retired_amyslack

Their impressive run of form continued into April with a 2-1 win at home to Reading courtesy of a late goal from loanee Kiran Bechan after the veteran Les Ferdinand had equalised Kevin Horlock’s first-half strike. More good news followed at Crewe with Rebrov scoring twice in the 3-1 win after Bent got the opener. By the time they entertained Wolves in the middle of the month both Bechan and Zandstra had returned to their clubs at the end of their 3-month loan periods leaving midfield a little short of cover. The situation would get worse when Kevin Horlock suffered a sprained ankle during the 1-0 win and looked likely to miss the remaining league programme. Eight consecutive wins had now taken the club to 4th place and they were just two points behind both Leicester and Sunderland and with a real chance of automatic promotion. They suffered a further casualty prior to the midweek trip to Preston when Richard Witschge suffered a training injury but with confidence running high they still put in a good performance. They came back from a goal down to force a 1-1 draw and but for a Man of the Match display by the home keeper they would have gained all three points. The width of the crossbar denied Ipswich a guaranteed playoff place at home to Stoke as Jim Magilton struck the woodwork not once, but twice, in the goalless draw. The club faced their final two matches of the season with the automatic promotion places still in the balance and Roorsby’s team could have a big say in the final outcome. At the end of the month they would travel to league leaders Derby and then they would finish the season at home to second place Leicester – the most difficult end to the season that the manager could imagine.

<pre class="ip-ubbcode-code-pre">| ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | Pos | Inf | Team | Pld | Won | Drn | Lst | For | Ag | G.D. | Pts | | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 1st | Pl | Derby | 44 | 26 | 6 | 12 | 80 | 45 | +35 | 84 | | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 2nd | Pl | Leicester | 44 | 22 | 15 | 7 | 72 | 42 | +30 | 81 | | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 3rd | Pl | Sunderland | 44 | 24 | 9 | 11 | 73 | 52 | +21 | 81 | | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 4th | | IPSWICH | 44 | 20 | 17 | 7 | 62 | 39 | +23 | 77 | | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 5th | | Wigan | 44 | 21 | 11 | 12 | 62 | 44 | +18 | 74 | | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 6th | | West Ham | 44 | 21 | 11 | 12 | 61 | 43 | +18 | 74 | | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 7th | | Nottm Forest | 44 | 19 | 15 | 10 | 59 | 41 | +18 | 72 | | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 8th | | Wolves | 44 | 19 | 14 | 11 | 79 | 54 | +25 | 71 | | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 9th | | Q.P.R. | 44 | 19 | 12 | 13 | 55 | 44 | +11 | 69 | | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 10th | | Leeds | 44 | 17 | 15 | 12 | 67 | 53 | +14 | 66 | | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 11th | | Coventry | 44 | 16 | 14 | 14 | 58 | 57 | +1 | 62 | | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 12th | | Reading | 44 | 16 | 13 | 15 | 57 | 55 | +2 | 61 | | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 13th | | Sheff Utd | 44 | 12 | 21 | 11 | 46 | 45 | +1 | 57 | | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 14th | | Preston | 44 | 14 | 12 | 18 | 56 | 61 | -5 | 54 | | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 15th | | Rotherham | 44 | 11 | 19 | 14 | 47 | 52 | -5 | 52 | | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 16th | | Gillingham | 44 | 13 | 12 | 19 | 51 | 60 | -9 | 51 | | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 17th | | Stoke | 44 | 12 | 13 | 19 | 52 | 56 | -4 | 49 | | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 18th | | Watford | 44 | 13 | 10 | 21 | 58 | 76 | -18 | 49 | | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 19th | | Cardiff | 44 | 12 | 12 | 20 | 52 | 77 | -25 | 48 | | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 20th | | Millwall | 44 | 11 | 13 | 20 | 46 | 57 | -11 | 46 | | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 21st | | Brighton | 44 | 10 | 16 | 18 | 54 | 78 | -24 | 46 | | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 22nd | | Plymouth | 44 | 9 | 17 | 18 | 51 | 69 | -18 | 44 | | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 23rd | | Burnley | 44 | 10 | 12 | 22 | 47 | 64 | -17 | 42 | | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 24th | R | Crewe | 44 | 3 | 7 | 34 | 36 | 117 | -81 | 16 | | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|</pre>

retired_amyslack

East Anglia Daily Times
Saturday 30th April 2005
No Luck For Town As Rams Clinch Promotion

