| Some issues that need to be addressed 09:25 - Dec 3 with 2941 views | GlasgowBlue |
Firstly, listening to Radio Suffolk and seeing comments on Ipswich social media, there is a massive overreaction to where the club currently finds itself. We are 5 points from the automatic promotion places, with 28 games left to play. Other than Coventry, no one is staking a claim for automatic promotion. So the calls for McKenna to be sacked are just ridiculous.
However, the following needs to be addressed.
Why after 18 games can we not get this talented pool of players looking anything like a team?
Why are this talented pool of players rarely able to execute a simple pass to a team mate? Over the last 18 games I’ve lost count of the number of simple passes we have misplaced and give to the opposition
Where has the pace and urgency gone from our game? We are slow and ponderous in attack, lack bravery and often turn the ball back to defence and goalkeeper. Are players hiding, therefore not offering their teammates any options. Or is this down to the management? It was highlighted last night that Ashley Young did this. That’s not Young’s game. He’s a very direct player. When Walton came in for Palmer, the first thing I noticed was how much more quickly he was distributing the ball. That lasted for a few games but he’s now holding onto the ball as long as Palmer did. That was really notocnle last night as I was sitting very close to the goal.
No on field leadership. O’Shea seems detached from his team mates. A superb defender and one of our better players this season, but imo not Captain material. A defender is not somebody who is going to take the game by the scruff of the neck when things aren’t going to plan so he’s not going to be able to lead the team in the way Morsy could from midfield. Not sure how we solve this issue. Give the captaincy to somebody else, and I don’t see any contenders in the squad, and we destroy O’Shea’s confidence. Bring back Sam Morsy, which I don’t think is the answer, we destroy O’Shea’s confidence and will have a divided dressing room. This is something only McKenna and O’Shea can address themselves.
We have spent many millions assembling what is universally accepted as one of the top two squads in the division. Why are we not seeing a massive gulf between us and the opposition. In 99% of our games this season a total stranger would have no idea that we had outspent the opposition in every area across the pitch with players considered the very best in the division. We saw the gulf between the top end of the Premier League and teams like us last season. Why are we not seeing that gulf when we are playing teams like Oxford, who barely survived last season and were in the bottom three when we played them on Friday. Sure, a bottom team can pull off a result against a top team. We beat Chelsea last season, but we haven’t outclassed anyone this season. Even Sheffield United had chances to go ahead in the first half before their defence completely imploded .
Where is the space on the pitch? Again, could this be players hiding. We pick up the ball in a congested midfield and have two or three players on us, can find anyone in space and often lose the ball.
The striker problem. We knew we were losing Delap in March. We should have been identifying his replacement the minute we knew he was going. We should have had a list of three or four possible replacements. Instead we got in Azon at the end of the window despite not going ahead with the deal due to fitness concerns. This is something we can put right in January but I’m not sure I have enough confidence in Ashton to do so. It’s been his weak spot since joining us.
The number ten problem. We don’t have a player like Conor Chaplin (or Omari for that final third of the promotion season). Akpom is totally unsuited to that role, Szmodics struggled there (although as Guthrum has pointed out elsewhere he at least brought some fight and passion to the team), Nunez isn’t really a ten, and although he’s had some very good moments in that position I don’t think he is really the player we need there. My solution would be to move Philogene to the ten. Then let Clarke and Szmoducs share duties on the left.
Putting a run together. Southampton, worryingly, Derby, Coventry (obviously) and others have been able to put four or five game winning runs together. We don’t look capable of doing the same, mostly because of the points I’ve highlighted above. If we could put a five game winning streak together we’d be sitting second very comfortably.
That’s pretty much all I can think of off the top of my head. If anyone else can see something then please feel free to add.
[Post edited 3 Dec 9:32]
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| Some issues that need to be addressed on 09:32 - Dec 3 with 2325 views | Marshalls_Mullet |
Using Radio Suffolk and Social Media as your barometer is where you went wrong.
I would use 36 points as the benchmark, rather than 33, as we should be hitting 2 points per match for the season.
