Ipswich Town fan Karl Fuller offers his latest thoughts on the Blues after the weekend defeat at Burton Albion...
Three games into the season and already there are mutterings of discontent. It’s absolute madness. We’re just going to do things differently this time around.
Instead of flying out of the blocks and getting off to a good first couple of months to precede a tepid seven months, we’re going to feel our way through the gears this time and by the end of October, we’ll be in full-flow for the rest of the season. That has to be our fervent hope, right?
That said, we can all feel disappointed about our start to the season. Nobody likes to not win any of their first three games of the season.
And voicing disappointment so early in this new era is fine as long as it’s rational and constructive. I am, as much as anyone, feeling down about results as I write this.
But it is about compartmentalising thoughts on an almost game-by-game basis in the short-term, and keeping the long-term picture one of optimism.
The defensive errors were there for all to see in the draw against Morecambe and as for the Newport game, we never take the cups seriously in any case do we.
You can add their name to the likes of Northampton, Carlisle, Stevenage (twice), Crawley and Exeter to a list of growing ‘smaller’ clubs to have dumped us out of the League Cup in recent years.
We did everything but score in that game and I suppose it was just one of those nights. I’m not sure you can blame the fact that we made so many changes given Newport made 11 themselves. My biggest gripe was one of a personal nature, one that I never seem to learn from.
I had been to Chelmsford on Tuesday to watch Essex stroll to a one-day cricket cup win over Sussex with the family. It had been a very enjoyable day and having left Chelmsford on the 6.50pm train, I really should have stayed on it at Colchester as we made our way back to Clacton.
Yet for some unearthly reason, I got off and boarded another bound for Ipswich in the hope that my sporting successes of the day could be extended.
As it happened, the connecting train was seven minutes late and I was still walking down Portman Road when a faint cheer of around 150 hardy souls from Newport followed by an incoherent PA announcement told me that they must have scored.
So, I missed the worst part of the night and spent the rest wondering why I got off that train at Colchester. I question my sanity at times as to why I keep putting myself through these moments!
And the difference at Burton was the tale of one penalty missed and one scored. Even in the dark depths of the ‘old’ era, we could always rely on a win at Burton (four out of four) to give us some respite and cheer. But as I said, we’re doing things differently this time around.
So what of those moans? I hear and understand the concerns but come on. 13 years of misery are not going to be made right in three games.
There are some even questioning Paul Cook’s record. As mentioned above, one needs to group situations accordingly. Yes, the back end of last season saw Cook win just four out of 16 games, but that was with a club a world away from the one in operation now.
Cook will struggle without Leam Richardson I hear. What’s that based on? Paul Lambert not being the same without Ian Culverhouse? We’d be extremely unlucky for lightning to strike twice in that department.
If I have any real worries at this stage, it would be our continued luck with injuries. Seven players out of Saturday’s squad but not much of an idea as to why or for how long for most.
And then there is the need to cut out the errors that are costing us. Defensive reinforcements are in the building and once they get up to speed, then we should hopefully start to see things settle down.
Patience is going to be required in abundance but for some, wounds are still open and need healing today rather than tomorrow.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here