The Blues put in a spirited performance at Derby and outplayed their hosts for stretches of the match but a first-half goal against the run of play was enough for the home side to claim the win and secure automatic promotion. Ipswich battled manfully to get back into the game and for the second match in succession were denied by the woodwork as a crashing header from Jason De Vos came back off the crossbar. The home keeper also played his part by making some stunning saves and was later voted Man of the Match for his fine display. Town deserved at least a point for their efforts but now need to wait until the visit of Leicester until their fate is decided. A point will be enough for a playoff place and in reality given their superior goal difference over 7th place Wigan, they should make it even if defeated.

Despite his frustration at losing a game that, with a bit more luck, they could have won, Roorsby could only congratulate former Ipswich boss George Burley for the work that he had done at Derby County. By guiding them to the Premiership he had shown all of his qualities as a manger and the Ipswich boss hoped that he would follow Burley’s example and find success with the Blues.

retired_amyslack

East Anglia Daily Times
Sunday 8th May 2005
Town Seal Playoff Spot

An excellent 2-0 win at home to Leicester ensured that Ipswich will take their place in the Playoff Semi Finals next week. An even contest swung in favour of the home side on 30 minutes when Rebrov scored his 6th goal of the season. The visitors responded in positive fashion and keeper Kelvin Davis impressed with some fine saves. With the match still finely balanced substitute Jim Magilton doubled the Blues advantage in the 71st minute having replaced a struggling Ian Westlake just minutes earlier. The win wasn’t enough to propel Ipswich above their opponents but a 4th place finish seemed beyond the team a couple of months ago until a strong run in March and April pushed them right into contention. The 29,000 fans at Portman Road gave their favourites some rousing support and confidence is high as they go into the two-legged tie with West Ham. Leaders Derby almost blew the title with a shock 3-0 defeat at Leeds but their superior goal difference was enough to keep Sunderland pegged back in second place.

retired_amyslack

Having managed to come up with their best form of the season at exactly the right time, Roorsby was delighted to have steered his team to the playoffs and given them a chance of promotion. It was now up to the players to ensure that they made the most of their opportunity, beginning with the 1st leg of the Semi Final at Upton Park. The team was boosted by the return to full training of Kevin Horlock and Roorsby decided to risk staring him, keeping his fingers crossed that the 32-year-old would be up to it. The team did not get off to the best of starts, falling behind to a Bobby Zamora goal in the 12th minute. But when they got into their stride they looked the better side and two goals from Darren Bent took them into half time in the lead. The rejuvenated young striker was denied a hat trick by the width of the crossbar as Ipswich tried to push home their advantage in the second half. But the home side made a few chances too and, not for the first time this season, Kelvin Davis made some important saves. There was no further scoring and Roorsby’s team went into the midweek return with the advantage of a lead and two away goals in the bank. It was a 30,000 sellout at Portman Road for the return leg and the only thing that separated the sides was a Darren Bent goal 15 minutes from time that secured a 3-1 aggregate win and a Playoff Final against Wolves who beat Leicester 4-2 overall.

retired_bbcarr

Good to see Ipswich in the play-offs, Bob. Hopefully Wolves can be brushed aside in the final :thup:

retired_manragh

Yeah good luck in the final Bob, hopefully you fair a little better than I did against Wolves, although we did win the first game.

retired_amyslack

Thanks chaps but as you will see it was a case of "close, but no cigar".

