Ipswich’s new manager took a bulldozer to the squad but the revamp has left them bottom of the ChampionshipFor Ipswich, it was not supposed to be like this. One victory in 14 matches underlines a miserable few months since a changing of the guard at Portman Road.They hoped victory at Swansea would act as a springboard but followed it up with what Paul Hurst described as their worst performance so far; a painful case of one step forward, two steps back. Instead of reflecting on what could have been a crucial turning point, the worry is whether the Tractor Boys, bottom of the Championship, have already reached the point of no return. Related: Championship roundup: Joe Allen denies Blades return...
Big-spending Nottingham Forest will hope they can do a Wolves but the English second tier remains unpredictable Related: League One 2018-19 preview| Ben Fisher Related: League Two 2018-19 season preview | Ben Fisher Related: Number of clubs sponsored by betting firms is ‘disturbing’, say campaigners Related: Football League 2018-19: 20 things to watch out for this season | Jacob Steinberg Continue reading...
Mick McCarthy leaves the Portman Road club in far better shape than when he arrived but that was still not enough for some fansAfter announcing two weeks ago that he would be leaving his post at the end of the season, Mick McCarthy could be forgiven for thinking Ipswich fans might finally give him a break. An increasingly toxic atmosphere has permeated the fabric of Portman Road in recent seasons and the unsustainable mutual antipathy of a hardcore section of supporters and their manager meant a parting of company was quite obviously best for all concerned.Having finally got what they wanted, those in the stands could have contemplated the good times – and there were good times – under a...
Championship’s longest-serving manager will leave at end of the season after attempts to modernise style ran aground owing to a lack of investment, injuries and a loss of nerveMick McCarthy does not waste much time on sentiment but football’s circularity will not be lost on him when he emerges from the tunnel at Birmingham on Saturday. It was at St Andrew’s, on 3 November 2012, that he took the first small step towards creating a team Ipswich could feel proud of again; now his long goodbye begins there and the overriding sense, beyond the wildly contrasting opinions McCarthy’s reign has prompted, is of relief at the end of a saga that did all parties more harm than good.As this season...
Mark Robins’ eye-catching Coventry deserve their headlines, Liverpool have a bargain in Andrew Robertson and Wolves are already good enough for top flightAmid all the hoopla over the departing Mark Hughes, it is right to take a moment to praise Coventry City. They were deserved winners of the third-round tie at the Ricoh Arena, despite giving up the greater number of chances to the visitors. The Sky Blues played with a determination and energy you might expect of a team assuming the David role in a Goliath encounter. But they were also calm on the ball and often quite cute on it, too. Their play was all the more striking, given the starting XI had an average age of 24...