Remember, IF we don go up, we want to do it from a position of strength. Not just stumble across the line.
Here's hoping KM can turn this season around. |  |
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| Some issues that need to be addressed on 10:28 - Dec 3 with 2141 views | The_Flashing_Smile |
Don't know if you'll see this, but cheers for a sensible post on the issues. If the bedwetters could fashion something like this, as opposed to the 'McKenna out, McKenna's been found out, he's lost the dressing room, Ashton is useless' etc. nonsense, more constructive discussion could be had. |  |
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| Some issues that need to be addressed on 11:11 - Dec 3 with 2033 views | GlasgowBlue |
| Some issues that need to be addressed on 09:32 - Dec 3 by Marshalls_Mullet |
Using Radio Suffolk and Social Media as your barometer is where you went wrong.
I would use 36 points as the benchmark, rather than 33, as we should be hitting 2 points per match for the season.
Remember, IF we don go up, we want to do it from a position of strength. Not just stumble across the line.
Here's hoping KM can turn this season around. |
It's not just socail media. The atmosphere was awful last night. People shouting and screaming at Walton from the kick off. Abuse at McAteer as the worst player ever to wear the Ipswich shirt. Constant anti McKenna shouts. | |
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| Some issues that need to be addressed on 11:16 - Dec 3 with 1990 views | ArnoldMoorhen |
There are some "Not rocket science" elements to all this.
One is the old maxim of "the spine of the team". That says put most of your attention, and relative budget, on a solid goalkeeper, a rock of a central defender, a driving midfielder to be the engine of the team, and a prolific striker.
Bizarrely we seem to have put more attention, and budget, into the three behind/wide of the striker, who most managers would see as the icing, or even the cherry on top, of the basic cake mix.
We had games in our previous Championship season when managers found easy ways to nullify our 4231 formation. I remember WBA especially, and Ampadu of Leeds in particular, flooding out our midfield two by putting an extra man or two in there, so that Morsy couldn't drive and link the patient build up from the back to the front four.
In the Premier League it was obvious that Morsy and Cajuste wouldn't be able to win a midfield battle against most established Premier League 2 man Central Midfield pairings, and would be completely overrun by a midfield three. It was equally obvious that Leif Davis playing as an additional Left Winger would be exposed by the better managers and players in the Premier League.
Why has Leif not been taught the Aaron Cresswell ball? Just inside the opposition half, swing in a pacy, swerving cross. Why does he always have to go beyond the LW? If an attack breaks down he is often one of the two furthest forwards. If he put crosses in from the Cresswell position sometimes then a) it would give opposition defences something different to think about ahead of the game, b) in each move they would have to cover both options, c) he would be out of position less often and d) he would have to cover less ground and so be less knackered.
Cresswell sometimes overlapped and went beyond the LM/LW, too. That option is still open, it's just that we need more than one as it leaves us exposed to the counter attack, and my gut feeling is that many of our goals against come as a result of counter attacks.
The massive omission from the spine is an aerially dominant Centre Forward. If we are going to invest so much into wingers, then we need a Trevor Whymark/Les Ferdinand/Duncan Ferdinand type Centre Forward who will thrive on the service. We put so many crosses into the box where Hirst is outnumbered, and frankly out gunned, by most Championship Central Defensive partnerships.
Finally: Chaplin
Chaplin, Chaplin, Chaplin.
We miss him. If we want to play slick, front to back, transition football, why have we given away one of the players who completely understood the system and made it work?
He also was the second Captain on the pitch. He drove the team, kept on fighting, encouraged others and just loved his football. I don't see that any more. He epitomised the "team is greater than the sum of its parts" philosophy, and genuinely took delight in his teammates success.
And then each promotion season the team has been gutted and players who gave their all for each other have seen their teammates chucked away. Too much churn, not just because of the "it takes time to gel" factor, but more importantly because it undermines the "we are all in this together" culture. Players ran through walls for McKenna in the first two seasons because they believed in "the project" and the culture he created. They were rewarded by being jettisoned. Why would anybody coming in believe in it now? Even Morsy and Chaplin were pushed out of the door when they were central to a storming Championship campaign 14 months previously.
