Royle leaves Town

Thank whoever - better change my name now though!
Curbishley would be good - he must be used to the Town way of football with half our ex-players having gone to Charlton over the past few seasons!

Hooray, he's gone!

James

(Suffolk exiled in Norfolk!)

But who will replace him?

We must be realistic about who can be afforded. If we've had to sell so many of our best players in the last couple of years, one wonders how much can be put into the managerial piggy bank...

I've heard the chap from Colchester and Tony Mowbray mentioned.

Whilst Tony has been an excellent servant of the club, having been involved with it both so long and so recently, I would slightly wonder what new/fresh he has to bring.

The chap from Colchester could be on a roll. If so, playing with him might be better than playing against him...

From a blue dot in a sea of yellow and green,
James

Willie Donachie has applied, but I don't think that would work. Tony Mowbray would be popular, as, of course, would be Terry Butcher.

I think Colchester might be upset if we took their manager again - they've not got over George - would a return for Mr Burley be out of the question.

ROTF You're very much closer to the action than me! I have to say I always thought they were a bit hasty in dumping old George in the first place - given the amount of rope they subsequently gave Joe.

Terry Butcher, now there's a thought... Hmmm...

Preston boss Billy Davies is a leading candidate to replace Joe Royle at Portman Road. The Ipswich board have been impressed by the 41-year-old Scot's excellent record in his two years in charge at Deepdale. Davies has taken Preston into the play-offs in successive seasons, losing just 21 of his 101 games in charge, and he has done it on a modest budget. He has also been forced to sell players, bringing in millions, and replaced them at a fraction of the cost. His biggest success was to capture England Under-21 striker David Nugent from Bury for just £100,000 and the player is now rated in the £3 million bracket.

Former Ipswich captain and coach Tony Mowbray, now manager of Hibs, and Colchester boss Phil Parkinson are other leading candidates. Town are in the market for a young manager who has already proved himself elsewhere and who would relish the challenge of restoring the club's Premiership status. But a move for Parkinson could be ruled out on political grounds. Would Ipswich really want to risk another major fall-out with neighbours Colchester, which happened when George Burley left Layer Road in December 1994 to replace John Lyall? That move had lengthy repercussions and Town are likely to look elsewhere, despite Parkinson's major achievement in securing the U's a place in English football's second tier for the first time in their history.

Tony Mowbray's achievements in Scotland - he has only spent £5,000 in two seasons at Easter Road - have also seen his stock rise. But he has also been linked with a move to Middlesbrough, where he is revered as a former captain of the club, and that is a job with massive pull.

Another ex-Town skipper, Terry Butcher, is sure to be interested. He always said that managing Ipswich would be his dream job. After cutting his teeth at Sunderland and Coventry, he is now in charge of Motherwell and is being courted by Australian club Sydney.

Alan Curbishley is available after quitting Charlton, but there is now way Ipswich could afford his salary demands. Royle was understood to be on a salary of just over £250,000 a year, but Premiership bosses earn four times that amount.

One person who will definitely not be applying is former Town captain Jim Magilton, who said an emotional Portman Road farewell last month. Before exiting, Magilton admitted he would love to return as manager - little realising the vacancy would crop up so soon. Veteran midfielder Magilton, who plans to continue playing for at least one more season, today spoke of his amazement at the departure of Royle. He said: [i]I will not be sending in my cv - unless they ask for it of course! I'm still coming to terms with the news. As far as I was aware, Joe was optimistic about next season and felt he had the nucleus of a very good side. The gaffer has been unlucky. Had we not suffered so many injuries last season, and he had been able to field a full-strength X1, results would have been a lot different. I don't know how this has come about, but I'm certain there will be plenty of applications flying through the letter box. Joe was fair, honest and decent, one of the most decent human beings you could ever wish to meet, and I enjoyed my time working with him./i]

ROTF - you are a very kind person keeping us abreast of happenings at Portman Road. You will understand that there is a sort of 'filter' that applies as soon as one hits the Norfolk border...

