WITH a reclusive owner, an 'apprentice' chief executive and a manager who has yet to convince he is the right man for the job, are Ipswich Town being well served by the men at the top?

Elvin King

WITH a reclusive owner, an 'apprentice' chief executive and a manager who has yet to convince he is the right man for the job, are Ipswich Town being well served by the men at the top?

Is today's Portman Road regime better or worse that it was two years ago before wealthy business tycoon Marcus Evans bought an 87.5% stake in the Championship club?

Despite a worrying league position the answer has to be yes, and the call has to go out for patience that manager Roy Keane will lift the Blues out of the current mess they find themselves in.

Bottom of the table is not what Evans envisaged when he brought in Simon Clegg and Keane last April when targets were set for a quick advance to the Premier League.

Former British Olympic Association chief executive Clegg replaced Derek Bowden as Evans' spokesperson and front man at Portman Road.

And footballing legend Keane was hailed as a major coup when he took over from Jim Magilton as Blues manager.

It has not worked out as planned and chairman Evans' refusal to go public is not an ideal situation, and leaves a void at the business end of the club that was previously filled so efficiently by former chairman David Sheepshanks.

But take away Evans and you take away his investment and his determination to make Ipswich Town a 'global brand'.

Evans took over the club's �32million debt and this would come back into the tenure of Ipswich Town FC and effectively make the Blues financially impotent and write off all but the slimmest chance of advancement up the football ladder.

Clegg is a consummate professional in a figurehead role having banked bags of suitable experience in his high profile previous working life and previously risen to the rank of major in the British Army at just 28.

Like anybody taking on a new role he has needed time to find his feet in the football world, but six months down the road he has achieved a lot.

And Keane's success and experience with Sunderland when he led them from bottom to top of the Championship inside eight months in 2006/07 will surely hold him in good stead in the weeks ahead.

Recent displays have shown how close he is to gaining that first elusive victory with the ball certainly not having rolled for him this campaign.

When it does there is every reason to suggest the dark clouds will lift and blue skies return.

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