So after four years with Ipswich Town, we finally bid farewell to the only lasting Premiership contract since the fall out from the top flight three years ago.
In an eventful career with Town, Pablo has delighted just as much as he has frustrated the fans at Portman Road and many times away from home, ranging from The San Siro to Millmoor.
During his time with Town he started 69 games and came on as a sub nearly as many times scoring 36 goals a long the way. Despite the well publicised differences between player and manager, Counago managed to find the net on three different occasions last season, but it doesn’t go far enough to making up the difference in wages that he was on compared with the rest of the team.
After a difficult first season where he was plunged into Ipswich’s Uefa Cup run and disappointing Premiership displays, it seemed that he might jump ship after impressing opposition such as Inter Milan with his tricks and his ability to distribute or hold the ball with ease.
Instead he was appearing in the 1st division for the 2002-2003 season helping us to finish above Norwich by one place but also just outside the Play-offs and he bagged 21 goals for himself in the process.
It looked as though Ipswich had found a young 20 goal-a-season striker to replace Marcus Stewart and a gateway to promotion possibly in the following season.
I always felt that Pablo was more of a big game player though he never really got going in the Premiership, it was of course on a big stage where he alerted the attentions of George Burley as he hit a hat-trick for the Spanish U21’s against their English counterparts (Take nothing away from Pablo but, in our defence we did have Nicky Weaver in goal then).
Despite reaching the Play-offs this time, Pablo rarely featured from 2003-2004 as a loss of form and the emergence of Darren Bent alongside the stability of Marcus Bent saw first team chances slightly more restricted; this all changed again when Shefki Kuqi was brought in from Sheffield Wednesday in an initial loan deal and was then later purchased.
By the time the Play-off second leg came around Pablo was not to be seen in action and many had feared he’d played his last game for us.
This put the wheels in motion for the downfall starting with a poor pre-season and failed to get going from there.
Few would’ve been surprised if that was the last we’d seen of Pablo, but with a year still to run on the contract, interest was sparse. Fast forward a year and with top strikers linked with money moves away, and Pablo clearly showing a desire to stay on in Ipswich by preparing to negotiate a new contract on reduced terms, people may not have assumed that he would be the first one out of what may become a very one-sided door.
Counago has always stated his loyalty, mainly to the fans, which is largely reciprocated with the age-old chant of Ole Ole Ole Ole Pablo Pablo, which is sung better than it sounds when written. It clearly gives him a massive boost in confidence, but I feel it was sung to him more out of sympathy than worship last season and I’ve never heard as much relief for him as when he scored -what turned out to be his last goal for the club- in the home match against Crewe. Who knows what note he could have gone out on if he’d been fit for the return leg of the play-offs at Portman Road this time around?
With the rest of our strikers linked with big moves away as we prepare for next season, I would clearly loved to have seen a fully fit and focused Counago (on reduced terms of course) back in the team making headlines for the right reasons and have a chance to hear the North Stand in full voice singing Ole Pablo as it sweeps throughout Portman Road.
I sincerely hope that we do not have to resort to making songs to cheer on players like Ashley Ward in his place.
So with this I wish Pablo Counago all the best for the future just so long as he doesn’t come back to show Royle what he can really do against us, and take this opportunity to give Pablo his last Olé.
No New Contract For Pablo