes again for the cup game, but comfortably through to the third round. But, even better. WE WON 2 CUP GAMES IN A ROW. Get the champagne out, have a party, were going crazy tonight.....

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Bialkowski, Iorfa, Chambers, Williams, Knudsen, Mauro, Ward, Crawford 1, Celina, Waghorn, Mousset 1

Okay is this a thing now. We are only allowed 2-0 victories in this game. Still can't believe we went the whole month unbeaten with only 1 draw as well. Mousset finishes the month with 6 goals.

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Table wise, because I'm in October, I don't have the table from the first month. But what i can say however, is that we finished the month in second place, who was in first.....

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Bastards.

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September

Going into September we were second in the league only behind bitter rivals Norwich City. Still unbeaten in the league alongside our city rivals, we faced a very tough month with away trips to QPR, Derby and Leeds.

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​Bialkowski, Chambers, Spence, Williams, Iorfa, Knudsen, Ward 1, Merkel, Crawford, Mousset 1, Garner

Okay this is some spooky stuff now, 5 2-0 games in a row, I mean that must be some kind of record. Ward gets his first goal of the season for us away at Loftus Road, and still very proud of the team

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Bialkowski, Chambers, Spence, Williams, Iorfa, Knudsen, Ward, Hyam, Crawford, Mousset, Garner

First non 2-0 game in 6 games as we stretch our unbeaten run even further with a 0-0 draw away at Derby. Very impressive draw away at Pride Park

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Bialkowski, Iorfa, Chambers, Williams 1, Knudsen, Mauro, Ward, Crawford 1, Celina, Waghorn 1, Mousset 2

Back to winning ways in sublime fashion with a 6-2 victory over struggling Bolton. 6 goals shared between 5 players with Hyam also striking from the bench. 2 late goals conceded is annoying though as it ended our run of 8 clean sheets in a row

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Bialkowski, Iorfa, Chambers, Williams, Knudsen, Mauro, Ward, Crawford, Celina, Waghorn, Mousset

Tough loss to take at home to West From in the cup 3rd round. Took them all the way to extra time with a superb late goal from Merkel putting us at 2-2. Shame we couldn't take our chance. Guess the focus is back on the league now

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Bialkowski, Chambers, Spence, Williams, Iorfa, Knudsen, Skuse, Merkel, Crawford 2, Mousset, Waghorn 1

Oh wow, that was crazy. What a victory for the boys away at Elland Road, I did not see us getting a 3-0 victory there. 2 goals for Crawford sandwiched between a Waghorn pen.

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Bialkowski, Iorfa, Chambers, Williams, Kenlock, Mauro, Hyam, Ward, Celina 1, Waghorn 1, Mousset

Coming from behind at home to Sunderland showed great character from the boys. Sunderland are doing very well this year compared to real life, and they were dominant in the first half.

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Bialkowski, Iorfa, Chambers, Williams, Knudsen, Mauro, Ward, Crawford, Celina, Waghorn, Mousset

Disappointed with this 0-0 draw, but it does keep our unbeaten league run going into October. Not many clear cut chances from either side with only one highlight in the game

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Only one loss so far this season at home to West From, but overall, very very happy with this side considering how much star power every over team has.

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League wise, very happy with our position right now. Top of the table ahead of Wolves, only on goal difference however. Gap to 3rd place Norwich is 7 points which is very good at this stage of the season. Hopefully we can keep this form up and this run going....

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Better not let it slip now lads.




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October

We begin October with a tough trip to Brammal Lane to face Sheffield United, and then we have the first East Anglian Derby of the season vs Norwich. We haven't beaten them in 9 games, with our last victory in 2009 with a 3-2 win at Portman Road, so we need to show them who the boss of East Anglia is.

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Bialkowski, Chambers, Spence, Williams, Iorfa, Knudsen 1, Ward, Merkel, Crawford 1, Mousset 2, Garner 1

Great start to the month with a dominant 5-2 victory away at Sheffield United. Knudsen gets his first goal of the season ahead of the East Anglian Derby, and we all know he loves that game.

