Town players celebrate scoring five against West Ham in January

SEASON REVIEW: Is your Town glass half full or half empty?

By Stuart Watson Thursday, May 3, 2012
12:18 PM

IT’S said that statistics can be manipulated to tell whatever story you like.

Season stats

– Lee Martin had the most Town assists with seven this season – the best in the league is Birmingham’s Chris Burke with 16

– Ipswich had the most shots on target in the entire league, 314, and the fifth best goals for record, scoring the same as champions Reading

– Town hit the woodwork 21 times this season, second only to Middlesbrough (26)

– The highest attendance was against Crystal Palace in October when 24,763 packed into Portman Road.

– The worst was a Monday night televised match against Coventry which saw 15,650 go through the turnstiles.

– In all, Ipswich hit the 20,000+ figure just three times

Ipswich Town were dumped out of both cups at the first hurdle, alarmingly conceded three or more goals in over a quarter of their 48 games, dropped a massive 27 points from winning positions, lost an unacceptable 10 times on home turf and were the only team to lose a staggering seven straight games in the Championship.

Alternatively, only four teams in the division managed to score more goals than Paul Jewell’s attack-minded men, the Blues did the double over more teams than they were doubled by, were unbeaten at home for eight matches at one stage, picked up an impressive 18 points from losing positions and took points off of all but two sides that finished in the top half.

There have undoubtedly been highs. Lee Bowyer’s last gasp winner at West Ham came amidst an early season six-game unbeaten run which left many convinced that Jewell’s policy of signing experienced ex-Premier League players was going to pay off.

Then there was the incredible 5-3 comeback win at Barnsley at the beginning of December. We’ll never truly know if Jewell would have lost his job had Town succumbed to an eighth straight defeat that day.

And who can forget the night when Portman Road was left rocking by a completely unforeseen 5-1 thrashing of the high-flying Hammers? That result kick-started a run which saw 23 points gained from a possible 30.

That’s the problem though. It is too easy to forget the aforementioned highlights because, as good as they were, the lows have been so harrowing from a football fan’s point of view.

There was the embarrassing early season thrashings against Southampton and Peterborough. There’s certainly nothing like conceding 12 goals in the space of five days against two newly-promoted sides to bring everyone crashing back down to earth.

The 4-0 defeat at Burnley on a cold November night was about as pathetic a team performance as you are likely to see. Jewell called it a ‘spineless, gutless, pub team display’ – and that was an understatement.

And gallingly Blues fans knew that the Keystone Cops defending which led to so many last-gasp collapses during that disastrous pre-Christmas run only had their Norwich neighbours crowing even louder as they continued to thrive in the Premier League.

The final two home games of the campaign summed up perfectly the wild inconsistencies which has had supporters pulling their hair out.

A superb all-round display against fourth-placed Birmingham was quickly followed by a limp 3-0 loss to mid-table dwellers Millwall.

Such peaks and troughs are hardly surprising really though when you consider the destabilising factors.

There has been a huge turnover of players, nine different centre-back partnerships and countless off-field misdemeanours and PR disasters.

Town fans have been left feeling like another year has been wasted with few signs of any foundations being laid for long-term progress.

Throw in a difficult economic climate and many are carefully considering whether to renew season tickets.

However, Jewell insists both he and Evans have learnt from their mistakes. And, with a number of players departing the club there is, at least, something of a clean slate to work from this summer.

Get the right signings in early, improve on some of those mental weaknesses and there are undoubtedly signs that a step in the right direction could finally be made next season.

Saying it and doing it are two very different things though.

9 comments

Season ticket sales will determine what happens during the summer at Portman Road. Must say I enjoyed watching Leiston win the league title on Monday evening. Thanks also to Simon Warr for making it a night to remember.

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Neil Gedny

Thursday, May 3, 2012
Samuel Davis, a well thought out post and many other supporters feel the same way. There are some who will say they support the club, come what may and they are entitled to their opinions and also pay for the privilege but they seem to lose sight of the points you have raised and will label you a 'moaner'

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Brian Betts

Thursday, May 3, 2012
When ME took over, the average crowd was in excess off 22000. Now we exceeded that just 3 times out of 20 games. Many feel how Samuel Davis does, that supporters are treated like numbers, and the relationship between club and supporters has broken down. Yes, there are a hardcore of maybe 1500 who go to most games, home and away, and just cheer whatever, and good luck to them. However, the missing 4200 supporters since ME took over is going to be a larger number next year, and nothing seems likely to happen to alter that.

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Kevin Bailey

Thursday, May 3, 2012
And the point of this pointless bit of writing is?

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JOHN BURLS

Thursday, May 3, 2012
I think of my glass (the glass being representative of my beloved club's woeful season) and neither half full nor half empty. Since the contents has been allowed to got flat, I shall have to fight my way to the bar and get another, some time around August 18th. Hopefully i've got enough loose change, and hopefully the Best Bitter hasn't gone off and left me to drink lager.

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Andrew Mehen

Thursday, May 3, 2012
I have had a season ticket since 1993 and have not renewed for the forthcoming 201213 season for financial reasons as well as the fact that I am just disillusioned fed up with things at Portman Rd. My decision is not solely based on last season which I thought very poor but on the general malaise that has appeared to grip Portman Rd since Marcus Evans took over. I am convinced that the special atmosphere Ipswich had has faded and that the fans do not mean anything to the club anymore. I am sure that I will be going to some games next season but for me it is time to hang up the season ticket and watch from afar. I will always be a Blue and hope that Town do well next season but fear that under Jewell we will be treading water once again.

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SAMUEL DAVIS

Thursday, May 3, 2012
My glass is half full but the beer has gone warm and flat, a bit like the club and it's showings in recent seasons.

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Pencil Pete

Thursday, May 3, 2012
I think JET and Cresswell were great purchases and Jewell should be applauded on that. I think the re-instatement of Smith into the side was overdue, but an example of what a younger player can do when given a run of games. I just hope Jewell remembers this for next season. I am hugely against Jewell being our manager, but really am willing to be moved if he has some good potential signings in place early this summer (including a GK, 1 RB, 2 x DC, 1 MC, 1 wide midfielder and 1 striker). As things stand I am definitely not going to get a season ticket next season, I know there are many others that are the same. How Jewell (and Clegg and ME for that matter) acts between now and the end of August will be key. If we are scratching around for loanees at the end of August then we will know it is more of the same and attendances will continue to plummet. I sincerely hope, if ME is going to stick by Jewell, that we have the players in and Jewell will have re-evaluated his negative actions towards our youth products. He has had a poor first 16 months, he has 3 months to show he has learnt from the mistakes he has admitted to have made.

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I am Spartacus

Thursday, May 3, 2012
What glass?

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Kevin Bailey

Thursday, May 3, 2012