Chaplin was also one of those who signed up to McKenna's much touted (in the early days) policy of encouraging players to do their coaching badges so that they become more intelligent players and can make better in-game decisions. We don't hear about that anymore.
It comes down to:
Too much churn has destroyed the understanding of the system, the partnerships that made it work and removed the big characters who inspired the rest and got buy in to a system where subs and finishers are seen as being as important as starters.
We haven't recruited to properly replace those characters (as you say, O'Shea is no Sam Morsy).
We haven't even recruited properly to play the system we operate, as either a Chaplin style Number 10 to link the front four to the midfield, or a dominant Centre Forward to make the most of the wingers we have signed, or both, are essential.
Every manager knows how to exploit our two in midfield and our Left Back as the furthest man forward, now. |  | | |
| Some issues that need to be addressed on 11:21 - Dec 3 with 1942 views | ArnoldMoorhen |
| Some issues that need to be addressed on 11:16 - Dec 3 by ArnoldMoorhen |
There are some "Not rocket science" elements to all this.
One is the old maxim of "the spine of the team". That says put most of your attention, and relative budget, on a solid goalkeeper, a rock of a central defender, a driving midfielder to be the engine of the team, and a prolific striker.
Bizarrely we seem to have put more attention, and budget, into the three behind/wide of the striker, who most managers would see as the icing, or even the cherry on top, of the basic cake mix.
We had games in our previous Championship season when managers found easy ways to nullify our 4231 formation. I remember WBA especially, and Ampadu of Leeds in particular, flooding out our midfield two by putting an extra man or two in there, so that Morsy couldn't drive and link the patient build up from the back to the front four.
In the Premier League it was obvious that Morsy and Cajuste wouldn't be able to win a midfield battle against most established Premier League 2 man Central Midfield pairings, and would be completely overrun by a midfield three. It was equally obvious that Leif Davis playing as an additional Left Winger would be exposed by the better managers and players in the Premier League.
Why has Leif not been taught the Aaron Cresswell ball? Just inside the opposition half, swing in a pacy, swerving cross. Why does he always have to go beyond the LW? If an attack breaks down he is often one of the two furthest forwards. If he put crosses in from the Cresswell position sometimes then a) it would give opposition defences something different to think about ahead of the game, b) in each move they would have to cover both options, c) he would be out of position less often and d) he would have to cover less ground and so be less knackered.
Cresswell sometimes overlapped and went beyond the LM/LW, too. That option is still open, it's just that we need more than one as it leaves us exposed to the counter attack, and my gut feeling is that many of our goals against come as a result of counter attacks.
The massive omission from the spine is an aerially dominant Centre Forward. If we are going to invest so much into wingers, then we need a Trevor Whymark/Les Ferdinand/Duncan Ferdinand type Centre Forward who will thrive on the service. We put so many crosses into the box where Hirst is outnumbered, and frankly out gunned, by most Championship Central Defensive partnerships.
Finally: Chaplin
Chaplin, Chaplin, Chaplin.
We miss him. If we want to play slick, front to back, transition football, why have we given away one of the players who completely understood the system and made it work?
He also was the second Captain on the pitch. He drove the team, kept on fighting, encouraged others and just loved his football. I don't see that any more. He epitomised the "team is greater than the sum of its parts" philosophy, and genuinely took delight in his teammates success.
And then each promotion season the team has been gutted and players who gave their all for each other have seen their teammates chucked away. Too much churn, not just because of the "it takes time to gel" factor, but more importantly because it undermines the "we are all in this together" culture. Players ran through walls for McKenna in the first two seasons because they believed in "the project" and the culture he created. They were rewarded by being jettisoned. Why would anybody coming in believe in it now? Even Morsy and Chaplin were pushed out of the door when they were central to a storming Championship campaign 14 months previously.
Chaplin was also one of those who signed up to McKenna's much touted (in the early days) policy of encouraging players to do their coaching badges so that they become more intelligent players and can make better in-game decisions. We don't hear about that anymore.
