Talk of the Town: Ipswich Town fan Russell Claydon hopes newly-forged team spirit is as good as a new signing
WHILE Manchester City, with their embarrassment of riches, have been fretting over the puzzle that has been naming their 25-man squad, there have been no such problem-solving sessions late into the night at Portman Road.
In fact, we've not even been able to submit the full 25 on our list, instead naming 20, plus under 21s, under the new system. And you could hear the tumbleweed blowing around Portman Road on transfer deadline day. But I tell you something, I'm rather warming to this sized-down squad.
Keane, under Marcus Evan's instructions, has trimmed off the fat, shipped out the dead wood, given youth its chance and, importantly, not opened the cheque book in a panic buy.
And if our flying start to the season is anything to go by, it may just work. Against Bristol City all this talk that there had been players wandering the corridors of Portman Road rocking the boat when it came to team morale came vividily to life for me.
When Calamity James put Tamas Priskin's first home goal in more than a year at IP1 on a plate for him, something I had not seen for a long time happened; all ten of our outfield players came hurtling towards the North Stand brigade to join in the celebrations.
Seemingly every time we lost the ball to our west Country opponents there were players in blue and white snapping at their ankles, throwing themselves in front of oncoming missiles and working for each other off the ball.
Don't get me wrong, it was not the best performance I have seen from Ipswich Town - Bristol were poor - but in recent times, it was one of the most unified.
Commitment and passion are two basic ingredients every fan demands from their team. Roy Keane, the epitome of those traits on the field, promised us them in abundance, and maybe he is now starting to deliver.
No player has been as impressive for me at the start of this campaign as young Luke Hyam though. The odds on him starting the first three league games back in June would have been long, but he has made the holding position his own and seemingly grown by the game. In doing so providing a platform to finally start getting the best out of Grant Leadbitter and David Norris.
Keane is quick to point out, despite ten points from 12, you don't win anything in August. But I'd counter that by saying yes, but you can certainly lose something, as we saw after our season's hopes were blown out of the water with a poor start last year.
So lets enjoy it.
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Friday 25 May 2012
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