RECENTLY a club director, engaged in a debate with some fans about the way the season was unfolding, enquired: "Do you see your glass as being half full or half empty?" writes Phil Parker

For me, it was most definitely half empty after the Ipswich play-off fiasco when it was seemed that the authorities wanted a Premiership presence in East Anglia at all costs and we were consequently subjected to yet another exodus of star players in the months that followed.

The net £7m gained by the sale of Eidur, Jensen and Fish (offset by the return of Frandsen ), would bankroll us through another season of financial restraint, clearly necessary in light of our astronomical £29m debt (a figure which incidentally is not far off the amount which sank Cammell Laird ).

A disastrous pre season tour of Denmark did little to raise expectations as reserves and hastily flown-in journeymen embarrassed the club in a country where our standing was hitherto extremely high.

It was against this backdrop that the season opened with a scrappy home draw against Burnley. The "glass half empty" brigade were vindicated "...this would clearly be a difficult campaign ..." "... a possible relegation fight," some suggested.

And yet we are in the play-offs, we've won 14 away games and incredibly beaten Barnsley home and away! In many respects the team has outperformed its potential and Sam and Phil Brown must take credit for that.

Nevertheless doubt and apathy remain, the paying public know what they want and they are clearly not inspired enough to return in numbers. Personally I put this down to excitement fatigue. In all but one of the previous ten seasons we have been involved in relegation or promotion campaigns, so for some fans this one is nothing new. It is also perceived as being conducted on a shoestring.

On that basis the 'Fiver Game' was clearly a success in attracting back the missing thousands and should be repeated more often next season with the proviso that season ticket holders holders are compensated with free Cup tickets instead of the Bring a Friend scenario, which in effect placed an onus on the season ticket holders to collect and distribute free tickets on behalf of the club.

In the meantime my glass is looking more full than empty and will hopefully remain that way with promotion being achieved.

With ten senior players out of contract shortly, the alternative doesn't really bear thinking about!

Man of the Season

GUDNI BERGSSON