By Aston
November 12 2005

Ipswich Town manager Joe Royle has challenged the boo-boys to judge the Town team now it is at full strength.

Town manager Joe Royle: “Whisper it, but we are now at full strength.

 

“We have also welcomed Gavin Williams on loan from West Ham and it means we have cover in all departments of the team.

 

“The situation has changed in quite a short space of time. Go back just two or three weeks and we had a number of players out injured and there's no doubt it had an adverse effect.”

 

But Royle's men are still way off their impressive pace of last season, when they were averaging two points per game - promotion form at any level.

 

They have taken 23 points from 18 games this season and occupy 13th place in the Championship, but this time last year they were sitting second with 36 points from the same number of games.

 

It is clear they still have a long way to go, but an upbeat Royle said: “We are only four points off the play-offs and hopefully we can close that gap now that we have everyone fit again

 

“Ian Westlake is back and had 90 minutes in the reserves the other night and Owen Garvan is almost there, while Jimmy Juan and Matt Richards have proved they can handle it in there.

 

“We've also got Jim Magilton, Darren Currie and now Gavin Williams, so midfield is nothing like the problem it was recently when several players were unavailable. We're pretty well covered now.

 

“Kevin Horlock is going to miss next week's game at Coventry through suspension, but we'll cope and he will be around to play a big part between now and the end of the season.

 

“As I've always said, people should judge us when we're at our strongest. I think I've only been close to a full squad on three occasions already this season, when we won twice and lost at Reading.”

 

Source: Evening Star

 

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