East Anglia Daily Times
Sunday 29th May 2005
Town Denied In Playoff Drama

The Playoff Finals have a history of producing drama and excitement and this enthralling battle at the Millennium Stadium was no exception. Ipswich were moments away from a place in the Premiership as they led Wolves by two goals to one with just seconds of stoppage time remaining. But their hopes were dashed by the latest of late equalisers and they went on to concede again in extra time to suffer a heartbreaking defeat. The Blues started very positively and enjoyed most of the early possession with Witschge, Rebrov and Bent all having chances in a strong opening spell. It was the Dutch midfielder who made the breakthrough after quarter of an hour when he curled home a delightful free kick into the top corner to put Ipswich ahead. Wolves looked to respond quickly and Kelvin Davis was tested on several occasions in the next twenty minutes but Town held firm and then broke forward to double their advantage. Darren Bent made the goal with a delightful pass to Eyal Berkovic and the Israeli broke the offside trap and finished calmly. But Wolves had to wait less than five minutes for a reply, the impressive Jimmy Bullard reducing the deficit after Davis had spilled a shot from Kenny Miller. Bent had a half chance with a header just before the break but his effort was too weak his and the teams reached half time with Ipswich holding a slender advantage.

The longer the second half went on the stronger Wolves looked as they gradually increased the pressure and sought an elusive equaliser. With four minutes of stoppage time being indicated the Blues had a golden chance to kill off the game as Rebrov made progress with a strong run that took him into the heart of the Wolves penalty area but Simon Royce was off his line quickly and went down to smother the ball before the striker could get his shot away. Then with virtually the last kick of the game Mark Kennedy gave his team a lifeline as he raced away from the Ipswich defence to slip the ball past Davis for the most dramatic of equalisers. The drama was far from over however and with a further 30 minutes of football still to be played it was anybody’s game. Five minutes into the extra period both teams were reduced to ten men after a scuffle between Jim Magilton and Paul Telfer resulted in the two being sent off. Neither side managed to create any clear scoring chances and with the players visibly tiring the pace had dropped noticeably. The winning goal came right at the start of the second period of extra time when another mazy run from Mark Kennedy set up Kenny Miller for a simple tap-in. Ipswich became increasingly desperate in their search for an equaliser but it was not to be and at the end of an exhausting 120 minutes many of their players lay prostrate on the pitch, physically and mentally exhausted. They had given their all and none of the travelling fans could fail to recognise their efforts. Manager Roorsby Bobbins came on to the pitch to urge his players back onto their feet and made them take a weary lap of honour to thank the fans who had stayed so loyal to them during the season. The new manager had his doubters when first appointed but his team’s performance in the closing few months of the season, boosted by some astute signings, has convinced many of us that he may just have what it takes to bring success back to Portman Road.

<pre class="ip-ubbcode-code-pre">| ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | Pos | Inf | Team | Pld | Won | Drn | Lst | For | Ag | G.D. | Pts | | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 1st | C | Derby | 46 | 27 | 6 | 13 | 81 | 48 | +33 | 87 | | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 2nd | P | Sunderland | 46 | 26 | 9 | 11 | 75 | 52 | +23 | 87 | | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 3rd | | Leicester | 46 | 22 | 15 | 9 | 73 | 46 | +27 | 81 | | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 4th | | IPSWICH | 46 | 21 | 17 | 8 | 64 | 40 | +24 | 80 | | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 5th | | West Ham | 46 | 22 | 12 | 12 | 64 | 44 | +20 | 78 | | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 6th | P | Wolves | 46 | 21 | 14 | 11 | 82 | 54 | +28 | 77 | | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 7th | | Wigan | 46 | 21 | 11 | 14 | 65 | 52 | +13 | 74 | | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 8th | | Nottm Forest | 46 | 19 | 16 | 11 | 60 | 43 | +17 | 73 | | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 9th | | Q.P.R. | 46 | 20 | 12 | 14 | 57 | 46 | +11 | 72 | | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 10th | | Leeds | 46 | 18 | 15 | 13 | 70 | 54 | +16 | 69 | | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 11th | | Reading | 46 | 17 | 13 | 16 | 61 | 59 | +2 | 64 | | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 12th | | Sheff Utd | 46 | 14 | 21 | 11 | 50 | 47 | +3 | 63 | | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 13th | | Coventry | 46 | 16 | 14 | 16 | 59 | 60 | -1 | 62 | | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 14th | | Gillingham | 46 | 15 | 12 | 19 | 56 | 62 | -6 | 57 | | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 15th | | Stoke | 46 | 14 | 13 | 19 | 54 | 56 | -2 | 55 | | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 16th | | Preston | 46 | 14 | 12 | 20 | 59 | 67 | -8 | 54 | | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 17th | | Millwall | 46 | 13 | 13 | 20 | 51 | 58 | -7 | 52 | | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 18th | | Rotherham | 46 | 11 | 19 | 16 | 47 | 55 | -8 | 52 | | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 19th | | Cardiff | 46 | 13 | 12 | 21 | 55 | 81 | -26 | 51 | | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 20th | | Watford | 46 | 13 | 10 | 23 | 61 | 82 | -21 | 49 | | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 21st | | Burnley | 46 | 12 | 12 | 22 | 52 | 64 | -12 | 48 | | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 22nd | R | Plymouth | 46 | 10 | 17 | 19 | 53 | 72 | -19 | 47 | | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 23rd | R | Brighton | 46 | 10 | 16 | 20 | 54 | 82 | -28 | 46 | | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 24th | R | Crewe | 46 | 4 | 7 | 35 | 41 | 120 | -79 | 19 | | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| </pre>

