R.I.P. Ipswich Town FC....

[hallamblue]

..a club who can no longer say "no", and hang onto their talented players..
.....who can "give away", their experienced players....
...who will have "no" said to them , by other clubs who do want to keep their best players, and who have far less money than potentially ITFC.


ITFC FANS, SOLD DOWN THE RIVER AGAIN , BY THEIR CLUB !

[Herbivore]

Bit dramatic maybe?

[loudnproud]

Liz? I hear your anger and fustrations, But having spoken to connor within the past week or so He is as nervous as us all about this deal.

At least under Bruce Connor will get a fair shout to get off the bench and he knows it. Also take some heart from the fact that when Kerion Dyer was sold for 6.5 million all those years back. Town bought in several key players who got us promoted. I can only hope that we can repeat this process.

WE all know that PJ needs to bring in an experienced creative centre mid and also two full backs at the very least. This deal will go along way in funding this. I trust Paul Jewel and his methods. I dont trust ME or Simon at present. But if PJ does to a degree then perhaps i should cut them both some slack.....

We did say that this summer was going to be pretty interesting did we not???!!!

[Bluemike]

Dont forget another striker too now.

[Dubai Blue]

Hallam, that's not like you to be so down.

I think you need to look at it again. This deal could be transformational for us. If PJ gets the funds to spend then we could start the season with a very strong squad indeed. I wold like to remind you of two other factors:

a. International transfer window doesn't open until 1st July. We have heard vague rumours about a couple of players abroad and this could be interesting.
b. I don't care if Connor turns down this deal now. It will have turned his head, no matter how smart and well managed he is. I'm not sure if that might not effect his game with us during the coming season. Can you imagine being his age and having got the offers that this will have entailed and turning it down? He's already a changed man and he won't change back again.

Think positive! I think this could be BIG NEWS for us. We finally have a sensible and experienced manager again after all these years and just at this time we also have a stack of cash. We couldn't have wished for a better meeting of factors.......

[Andym]

If the reports of £13million are true, then I don't see how the club can turn it down. He has loads of potential, but is as yet relatively unproven at Championship level, let alone Premiership. It would be a good move for Wickham as he's in with a good chance of playing rather than bench-warming, so I don't think we can argue.

[marko69]

Holy crap Hallam, that thread title is a head turning topper eh? I thought,"oh sh*t, Marcus has gone bankrupt and ITFC have ceased to exist." ......, nice piece of hyperbole (is that right VLM?)!!

[shabba]

What a waste of my time readint that original post.

Cannot even be bothered to argue the point, but thumbs down from me.

Life+get = thank.

[hallamblue]

Was just sounding off and steam letting tbh guys.

"Dramtatic"? - maybe , but I suspect many more Town fans feel like I do right now !

[hallamblue]

What a waste of my time readint that original post.

Cannot even be bothered to argue the point, but thumbs down from me.

Life+get = thank.

Opinions opinions opnions as they say.

If you dont like and considered it waste of your, so valuable time Mr shabba - TOUGH !, and thats my opinion on you !

[hallamblue]

Hallam, that's not like you to be so down.

I think you need to look at it again. This deal could be transformational for us. If PJ gets the funds to spend then we could start the season with a very strong squad indeed. I wold like to remind you of two other factors:

a. International transfer window doesn't open until 1st July. We have heard vague rumours about a couple of players abroad and this could be interesting.
b. I don't care if Connor turns down this deal now. It will have turned his head, no matter how smart and well managed he is. I'm not sure if that might not effect his game with us during the coming season. Can you imagine being his age and having got the offers that this will have entailed and turning it down? He's already a changed man and he won't change back again.

Think positive! I think this could be BIG NEWS for us. We finally have a sensible and experienced manager again after all these years and just at this time we also have a stack of cash. We couldn't have wished for a better meeting of factors.......

My main issue with selling CW is that.

1) PJ may not be able to attract another decent striker to this club , no matter how much wonga he is waving about.

2) Other Clubs will show Town how to hang onto their best players.