It comes down to:
Too much churn has destroyed the understanding of the system, the partnerships that made it work and removed the big characters who inspired the rest and got buy in to a system where subs and finishers are seen as being as important as starters.
We haven't recruited to properly replace those characters (as you say, O'Shea is no Sam Morsy).
We haven't even recruited properly to play the system we operate, as either a Chaplin style Number 10 to link the front four to the midfield, or a dominant Centre Forward to make the most of the wingers we have signed, or both, are essential.
Every manager knows how to exploit our two in midfield and our Left Back as the furthest man forward, now. |
Oh, and another thing:
Philogene is clearly a confidence player. He scored two goals and then got dropped.
That is emotionally unintelligent management.
Caveat: unless he had an injury or fitness issue that we don't know about. | | | |
| Some issues that need to be addressed on 11:22 - Dec 3 with 1931 views | Benters |
| Some issues that need to be addressed on 11:11 - Dec 3 by GlasgowBlue |
It's not just socail media. The atmosphere was awful last night. People shouting and screaming at Walton from the kick off. Abuse at McAteer as the worst player ever to wear the Ipswich shirt. Constant anti McKenna shouts. |
Bonkers. |  |
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| Some issues that need to be addressed on 11:26 - Dec 3 with 1905 views | GlasgowBlue |
| Some issues that need to be addressed on 11:16 - Dec 3 by ArnoldMoorhen |
There are some "Not rocket science" elements to all this.
One is the old maxim of "the spine of the team". That says put most of your attention, and relative budget, on a solid goalkeeper, a rock of a central defender, a driving midfielder to be the engine of the team, and a prolific striker.
Bizarrely we seem to have put more attention, and budget, into the three behind/wide of the striker, who most managers would see as the icing, or even the cherry on top, of the basic cake mix.
We had games in our previous Championship season when managers found easy ways to nullify our 4231 formation. I remember WBA especially, and Ampadu of Leeds in particular, flooding out our midfield two by putting an extra man or two in there, so that Morsy couldn't drive and link the patient build up from the back to the front four.
In the Premier League it was obvious that Morsy and Cajuste wouldn't be able to win a midfield battle against most established Premier League 2 man Central Midfield pairings, and would be completely overrun by a midfield three. It was equally obvious that Leif Davis playing as an additional Left Winger would be exposed by the better managers and players in the Premier League.
Why has Leif not been taught the Aaron Cresswell ball? Just inside the opposition half, swing in a pacy, swerving cross. Why does he always have to go beyond the LW? If an attack breaks down he is often one of the two furthest forwards. If he put crosses in from the Cresswell position sometimes then a) it would give opposition defences something different to think about ahead of the game, b) in each move they would have to cover both options, c) he would be out of position less often and d) he would have to cover less ground and so be less knackered.
Cresswell sometimes overlapped and went beyond the LM/LW, too. That option is still open, it's just that we need more than one as it leaves us exposed to the counter attack, and my gut feeling is that many of our goals against come as a result of counter attacks.
The massive omission from the spine is an aerially dominant Centre Forward. If we are going to invest so much into wingers, then we need a Trevor Whymark/Les Ferdinand/Duncan Ferdinand type Centre Forward who will thrive on the service. We put so many crosses into the box where Hirst is outnumbered, and frankly out gunned, by most Championship Central Defensive partnerships.
Finally: Chaplin
Chaplin, Chaplin, Chaplin.
We miss him. If we want to play slick, front to back, transition football, why have we given away one of the players who completely understood the system and made it work?
He also was the second Captain on the pitch. He drove the team, kept on fighting, encouraged others and just loved his football. I don't see that any more. He epitomised the "team is greater than the sum of its parts" philosophy, and genuinely took delight in his teammates success.
And then each promotion season the team has been gutted and players who gave their all for each other have seen their teammates chucked away. Too much churn, not just because of the "it takes time to gel" factor, but more importantly because it undermines the "we are all in this together" culture. Players ran through walls for McKenna in the first two seasons because they believed in "the project" and the culture he created. They were rewarded by being jettisoned. Why would anybody coming in believe in it now? Even Morsy and Chaplin were pushed out of the door when they were central to a storming Championship campaign 14 months previously.