James

(PS Just to confirm my Ipswich credentials, I grew up near Christchurch Park)

Thanks James

Town will be interviewing candidates for the new manager's position at Portman Road over the next week before forming a shortlist for the job. David Sheepshanks and Chief Executive Derek Bowden have been in discussions at the Club through this afternoon, sifting through the many applications for the vacancy following Joe Royle's departure last week.

Derek said: We have had a host of applications for the position and myself and the Chairman have gone through the process of looking at every one. We now intend to interview candidates over the next four or five days before drawing up a shortlist. The intention then is for more extensive interviews to take place and it's our aim to have a new manager in place before the end of June when the players return for pre-season training.

ROTF -
I see Tony Mowbray's withdrawn from contention. And hunches/inside info/local feelings developing?
James

Iain Dowie has just left Palace - could do worse.

quote:

Originally posted by JWM:
ROTF -
I see Tony Mowbray's withdrawn from contention. And hunches/inside info/local feelings developing?
James

Yes and Terry Butcher is going to Sydney.

David Sheepshanks said Mogga was targeted by the Club, but had decided that he did not want to leave Hibs.

quote:

Originally posted by RoyleBlue:
Iain Dowie has just left Palace - could do worse.

Has the Prseton manager moved on - there was a story on the news about Dowie going to Prseton as he wanted to live with his family in Lancashire. I wondered if we had any chance with Billy Davies.

Former QPR manager Ian Holloway says getting the Town managers job would be a dream come true for him. Holloway said: “I would be in dreamland if I thought I was in with a chance of managing Ipswich. I have nothing but the highest regard and admiration for Ipswich - it is a massive club. I have always loved going to Portman Road, back from when I came on as a substitute in the FA Youth Cup many years ago when I was with Bristol Rovers and we had a certain Geraint Williams in midfield for us. It is a wonderful club. I would love to manage Ipswich, and good luck to the man who does get the job.”

BTW Happy Birthday to Paul Marriner.

Colin Calderwood is now facourite to follow in the footsteps of Sir Alf Ramsay and Sir Bobby Robson. Hed did well at Northampton.

Is he going to get us up to top flight in, say, two seasons?

With the purse strings always being a worry, will the board give him the wherewithall to do it?
James

Colin Calderwood flew back from his holiday in Dubai at David Sheepshanks's request, but he says he knows nothing of the Tractor Boys and wants to finish what he started at Northampton.

Jim Magilton has been interviewed.

A certain Nigel Clough has been seen around Ipswich recently as well.

Unofficially the five candidates are

Jim Magilton & Bryan Klug
Nigel Pearson (interesting)
Colin Calderwood
Ian Holloway (oh no not him)
Willie Donachie

However, Nigel Clough would be an interesting choice.

Hello ROTF
Thanks for the classic mariner photo, he was my hero when growing up, and spent some time with him in america on holiday, he's still out there and loving life, as my uncle is John Wark, my favourite footy memories are of the towns great days in the 70s/80s, my 1st game I ever remember is the 78 FA cup final, when a minibus full of my family left glasgow on a rowdy drunken trip down to wembely.
happy days

John Wark - what a great player: a legend. Hit both posts in '78 and scored all those goals when we won the EUFA cup in 81. I remember his debut when he was 16 - he had to deputise for Kevin Beatie, which was no easy task.

Those were great days indeed and being an optimist I am expecting them to return very soon.

John Wark



John Wark - a Town legend

No announcement till next week, but Jim Magilton or Bryan Klug seem the most likely choices.

Just back from a few days in Northumberland, so it's good to come back to such a well kept-up thread!

Have just popped over to the ITFC website, and see that Colin Calderwood is definitely NOT going to be the next manager, he's gone to Nottingham Forest...

So we'll keep watching. (For old time's sake, I'd like to see John Wark, but don't know how good he is as a manager.)

James