Jim Magilton's Blue & White Army

Things can only get better.

rotf,
dont panic just yet its early days! keep the cool son, it will be ok. keep the faith!
where would us hammers be if we all panicked after 2 games!!
regards, scotty

Well it's Hull on Saturday - I hope it won't be another Hell.

I thought we were unlucky against the Wolves and quite dismal against Leicester.

Still it looks like a 6 pointer to me and I've noticed that if Hull were called 'Ull then they'd be bottom

23 Hull Played 3 GD -4 Points 0
24 Ipswich Played 3 GD -4 Points 0

C'mon Jim sort it out.

A noble signing

BTW, Sam Parkin seems to be on his way

yeah but dont forget hes only on loan to you so look after him we want him back. he is a class player, i think he will do very well there.
scotty

i hear sir bobby has got to have a brain tumor op, well i and many other fans wish him all the best and a quick recovery.
regards, scotty

quote:

Originally posted by scottyhammer:
i hear sir bobby has got to have a brain tumor op, well i and many other fans wish him all the best and a quick recovery.
regards, scotty

Absolutely.

We got a point. We are not bottom any more. We kept a clean sheet. Mark Noble had an excellent debut. The team improved markedly when Danny Haynes and Darren Currie came on. Well best to start with all the good things.

I was not so impressed with our other new loanee though, Walton, but he was not alone in disappointing - Alex Bruce, Alan Lee and Gavin Williams all seemed a bit short on pace and ideas - annoying when Fabian Wilnis, Dean Bowditch, Darren Currie and Danny Haynes were on the bench.

However, Lewis Price looked the part in goal - hope that change is how it's going to stay.

I didn't understand the tactic to play with nobody on the left hand side and kick long balls towards the corner flag on the right hand side - it may have worked for John Beck's Cambridge United, but it didn't work for us. Jamie Peters played well, but expecting him to out-jump three markers who towered over him was a tall order.

The Hull suuporters were great BTW and sung their support throughout - the atmosphere was really very good considering the positions of both sides.

Lastly, I noticed West Ham were really impressive and will be challenging at the top of the Premiership I'm sure; I really don't see why the 'ammers need Mark Noble - so please can we keep him, at least till the end of the season. West Ham can have Gavin Williams back by all means.

rotf, you can do all the sweet talking you like but we will bring him back, i dont know why whu loaned noble out in the first place! but now hes at ipswich for experience then i cant see him returning unless bowyer gets injured (who was excellent on sat)
please let me know how he rates game to game.
enjoy your footie and im sure the tractor boys will improve now.
regards, scotty

Next up the Posh in the league cup - it's a tough one, but I'm hopeful.

Latest signing: Martin Brittain - I know he's a winger.

Thriller at London Road - sorry I missed it, 2-2 with the Posh and then out on penalties 4-2. That means we can concentrate on the league, of course.

Good luck to Peterborough - I expect they are favourites to win the league cup now

congrats to watford on giving us a stern test, and to be honest i thought they did enough to win!
but im a happy hammer 4 pts from 2 games isnt a bad start.
scotty

Doh!
Told you ROTF, I go away for the first couple of weeks of the Season. Ignorance is bliss. Here's hoping the only way really is up. And all the best to Sir Bobby.
James

I go away for a few days and what happens - goals from Simon Walton (it was a penalty), Jason De Vos and Dean Bowditch and a superb win. I've got the video to watch later in the week. A victory over QPR is a rare event for the tractor boys. Perhaps this the start of a push up the league - we live in hope.

quote:

Originally posted by ROTF:
I go away for a few days and what happens - goals from Simon Walton (it was a penalty), Jason De Vos and Dean Bowditch and a superb win. I've got the video to watch later in the week. A victory over QPR is a rare event for the tractor boys. Perhaps this the start of a push up the league - we live in hope.

And all this AFTER I get back from my hol

So sorry, ROTF, things are becoming clear - I need to stay and home more and you need to stay away...