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I would be lying if I said I wasn't nervous. I've been to a lot of East Anglian Derby matches at Portman Road, and have left with the bitter feeling of disappointment. We just can't beat them. I don't know what it is, but I guess it's the fear factor. But this one is different. We are top of the league, unbeaten. 7 points clear of 3rd place Norwich. It's far to say this is the biggest game between the two sides in recent history, bar the Play Off Semi 3 years ago.

I turned up at the stadium feeling both excited and scared at the same time. This is our best chance in years. I know we can do it, it's all about the players stepping up for the fans. The time approaches 2pm, and the boys have all arrived and are sat in the changing room. Every one wants to play. Everyone wants to take part, but they know that at least 4 of them will not make the field. Injury wise we are slightly fortunate, with only Emyr Huws out injured for a long time, but it is too early for academy boy Tommy Smith, as he has only just got back from his injury. The presence of Adam Webster in the dressing room is huge though. The boys are waiting, and I deliver the team news...

You all want to find out the the line up. You all want to take part. This is definitely the toughest decision I have had to make as a manager so far. Alright so, Barts between the sticks. You know what to do big man. Along the back four will be Dominic, Chambo, Williams and Jonas. You guys have played together a lot this season, this game should be no different to the others. Hard tackles, take no prisoners. We're going 4-5-1 again boys, so sat in front of the back 4 will be Skusey. Marshall that midfield Cole, don't be bossed around in the middle by Maddison. In front of him will be Grant and Crawford. Link the play. Get forward. Get back. You are the playmakers. On the wings will be Santi and Waggy. You guys are out-an-out wingers, get wide, get those balls in, but come inside if you need to strike the ball. Up front will be Moussat. You and Garner have been splitting this position through the season. If you don't step it up, I have no problem putting Garns in.

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The boys go back out for a final pre match warm up, clapping the fans and soaking up the applause. I am sat on the bench biting my nails, looking around the packed out Portman Road for my parents. Seeing them in the stands gives me that extra bit of firepower I need. The boys take there position on the pitch. Norwich are out as well, lining up in a 4-2-3-1 formation with danger man Nelson Oliveira up front. Him and Chambers are guaranteed to lock horns. I shake hands with Daniel Farke, we take our place on the touchline, and we wait for the whistle to blow.
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0: Ipswich take the kick off here in front of 30,311 fans at Portman Road
5: Norwich are forced into an early changed here with Tom Trybull coming of with a suspected head injury, with Alex Tettey taking his place. Ipswich 0-0 Norwich
19: Norwich have a corner of the far side of the pitch to be taken by Vrancic, he swings it in, headed on by Maddison into the feet of Watkins. He lays it off to Nsue and he slots it home to make it Ipswich 0-1 Norwich
45: Half time here at Portman Road. Ipswich Town 0-1 Norwich City
45: Norwich start the second half
49: Ipswich have a free kick right on the edge of the box. Bersant Celina to take. He crosses the ball into the box, knocked down by Mousset. And it's a penalty! Simon Hooper has given a penalty for a foul on Mousset in the box by Marley Watkins. It's Martyn Waghorn to take..... and he's missed it! Gunn dives to his left and pushes the ball away. Still Ipswich 0-1 Norwich
68: Ipswich make two changes. Webster on for Skuse and Garner on for Celina. They change from 4-5-1 to 3-5-2
77: Ipswich with the corner now. Grant Ward swings it in... Garner heads it out to Mousset on the edge. He drinks past one defender, plays a one-two with Waghorn on the edge. He's through on goal.... GOAL! Mousset slots it past Gunn into the back of the net. Ipswich 1-1 Norwich
80: Ipswich have a free-kick on the left touchline. It's Crawford to swing it in... it's another penalty! Hooper has awarded another penalty to Ipswich Town, this time on Waghorn, after Oliveira completely wipes him out in the box. It's Garner to step up this time......GOALLLL! Joe Garner slots it past Gunn into the back of the net to make it 2-1. The comeback is complete. Are Ipswich on the verge of their first win against Norwich in 8 years? Ipswich 2-1 Norwich
81: Subs for Ipswich as they bring on Hyam for Ward. Norwich also bring on Adelaide and Naismith for Weimann and Oliveira. Is that shove by Oliveira gonna hand the victory to Ipswich Town
88: Watkins has the ball for Norwich now, he slides it through to Maddison, his strike is saved by Bialkowski but the rebound falls to Nsue....GOAL! Nsue has he second goal. Ipswich 2-2 Norwich
90: Full Time. 2-2

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Devastated. Undeserved. Heartbroken. 3 words to describe the feeling I had at full time. We didn't deserve to draw that game. I don't think I have ever been so disheartened in my life. That missed penalty was vital. Waggy is gonna get the hairdryer treatment in the dressing room. All in all we deserved the win, guess we'll have to wait until February for our revenge.

