There would have been many surprised football fans when it was recently announced that former Sunderland boss, Roy Keane, was taking charge of Ipswich Town in preparation for a stab at promotion next season.
The former Manchester United skipper left Sunderland in January having had a brief spell on Tyneside in which he attracted a lot of praise for his no nonsense approach to coaching and man management.
This really is a football coup. The arrival of Keane at Ipswich has propelled the Portman Road club to the front of clubs trying to get promotion to the Premier League next year. It has created the virtues of excitement, hope and enthusiasm, which in football no amount of money can buy.
Keane is likely to draw on all the resources he established at Sunderland and maybe even persuade one or two of the players to drop down a division and move south to take part in what promises to be an exciting adventure for everything associated to Ipswich.
Newspaper reports have revealed today that Ipswich have already been linked with Sunderland players; Daryl Murphy, Carlos Edwards, Dean Whitehead and Nyron Nosworthy. However, as is the way in football, actually persuading the players to move is the real test. These players will take some persuading to leave Premier League football behind to venture on what is really a gamble way down south.
Keane is not naïve, he is a realist and a passionate individual. Ipswich look likely to finish 9th in the Championship table this season and Keane has already mustered his disappointment at the fact he was not able to walk into a side with the play-off matches just around the corner. A lot of work has to be done and quickly, including improvement of the club and its staff.
He will also identify all of the weaknesses that Ipswich currently have before making any big transfer decisions. With Premier League clubs still to come down and the financial prospects of Queens Park Rangers looking good for next season, Ipswich will have to play out of their skins if they are to get an automatic promotion spot in the next campaign.
The future is bright though, every single Ipswich Town fan should have a smile on their face. The club have all of a sudden rediscovered their Premier League ambitions when many had accepted that they might not resurface for a number of years. Many will have now put to bed the memories of 9-0 thrashings at the hands of Manchester United.
The one reason for success at Stoke City in the Premier League was, as their manager Tony Pulis put it: “a community spirit.” The arrival of Keane could have the same effect on the town. If Ipswich fill their ground and create an intimidating atmosphere all year long then it could be a difficult place to go for even the most established of teams. Fortress Portman Road will be pivotal to any success if Keane is to do the unthinkable and take Ipswich into the top flight of English football from virtually out of no where.
The former Manchester United skipper left Sunderland in January having had a brief spell on Tyneside in which he attracted a lot of praise for his no nonsense approach to coaching and man management.
This really is a football coup. The arrival of Keane at Ipswich has propelled the Portman Road club to the front of clubs trying to get promotion to the Premier League next year. It has created the virtues of excitement, hope and enthusiasm, which in football no amount of money can buy.
Keane is likely to draw on all the resources he established at Sunderland and maybe even persuade one or two of the players to drop down a division and move south to take part in what promises to be an exciting adventure for everything associated to Ipswich.
Newspaper reports have revealed today that Ipswich have already been linked with Sunderland players; Daryl Murphy, Carlos Edwards, Dean Whitehead and Nyron Nosworthy. However, as is the way in football, actually persuading the players to move is the real test. These players will take some persuading to leave Premier League football behind to venture on what is really a gamble way down south.
Keane is not naïve, he is a realist and a passionate individual. Ipswich look likely to finish 9th in the Championship table this season and Keane has already mustered his disappointment at the fact he was not able to walk into a side with the play-off matches just around the corner. A lot of work has to be done and quickly, including improvement of the club and its staff.
He will also identify all of the weaknesses that Ipswich currently have before making any big transfer decisions. With Premier League clubs still to come down and the financial prospects of Queens Park Rangers looking good for next season, Ipswich will have to play out of their skins if they are to get an automatic promotion spot in the next campaign.
The future is bright though, every single Ipswich Town fan should have a smile on their face. The club have all of a sudden rediscovered their Premier League ambitions when many had accepted that they might not resurface for a number of years. Many will have now put to bed the memories of 9-0 thrashings at the hands of Manchester United.
The one reason for success at Stoke City in the Premier League was, as their manager Tony Pulis put it: “a community spirit.” The arrival of Keane could have the same effect on the town. If Ipswich fill their ground and create an intimidating atmosphere all year long then it could be a difficult place to go for even the most established of teams. Fortress Portman Road will be pivotal to any success if Keane is to do the unthinkable and take Ipswich into the top flight of English football from virtually out of no where.
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