retired_amyslack

It was a real blow to have been so close to winning the Playoff Final but Roorsby tried to take a positive view of the season. After spending long periods looking like they would not even be challenging for promotion his team came through strongly in the run in and came within seconds of achieving their dream. Since their relegation from the Premiership in 2002 the club had finished 7th, 5th and 4th and the manager was hopeful of continuing the upward trend next season.

He was pleased with the contribution of several of his players with Berkovic in particular having a standout season. Drissa Diallo, Dean Richards and Ian Westlake were all picked for the Championship Select and Roorsby was amazed that his Israeli star had been overlooked. Darren Bent finished as top scorer with 21 goals and was the Division’s 3rd highest scorer. The youth team did well, winning the Under-18 league and there were certainly some good prospects for the future amongst the youngsters.

All things considered he felt that the club could look forward to next season with some optimism and after a short summer break he was soon back at his desk preparing for the forthcoming league campaign.

retired_amyslack

Season 02

East Anglia Daily Times
Saturday 30th July 2005
This Year We Can Do It

Ipswich manager Roorsby Bobbins has now been in charge of team affairs at Portman Road for 12 months. Having just missed out on a return to the Premiership after a heart-breaking defeat in the playoff final, the manager has had a busy summer preparing his team for the season ahead. Nonetheless he agreed to spend some time with reporter John Adams looking back over last season and discussing his plans for the new campaign.

EADT – First of all Roorsby, thanks for taking the time to share your thoughts with our readers.

RB – My pleasure John. The folks around here have shown great support for the team and have welcomed my wife and I to the local area so the least I can do is give them a little of my time.

EADT – Can we start with your view on last season? You must have been devastated with the defeat in the Playoff Final.

RB – Well it was a very cruel way to lose having been just seconds away from the Premiership. But we have to look at it positively – it was a great achievement to have got that far considering that we struggled in the early part of the season as the players were getting used to the system that I was trying to introduce. I’m a great believer in the saying that “what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger” and I’m sure that the experience has strengthened us as a team.

EADT – You have managed to bring in quite a few new players over the summer – does that mean that you weren’t happy with the players that you had at your disposal last season?

RB – It means that every manager is always looking to improve his squad, and I’m no different in that respect. I was very happy with the way many of the players performed last season but in order to gain success you need strength in depth and that’s what many of my signings are about.

EADT – So who stood out for you last year?

RB – Well the supporters thought that Eyal Berkovic was our Player of the Season and I certainly wouldn’t argue with that decision. Richard Witschge was influential after his arrival and young Ian Westlake had a great season in midfield. Darren Bent showed that he is a very good striker and Drissa Diallo did a great job at right back. Defensively we were OK but just a little thin on numbers to cover for injuries. It was the same story in midfield – performing well but with very little cover.