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Bialkowski, Chambers, Spence, Williams, Iorfa, Knudsen, Ward, Merkel, Crawford, Mousset 1, Garner 2

That's how you bounce back from a disappointing derby game. 3-0 victory away at Burton with Joey Garner striking twice. Wolves also drew away at QPR so we pull slightly away from them.

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Bialkowski, Chambers, Spence, Williams, Iorfa 1, Knudsen, Merkel, Ward, Crawford, Mousset, Garner 1,

Real shame this one. Took a two goal lead in the first half with Iorfa getting his first goal for the club. Was hoping we could keep the lead but they scored twice in the second half to make it 2-2.

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Still unbeaten in the league, but this month only got us 2 wins. That draw against Norwich was heartbreaking being so close to a victory, but I am very happy with our form this season.

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We are still top of the league with 35 points from 15 games. Wolves sit just behind us on 33 but have drawn their last 2 games. QPR have jumped up into 3rd position above Norwich on 27 points. Derby and Hull round off the top six. Burton are this seasons whipping boys as they sit bottom of the league on 7 points, but are surprisingly joined by Aston Villa who are also on 7.

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As I have finally caught up with myself in game I can start to name my players of the month. Garner finished the month with 5 goals in 4 games, including a penalty in the derby. Mousset has being performing brilliantly all season with 13 goals in 15 games so far. And at the back, the cover centre half Jordan Spence has cemented his place in a back 3 in the away games, and has been instrumental in our numerous clean sheets this season.
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Great start so far, and good signings, would a return to the prem come too quickly though?
 
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November

We begin November having picked up 2 wins from 4 games in October, looking to get back to the form of the previous months, but it did not go as I had planned for most of the month.

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Bialkowski, Iorfa, Chambers, Webster, Knudsen, Mauro, Adeyemi, Hyam, Sears, Waghorn, Garner

Not happy with this result as Preston were quite far down the table. 2-2 draw at home is not what I wanted, and it also means we have won only 1 of our last 4 games. Coming from behind so late on to ****** a draw was poor as well, should have performed better.

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Bialkowski, Chambers, Williams, Smith, Iorfa, Knudsen, Ward, Merkel, Crawford, Garner, Mousset

We pick suffer our first league defeat of the season away at play off contenders Hull. I'd say we deserved to lose but in all honestly we didn't. They only had 3 shots on target and scored them all.

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Bialkowski, Iorfa, Williams, Smith, Knudsen, Mauro, Ward, Crawford, Celina, Morris, Mousset 1

Another poor home performance leads to a 1-1 draw against Sheffield Wednesday. Thats 1 win now in 6 games. Very poor from a top of the table side.

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In the middle of the worst run of the season, not picking up a victory in 4 games. I feared for my job. Even though I was top of the table. The toughness of the Championship can lead to anyone getting sacked at this point. No win in 4. 1 win in 6 games. So what does Marcus Evans do?

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Classic Marcus. Soon as we stop winning, he sees something that he likes and offers me a new contract. So when we went 15 games unbeaten, he didn't care. But as soon as I start underperforming, here's a new contract. Must be how he does stuff in real life to.

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Finally a victory, and a great one at that. Going down 1-0 early made me think we were gonna struggle once more, but 4 second half goals gave us a 4-1 win. Villa had been preforming well this month, glad we stopped their run.

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All in all a poor month, but ended on a high with a good victory over Aston Villa. Hopefully we can step it up more in December.