Chaplin was also one of those who signed up to McKenna's much touted (in the early days) policy of encouraging players to do their coaching badges so that they become more intelligent players and can make better in-game decisions. We don't hear about that anymore.
It comes down to:
Too much churn has destroyed the understanding of the system, the partnerships that made it work and removed the big characters who inspired the rest and got buy in to a system where subs and finishers are seen as being as important as starters.
We haven't recruited to properly replace those characters (as you say, O'Shea is no Sam Morsy).
We haven't even recruited properly to play the system we operate, as either a Chaplin style Number 10 to link the front four to the midfield, or a dominant Centre Forward to make the most of the wingers we have signed, or both, are essential.
Every manager knows how to exploit our two in midfield and our Left Back as the furthest man forward, now. |
I'd have Chaplin back in the squad but his performances in the early games of the season weren't great and he's hardly pulling up trees at Portsmouth. Like Morsy, he's not the player he was two years ago. | |
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| Some issues that need to be addressed on 11:26 - Dec 3 with 1894 views | The_Flashing_Smile |
| Some issues that need to be addressed on 11:16 - Dec 3 by ArnoldMoorhen |
There are some "Not rocket science" elements to all this.
One is the old maxim of "the spine of the team". That says put most of your attention, and relative budget, on a solid goalkeeper, a rock of a central defender, a driving midfielder to be the engine of the team, and a prolific striker.
Bizarrely we seem to have put more attention, and budget, into the three behind/wide of the striker, who most managers would see as the icing, or even the cherry on top, of the basic cake mix.
We had games in our previous Championship season when managers found easy ways to nullify our 4231 formation. I remember WBA especially, and Ampadu of Leeds in particular, flooding out our midfield two by putting an extra man or two in there, so that Morsy couldn't drive and link the patient build up from the back to the front four.
In the Premier League it was obvious that Morsy and Cajuste wouldn't be able to win a midfield battle against most established Premier League 2 man Central Midfield pairings, and would be completely overrun by a midfield three. It was equally obvious that Leif Davis playing as an additional Left Winger would be exposed by the better managers and players in the Premier League.
Why has Leif not been taught the Aaron Cresswell ball? Just inside the opposition half, swing in a pacy, swerving cross. Why does he always have to go beyond the LW? If an attack breaks down he is often one of the two furthest forwards. If he put crosses in from the Cresswell position sometimes then a) it would give opposition defences something different to think about ahead of the game, b) in each move they would have to cover both options, c) he would be out of position less often and d) he would have to cover less ground and so be less knackered.
Cresswell sometimes overlapped and went beyond the LM/LW, too. That option is still open, it's just that we need more than one as it leaves us exposed to the counter attack, and my gut feeling is that many of our goals against come as a result of counter attacks.
The massive omission from the spine is an aerially dominant Centre Forward. If we are going to invest so much into wingers, then we need a Trevor Whymark/Les Ferdinand/Duncan Ferdinand type Centre Forward who will thrive on the service. We put so many crosses into the box where Hirst is outnumbered, and frankly out gunned, by most Championship Central Defensive partnerships.
Finally: Chaplin
Chaplin, Chaplin, Chaplin.
We miss him. If we want to play slick, front to back, transition football, why have we given away one of the players who completely understood the system and made it work?
He also was the second Captain on the pitch. He drove the team, kept on fighting, encouraged others and just loved his football. I don't see that any more. He epitomised the "team is greater than the sum of its parts" philosophy, and genuinely took delight in his teammates success.
And then each promotion season the team has been gutted and players who gave their all for each other have seen their teammates chucked away. Too much churn, not just because of the "it takes time to gel" factor, but more importantly because it undermines the "we are all in this together" culture. Players ran through walls for McKenna in the first two seasons because they believed in "the project" and the culture he created. They were rewarded by being jettisoned. Why would anybody coming in believe in it now? Even Morsy and Chaplin were pushed out of the door when they were central to a storming Championship campaign 14 months previously.
