Thursday 23 April 2009
Roy Keane and the reclusive Marcus Evans
Ipswich sack their manager because 9th is not good enough. It's amazing what a bit of money and decisiveness can do. So Roy Keane will follow such gentlemen as Sir Alf Ramsey, Ron Greenwood, Bobby Robson, John Lyall and Joe Royle. Interesting times in carrot cruncher land with the mysterious owner Bermudian 'based' Marcus Evans promising to give Keane £20m to spend on new players.
I personally would love to see Matt Holland stay with us next season, he has been a model professional, but with uncertainity ahead I wouldn't be suprised if Keane tries to prise his ex-Irish team mate back to Portman Road.
It is said that Evans has never been in the Ipswich boardroom but with former British Olympic Association chief Simon Clegg the new CEO, the timing of Magilton's departure and Keane's arrival was probably no coincidence. Evans, according to his companies website "employs more than 3,500 people in more than 36 countries around the globe delivering intelligence and business products across a full range of commercial sectors, including capital markets, life sciences, defence, healthcare, information technology and legal". All 15 of his firms are registered in Bermuda. None of that will probably be of interest to Keane and his dogs, although perhaps I'll keep an eye out for him when he comes to discuss his summer transfers with Evans!
We will have smaller sardines to fry next season, but as the bookies fall over themselves to install QPR and Ipswich as joint Championship title favourites, the division just does not work like that. What will happen is that teams such as Derby and Reading in particular will be troubled in the knowledge of what happened to us in our 2nd season as they again have to restructure their finances to compete with the already stable clubs such as Burnley, Preston and Bristol City and the QPR's and Ipswich's plus those relegated from the Premiership.
Changing tack, I was humoured to read about Blackpool fans being charged for entering the field of play after Lee Hughes equalised last week. Apparently 7 were arrested but then one was de-arrested. What does that mean? They face convictions such as banning orders, which sounds a bit bloody harsh to me. ¶ 08:34
I personally would love to see Matt Holland stay with us next season, he has been a model professional, but with uncertainity ahead I wouldn't be suprised if Keane tries to prise his ex-Irish team mate back to Portman Road.
It is said that Evans has never been in the Ipswich boardroom but with former British Olympic Association chief Simon Clegg the new CEO, the timing of Magilton's departure and Keane's arrival was probably no coincidence. Evans, according to his companies website "employs more than 3,500 people in more than 36 countries around the globe delivering intelligence and business products across a full range of commercial sectors, including capital markets, life sciences, defence, healthcare, information technology and legal". All 15 of his firms are registered in Bermuda. None of that will probably be of interest to Keane and his dogs, although perhaps I'll keep an eye out for him when he comes to discuss his summer transfers with Evans!
We will have smaller sardines to fry next season, but as the bookies fall over themselves to install QPR and Ipswich as joint Championship title favourites, the division just does not work like that. What will happen is that teams such as Derby and Reading in particular will be troubled in the knowledge of what happened to us in our 2nd season as they again have to restructure their finances to compete with the already stable clubs such as Burnley, Preston and Bristol City and the QPR's and Ipswich's plus those relegated from the Premiership.
Changing tack, I was humoured to read about Blackpool fans being charged for entering the field of play after Lee Hughes equalised last week. Apparently 7 were arrested but then one was de-arrested. What does that mean? They face convictions such as banning orders, which sounds a bit bloody harsh to me. ¶ 08:34