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Table wise, somehow we are still top of the league. Wolves had slipped up slightly but are back level with us on 40 points. Norwich have climbed one place to 3rd and are only 5 points behind us now. Cardiff and Hull are close behind them on 33, with derby closing out the Top 6. At the bottom, Burton have only picked up 1 point in November, and are now joined by Bolton with Villa pushing up slightly to 22nd.

Player of the month wise, its really only Mousset who has impressed me in November with that hat-trick vs Aston Villa.​
 
dporter8999 said:
Great start so far, and good signings, would a return to the prem come too quickly though?
Click to expand...

Thanks for reading mate. I know exactly what you mean. I'm kinda hoping for a bad run of form. This side is not Premiership quality except maybe Bialkowski.
 
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December

We start December coming in off the back of a relatively poor month bar the last game away at Aston Villa. Wolves are right on our tail right now, so we need to pick up some points quickly

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Bialkowski, Iorfa, Williams, Smith, Knudsen, Mauro, Merkel, Ward, Mousset, Celina, Garner 1

We need to start picking up more points at home. We haven't won at the fortress since the 26th of September at home to Sunderland. We need to change something to get these wins.

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​

TL: Hey Matt, TC told me you wanted to speak to me about something?


​- Matt Byard is our head physio at the club -
​

MB: Yeah hi Mr Lane, I just thought I'd update you on our injury problems so far. The good news is that Webbo, Huws and Smith have all now returned from long term injury.

TL: That's great, to have them back in the dressing room is going to be huge.

MB: Only problem is we now have someone out injured for a while. Mousset has pulled his knee ligaments I'm afraid, he'll be on the shelf for 2-3 weeks.


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****. He has been our best striker this season. Gonna be a huge miss for the next few games.

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Bialkowski, Chambers, Williams, Smith, Iorfa, Knudsen, Ward, Merkel, Crawford, Celina, Waghorn 2

What a brilliant victory away at the Riverside, 2 goals for Waghorn and 1 for Garner. Completely dominated the game, was fully surprised however.

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TL: Matt I haven't heard from you all season but I've now seen you twice in a week? What is the problem now?

MB: It's Merkel I'm afraid, he's pulled his groin. It's gonna be at least 3-4 weeks.



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We've gone the whole season without any form of serious injury, but we've got two in the last week. At least we got Huws, Webster and Smith back at least.

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Bialkowski, Iorfa, Chambers, Smith, Knudsen, Mauro, Ward, Huws, Celina, Waghorn, Garner

Another draw at home. This is becoming quite annoying. Boring 0-0 as well with no highlights. Think I might need to change up the tactic at this point, just not working anymore.

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Bialkowski, Chambers, Williams, Smith, Connolly, Knudsen, Huws, Ward, Crawford 1, Waghorn, Mousset 1,

Top of the table clash gone wrong. Shame we lost this match 3-2. We gave a right good go of it as well coming back from 2-0 down to draw level. Mousset being back is a big plus as well.

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Bialkowski, Webster, Williams, Smith, Iorfa, Knudsen, Huws, Ward, Crawford, Waghorn 1, Mousset 1,

Finally a home victory! God its been so long. Decided to try the 3-5-2 tactic at home this time and it worked wonders for us. Goals from Waghorn and Mousset secured us the victory.

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Bialkowski, Chambers, Webster, Smith, Iorfa, Knudsen, Skuse, Huws, Crawford 1, Waghorn 2, Mousset

2 home wins in a row. Brilliant victory at home to a strong Derby county side. 2 goals from Waghorn and 1 from Crawford gets us the victory to end of a brilliant 2017.
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TL: Okay is this a thing now? Matt when you said you wanted to give me a Christmas Present I didn't think you meant ANOTHER injury.

MB: Sorry boss, and I'm afraid it's a return of a previous injured player. Webster has a concussion, he'll be out for 3 weeks.


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Half and Half kind of month which ended in brilliant fashion with two victories against two top 6 teams. Hopefully January can follow on the good end of year form.

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Still top of the league but once again only on goal difference. We slipped up to 2nd in the table Wolves, but I guess they must have lost somewhere down the line. Norwich take 3rd place once again with Derby one point ahead. Preston have jumped up into 5th place ahead of Hull City. Once again Burton, Bolton and Aston Villa round off the bottom three.