Chaplin was also one of those who signed up to McKenna's much touted (in the early days) policy of encouraging players to do their coaching badges so that they become more intelligent players and can make better in-game decisions. We don't hear about that anymore.
It comes down to:
Too much churn has destroyed the understanding of the system, the partnerships that made it work and removed the big characters who inspired the rest and got buy in to a system where subs and finishers are seen as being as important as starters.
We haven't recruited to properly replace those characters (as you say, O'Shea is no Sam Morsy).
We haven't even recruited properly to play the system we operate, as either a Chaplin style Number 10 to link the front four to the midfield, or a dominant Centre Forward to make the most of the wingers we have signed, or both, are essential.
Every manager knows how to exploit our two in midfield and our Left Back as the furthest man forward, now. |
Agree with a lot of that and have, in my more idle moments, wondered about getting Chappers back. But am I, and you, thinking of the Chappers at his pomp? When he last actually played for us he seemed a bit off it. I wonder if that was just a blip or peak Chappers has gone. How's he doing at Pompey these days? | |
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| Some issues that need to be addressed on 11:27 - Dec 3 with 1894 views | SomethingBlue |
| Some issues that need to be addressed on 11:11 - Dec 3 by GlasgowBlue |
It's not just socail media. The atmosphere was awful last night. People shouting and screaming at Walton from the kick off. Abuse at McAteer as the worst player ever to wear the Ipswich shirt. Constant anti McKenna shouts. |
It's a reflection of society, we really aren't in a good place. | |
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| Some issues that need to be addressed on 11:28 - Dec 3 with 1888 views | gainsboroughblue |
There seems to be a lack of confidence all round to me.
Last night we had a free-kick on the halfway line, five seconds later. Walton had passed out to Matisuwa who lost it and we were defending a free-kick 20 yards from goal. All in the blink of an eye.
McKenna can't unsee that. He will know that something isn't quite right. |  |
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| Some issues that need to be addressed on 11:30 - Dec 3 with 1858 views | jasondozzell |
| Some issues that need to be addressed on 11:11 - Dec 3 by GlasgowBlue |
It's not just socail media. The atmosphere was awful last night. People shouting and screaming at Walton from the kick off. Abuse at McAteer as the worst player ever to wear the Ipswich shirt. Constant anti McKenna shouts. |
An utter disgrace. We don't deserve the success we've had with 'fans' like that. I will bet a good number were nowhere to be seen pre gamechanger. |  | | |
| Some issues that need to be addressed on 11:57 - Dec 3 with 1749 views | FrimleyBlue |
I get where you;re coming from but
"Firstly, listening to Radio Suffolk and seeing comments on Ipswich social media, there is a massive overreaction to where the club currently finds itself"
Then lists a range of issues
That list of issues is why the first paragragh exists.
The league position isn't an issue if there was a real belief things will go well as the season goes on, it's not a bad position to be in overall league position wise.
But how we appear to be getting worse is similar to the prem, when we all though in time we're start getting results, performances will get even better etc, but it actually went the other way
we scraped through a fair few games in amongst a couple of excellent away wins, but they kind of blinkered how we are as a squad at the moment, it's actually incredibly poor as a unit
the question is and this is the toughest question
is it the players fault, is it ashtons, is it werhuns, is it mckennas
IF performances were great but we suffed the occasional shock loss or that odd random draw, that's normal. to be going deeper into december and playing like last night.. that's definitely concerning |  |
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| Some issues that need to be addressed on 12:14 - Dec 3 with 1657 views | AVJones |
McKenna shouldn’t be sacked you say…
And then you give a long list of issues. A well thought through, and very long list. Too long to be ignored.
Which leads to the question - shouldn’t the manager have solved those, by December?
And if he can’t…??
We are an average team, with expensive players. That is not a good formula.
That’s a management issue.
There’s no excuses, not by December.
Come on Kieran, I want my manager back. [Post edited 3 Dec 12:15]
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| Some issues that need to be addressed on 12:15 - Dec 3 with 1643 views | BrockleyBlue78 |
Will KM get us up? Yeah, probably, but he should given the amount of cash he’s had to spend - even after putting the necessary ‘gelling’ aside.
