Saturday& Sunday 24th & 25th September

[jacobncfc]

You mean playing Ben Turner in a high line isn't the answer?

That one was Neal Ardley to be fair.

 

[valefan16]

Are people still testing for that? Wow! Why did 4 of you stay at home if only one of you was ill? Strange times we live in!

Anyway, I'm glad Plymouth are doing well. They're a club that we should aspire to. Incrementally increased their fan base gradually, stadium looking very good, brought in some quality players bit by bit in order to compete at the top end. It's where I want us to be in 4 or 5 years time.

Its a good point LV and one we should take into account from losing to Peterborough.

We are only at the start of the "journey" we've just got promoted and whilst we all know the club's aims and visions its been made clear it wont be overnight. Peterborough for example had a £1 million striker and Marriott on the bench, they've been rattling around the top of L1/bottom of the Championship for 10-15 seasons now and are fully established.

We've started to increase the fan base (by 1500-2000) obviously invested £1.5 Million on VP and the training centre and built the coaching staff which has paid dividends. (Add in the RW suite).

So its a case of building season on season, hopefully now Smurf is paid off and bigger income streams more investment in the squad can occur and in 4 or 5 years we will be in a position like those clubs such as Peterborough/Plymouth to challenge. That's the aim certainly so once the frustration of Saturday is cooled we can look at the bigger picture and where we currently are in comparison to clubs more established.

The days of us struggling in the arse end of League Two at least look long past us, we could easily with the odd event going slightly different (Ben Whitefield's winner against Chesterfield) have ended up like Chesterfield or Notts County who are similar clubs that fell the wrong side of fate in that dark spell for us.

 

[masi51]

Wes Burns is the best wing back belonging to his own club in League One.

Connor Bradley is just the fit bird flirting with you in the club for free drinks, you'll perhaps get your fingers wet and a quick kiss but you ain't getting in her knickers.

Maybe that is correct, but that is not what he said. And yes i agree not a cat in hell chance of keeping him
Had some cracking wingbacks at our club down the years and i would rate Bradley above Antonee Robinson and Marcos Alonso at there age and slightly behind Ricardo Gardner though Gardner never came to us until he was 20 and had played in the World cup

 

[masi51]

No we won’t what?

We are batting above our weight. What is your point here in response to what I said?

You have had a great start and you have one of the best managers in the league but your squad is not deep and sooner or later you will have a awful patch and drop slightly down the league.
Simply put you cannot go a full season in the form you are in now.

 

[SVH]

You have had a great start and you have one of the best managers in the league but your squad is not deep and sooner or later you will have a awful patch and drop slightly down the league.
Simply put you cannot go a full season in the form you are in now.

You have every right to your opinion, just next time post it properly so we know what you're on about.

 

[Boletus Edulis]

What a high octane game of league 1 football. Fantastic result for us. You could see Ipswich are a quality outfit and eventually I think will probably finish higher than us but we need to ride this wave while we can.

First half we were good in periods but didn't put the full package together, missing a few good opportunities. Ladapo of course then got his goal somewhat fortuitously and Ipswich took control. Occasionally when you're in this league you see sides come to your home ground and you think 'yeah these lot are Championship material'. Midway through the first half I did have that thought as the Ipswich midfield appeared to dominate ours, they looked well organised and when you look at the names they have it wasn't too surprising. The last time I had that thought was Barnsley when they went up and dismissed us 3-0 at home, the time before that it was when Wigan beat us at home (the season they went up with Blackburn).

The start of the second half continued in much the same fashion but once again Schuey changed the game with his subs and change of formation, the atmosphere rose and we turned the game on its head with another of our 20 minutes spells where teams just can't seem to cope with our pace and movement.

Incredible save from Cooper at the end from Walton's header, and midway through the second half we had a great block from I think Lonwijk to stop what looked a certain goal.

End to end stuff, tackles flying in, cracking atmosphere - great game where a draw might have been a fair result but on the balance of good chances I thought if there had to be a winner then we were deserving.

To the Ipswich fan who asked why we don't like Morsy - I'm pretty sure it dates back to his Wigan days where he seemed to be tasked with doing nothing but trying to injure Panutche Camara of all people, his now team mate. He was a dirty sod that day and still was yesterday, should have been a red for that challenge.

Also Bali Mumba might want a say on the league 1's best wing back debate 2 goals and 5 assists so far.

Good report. I actually suspect our best wing back is out injured. Certainly based on pre-season Miller looked a lot better tham Bali and Jo.

 

[Boletus Edulis]

Excellent game yesterday. Ironically enough, despite the obvious contrast in quality to the Saturday game, two of the goals still came from luck/silly errors. I didn't think it was a foul for Plymouth's first, those free-kicks annoy the hell out me and the player at no point even looked at the ball.

Is it generally the same squad as last season for Plymouth?

