Your Club's Brightest Prospect

[Richard Cranium]

Still some hope for Mason Bennett, seems ages ago since he made his debut up at Boro at only 15. Hopefully he can kick on after an injury plagued season last year.

Farrend Rawson went to Rotherham on loan last year and performed very well so he's one to watch. As well as Hanson and Zanzala as James mentioned there's also Kwame Thomas and Max Lowe who are currently away representing England at youth level.

We nicked a few youngsters from clubs last year; Alefe Santos (Bristol Rovers), Alban Bunjaku (Arsenal) and Ivan Calero (Athletico) to name a few. They did really well for our under 21's last year. I'd expect them to either step up this coming season or be finding themselves new clubs come this time next year.

Bennett seems to keep turning up and playing for a side in a 6 a side league run here in Mansfield. He first started appearing in the Summer but even throughout the season he's turned up a couple of times. Not sure if the Mansfield plastic Reds fans know who he is or I'm sure one or two would be out to try and kick him!

I turned up and played after 2 pints the time we played against him and after I'd done it felt like I'd had about 22!

 

[markwwfc1992]

Teddy Bishop, he'll be a key player for a top 4 side within a couple of seasons.

Mings trailing behind.

Top 4 of the Championship or Premier League? If the latter you're basically saying he will be Lampard/Gerrard level, which is a really bold statement to make while he's so young.

 

[Walkley_Owl]

Franck Betra is one Lee Bullen rates but the injury last season cost him most of the season, Joe Wildsmith and Jack Stobbs are said to be progressing very well but it's George Hirst i'm looking out for, if he's half as good as his dad we'll have a reyt player on our hands.

 

[TractorBoys]

Top 4 of the Championship or Premier League? If the latter you're basically saying he will be Lampard/Gerrard level, which is a really bold statement to make while he's so young.

Well he's already at (at the minimum, arguably beyond) top 4 of the Championship. He'd feature in the first team for most, if not all, bottom half sides in the Prem. Wasn't a 90 minute player this season bar 2 occassions but he will be from this time around. 'Prospect' by definition is the possibility or likelihood of some future event occurring, and he's more likely to than not to achieve that.

I just hope he's still here in two seasons time,either due to our promotion of him staying grounded.

 

[markwwfc1992]

Well he's already at (at the minimum, arguably beyond) top 4 of the Championship. He'd feature in the first team for most, if not all, bottom half sides in the Prem. Wasn't a 90 minute player this season bar 2 occassions but he will be from this time around. 'Prospect' by definition is the possibility or likelihood of some future event occurring, and he's more likely to than not to achieve that.

I just hope he's still here in two seasons time,either due to our promotion of him staying grounded.

Kinda have to disagree, i'll be honest as a neutral I've not really heard raving reports about him; and doubt he would get into most top 4 sides midfields in the Championship (or ours for that matter), never mind walking into most bottom half Prem teams. When we talk about top 4 midfielders in the Prem, we talk about players Lampard, Gerrard, Fabregas, Yaya Toure, etc. No offence and I know we like to big up our players but I would think Teddy Bishop is light years away from that standard, as is every player in this league.

 

[TractorBoys]

He's absolutely a different class to anybody in our team. He would walk into your side, every single day of the week and twice on Saturday. I'm one of the first to say our team overachieved last season getting the best out of players for their level of talent, but without question he's got star quality. I'd recommend watching him some more, he's a joy. (And will be subject to a £8-£10m bid this summer... seemingly with Arsenal or Man Utd likely to be leading that chase).

I just hope he takes heed: http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/32962976

I appreciate you haven't seen him much though and we're all entitled to our own opinions.

 

[SF_]

I've got high hopes for Alan Browne, came back into the team during the play-offs and he was excellent, seems to have bulked up a bit.

Good all-round midfielder, I can see him featuring for us quite a bit this season.

Bailey Wright and Daniel Johnson are still only 21/22 but they're both established first-team players.

 

[MagpieBee]

He's absolutely a different class to anybody in our team. He would walk into your side, every single day of the week and twice on Saturday. I'm one of the first to say our team overachieved last season getting the best out of players for their level of talent, but without question he's got star quality. I'd recommend watching him some more, he's a joy. (And will be subject to a £8-£10m bid this summer... seemingly with Arsenal or Man Utd likely to be leading that chase).

I just hope he takes heed: http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/32962976

I appreciate you haven't seen him much though and we're all entitled to our own opinions.

Got to say I too haven't heard too much about him, and when the competition in midfield is Skuse, Tabb, Chaplow etc, it's easy to stand out. The way Ipswich play football it's very easy for a midfielder to look composed.