Is he the right man to keep us up and push on towards the owners ambitions? Didn’t see enough last season (especially from Palace at home onwards) to suggest he is.
Would love to be a fly on the wall to hear the conversations between the owners and how they view the situation - both short and longer term. |  | | |
| Some issues that need to be addressed on 12:18 - Dec 3 with 1597 views | Herbivore |
Lots of very reasonable points in there. I think some of them simply boil down to confidence and belief. Taking the safe easy option in possession, or wanting three touches to get the ball under control before moving it on, not taking on the right shot or pass in the final third.
That also accounts for why we've not managed a long winning run yet. It feels like we're miles off it now off the back of two pretty woeful away performances but it's worth remembering we were a McAteer and Azon/Nunez sitter away from being on a 5 game winning running this time last week.
It's a bit chicken and egg in that regard. Those chances go in and we probably turn in far better performances at Oxford and Blackburn and start to look more of a decent side. But those chances don't go in because we're lacking conviction and the old doubts resurface and we look shaky.
That's where leadership and character comes in and my worry is we've stripped too much of that out of the squad in the rebuild. Having talented players is one thing but you need that grit and resilience and those consistently high standards to get you through those tough times and build a winning mentality. We don't have that right now and bringing back Morsy is not the answer. It takes time to grow those qualities in a squad but time is a luxury we don't have, we can't write this season off as a rebuilding one, we need to be gunning for promotion. |  |
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| Some issues that need to be addressed on 12:22 - Dec 3 with 1559 views | ArnoldMoorhen |
| Some issues that need to be addressed on 11:26 - Dec 3 by The_Flashing_Smile |
Agree with a lot of that and have, in my more idle moments, wondered about getting Chappers back. But am I, and you, thinking of the Chappers at his pomp? When he last actually played for us he seemed a bit off it. I wonder if that was just a blip or peak Chappers has gone. How's he doing at Pompey these days? |
Yeah, of course, because I loved Chaplin in his pomp.
He made us more cohesive in the Premier League, I thought, albeit without a significant impact on results.
But the less tangible impact of him, the second coach on the pitch, the lifting of others, the driving on and the belief in the impossible until the 98th minute, won't be lessened even if he is a couple of years older from his prime here.
The point is that those qualities haven't been replaced. And that gutting the squad has undermined other aspects of the culture shift that McKenna had achieved.
This also includes the love that you and I have for players like Chaplin, who genuinely gave us back our affection for Ipswich Town and ended the co-dependent, low-level toxic relationship that most fans had with the Club ("Can't live with them, can't live without them") during most of the Evans era. We just don't have the same connection with this squad as we did with the previous Championship team.
It could even be argued that we don't have the same connection with most of this squad as we did with Delap, who was only here for a season! | | | |
| Some issues that need to be addressed on 12:24 - Dec 3 with 1537 views | MattinLondon |
A very good post but I am going to stick up for O’Shea as I think he is a good captain.
Against Swansea, he made a point of congratulating Azon for scoring - not just a simple high five but words of encouragement.
Last night when the Blackburn players were screaming for a red, he got himself between those players and then as captain, offered words of advice to the captain.
And when he sees the opposition try to influence the ref he always intervenes.
I think he’s a different type of captain to previous ones but I think he gets unfair criticism simply not for shouting for 90 mins. |  | | |
| Some issues that need to be addressed on 12:27 - Dec 3 with 1511 views | Uncle_Bulgaria |
Agreed, mostly.