Yes except the loanees are all an upgrade (which is an interesting point given we have one of your loanees and you have one of ours). We are a better side this year, the tweak in formation is bringing the best out of our flair players (it suits Whittaker well, hence he is an upgrade). Plus Schuey is very shrewd, his subs and formation changes have been spot on. Does not mean we’ll end up higher than last year, but a number of good early signals.

 

[K-Win]

Watching yesterday's game and Argyle's previous one against us, it's looking likely that Schumacher may well be the best tactician in this league. In both games he was able to make the half time adjustments that put his team on top second half. Impressive stuff.

We were able to escape with a last gasp equaliser but Ipswich weren't so lucky with that incredible late effort involving the keepers. Both games were great entertainment.

 

[ProfessorGreen]

Watching yesterday's game and Argyle's previous one against us, it's looking likely that Schumacher may well be the best tactician in this league. In both games he was able to make the half time adjustments that put his team on top second half. Impressive stuff.

We were able to escape with a last gasp equaliser but Ipswich weren't so lucky with that incredible late effort involving the keepers. Both games were great entertainment.

Did the same to overturn a 2 goal deficit and win at Derby not long before that as well.

 

[BarrieOwl]

Did the same to overturn a 2 goal deficit and win at Derby not long before that as well.

Perhaps not giving teams a head start would be a better tactical plan

 

[Boletus Edulis]

Watching yesterday's game and Argyle's previous one against us, it's looking likely that Schumacher may well be the best tactician in this league. In both games he was able to make the half time adjustments that put his team on top second half. Impressive stuff.

We were able to escape with a last gasp equaliser but Ipswich weren't so lucky with that incredible late effort involving the keepers. Both games were great entertainment.

I have read the fans forums of three teams now - Derby, Pompey and Ipswich - where the general consensus was their manager got the subs wrong and weakened them. Each of those teams has a much bigger budget than us, and one could surmise they are likely to have a deeper squad. If you go onto Pasoti for those games consensus is Schuey got it right. it is a competitive game, these things don’t happen in isolation.

Be interesting to see how long we keep him. Lowe is not stupid, and is an excellent motivator and communicator, but it looks increasingly like Schuey was the brains of the outfit. I really hope at some point he gets to manage Everton.

 

[K-Win]

We do have a bigger budget than Argyle but probably not as big as you'd think. In general the Cowleys are pretty good at not having squad fillers taking up budget.

We definitely have a decent squad, quality-wise but when we get injuries in certain areas we still have to shuffle things around a bit (e.g we've recently moved LB Ogilvie across to right-back to cover the loss of Rafferty, and then moved a centre half to left back).

Not sure I agree with our fans about the subs. We pressed very high in the first hour which necessitated the subs for the last 30 minutes. And two combined for the equaliser!

Hopefully he at least sees the season out. The Championship is always looking at League One for the next big thing.

 

[Boletus Edulis]

We do have a bigger budget than Argyle but probably not as big as you'd think. In general the Cowleys are pretty good at not having squad fillers taking up budget.

We definitely have a decent squad, quality-wise but when we get injuries in certain areas we still have to shuffle things around a bit (e.g we've recently moved LB Ogilvie across to right-back to cover the loss of Rafferty, and then moved a centre half to left back).

Not sure I agree with our fans about the subs. We pressed very high in the first hour which necessitated the subs for the last 30 minutes. And two combined for the equaliser!

Hopefully he at least sees the season out. The Championship is always looking at League One for the next big thing.

I think he will see the season out, unless Everton come in. He has bought a house here, is renovating it and most importantly he has said his wife and kids are settled - he immediately ruled himself out on those grounds for the Huddersfield job. Lowe’s family stayed up in the north west so he was always going to move at some point.
Schuey’s at the wheel.

 

[Tom_ITFC]

I wasn't gonna bite to this but here goes.

It is commendable to see Ipswich get some decent attendances for the first time in a long while but doesn't that show how bad it was for such a long time before the last twelve months.

You have a whole county to draw support from and given how desolate and barren Suffolk is you'd expect them to be champing at the bit to get some excitement in their lives.

For us to be averaging over 20k after being out of the top flight since 20000 and suffering three relegations to this level in that time should be praised not sneered at. We've had 2 tilts at regaining our top flight place in that time with the rest being mainly mid table or lower end shite.

Sheffield has two teams and within half an hour a further 5 league clubs it's amazing the numbers all these clubs get, the same in Lancashire given the number of teams drawing support.

I knew you would bite

Yes we have a whole county but the population isn’t much bigger than just Sheffield itself.

As soon as you get to Norfolk, it’ll be Norwich support and the closer to Essex/London, you’ll get those that support London clubs. A lot being West Ham support.

So we are left with Suffolk support, and a lot with a fair trip to games each week as Ipswich isn’t exactly central to the county.

