Well that was going downhill from the warmup onwards but I would like to say something positive about Ipswich. Throughout the evening, starting in the train up, we were accosted by Ipswich fans, and they were all friendly, generous towards Charlton and anxious to share their loathing of Norwich. The designated away fan pub is good, even if it is stupid to clo se it afterwards. To be fair friendly plod showed us where we could buy an overpriced Beck's. That was a decent crowd at 26,000. Took a long time to get going, but when it did, there was a real wall of sound, which I haven't heard for a while. Back in the station we had plenty of time to contemplate the mural in the main hall. It's dominated by football imagery, Sir Alf, Sir bobby, and more surprisingly Matt Holland were prominent.
Their team is a nice blend of experience and talented youth, and there was nothing about their tactics you could complain about.
I concluded that Ipswich is a town with football in its soul, and I'd much rather see them go up than any of the other candidates.
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The place was bursting at the seams
We wouldn't get 26000 if we gave the tickets away
Don't mind them as a club but Big Mick and his brand of anti football gets on my tits at times. I didn't once think last night that they played attractive football but if you can bully your way out of this league then fair play to them.
If we were in their position would we care about the style of play or just be happy with an unbeaten run and victories.
Some of our play this season has been dire.
Not sure about the anti-football comment, they play to their strengths and get the results.
What is the right way to play? I find this ticcy taccy stuff a bit boring at times, so much passing and no end result but hoofball (a la Cambridge United days) can be equally as dull.
Imagine Arter, Francis and Kermit in the top flight.
I would like Bournemouth to go up too, not least because it should give our lot some pause for thought, but you cannot say that Bournemouth as a town has a football soul. When you think about it, Ipswich have punched above their weight for 40+ years as a football town.
I remember in 2000 when they rained on our Champions parade, most of their fans stayed behind to applaud us when we got the trophy.
Sad to say it as previously I would have always supported the under dog.
Howe, on the other hand, seems to have something about him.
Last bumper crowd I saw there was when they beat Arsenal 1-0 in the Carling Cup semi-final 4 years ago. Tamas Priskin scored the 78th minute winner in front of a 29,000+ crowd.
Tamas Priskin - now we moan about current CAFC strikers - if he'd been one of ours this forum would have burst at the seams - so frustrating and a player who definitely flattered to deceive. Possibly Roy Keane's worst signing while in charge - in hindsight, of course.
However, I do remember how sore they were after the 97/98 season when they beat us twice in the league but we thoroughly outplayed them over the two legs in the plY-offs
Anyone from within 100 miles of Suffolk who I met for a good three or four years after banged on about how we were lucky to beat them!