It is that time of the year again when all 92 league managers are able to re-jig their squad, shipping out the players who are failing to shape up and bringing in replacements who are going to make their squads stronger. Ipswich boss Jim Magilton and his scouting team are busy eyeing up signings that will revitalise the Blues for the second half of the season after an inconsistent first period.

There are a handful of players who are being linked away from the club, largely players who are currently on the fringes of the first team and some being youngsters who are looking unlikely to make an impact at first team level. With finances still incredibly tight at Portman Road any signings Town make will need to be balanced out with a player departure.

Youngster Darryl Knights looks likely to leave his hometown club after a successful trial spell with Scottish Premier League side Falkirk before Christmas. The England Youth international is likely to move permanently to the club with the striker likely to command a nominal fee for his services. Another Academy youngster Oscar Petursson has returned to his native Iceland after a difficult time in Suffolk. His two-year spell has been riddled with wrist problems that have hampered his progress.

More senior players could be on the move in the near future as well with Magilton keen on continuing the shake-up of players that he started at the beginning of the season. The future of Darren Currie is unclear at present with the ‘slow winger’ seemingly set for a permanent move to Coventry City who he had spent time with on loan, but the sacking of Sky Blues boss Micky Adams has put this move into doubt. Long-serving Dutchman Fabian Wilnis appeared to be leaving for a loan spell away from the club in the January window but a broken toe for Jason De Vos has left Magilton with no choice but to keep the veteran on as an able squad player.
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It is difficult to comprehend the way that Ipswich Town have plummeted in recent years. Having watched my beloved Blues for the last ten years it feels like we as a club have drifted completely full circle. After a period of development under a relatively young and unknown boss in George Burley, the Scot made himself a hero around these parts leading Town to 5th position in our first season back in the Premiership. European football beckoned once again on the hallowed turf of Portman Road. But a change in mentality, with an influx of foreign ‘fancy dans’ who were merely in it for the money meant the players took their eye off the ball and suddenly we found ourselves out of Europe and in a relegation scrap, which we inevitably lost.

Ipswich used to be a club that many sides used to model themselves on. Plymouth Argyle in particular were keen on using Town’s blueprint of development over a period of time to reach the promised land. But soon Ipswich became a blueprint that no-one would wish to model themselves against, with spiralling debt and a club still reeling from its spell in administration.

The task of rebuilding the clubs’ fortunes rested on the experienced shoulders of one Joe Royle. The former Manchester City and Everton boss had achieved a decent amount of success throughout his time as a manager and it was hoped that with minor modifications to the Town squad they could bounce back to the top flight. In Royle’s first full season in charge, his side fell foul of West Ham in the Playoffs leading him back to the drawing board.
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