From one season in the championship where most fans of other teams wouldn't rate him that highly, I would say it's very unlikely he'd turn into a top 4 PL player, and in no way more likely than not.

 

[TractorBoys]

The top 4 think otherwise and those are the guys with the chequebooks. /discussion.

 

[markwwfc1992]

Just because a team is linked with a player doesn't mean they'll get him though, or even that he will turn out good (John Bostock, remember him?)

I remember when we were promoted to the prem and were linked with every newspaper and media outlet that we were on the verge of signing a young Andriy Shevchenko... would rather see him get this big money move first before reading fabricated media stories.

 

[Munkiki]

He's absolutely a different class to anybody in our team.

not saying much...

 

[Walkley_Owl]

Just because a team is linked with a player doesn't mean they'll get him though, or even that he will turn out good (John Bostock, remember him?)

I remember when we were promoted to the prem and were linked with every newspaper and media outlet that we were on the verge of signing a young Andriy Shevchenko... would rather see him get this big money move first before reading fabricated media stories.

You'd have done well there mate re Shev, he was linked with us during his Dynamo Kiev days, I think Pleat turned down a £4m deal in 1996 for a 20 year old Shev, and signed Andy fucking Booth!

 

[TractorBoys]

Just because a team is linked with a player doesn't mean they'll get him though,

Oh come on. You've either got your head in the sand or you're on the windup this morning. I'm not asking you to agree with what I say about his talent but if you don't think he's on his way to a top half prem team within the next 12 months then you've missed something. Even the most optimistic Ipswich fan is well aware. I just hope he's here next season.

 

[markwwfc1992]

We'll see mate

 

[mpmbee]

No offence like but he wouldn't have got into any other of the play off chasing sides midfields from last season IMO. So I can't see him being a key player for a top four prem side in a couple of seasons.

 

[TractorBoys]

He'd have walked into your side, like many of our players, fuck me.

Anyway, think we've done this to death. Regardless of whether he's shit or fantastic he's worth £8-10mil for a reason. And before we move onto that argument, yes, he's worth whatever teams are willing to pay, irrespective of whether you/others/i think that's 'crazy money'.

Got to say I too haven't heard too much about him, and when the competition in midfield is Skuse, Tabb, Chaplow etc, it's easy to stand out.

It's comments like that one which makes me wonder whether some people have opinions other than the stereotypes they here about the Ipswich midfield. Skuse saved us as many points as the likes of Sears won us last season. He was a standout performer and is better than most defensive midfielders in the Championship. Without him breaking up play we wouldn't have beaten the likes of Watford and taken hard fought points away from here. He was one of the reasons we took 4 points off you so easily this season.

 

[mpmbee]

He'd have walked into your side, like many of our players, fuck me.

Anyway, think we've done this to death. Regardless of whether he's shit or fantastic he's worth £8-10mil for a reason. And before we move onto that argument, yes, he's worth whatever teams are willing to pay, irrespective of whether you/others/i think that's 'crazy money'.



It's comments like that one which makes me wonder whether some people have opinions other than the stereotypes they here about the Ipswich midfield. Skuse saved us as many points as the likes of Sears won us last season. He was a standout performer and is better than most defensive midfielders in the Championship. Without him breaking up play we wouldn't have beaten the likes of Watford and taken hard fought points away from here.

No chance, imagine how carried away you'd be getting if you had Pritchard playing for Ipswich last season!

 

[TractorBoys]

Bless. Good luck next season, you'll need it without Warbs. xx

 

[MagpieBee]

Bless. Good luck next season, you'll need it without Warbs. xx

Just take a look at every disagreeing with you mate.

Not saying he won't get bought by a top half team in the Premier League, but your claim was that he'd be a key player for a Top 4 side in a couple of seasons. I just don't see that happening, or at least, it is very unlikely on current showings.

You beat us because of the tactics you play - and fair play, they will beat us every time. We struggled against a lot of long-ball counter attacking sides. You guys are strong and quick up top, strong in defence, but the long ball method you play (nothing wrong with that!) largely by-passes your midfield. Its easy for someone to stand out a little from your midfield because largely they are sitting back in a big block to defend, or giving long balls for the strikers to chase. Anyone who can do something a little different will stand out.

 

[markwwfc1992]

That video really doesn't show much. 1 goal in 31 games isn't exactly a great scoring record, but he looks ok as a holding CM player. I agree he has potential as he's only 18, but it doesn't really how that he's any better than any other half decent holding midfielders in the division (would much rather Alex Pritchard in honesty), certainly not PL standard as of yet. If he keeps improving though he could develop into a decent player. Might have to bulk up a bit first which at his age he probably will.

