Would the current Ipswich team challenge the 1999/2000 squad?

Article by e-Ipswich Town's Daryl Curle

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The pre-season schedule has been and gone so far without any hitches for Mick McCarthy and his Ipswich Town squad. Four friendlies have been and gone, and Ipswich remain unbeaten, without having conceded a single goal. Whisper it quietly, but some are suggesting that the Tractor Boys could be dark horses this upcoming season. It seems like forever ago since the 1999/2000 season, when Ipswich last secured promotion to the Premier League, so by comparing the squad back then with the one of today, who would get in the best eleven?

Goalkeeper

Ipswich Town will face Fulham in under two weeks in the first match of the season, and Dean Gerken will line up between the sticks. Playing thirty-nine games last season, and growing in confidence towards the end of the season, Gerks has made the number one shirt his own. But how does he compare against two-time England international, Richard Wright? The short answer is not well. Wrighty, born in Ipswich, and having three separate spells with the club, he quickly made himself a fan favourite, and later, a club hero, enjoying the majority of his career in the Premiership, currently playing his football for champions Manchester City, or perhaps rather their development squad. Famously saving a penalty in the Play-off final against Barnsley, Wrighty wins this battle.

Defence

The promotion-winning squad of 1999/2000 saw several defenders grace the Portman Road pitch in a home shirt. Club captain Tony Mowbray was joined by his close friend and assistant manager at four clubs including Celtic and Middlesborough, Mark Venus, as well as Titus Bramble, Jamie Clapham, John McGreal, Fabian Wilnis, Wayne Brown and Gary Croft. Mark Venus, a penalty specialist, was not present as much as Jamie Clapham during that successful season, with Clapham taking the left-back spot. The right-back position belonged to Wilnis by the end of the season, with Mowbray and McGreal lining between the full-backs after Bramble joined local rivals, Colchester United, for part of the season on loan. Today, after having lost Aaron Cresswell to West Ham United, it looks as if new signing Jonathan Parr will beat Tyrone Mings to the left-back role. On the opposite side of defence, it is assumed that Club captain Luke Chambers will take the right-back spot, with the successful duo of Tommy Smith and Christophe Berra in the middle. The current back four, excluding the captain, possess vast international experience with Smith having captained the New Zealand team on occasions, Berra currently lining up for Scotland, and Parr turning out for his native Norway. Having seen little of Parr, I would say that Clapham offered more to the side, with his left peg assisting many goals as a result of deadly crosses. The position however would have belonged to Cresswell had he not left earlier in the summer. The other full-back spot would go to Wilnis, due to the spot being his natural position, whereas Luke Chambers is stronger at centre-back. For the centre-backs themselves, I feel Christophe Berra offers more to the shirt than John McGreal did, but despite the potential Tommy Smith possesses, Tony Mowbray need not worry about his chances of getting in the best team from the two squads.

Midfield

Apologies to Cole Skuse and local boy, Luke Hyam, but the middle of midfield belongs to club heroes Matt Holland and super Jim Magilton. Holland, who scored ten goals in the promotion season, famously played over two hundred consecutive matches for Town, only missing one match in his entire tenure when he represented his native Republic of Ireland. Gaining forty-nine caps for his country, it is difficult to argue that any midfielder has had more of an impact on the club since the turn of the century. That said, Magilton argues a pretty good case himself. Who could forget the home hat-trick in the second leg of the Play-offs against Bolton that took us to Wembley? Jim also had a good crack at management with Town, arguably being unlucky to lose his job after an almost 8 year relationship with the club, with his following successors, both Keane and Jewell failing much more spectacularly. The other three midfielders from 2000 who could challenge the current squad are Jermaine Wright, Martijn Reuser and Micky Stockwell. Wright, who joined the club at the beginning of that season, played a role very similar to that which new signing Cameron Stewart could play for the side. Reuser scored the final goal in the Play-off final, and stuck with the side through the Premiership stay and beyond, and will always be loved by the fans. However, he only made two appearances before the Play-offs, having signed later in the season, and so Stockwell will take a place in the best eleven. This decision is on good merit, and not just because there are no other candidates. Micky Stockwell played over 600 games for Ipswich Town, over an eighteen year period, and had an incredible stamina, never giving up any ball. When he left the club, he rejected Norwich City for Colchester United, confirming his legend status. In the current Town team, I feel that Cameron Stewart, Alex Henshall and Paul Anderson will all play big roles this upcoming season, but they face an uphill task to budge the 2000 midfield from the best eleven.

Strikers

This is the hardest area of the pitch to decide upon. There are six contenders to fill two places, with David Johnson, James Scowcroft, Marcus Stewart and Richard “Bam Bam” Naylor from the promotion squad, and David McGoldrick and Daryl Murphy contending from the current crop of players. David Johnson fired home 58 goals for Town, over the space of only three years before moving on to Nottingham Forest. Although only 5 foot 6, Johnno knew where the back of the net was, something that has been missing for the last few seasons, up until the introduction of McGoldrick anyway. Scowy and Naylor were both loyal servants of the club, with the Bam Bam later becoming a centre-back, staying at the club for a total of fourteen years. Marcus Stewart was the second highest goalscorer in Ipswich’s 2000-01 season in the Premier League, only trailing to Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink of Chelsea. However, as a January signing in the previous season, he won’t be making the final eleven of this team. Daryl Murphy has been one of the most unsung players I have known in my lifetime of supporting Town. Now having spent four seasons at the club, three of which have been on loan, Murphy has been at the club through frankly dire times, playing both up front, and on the left side of midfield. Finding a little and large partnership with McGoldrick, Murph played his best football in a Town shirt last season, scoring a career high thirteen goals, and has consequently signed a new two-year contract this summer. McGoldrick has been a breath of fresh air since joining initially on loan in January 2013. Scoring sixteen goals last season before having his season ended in February against Blackpool, McGoldrick will be raring to go this upcoming season. Looking like he can score from anywhere within thirty yards, all Town fans will be praying he starts the season in full fitness having only joined in with first-team training this week.

So, all things considered, who makes the best eleven side from both squads? The following in a 4-4-2 formation:

R Wright, Wilnis, Berra, Mowbray (capt.), Clapham, J Wright, Holland, Magilton, Stockwell, Johnson, McGoldrick.

From first appearance, one may worry that only Berra and McGoldrick made the side from the current crop. However, it should be noted that the four of the line-up are truly club heroes, R Wright, Holland, Magilton and Stockwell. Furthermore, Johnson scored twenty goals in two of the three seasons he was at the club. Johnno and McGoldrick would also be too small in the league today to have a partnership. If Ipswich play better in wider positions this season, notably in wide midfield, then the club will be up amongst the top six places. With Stewart, Henshall and Anderson in red-hot form pre-season, we could be comparing this squad in glorious memory with the squad in fifteen years’ time.

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