The bulk of our time since top flight relegation has been mid table nothingness with the well known despised owner. We’ve had no promotions in that time, even if it were to have been from the third tier.

Our attendances have had slow declines because of that. Other clubs attendances free fall quickly. Our prices as well! Always moaned at, so to still get those attendances shows something.

I’m not sneering at the whole club, I’m just having a joke because you kept saying you’d get more than us and that we should watch ours fall away but ours is still higher at the minute, for a second season running!

 

[Tom_ITFC]

I have read the fans forums of three teams now - Derby, Pompey and Ipswich - where the general consensus was their manager got the subs wrong and weakened them. Each of those teams has a much bigger budget than us, and one could surmise they are likely to have a deeper squad. If you go onto Pasoti for those games consensus is Schuey got it right. it is a competitive game, these things don’t happen in isolation.

Be interesting to see how long we keep him. Lowe is not stupid, and is an excellent motivator and communicator, but it looks increasingly like Schuey was the brains of the outfit. I really hope at some point he gets to manage Everton.

I’d say the subs that were made weren’t weakening in the sense of players themselves but the tactical approach taken instead through the changes weakened it.

Something McKenna needs to learn on, a few times it’s happened and we’ve been caught out now because of it.

 

[BarrieOwl]

I knew you would bite

Yes we have a whole county but the population isn’t much bigger than just Sheffield itself.

As soon as you get to Norfolk, it’ll be Norwich support and the closer to Essex/London, you’ll get those that support London clubs. A lot being West Ham support.

So we are left with Suffolk support, and a lot with a fair trip to games each week as Ipswich isn’t exactly central to the county.

The bulk of our time since top flight relegation has been mid table nothingness with the well known despised owner. We’ve had no promotions in that time, even if it were to have been from the third tier.

Our attendances have had slow declines because of that. Other clubs attendances free fall quickly. Our prices as well! Always moaned at, so to still get those attendances shows something.

I’m not sneering at the whole club, I’m just having a joke because you kept saying you’d get more than us and that we should watch ours fall away but ours is still higher at the minute, for a second season running!

Did your attendances end up higher than ours last season?

 

[Tom_ITFC]

Home Fans average
View attachment 17131

Did your attendances end up higher than ours last season?

Excluding away fans, yes

 

[BarrieOwl]

Excluding away fans, yes

Well done. But total average....no, 250 fans over a full season, meh.

 

[Laker]

Suffolk is the most sparsely populated county in England too and it’s a ball ache getting anywhere unless you drive. I live in Cambridge which is 15 minutes from Newmarket (which is in Suffolk) but it’s another hour or so to Ipswich from there. But a lot of Suffolk is small towns and villages with poor connections. Norfolk is the same, to be honest so is Cambridgeshire if you ignore Cambridge and Peterborough.

 

[Tom_ITFC]

Well done. But total average....no.

No it wasn’t but you’re closer to other clubs and have a bigger away end. Total average means nothing when comparing to others

 

[Bartonyellow]

Talking of attendances- would be good to see the average home attendances of teams in relation to the population. I know that is difficult as people draw support from villages and local towns, but a crude calculation of the town would be interesting. In that case surely forest green, Accrington, fleetwood and ourselves might come out quite high given how small the towns are.

 

[Greenacres]

Talking of attendances- would be good to see the average home attendances of teams in relation to the population. I know that is difficult as people draw support from villages and local towns, but a crude calculation of the town would be interesting. In that case surely forest green, Accrington, fleetwood and ourselves might come out quite high given how small the towns are.

Good point, Nailsworth has a population of around 6k, all of whom can fit in the New Lawn and Meadowbank (home of Shortwood United) with room to spare. The number of home fans is normally in the range of 2000-2500, depending on when the game is played and who the opponents are, which is a fair percentage of the local population. (However, I will admit that quite a few of us live outside Nailsworth)

 

[UppaTowen_ITFC]

Talking of attendances- would be good to see the average home attendances of teams in relation to the population. I know that is difficult as people draw support from villages and local towns, but a crude calculation of the town would be interesting. In that case surely forest green, Accrington, fleetwood and ourselves might come out quite high given how small the towns are.

Ipswich getting a 23k/24k average this season in a population of 136,000 has to be top 3 in the whole football league percentage wise I’d have thought. I make it about 18% approximately. Though of course like all clubs some of our fanbase comes from elsewhere for each game. I myself have my season ticket from East London for example.


Edit - A very quick bit of research from those you mention plus ourselves purely out of interest suggests:
1) Forest Green 2000 from 6k population. 33%.
2) Ipswich 23k from a population of 136k. 18%.
3) Fleetwood 3k from a population of 26k. 11.5%.
4) Accrington 2,700 from a population of 35k. 7.7%.
5) Burton 3k from a population of 75k. 4%.
6) Sheffield Wednesday 22k from a population of 584k. 3.7%.

