2004/2005
Ipswich Town Football Club, Championship, England.
My first season in charge of the Tractor Boys, I got off to a flying start in the pre-season Friendlies, winning 4 and drawing 1 of them. Keeping cleansheets in 2 games. I had signed Mustapha Hadji on a free transfer over the summer. The experienced, former Premiership and World Cup star, seemed quite a coup at the time. The right-winger performed magnificently in the Friendlies. Jordi Cruyff (left wing), son of the Dutch legend Johan Cruyff, had also joined the club for free during the summer. Jordi had been around the block, but was a former full Dutch international and had experience with big clubs, such as Manchester United and Barcelona.
I encountered my first problem when after signing these players, I was unable to further strengthen my squad, due to the wage budget being low. To counter this I sold the highly paid, and in my opinion, overrated Pablo Counago to Spanish club Ferrol for �500,000.
Starting the regular season was tough. I struggled in defence, and dropped regular keeper Kelvin Davis for the inexperienced Lewis Price. His first game was quite a spectacle. After playing out a dull 0-0 draw with Reading by half-time, I wasn't expecting much from the match in the second half. However on the restart, Reading raced into a 3-0 lead after little more than 10 minutes. I hit back with 2 wonder strikes from Darren Bent and Mustapha Hadji. Reading scored a further 2 goals, so with 75 minutes on the clock the score was 2-5. Giving up hope, I resigned myself to losing yet another game. When suddenly, in the space of 3 minutes, Darren Bent completed his hat-trick. With the scores tight, 4-5 going into the final 10 minutes, I watched with bated breath. Mustapha Hadji stepped up to take a free kick from just outside the box. 5-5! And into stoppage time. One last attack. Darren Bent picked the ball up on the right, he slid a beautiful pass to the left for Jordi Cruyff. Cruyff ran into the area, squared the ball for Bent and... 6-5! I had my first win of the season.
Recognising 2 things from this freak result, I was great going forward yet shoddy at the back, I splashed out on a new centre-back. Keeping in mind the wage problems, I pounced on 20-year old Fousseni Diawara from French club St. Etienne, for �400,000. With his low wage, I could afford another player, but with the transfer window closed, quality players were few and far between. My form didn't improve, and I reverted back to first choice keeper, Kelvin Davis after Price had conceded 9 goals in 2 games. In my tenth game of the season, I finally got win number 2, and my first cleansheet. Still at a loss to explain my poor defensive record, I recruited veteran German defensive-midfielder, Steffen Freund on a year long contract. His debut went well, we won for the second game in a row, 2-0 away at Wolves.
Signing Freund was the turning point of my season, already out of the League Cup (an embarrassing 2-4 home defeat against League Two strugglers Darlington) I could focus fully on the league. Implementing a new formation, 4-1-4-1 I found a good balance of attack and defence. My team, now on form, slowly made their way up the table to be sitting 7th by Christmas and on the back of a 7-game winning streak. Spectacular results from my boys soon peetered out, and I was soon slipping back down the table. I stuck it out, and as I went out of the FA Cup at the first attempt in January, 0-1 at home to Wolves, I was in 9th. Still conceding goals, I released the underperforming right back, Fabian Wilnis on a free to Millwall, and brought in two young Premiership players on loan. Right back Lloyd Dyer, from West Brom and Dean Marney, an attacking left back from Tottenham. I still struggled with indifferent form for the remainder of the season, but going into the final 4 games, I was in touching distance of the playoffs. Mainly due to the prolific Bent, and great wing-play from Cruyff and Hadji, I won those remaining 4 games, and just crept into the playoffs on the last day of the season.
After beating Nottingham Forest 3-0 in the playoff semi final first leg, I rested my players for the return fixture, certain I would be in the final. I was not disappointed. Despite losing 0-1 I made the final. Could it be I was getting promoted at the first attempt? No. I put in a mediocre display in Cardiff, losing 0-2 to Leicester City with Darren Bent injured in the first half. I had no chance with only the inexperienced Dean Bowditch on the bench as cover. But still, I went into the summer months confident for next season. Would I be disappointed?
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
22 12 12 71 56 78
Biggest Loss
Top Scorer
Most Assists
Fans Player
Of The Year
1-5 Burnley
Darren Bent, 33
Jim Magilton, 13
Darren Bent