 

[Munkiki]

Not saying he won't get bought by a top half team in the Premier League, but your claim was that he'd be a key player for a Top 4 side in a couple of seasons. I just don't see that happening, or at least, it is very unlikely on current showings.

I've seen him play and to be completely honest I think TB's massively underselling the guy. I'd be stunned if he's not winning the Champions League with Barca within the next 2 seasons. If Town somehow manage to keep hold of him this summer, they'll walk this division - imagine they'll have won the title by October at the latest.

 

[markwwfc1992]

Alright, viewed the video in full now and he certainly isn't a holding midfielder like I originally thought. I really don't get a the hype though, it's clips of him getting assists by either getting tackled and getting lucky deflections, misskicking a shot and it luckily going to another player to score, a corner kick and a half decent assist against the mighty Blackpool. Hell half the video clips seem to be of him passing the ball to random players or of him having shots that go nowhere.

Obviously you know more about him than I do but judging by the video you showed me, he doesn't come close to Sako (only guy who plays in the same position as him in our team) nor half of the rest of the divisions attacking midfielders I've seen this season (Alex Pritchard, Tom Ince, Michail Antonio, Bradley Johnson, Adlene Guediora, Matt Richie, etc).

I'll happily be proved wrong when he gets this top 4 move though.

 

[Rammy]

It's called a biased opinion.

 

[91SPP]

We seem to have a lot of good players, but god knows if any of them will make it!

Farrend Rawson, Jamie Hanson, Isak Sswankambo, Max Lowe, Tom Klobenz, Ivan Calero, Alefe Santos, Callum Guy, Alban Bunjaku, Offrande Zanzala, Mason Bennett and Kwame Thomas... I guess I've missed some out too.

Ivan Calero is perhaps the most exciting attacking player. He's an unbelievable footballer. Offrande Zanzala seems to scored two or three a game for the U18s and should be promoted to the U21s this season. Hanson, Lowe, Bennett and Thomas are England youth internationals. Ssewankambo was a regular starter in Eredivisie when we signed him.

 

[Veggie Legs]

Oh come on. You've either got your head in the sand or you're on the windup this morning. I'm not asking you to agree with what I say about his talent but if you don't think he's on his way to a top half prem team within the next 12 months then you've missed something. Even the most optimistic Ipswich fan is well aware. I just hope he's here next season.

I must have missed something too, because I don't think Bishop's at that level yet, certainly not physically. He's a good player with a lot of potential, but I think you're getting a bit carried away. Personally I expect he'll stay with Ipswich for another couple of years and if he keeps progressing then he might get a big move (unless we're in the Prem by then).

 

[Aaron-Bcfc]

We don't really have any genuinely exciting prospects. Thought Joe Morrell would be, having made his first team debut at the age of 16 last season, but hasn't played a single game since. Haven't completely given up on Wes Burns or Bobby Reid, but it's very unlikely they'll go on to be good Championship players.

We also lost a couple of very highly rated players to Liverpool and Chelsea not long ago. Bit of a lose lose situation with us anyway, get a good player but due to only being Category 2 academy they get pinched, Joe Bryan aside.

 

[TractorBoys]

I must have missed something too, because I don't think Bishop's at that level yet, certainly not physically. He's a good player with a lot of potential, but I think you're getting a bit carried away. Personally I expect he'll stay with Ipswich for another couple of years and if he keeps progressing then he might get a big move (unless we're in the Prem by then).

I'm not suggesting he'll be featuring regularly in 12 months time but unless we're in the Prem ourselves I don't see him here this time next year (or next year + a few weeks to be more precise). I still imagine we'll need to reject a hefty bid within the next few weeks, too.

 

[AFCB_Mark]

The only big prospect we can show at the moment is Baily Cargill, he's been picking up England U20 caps over the season and is off with them at the moment. He had a poor game for England the other night by accounts, but he's looked very good indeed whenever he's been needed in our first team this past season. Not sure what level he'll end up at long term.

We have 3 or 4 others whom I've no doubt will have decent professional careers, but probably below this level.

We've had to rebuild our youth team from when it was pretty much shut down several years back, and it'll need a couple more years to get going. We now have youth teams and coaches going down to U9 level, stuff that most clubs at this level and below take for granted but we're finally doing it, and we're building up the facilities and staff year on year. Currently a Cat.3 academy, looking towards obtaining Cat.2 status soon.

There was a time when we churned out a couple of first team ready youngsters every season. Danny Ings and Brett Pitman probably being the highlights. These days the bar is higher and we're starting at a disadvantage. So a long way to go, but hopefully it'll come good.