James

Jim Magilton has said he has money to spend and intends to continue adding to his squad with the right players at the right time. So far Jim has brought in Dan Harding, Alex Bruce, Martin Brittain and Sylvain Legwinski on permanent deals with Mark Noble, Simon Walton and Jon Macken on loan until January.

Jim said: It's certainly not an end to the new arrivals. I still think we lack a little depth in the squad and I have money to spend to bring more players in. We also have some very good young players here who are pushing hard to be involved. Billy Clarke was given a chance at QPR and did well, Danny Haynes is progressing and hopefully that goal at Loftus Road will help Dean Bowditch get back to where we want him to be. There are 16,17-year-olds here who are making great strides as well. Yes, they are only boys but we have great belief in them and will continue to help them develop and see how far we can take them.

Bob Malcolm, former Rangers defender, was scheduled to join on trial this week but has now joined Derby - no accounting for taste, he deserves a good RAMming.

quote:

Originally posted by ROTF:
I go away for a few days and what happens - goals from Simon Walton (it was a penalty), Jason De Vos and Dean Bowditch and a superb win. I've got the video to watch later in the week. A victory over QPR is a rare event for the tractor boys. Perhaps this the start of a push up the league - we live in hope.

ROTF

Sadly, this may not be a rare event for any team playing QPR this season

Mark

Mark

Rangers played well for the first hour - both teams did. Football on the ground and end-to-end stuff. It was the best we've played under Jim amd I think if we'd played like that all season we'd be near the top.

I think if Rangers play the way they did in the first half then they will win games and, hopefully, join us in a climb up the table.

Rotf

2-1 to the Tractor Boys ....

What a great game. Is this the same lot I saw struggle against Hull. After Hull, I wondered if a 400 mile round trip was worth the effort, after this match I’ve no doubts at all.

With George Burley, Kelvin Davis, Jermaine Wright and Chris Makin around it was like playing the Town old boys. Saints are a very good side and certainly contributed full value to the match. They hit the woodwork twice and one off the line, so things went our way.

What Southampton hadn’t bargained for was young Billy Clarke. He is an exceptional talent. The winning goal was class. Billy Clarke with a far post header from Noble's free-kick - I thought for a moment I was back to watching Viljoen and Whymark. Not sure why Jim didn’t start with Clarke, but perhaps he wants to bring him gradually.

I didn’t think there was much doubt about the penalty: Wright brought down Alan Lee. I’d have given it if I’d have been ref :-). Good pen by Simon Walton: I’m beginning to like him, I had admit I had doubts when I first saw him, but he is now looking the part.

Lewis Price’s save near the end was superb, he’s got to be our first choice keeper.

Let’s hope this form keeps up for Coventry’s visit on Tuesday - have to leave work early for that one.

Thanks for the encouraging write-up, ROTF!

All I caught of the match on the way home from King's Lynn was Radio Norfolk post-match moan about Norwich's lamentable performance today - the only way they could make sense of Ipswich was by saying 'Norwich were still only 3 points from top, but Ipswich were only 3 points behind' - made me smile

So with a good run...

James

rotf,
so are you pleased with our young hammer mark noble then ? is he playing well ?
i know he made a goal but overall whats your assessment of him.
good result by the way.
regards, scotty

Was unable to get to tonight's match (the big downside of living in the Cotswolds), but just been 'phoned by my father who said that Noble was outstanding once again - he was excellent on Saturday and by all accounts even better tonight. We are starting the climb up the table.

Of course, when there are 10 minutes to go and you need the winning goal then Jim knows exactly what to do now - bring on young Billy Clark.

I wish I'd seen the match, but news of the victory was the second best thing.

Come on you Blues!

Town are running the rule over former Port Vale midfielder George O'Callaghan, who has impressed in training this week. The 27-year-old, who now plays for his hometown club Cork City in the Eircom League, has spent the past few days training with the first-team and will extend his stay into next week. O'Callaghan started his professional career with Port Vale as a teenager in the 1998/99 season and went on to make 34 League appearances for the club, scoring four goals.