We essentially are now no better off than at the end of last season for strikers. We have the ineffective Scotland and Priskin. And the dubious Ellington. Chopra potentially being the only real effective striker. Now PJ has to seacrh all over again for that much needed strike parter for Chopra .

Chopra : Wickham could have been a dream combination at this level and we shall never get to see it !

[Jome_ITFC]

I don't have any issue with the club selling Connor for the right price and at £9m up front plus add ons then that is a good deal.

What I am worried about is how we are going to look come first game of the season. Wickham out Chopra in is a like for like switch if you will, so our team is now 3 first teamers down from the back of last season and a lot of squad players down too. Ingimarsson is not a first teamer, while he's experience and has quality, he's hardly played the last 3 years and there's no way Ellington should be our No2 striker.

I said it in another thread, we've been non stop on the phone for weeks, months even, and done 1 significant deal. That doesn't give me a great deal of hope that we'll bring in 4 or so quality players in the coming month. Let's hope Jewell can work some magic.

[J4ck22]

I'm also incredibly frustrated at this... But for other reasons too. I mean £9m up front? What the hell happened to the £15m we were all raving about? I don't want f**king future fee bullshit We could have gotten a better offer.

Also I just love how quickly Connor's intentions to stay with us and get us promoted went out of the window when approached with an offer...

Who can replace him? Any ideas?

[hallamblue]

You see, you two guys are essentially voicing the same concerns as me - sadly for some on here, its a waste of their valuable time to even consider such issues !

Its going to have t be a helluva striker signing to effectively replace the talent that CW undoubtably is - never mind we can all watch his develop at Sunderland now, whilst ME banks his £13m !

[marko69]

Chopra already has replaced him Jack....., a proven talent in the championship. At the end of the day, massive gamble by Bruce.

[Bluemike]

I agree with hallam and Jome, we are seriously in need of another good striker and I am not convinced we will stomp up the cash to lure one, we are down on first teamers from last season and lets not forget we werent no good then, I know I sound like a bloody record, i get on my own nerves by keep repeating myself but with this cash Nugent or sharp could be secured, we just need to want it to happen, as a club im not sure we are 100% commited to achieving our goals. lets face it Bullard could be here tomorrow now that he has said he would drop a huge wedge of cash to move on.

[Dazzz67]

Im disappointed too like we all are deep down, but in this day and age money talks I hate to say, and the 9mill is a fair amount to a club like us. I just hope Connor does well and keeps his head together after all this, alot of pressure on his young shoulders.

IF, we see a large amount of this 9mill invested to strengthen the squad we may change our tunes depending on who it attracts, if its not then we will all be whinging like **** and rightly so. Use the money to build a force to take us up, I for one trust PJ but dont trust Mr Clegg or Evans, they will proove how genuine they really are if we see this cash used effectively.

Time will tell but I for one wish Connor all the best for the future whatever he does and club he plays for.

[toby]

Better than the firesale after we got relegated in 2001, Ambrose, Holland (who was the Republic of Ireland skipper at the time), Hrreidarsson, Marcus Stewart and several others all sold on the cheap (don't think we got £1Million for any of them).

Until we get into the Prem we will be a selling club (and even then if a "big" team comes in for one of our players), this is what money does unfortunately.

[budgiebasher]

This is nothing new though, we've always been a club unable to hold on to our youngsters, Kieron Dyer, Richard Wright? To me this is a great deal, £13m cannot be turned down easily in the Championship.

[toby]

This is nothing new though, we've always been a club unable to hold on to our youngsters, Kieron Dyer, Richard Wright? To me this is a great deal, £13m cannot be turned down easily in the Championship.

Kieron Dyer was 21 when we sold him, Richard Wright was 23, even Titus Bramble was nearly 21, whilst still young they had at least had a few seasons with us, players seem to be transferred now before they've had a chance to mature, personally whilst I feel it's a good deal for both parties I actually think it would've been better for Connor to stay with us for at least another season.

[Shed on tour]

Hallam

As you know the RIP Ipswich Town FC scenario would have been if Ambrose had refused to move.