EADT – And what do you expect from the new players?

RB – Well David Unsworth proved his value last season and when we had the chance to turn his loan deal into a permanent signing that was an easy decision to make. Alou Diarra was our most expensive signing at £170K, over half of the transfer budget, and I think that the former Liverpool man will do us a good turn in the anchor position in front of the defence. Pieter Collen and Darren Moore give us much-needed defensive cover and Otto Addo, Cedric van der Gun and Thomas Riedl offer another set of options in midfield.

EADT – Most of those came in as free agents – is that an indication of the financial problems within the club?

RB – I would call them financial constraints rather than problems. Everyone knows that the club is carrying a significant amount of debt and we all have to work within the framework that the Chairman has established to ensure that we remain viable.

EADT – And the two loan deals?

RB – Again that gives us more depth in the squad. John Welsh is here from Liverpool and Sebastian Svard from Arsenal, both for the full season, and I expect them to see a fair amount of action. That should help them as players and us as a team.

EADT – Are none of our own youth players good enough for the first team?

RB – We have some great prospects amongst the youngsters but you can’t expect a 17 or 18 year old to get regular first team action at this level. The Under-18’s won their league last year and some of those lads will surely break into the first team, but not just yet.

EADT – What about the players that you released?

RB – Oleg Luzhnyi was unlucky with injury last season and I would have offered him another year but we had an issue with his work permit because he simply hadn’t played enough games. Pablo Counago and Shefti Kuqi just didn’t fit into my plans and it was right that they should be given the opportunity to find regular football elsewhere at the end of their contracts. Fabian Wilnes and Darren Currie were both allowed to leave without a fee for much the same reason – they had little prospect of seeing any action and it also took some £5,000 a week off the wage bill.

EADT – You must be very pleased with the pre-season preparations? You won all six warm-up matches without conceding a goal.

RB – Pre-season is all about getting match-fit and seeing how any new faces fit into the overall setup. It’s always nice to win games but in many ways the results are immaterial, it’s the performance that counts.

EADT – Finally Roorsby, what are your expectations for this season?

RB – With the club having reached the Playoffs for the last two seasons we are certainly aiming to challenge for promotion again this year. Personally I am hoping that we can get one of the top-two spots rather than go though the playoffs once more, but if we can get promoted then it won’t really matter how we do it.

EADT – So you feel that automatic promotion is achievable?

RB – I certainly do. I’m not making any predictions but if we can make a good start and keep our form over the season then we should be in the mix come next May.


Roorsby Bobbins cast his newspaper aside with a sigh of relief, pleased that his openness in stating his promotion ambitions had not been blown too much out of proportion. The Board seemed preoccupied with the club’s finances but he knew that the supporters were expecting a serious run at the Premiership and he hoped to be able to oblige.

retired_amyslack

East Anglia Daily Times
Sunday 6th August 2005
Town Off To A Flyer

An impressive debut from new Dutch signing Cedric van der Gun was the highlight as Ipswich got their season off to a flying start with an excellent 3-1 win at home to Wigan. The opening goal came with just six and a half minutes on the clock when Alou Diarra rose at the near post to head home a van der Gun corner. Ten minutes before half time exciting young midfielder Ian Westlake doubled Town’s lead with an exquisite free kick that found the top corner from some 25 yards out. The visitors pulled a goal back with 20 minutes remaining when Darren Moore was adjudged to have tripped Andreas Johansson in the area, Jason Roberts making no mistake from the spot. But within minutes the two-goal advantage was restored when substitute Dwight Yorke, on for the injured Darren Bent, latched on to a through ball from van der Gun to slide the ball home.

Roorsby folded the newspaper and put it on the floor beside his armchair. It had indeed been a very satisfactory performance in the opening game of the season and Cedric looked capable of doing well at this level. The injury to Bent was not serious but he may be forced to miss a game or two having landed awkwardly under a challenge and damaged his wrist.