Ipswich Town's new era - suggest you keep your feet on the ground
SO the Blues are now at the embryo stage of a new era.
Since the last blog, Ipswich Town have installed Roy Keane in place of Jim Magilton as manager.
The highly capable Simon Clegg has also arrived at Portman Road to front the show – and Marcus Evans has gone up several notches in the estimations of most Town fans.
It’s been all change, and at a stroke the Blues are now the most high profile club in the Coca-Cola Championship.
One has to feel for Magilton, as one has to feel for every discarded manager.
There has never been a more passionate person at the helm as far as Ipswich Town are concerned, and the genial Irishman was desperate to do well for a club that he loves.
I said from day two that he was born to manage, and am confident he will end up taking charge of another club – and learning from his mistakes with Ipswich to become a big hit.
Magilton would have got things right, and would have taken the Blues up. But it might have been some while hence.
Evans quite rightly decided that three years was long enough particularly as the £12million he had earmarked to strengthen the playing side had not brought the planned results.
You will know that I was an advocate of keeping Magilton into next season for a number of reasons – two being that clubs that change managers willy-nilly - Newcastle and Norwich spring to mind – are the ones that struggle and that Magilton will have been better value once rid of his ‘rookie’ tag.
And he may have proved to be the better option.
But fans are in love with the club again at the moment and there is renewed interest in season tickets.
There is no dispute however that Keane’s appointment is a gamble.
It is bringing huge initial benefits with the cost of ridding the club of Magilton etc and bringing in a big name replacement – along with a number of new players no doubt – being partly overridden by the extra sales of season tickets. But will it last?
We have replaced like with like with the main difference that Keane is a proven managerial winner.
First impressions have been great, and here’s hoping he is a success – he has already received more media support in some quarters than Magilton had in three years!
Keane’s appointment has taken homely Town headlong into the 21st century with The Times signalling the ‘end of civilisation’ at the decision.
Evans has done things correctly and after weighing up his options over 16 months he is now a significant way down the road to make Town a ‘Global brand.’
But for the time being it’s best to keep your feet in the ground.