B.....ds. Are they going to leave a single world class player alone?

-- Anonymous, May 29, 2000

Answers

Christ, Figo says he wants to join them now. Next thing they'll have Rivaldo and Roberto Carlos.

-- Anonymous, May 29, 2000

Latest is Zidane, too. They can't possibly be getting all three can they? Can they?

-- Anonymous, May 29, 2000

Well they have certainly got the money to buy and pay them all, and I suppose it stands to reason to say that if you can decimate all the potential opposition, then who is going to be able to stop them.

That would at least be the case for a couple of years until some of the other younger one's out there come through, and who is to say that they wont't buy them as well. It could end up just going round in circles.

I know it is easy to knock them because of who they are, but I really wish they could have a season or so struggling if only to remind some of them, like Beckham,just where they came from.

-- Anonymous, May 29, 2000

I certainly hope they do. 90% of their effectiveness comes from exceptional teamwork. A few prima-donnas will rip the guts out of that side and usher in a new golden age of foot-shooting at Old Trafford. Can't happen soon enough. 3 clubs promoted that I feel affection for, the demise of the one-horse race and the disappearance of Lebouef and Petit can only improve the premiership.

-- Anonymous, May 29, 2000

I'd read that the Barthez deal was off because it had been made public before being completed - including his salary of #55k pa! Edwards was concerned this would stir up internal problems again that had been calmed following difficulties caused by Keanes new contract terms.
On this basis, if the deal is back on that's excellent - the more internal strife they occasion the better.
I'd also read somewhere, that they might bring Rudolph back for one season to allow them to sort out the goaly situation.

-- Anonymous, May 29, 2000

I'm also pretty happy with the promoted teams Softie - following on from the welcome demise of the Dons.
Charlton and Ipswich are decent footballing sides with progressive young managers, and I'm delighted that the good people of Manchester finally have a team to represent them in the PL.

-- Anonymous, May 29, 2000

With any luck, it won't matter how much of the player market they corner, it'll be taggart calling it a day that will start the downward trend.

I agree, their organisation is a massive plus, but hopefully it'll take them a while to get to grips with a new manager, in which time all our wishes will come true.

Eternal optimist , me.

-- Anonymous, May 30, 2000

I agree with Softie. It's a big FO to the youngsters if all these transfers come off - unless they copy the big continental clubs and get rid of top players at or near their prime, whilst the price is high and before their inevitable dip in form. Bye bye Beckham? Unlikely, I know, but I actually think it would be go for the national side if more of our players played abroad, like MacManaman. If nothing else it matures them as people.

-- Anonymous, May 30, 2000

To ITK.............what do U mean "to remind some of them where thay came from"?

Would you like a proffesional young businessman's livlihood to collapse, for example, just to "remind" him of where he came from?? No, I suspect not.

-- Anonymous, May 30, 2000

Pit Bull....you all said that about Robson. You all said that about Eric. You all said that about Rudolph.

Next!!

-- Anonymous, May 30, 2000

LR,

You really think that your not gonna have some problems when you replace TagNuts? I think most of us on here will somewhat grudingly admit that he's the reason you've been so dominant for the last couple of years.....any new man is going to have a lot to live up to...

-- Anonymous, May 30, 2000

Uh uh Gav...I do think things will be different when The Wizard leaves, but unless we get someone who does a Souness, a la Liverpool after Dogleash then things will remain much the same....I feckin' hope:-)

But saying that...I really did think the team would collapse when Robbo left, then Ince Hughes and Kanchelskis....and remember how devastating those 3 were?......and I kinda went along with the boring argument that Rudolph was worth amount of points...which has been proved wrong BTW.

We shall see :-)

-- Anonymous, May 30, 2000

Yup we shall definitely see....

I still think Rudolph was worth points to you....I know the points total this year doesn't bear that out but I still believe it :))

-- Anonymous, May 30, 2000

Last season was a weird one. MUFC should have been made to pay for some uncertainty at the back, but all the chief rivals were so busy falling over each other that they didn't capitalize.

Arsenal had a dodgy start and left it way too late to make up the lost ground. Leeds ran themselves into the ground, bit like us in 1995/6 but instead of 'throwing away a 12 point lead' they just let you sweep passed by 15 points or whatever from a neck and neck situation. Chelsea still aren't any good when the sun goes behind the clouds. Liverpool just did their usual trick of derailing the rest of the challengers during the run-in before grinding to an ignominious halt.

Basically, only Spurs, Chelsea and Arsenal ever turned Heath over, and we all found out the hard way that not giving points to your championship rivals is the way to win the league. Arsenal weren't able to do the double over them this season, and the lay-down-and-get- rogered attitude of the West Hams and Bradfords made it a walkover.

Next season we'll be major players; even if we don't challenge, taking a point at SJP could be the difference between the top 2 and we should treat Leeds, Liverpool and Chelsea as our running-mates.

-- Anonymous, May 30, 2000

Some managers leave clubs in such good shape that it makes very little difference that they have gone (look at Ipswich and how they've stayed close to the top flight or in the top flight since he left). However, I think Man United will come a cropper for the very reason that Liverpool came a cropper. Their famous youth policy is wearing thin and they are buying rather than introducing their own kids. Pool ended up bringing only one youth player through in ten years during their pomp.

-- Anonymous, May 30, 2000

Hahaha, Dougal, you can't be serious. I know wor Bobby is a firm favourite with us, but surely we can't credit him with Ipswich's recent resurgence - Ipswich have been close to promotion for a few years, but they had a long, long barren spell.

-- Anonymous, May 30, 2000

A Brief History Ipswich were formed as an amateur club in 1878, but it was not until 1936 when they turned professional. After winning the Southern League at the first attempt and finishing third the following season, they were elected to the Football League on May 30th, 1938.