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Waghorn, Crawford and Iorfa were the best performing players this month. Waghorn stepped up when Mousset got injured and notched a few goals for us. Crawford also chipped in with a few goals from CAM. Iorfa got his first goal recently and was bombing it down the right wing​
 
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January

We enter January of the back of two straight home victories against QPR and Derby. Hopefully January can start in the same vain. We've also been draw away at Wolves in the FA Cup, so that will be a tough fixture for us.

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1st January 2018​

On the first of January, we announced the arrival of two new signings. The first was 21 year old Aaron Drinan who is scheduled to arrive at the club automatically under McCarthy. He was brought in for 67k. Not good enough yet for the first team, probably try and send him out on loan. The second player is 21 year old Slovenian forward Tilen Nagode, who I signed in October for 375k. He is as good as Mousset, with the potential to be really good for us.

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1st January 2018​

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Bialkowski, Chambers, Williams, Spence, Connoly, Knudsen, Huws, Ward, Waghorn, Mousset 1, Garner 1

Great victory away at a strong Fulham side. They had two sendings off in the second, one for a bad challenge, and then a second red for protesting our second goal. Mental game. Good 2-0 win

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6th January 2018

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Bialkowski, Chambers, Williams, Smith, Connolly, Knudsen, Huws, Ward, Crawford 2, Nagode, Mousset 1

Very good result here by the boys against second in the table Wolves. Through to the FA Cup 4th round for the first time in 8 years. Long time coming I'd say.

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FA Cup 4th Round Draw - Ipswich vs Man Utd
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Ipswich sign Seidel on pre-contract

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I've been looking around at different players to bring in on pre-contracts for the summer, as we currently only have a transfer budget of 90k to play with. 17 year old Jan-Matti Seidel's contract was running out in June, and he was recommended to me by my head of youth development. He's not the greatest player right now but does have the potential to nail down a first team spot in a few years.

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13th January 2018

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Bialkowski, Chambers, Williams 1, Smith, Iorfa, Knudsen, Merkel, Ward, Crawford, Nagode 1, Mousset

Very good win at home to a strong Leeds United side. Nagode picks up his first goal of the season as well. Loving this 3-5-2 tactic right now, gives both Iorfa and Knudsen so much freedom down the wings.

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20th January 2018

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View attachment 70019

Bialkowski, Spence, Webster, Smith, Connolly, Knudsen, Skuse, Ward 1, Crawford, Waghorn, Nagode 2

Very good victory for a much changed Ipswich side. Rested Chambers, Williams, Iorfa, Huws and Mousset for the midweek game against Wolves, so I'm glad we were able to pull a 3-2 win out of the bag.

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COYB

Absolutely smashing it mate! Loving it so far, amazed we actually made it through the FA Cup 3rd Round?!
 
TractorBoy2000 said:
Absolutely smashing it mate! Loving it so far, amazed we actually made it through the FA Cup 3rd Round?!
Click to expand...

Thanks man. I was just as shocked as you are. Guess thats what can happen if you play a full strength side in the Cup. Man Utd in the next round will be tough tho, would have loved that in real life however.
 
Feedback is always welcome. Helps me to improve my style of storytelling. You may have also noticed that each monthly has changed slightly as I'm trying to improve as I go along.
 
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View attachment 69904
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TL: Matt, I knew injuries were going to be a problem for us, but I didn't expect one like every week. Who is it this time?

MB: It's Waggy again boss. He's done his knee in again, so he'll be out for a bit. Luckily it's only 3 weeks though, could have been worse.

TL: Yeah I guess you're right Matt, good decision bringing Nagode in now


View attachment 69903

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23rd January 2018

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View attachment 69902

Bialkowski, Williams, Chambers, Smith, Connolly, Knudsen, Mauro, Huws, Merkel, Mousset, Garner

Changed the team around to prepare for the United game at the weekend. It proved costly as we were decimated by a very poor Wolves side. 3 goals on the counter took it away from us, despite having 24 shots, we just couldn't score.

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View attachment 69904
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TL: Matt. Seriously. When I said we get injuries every week, I didn't expect you to be in here during the week as well. Who is it this time?