 

[denzel ecfc]

Suffolk is the most sparsely populated county in England too and it’s a ball ache getting anywhere unless you drive. I live in Cambridge which is 15 minutes from Newmarket (which is in Suffolk) but it’s another hour or so to Ipswich from there. But a lot of Suffolk is small towns and villages with poor connections. Norfolk is the same, to be honest so is Cambridgeshire if you ignore Cambridge and Peterborough.

Not sure where you got that from, we are sparser even with that place in the South West of the county, and it can take two hours or more to get from say Lynton to Salcombe.
Many more sparsely populated counties, such as Westmorland or North Yorkshire too.

Counties of the United Kingdom - Wikishire

wikishire.co.uk

 

[BarrieOwl]

No it wasn’t but you’re closer to other clubs and have a bigger away end. Total average means nothing when comparing to others

We've averaged u

Ipswich getting a 23k/24k average this season in a population of 136,000 has to be top 3 in the whole football league percentage wise I’d have thought. I make it about 18% approximately. Though of course like all clubs some of our fanbase comes from elsewhere for each game. I myself have my season ticket from East London for example.


Edit - A very quick bit of research from those you mention plus ourselves purely out of interest suggests:
1) Forest Green 2000 from 6k population. 33%.
2) Ipswich 23k from a population of 136k. 18%.
3) Fleetwood 3k from a population of 26k. 11.5%.
4) Accrington 2,700 from a population of 35k. 7.7%.
5) Burton 3k from a population of 75k. 4%.
6) Sheffield Wednesday 22k from a population of 584k. 3.7%.

 

[WhiteRussian]

Ipswich getting a 23k/24k average this season in a population of 136,000 has to be top 3 in the whole football league percentage wise I’d have thought. I make it about 18% approximately. Though of course like all clubs some of our fanbase comes from elsewhere for each game. I myself have my season ticket from East London for example.


Edit - A very quick bit of research from those you mention plus ourselves purely out of interest suggests:
1) Forest Green 2000 from 6k population. 33%.
2) Ipswich 23k from a population of 136k. 18%.
3) Fleetwood 3k from a population of 26k. 11.5%.
4) Accrington 2,700 from a population of 35k. 7.7%.
5) Burton 3k from a population of 75k. 4%.
6) Sheffield Wednesday 22k from a population of 584k. 3.7%.

I dread to think what ours is but then the majority of football supporters here are ex London residents so Arse, Celsea. Spurs etc. shirts are common. We won't get any better support unless we get into the Championship regularly and thats not going to happen when we sell all our best players.

 

[BarrieOwl]

Ipswich getting a 23k/24k average this season in a population of 136,000 has to be top 3 in the whole football league percentage wise I’d have thought. I make it about 18% approximately. Though of course like all clubs some of our fanbase comes from elsewhere for each game. I myself have my season ticket from East London for example.


Edit - A very quick bit of research from those you mention plus ourselves purely out of interest suggests:
1) Forest Green 2000 from 6k population. 33%.
2) Ipswich 23k from a population of 136k. 18%.
3) Fleetwood 3k from a population of 26k. 11.5%.
4) Accrington 2,700 from a population of 35k. 7.7%.
5) Burton 3k from a population of 75k. 4%.
6) Sheffield Wednesday 22k from a population of 584k. 3.7%.

The issue with your basic calculations doesn't take in the fact Sheffield is a two team city or the fact Ipswich don't draw their support purely from Ipswich.

 

[cookiemonster]

Good point, Nailsworth has a population of around 6k, all of whom can fit in the New Lawn and Meadowbank (home of Shortwood United) with room to spare. The number of home fans is normally in the range of 2000-2500, depending on when the game is played and who the opponents are, which is a fair percentage of the local population. (However, I will admit that quite a few of us live outside Nailsworth)

I think gates as a proportion of the population of the host town or city can be misleading if it ignores other centres of population nearby without their own league sides. E.g. Nailsworth (where FGR is) is only 6 miles from Stroud (population 30k and no league side) and 8 miles from Dursley (15k people and no league side). Include those and gates are 5% of the local population.

 

[Greenacres]

I think gates as a proportion of the population of the host town or city can be misleading if it ignores other centres of population nearby without their own league sides. E.g. Nailsworth (where FGR is) is only 6 miles from Stroud (population 30k and no league side) and 8 miles from Dursley (15k people and no league side). Include those and gates are 5% of the local population.

Very true...equally you could try and plot catchment areas...how far do you have to go in each direction before you reach a place where the majority of football fans follow someone else. I'm guessing from Nailsworth if you went to somewhere like Cirencester the majority of fans would follow Swindon, few would follow Rovers...that sort of thing.