They started in the Third Division (South) and their first success came in the 1953-54 season when they won the title. Ipswich found life in the Second Division tough and a year later they were down again.

The appointment of Alf Ramsey as manager in succession to the successful Scott Duncan proved a shrewd move. In 1956-57 Ipswich won the Third Division (South) title again, but the club really sprang to prominence when they won the Second Division in 1960-61 and the First Division Championship a year later which meant they had qualified for the European Cup.

Ipswich went out in the second round to eventual winners AC Milan after overcoming Floriana of Malta 14-1 on aggregate on their baptism. It was back to Second Division football, however, by the end of the 1963-64 season with Ramsey having left to manage England and Jackie Milburn now in charge. Milburn resigned at the start of the following season, and Bill McGarry came from Watford to take over. Under McGarry the club regained its First Division status in the 1967-68 season, but in November 1968 McGarry left to go to Wolverhampton Wanderers, and after a period of Cyril Lea in charge as caretaker-manager, Bobby Robson was appointed in January 1969.

Robson did not have an easy start, but once he had stamped his mark on the club it really took off. In 1973 an '75 Ipswich won the FA Youth Cup before winning the FA Cup in 1978 - exactly 100 years after they had been formed as an amateur club. The late 1970's saw the arrival of Arnold Muhren and Frans Thijssen, the two Dutchmen who made such an impact on the team and with the supporters, and they helped Ipswich win the UEFA Cup in 1981. The First Division Championship eluded Robson's team on more than one occasion, but in 1982, following the World Cup in Spain, Robson became the second Ipswich manager to take over the England post. For some time previously Robson had been linked with clubs both at home and abroad, and it was no surprise when he took over the top job in succession to Ron Greenwood.

Ipswich decided to keep it in the family and Robson's job went to Bobby Ferguson, his chief coach during the glory years. Bobby had a difficult job in following Robson and tragically the Team slipped into the Second Division in 1986.

Losing in the play-offs to Charlton meant no quick return to the First Division and Ferguson's contract was not re-newed.

Former Chesterfield boss John Duncan took over in June 1987. Three seasons of mid-table positions led to Duncan becoming the first Ipswich Manager to be sacked in 1990.

John Lyall was appointed from Tottenham in May 1990, and in his first season started to re-shape the Club. In 1991-92 Lyall's men were Second Division Champions and a whole new chapter in Town's history was about to begin. Ipswich Town's first season back in the top flight coincided with the launch of the FA Premier League. At the start of the season most Town fans would have been happy had the Club just avoided relegation. In reality Ipswich got off to a flying start and before Christmas supporters were talking about a return to Europe. In the New Year cup defeats in the quarter final stages of both the FA Cup and Coca Cola Cup made a dent in Town's confidence. Early season form could not be maintained and Ipswich flirted with the relegation zone. The drop was avoided and Town, in fact, finished a creditable sixteenth. Two seasons later, Ipswich Town found the going just too difficult in the Premier League and John Lyall, who had taken a back-seat managerial role at the club resigned just before Christmas. Former favourite, George Burley took over in the hot seat but could not save Ipswich from the plunge into the first division.

Ipswich narrowly missed out on the playoffs in their first season in Division 1, before making it the following three years, losing out in the semi-final each time, including narrow defeats on the away goals rule against Sheffield United and Bolton Wanderers.

-- Anonymous, May 30, 2000

You're missing my point. For a start, a drop to the second wasn't as dramatic as our drop after KK left us without any sort of infrastructure at all. Furthermore, with Ipswich's population and location, had Bobby not left them in the black and with a youth policy that has survived to thsi day, they'd be in mthe conference. THAT was what I'm saying.

-- Anonymous, May 30, 2000

Douggie..It's not that our youth policy is wearing thin..it's just that we are short of decent ones at the mo. The Wizard will not play dross....unless yer called Sylvestre!! Fergie has admitted that there hasn't been that much since the famous 5, except for Wes Brown (injured), Higginbotham and Greening. There's a lad called Luke Chadwick who be tearing you all apart soon.

Softie..I hope yer right...winning in 2nd gear is boring us :-)

-- Anonymous, May 30, 2000

Greening is on sale so Fergie can't think that much of him.

-- Anonymous, May 30, 2000

Easy Tiger, you threw away a 13 point lead over Arsenal 2 seasons ago, and if the rumours that Wenger is about to sign a less dodgy keeper than Seaman are true, you'll have all sorts of bother from them next time out. Henry and Kanu are becoming seriously good and even jokers like Silvinho and Grimandi were starting to look the part. If they sign Pires they'll be a genuine force to be reckoned with, with the ability to create from front to back.

-- Anonymous, May 30, 2000

Greening's for sale? That can't be right, he's already first team material: watched him get sent off at Kingston Park for dissent (to put it mildly) whilst masquerading as a captain. Does he need any other qualifications? ;-)

-- Anonymous, May 30, 2000

Fair enough..I actually agree with your underlying point about a solid set-up and youth system. Ipswich have certainly been fairly well managed for a small club with limited resources, but the board has to take a large amount of the credit over the years as well, despite Bobby Robson's heroic efforts. For a club that size, you can't overspend. The youth system will help keep things ticking over, but it won't guarantee a fantastic crop of youngsters every year. Every successful club needs to buy as well - Robson's success at Ipswich was almost entirely due to the clever signings he made, and That success hasn't been achieved since, despite the structure he helped create at Ipswich.

But I agree with you, that there are signs of the equilibrium being lost at Newton Heath (wishful thinking perhaps ;0) ), but perhaps Ferguson is just being honest about his youth system, and rather than being a slave to the myth, realises that he'll have to go elsewhere to get Champions League quality players.

-- Anonymous, May 30, 2000