With regards to Wickham I feel that the fee (if it is true) based on his development at this present time is a good deal for us and is very hard for a Championship club to turn down. For me the interesting point is if Liverpool (and any of the other top clubs who were supposedly intersted in him) don't come in with a last minute offer it is then obvious they were trying to get him on the cheap and still are not totally convinced that he will turn into the real deal.

If Connor does go to Sunderland then I wish him all the best and that he turns out to be a success and therefore we receive the full amount for him.

[J4ck22]

So guys... How about that Josh Carson eh? Future Premier League star I think!

[tractorollson]

..a club who can no longer say "no", and hang onto their talented players..
.....who can "give away", their experienced players....
...who will have "no" said to them , by other clubs who do want to keep their best players, and who have far less money than potentially ITFC.


ITFC FANS, SOLD DOWN THE RIVER AGAIN , BY THEIR CLUB !

can no longer say no? have we ever said no then? we have always sold our best players, bent, bramble etc nothings changed for me.

[phily bon bon]

He will get a fair crack of the whip under Bruce and we got an awful lot of money for a youngster that is´nt even proven at championship level yet alone Premier league. Lets just see how things go and where the money ís invested. With a decent partner up front and strengtening at the back we could have a productive season, lets just wait and see.
Best of luck young Wickham.

[FoysterITFC]

..a club who can no longer say "no", and hang onto their talented players..
.....who can "give away", their experienced players....
...who will have "no" said to them , by other clubs who do want to keep their best players, and who have far less money than potentially ITFC.


ITFC FANS, SOLD DOWN THE RIVER AGAIN , BY THEIR CLUB !

This is so funny I cannot contain myself!

[Phil]

no player is bigger than the club. decent price for an unproven striker who was the 41st top scorer in the league last year. the sort of money we now have we can buy potentially another 30 goals to go with the potentially 20 we have already got in the form of Chopra.

no club in this league could have kept him.

[arana peligrosa]

pall bearers coming through

This does not quite constitute club Armageddon

keeping it short, ok, it looks very much now, or better, yes it has been agreed that we have lost our star player, been said already, not the first time that young, promising Ipswich players have left to try their luck elsewhere or to further their careers under whatever circumstances, it was only going to be a matter of time before the kid was going to be snapped up or choose to ply his trade somewhere else at a higher level, it was sooner than many people could of realized, me too

I do insist that the money recieved was too little especially when you consider how good he could be in five years time, I hope Bruce will mentor him well and can get him involved as frequently as the player would want, even now with the money received from SUFC it is possible to find one or two replacements of caliber and see where it takes us, I do feel in weeks to come, especially if the club is doing well, today and Wickham will soon be forgotten, sometimes a club can do even better by selling star names the season after, Everton 2004-05 I must add, sell your best player, everybodys up to slash their wrists, doom and gloom, and by end of the season, a European Cup place and the best season in like fifteen years, you get the picture.

We can move on from this, put the tablets and drain cleaner away

[Johannes Hyacinthus]

Ridiculous... such drama!

Its good business.. he would have left in January or next summer at the latest. He was always going to leave... thats why I was pissed of with Rhodes going as he might have been a better long-term player for us.

But I'm more pissed of with Norris and McCauley leaving for free.. that was dopey business.

Wickham.. or the potential of Wickham.. has been over-hyped. He wasn't our best player for last year.. and he didn't play consistently well enough for us to miss him....

We've still got Scotland or Ellington to partner Chopra.... ha .. who cares any more... we've got good pies.

[06williamsce]

£8m rising to £13m for an 18year old who let's be honest is a rookie, we'd have been mad to turn it down. Let's just hope this money goes to bringing in some new talent. At least the deal was done with jewell in charge and not keane, would have gone earlier and for less if he was in charge IMO

[HorsePower]

It may be a good deal, not just for the money but the fact he didnt exactly set the Championship on fire last season, apart from the "wonder goal" against a sleeping Sheffield Utd defense.
However, having been told by people in charge at Portman Road that we didnt need to sell etc etc, it just feels like we have been bare face lied to. How can we trust in future what we are being told by our club if secretly they are planning something else?