MB: It's Callum Connolly this time mate, he's twisted his ankle. That'll be a month on the sidelines.

TL: Great. More problems to deal with. Thanks Matt


View attachment 69901

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27th January 2018

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View attachment 69900

Bialkowski, Chambers, Webster, Smith, Iorfa, Kenlock, Huws, Ward, Crawford, Nagode, Mousset

Very proud of the boys tonight. Taking Man Utd back to Old Trafford for a replay. We matched them shot for shot throughout the goal, but wasn't many clear cut chances to speak off

View attachment 69899

Very strong month apart from that home loss to Wolves. 4 straight victories before however put us even further ahead of 3rd place. Replay with United to come in February, hopefully we can pull something out of the bag

View attachment 69898

The loss to Wolves hurt us as we drop 3 points behind them after they beat us 3-0. But, the gap to third has now increased to 11 points ahead of Preston. The gap between 3rd and 7th is only two points, with Hull, Norwich and QPR rounding off the top 6. At the bottom, it is still Burton, Bolton and Aston Villa who are in the relegation zone, but Bristol City and Nottingham Forest are not too far ahead.

View attachment 69897View attachment 69896

Player of the Month wise, new signing Nagode made an instant impact this month, collecting 3 goals and a few assists. Williams has been a rock at centre half, with a strong display in the FA Cup match away at Wolves

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FA Cup 5th Round

Fulham vs Ipswich/Man Utd

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3rd February 2018

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View attachment 69892

Bialkowski, Webster, Williams, Smith, Iorfa, Spence, Huws, Ward, Crawford, Mousset 1, Nagode

Brilliant away victory at The Stadium of Light. Completely dominated them, not allowing a single shot on target. Hat-trick for substitute Joey Garner the highlight of the match, strong 4-0 win
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7th February 2018

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View attachment 69891


Bialkowski, Chambers, Webster, Smith, Iorfa, Knudsen, Ward, Huws, Crawford, Mousset 1, Garner

​Tough game away at Old Trafford, and despite taking the lead we were hit on the break four times. Despite the calibre of opponent, I was very disappointed in my first team getting done by Utd's second side.

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10th February 2018

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View attachment 69885

Bialkowski, Williams, Chambers, Webster, Iorfa, Knudsen, Adeyemi, Hyam, Merkel, Mousset 1, Nagode 2

Strong home victory against bottom of the league Burton. Going 2-1 down was not acceptable, thrown it on attacking and we got 3 second half goals.

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17th February 2018​
View attachment 69869

I don't like this place. Not because it's Norwich. Not because I'm an Ipswich fan. But because of how tight it is there. The crowd is so close to the pitch, it creates a real enclosed vibe to any game. But an East Anglian Derby, it's brutal. We come here sitting second in the table behind only Wolves, with Norwich themselves occupying a place in the play offs.

The record books show for good reading as an Ipswich fan, but not in recent years. We haven't won at Carrow Road since 2006, a good 2-1 win on the road. We deserve a victory after the game earlier in the season, when Norwich equalised late on for a 2-2 draw. We dominated that game. So we need to dominate this one as well.

Turning up to the stadium as a fan, you're full of excitement at the prospect of an away win. Turning up as a manager, nightmare. Nerves flying all over the place, sweat dripping down my forehead. We've been fortunate with injuries in the last few weeks where it is only Callum Connolly who is unfit for todays game, so everyone is fighting for that starting position. We cram ourselves into the away dressing room, and I deliver the team news.....​

​You don't need me to tell you what to do today. You all know what needs to be done. Last time out we should have picked up the three points. I don't want you boys playing for 88 minutes and then giving up right at the end. We deserve a win today. The fans deserve a win today. We've been waiting 10 long years for 3 points at Carrow Road, and I expect that run to end today. Team wise, Bart you'll be in goal. You've been great all season, but don't be palming the goal out to there winger in the 90th like last time. Across the back three, Chambo, Webbo and Smith. You know want to do. Luke you've played in a couple of these, I want to see that passion. On the right will be Dom. I want you up and down that line today man, back and forth, attack and defend. Jonas you'll be on the other side. Same from you as well, up and down. In the middle of the park will be Wardy and Emyr. Control the midfield. Keep the ball. Keep it moving. Short, sharp passes. Be the toughest to break down. In front of them will be Ali. You're our playmaker today son, show me what you can do. You've got 10 goals to your name so far, lets see you add more. Up top will be Mousset and Tilan. You two have got 30 goals between you. I know you can hit the back of the net, show me why you are the two toughest SOB's in this league....