Players have to take their share of responsibility rather than the focus mainly (but not unfairly) being on McKenna. How many of them can say their form & consistency definitely warrants a place in a first choice starting XI? 2 perhaps? The lack of tempo & urgency recently seems endemic, even stretching to players ambling lazily to take corners etc when we're chasing games
A more settled team would probably help, but the recent programme demands rotation - McKenna seems to have overdone it though. Starting front 4 last night immediately looked weak in my eyes |  | | |
| Some issues that need to be addressed on 12:30 - Dec 3 with 1476 views | Smoresy |
Captaincy dilemma is easily overcome imo. You're quite right that O'Shea isn't going to take our attacking play by the scruff of the neck from CB. Manuel Neuer hasn't done that for Bayern over the best part of a decade. Let him organise the back line and instruct at corners. We desperately need multiple leaders on the pitch and there's ample room in the squad currently, whether the armband moves or stays. | | | |
| Some issues that need to be addressed on 12:42 - Dec 3 with 1386 views | Chalk_Cheese |
| Some issues that need to be addressed on 11:27 - Dec 3 by SomethingBlue |
It's a reflection of society, we really aren't in a good place. |
I was at the oxford game and 2 so called town fans started on each other. it was pathetic. yes it was a very under-par performance but to see and hear 2 fans squaring up to each other was a very sad state. Some of the comments aimed at the players wasn't needed either.
i get everyone is frustrated but id rather be where we are now that what we went through for 10-15 years before the last 3 seasons. |  | | |
| Some issues that need to be addressed on 12:52 - Dec 3 with 1310 views | ReusersTown |
| Some issues that need to be addressed on 11:11 - Dec 3 by GlasgowBlue |
It's not just socail media. The atmosphere was awful last night. People shouting and screaming at Walton from the kick off. Abuse at McAteer as the worst player ever to wear the Ipswich shirt. Constant anti McKenna shouts. |
Constant McKenna anti McKenna shouts??? Really? I wasn't there. Either how old were they / how thick. | | | |
| Some issues that need to be addressed on 12:56 - Dec 3 with 1276 views | ReusersTown |
| Some issues that need to be addressed on 11:21 - Dec 3 by ArnoldMoorhen |
Oh, and another thing:
Philogene is clearly a confidence player. He scored two goals and then got dropped.
That is emotionally unintelligent management.
Caveat: unless he had an injury or fitness issue that we don't know about. |
The rest of your statement is rubbish too tbf. Philogene was hardly involved or threatening in games other than when he pop up with a rocket. Clarke was outplaying him and deserved the minutes. Would it not be damaging to Clarke to be permanently dropped to sub. McKenna was damned if he did, damned it he didn't. | | | |
| Some issues that need to be addressed on 13:01 - Dec 3 with 1221 views | cressi |
| Some issues that need to be addressed on 12:42 - Dec 3 by Chalk_Cheese |
I was at the oxford game and 2 so called town fans started on each other. it was pathetic. yes it was a very under-par performance but to see and hear 2 fans squaring up to each other was a very sad state. Some of the comments aimed at the players wasn't needed either.
i get everyone is frustrated but id rather be where we are now that what we went through for 10-15 years before the last 3 seasons. |
I saw that a Brentford when McCarthy was manager then he struggled to get to the team bus or never got to it. A few days later he was gone.
A poor result on Saturday and performance will definitely lead to booing and discontent among fans. | | | |
| Some issues that need to be addressed on 13:01 - Dec 3 with 1220 views | bluesym |
| Some issues that need to be addressed on 11:26 - Dec 3 by GlasgowBlue |
I'd have Chaplin back in the squad but his performances in the early games of the season weren't great and he's hardly pulling up trees at Portsmouth. Like Morsy, he's not the player he was two years ago. |
Agree with this about Chappers. Absolutely love the bloke,but,he hit his ceiling with us and I do think he is another one ot those players who,for some, has got better the longer he hasn't been here. Id have him back here if he is happy to be a squad player, just for his enthusiasm and connection to the fanbase,but,he isnt the answer as a regular starter for us IMO. [Post edited 3 Dec 13:02]
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| Some issues that need to be addressed on 13:05 - Dec 3 with 1187 views | hype313 |
The biggest issue is how do you get cohesion when you rotate half the team every week?
Yes, we've not got injuries, but at what cost?
How can players build relationships when every week a different players are utilised?
From the outset, it looks like McKenna is struggling to find the right formula after Ashtons scattergun transfer approach.
Trying to put Square pegs in round holes, this then leads to uncertainty, confidence, understanding of patterns.
It's a bit of a mess. |  |
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