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View attachment 69866

Walking out along the touchline past the Norwich fans is a daunting task it's fair to say. Chorus of boos and chants aimed my way is unsettling, but something I expected. What else would a derby manager get from the fans, especially when that rival manager is sitting 14 points clear of Norwich. The boys line themselves up in the 3-5-2 on the pitch, as Norwich also take their place in a 4-2-3-1 formation with Nelson Oliveira leading the line with his 13 goals for the season. I shake hands with Daniel Farke, we take our place in the dugout, and wait for the whistle to blow...

0: Norwich take the kick off here in front of 27,000 fans at Carrow Road
8: Huws advances into the box, he slips the ball into Nagode....great block from Nsue as the ball goes out for a corner
16: Oliveira is running through, great challenge by Huws there. He smashes it up field to Nagode, he cuts inside, slips in Crawford, across to Mousset......GOAL! Mousset curls it past Gunn in net. Norwich 0-1 Ipswich.
18: Crawford picks the ball up, he pings it wide to Iorfa, he advances past his full back. He looks up and winks the ball into the box....GOAL! Nagode is there to head over Gunn into the goal. 2 goals in 2 minutes. Unbelievable. Norwich 0-2 Ipswich
​25: Ward has the ball on the edge, knocked through to Crawford, pass to Iorfa....SAVED! Great save from Gunn in net
45: Half Time - Norwich 0-2 Ipswich
45: Ipswich kick off for the second half
66: Pritchard has the ball in the middle, switches to Nsue. First time cross to the back post, Murphy heads it down....GOAL! Pritchard is there to slot him to make it Norwich 1-2 Ipswich
79: Celina picks it up in the middle, slips through Mousset on the right. He crosses it to the back post.....GOAL! Nagode is there for his second of the game, its Norwich 1-3 Ipswich
90: And there it is, the full time whistle blows. Norwich 1-3 Ipswich

View attachment 69871

Beautiful. Ecstatic. Wonderful. Three words to describe this game. Much better than the three words to describe the home game early in the season. We have won at Norwich for the first time since 2006. Is it a good omen for real life, here's hoping. This takes us 17 points clear of Norwich. Incredible

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20th February 2018

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View attachment 69746

Bialkowski, Williams, Webster, Smith, Iorfa, Kenlock, Skuse, Adeyemi, Crawford, Mousset, Nagode 1

Despite the result only being 2-1, this for me was our best performance of the season bar the Norwich away game. Going a man down in the 10th minute was hard enough, and then losing Mousset to an injury just before half time made our task tougher. But the boys came through with a late stunner from Merkel giving us the win.

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24th February 2018

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View attachment 69745

​Bialkowski, Williams, Chambers, Webster, Iorfa, Knudsen, Ward, Huws 1, Crawford, Garner, Nagode

​Meh. You win some, you lose some. Outclassed today. Thats all, onto the next one. Oh and that add insult to injury (literally) Iorfa is now out for 4 weeks with a groin strain

View attachment 69744

Very good month from the boys despite those two 4-1's, but the game against Man Utd doesn't bother me really. Those 4 wins in the league stretches the gap from the teams below us and Wolves.

View attachment 69743

As you can see, us and Wolves are storming the league, with them being top by 4 points now after our loss to Preston. QPR sit third on 60 points, 12 points behind us as we go into March. Derby, Preston and Hull round off the top 6 as Norwich slip out the play offs. At the other end of the table, there is no change for the bottom two as Burton and Bolton look down and out already, but a late run of form from Aston Villa has sent Bristol City into the relegation zone

View attachment 69742View attachment 69741

Player of the Month, it goes to Joey Garner and Tilen Nagode this month. Garner picked up a superb hat-trick against Sunderland to start of the month in Waghorn and Mousset's absence. Nagode has followed on from his January form with 5 goals this month​
 
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