| We win that game comfortably with a vaguely effective number 10 on the pitch 18:16 - Nov 22 with 2169 views | Dubtractor |
Akpom had an absolute stinker today, poor touch, running/turning into traffic repeatedly, making the wrong decision on shooting or passing, just a really poor game.
Nunez came on and looked busy, but ultimately achieved nothing.
That position is so important in linking our play together in the final third, but if it's not working then we're really easily blunted.
We are going to see many more games like that at PR this season, where teams don't even try and attack, so we need to solve the number 10 or we are going to be frustrated a few more times too. |  |
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| We win that game comfortably with a vaguely effective number 10 on the pitch on 18:20 - Nov 22 with 1827 views | ITFC_Forever |
Akpom and McAteer have been awful signings so far. |  |
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| We win that game comfortably with a vaguely effective number 10 on the pitch on 18:20 - Nov 22 with 1813 views | Ryorry |
I thought Jaden was supposed to be one? |  |
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| We win that game comfortably with a vaguely effective number 10 on the pitch on 18:22 - Nov 22 with 1794 views | BouncebackIpswich |
Akpom was a 1 or 2 out of 10 today. Horrible.
Kieran either needs to change system, or personnel. But he won't do either. It's so frustrating. |  | | |
| We win that game comfortably with a vaguely effective number 10 on the pitch on 18:28 - Nov 22 with 1773 views | RegencyBlue |
He certainly didn’t score 30 goals in a season for Boro playing like that!
Should have been substituted long before he was but to be fair he wasn’t the only one who wasn’t firing on all cylinders. Bottom line is it’s up to McKenna to find a way to deal with opposition tactics like this because every team coming to PR knows exactly how to play us. |  | | |
| We are a perfectly adequate.... on 18:42 - Nov 22 with 1675 views | Bloots |
....functional Championship team.
We have a dozen or so solid decent Championship players.
We play to our rigid formation and more noticeably to our oh so very rigid patterns.
On top of this we have 4 or 5 players who have that something extra that can win games with a little bit of magic, Davis, Clarke, Philogene, potentially Egeli, maybe Nunez.
If none of those players perform to their full potential, then we just remain that functional solid Championship team.
I guess the question is are they brave enough to step outside of "the patterns" often enough?
Will they take on their man on the outside, rather than cutting inside and looking for a pass?
Will they take that risky shot from range rather than look for the safety pass into the number 10?
Will they play the defence splitting pass rather than the "pattern" ball out wide or into midfield?
Does KM stop them from being brave? Is he too rigid in his play? Or are the players "scared"?
I think the ability is there, but something is holding them back far too often. |  |
| "I saw him at the match last week, what a legend. I was slightly overcome to be honest” - TWTD User (Nov 2025) |
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| We are a perfectly adequate.... on 18:48 - Nov 22 with 1640 views | Stenvict |
| We are a perfectly adequate.... on 18:42 - Nov 22 by Bloots |
....functional Championship team.
We have a dozen or so solid decent Championship players.
We play to our rigid formation and more noticeably to our oh so very rigid patterns.
On top of this we have 4 or 5 players who have that something extra that can win games with a little bit of magic, Davis, Clarke, Philogene, potentially Egeli, maybe Nunez.
If none of those players perform to their full potential, then we just remain that functional solid Championship team.
I guess the question is are they brave enough to step outside of "the patterns" often enough?
Will they take on their man on the outside, rather than cutting inside and looking for a pass?
Will they take that risky shot from range rather than look for the safety pass into the number 10?
Will they play the defence splitting pass rather than the "pattern" ball out wide or into midfield?
Does KM stop them from being brave? Is he too rigid in his play? Or are the players "scared"?
I think the ability is there, but something is holding them back far too often. |
Spot on. Even our set pieces are always the same now. I remember the days when we'd mix it up and fool the opposition. |  |
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| We win that game comfortably with a vaguely effective number 10 on the pitch on 18:48 - Nov 22 with 1632 views | Stenvict |
| We win that game comfortably with a vaguely effective number 10 on the pitch on 18:20 - Nov 22 by Ryorry |
I thought Jaden was supposed to be one? |
Jaden isn't good enough on the wing, let alone in the no. 10 position where it's more crowded. | |
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| We win that game comfortably with a vaguely effective number 10 on the pitch on 18:58 - Nov 22 with 1557 views | BanksterDebtSlave |
This. |  |
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| We win that game comfortably with a vaguely effective number 10 on the pitch on 19:04 - Nov 22 with 1521 views | ArnieM |
Shame that vaguely effective #10 has been farmed out to Pompey though, isn't it...meanwhile McKenna tries to shoehorn just about every forward he brings to the club , into that #10 role ( Omari, Szmodics, Akpom). What is the natter with the man??
Piss off Herbivore [Post edited 22 Nov 20:06]
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| We win that game comfortably with a vaguely effective number 10 on the pitch on 19:32 - Nov 22 with 1445 views | Bluecasp |
Akpoms body language just looks poor. He had one decent Championship. So did Daryl Murphy. He needs to be on the bench, not starting games | | | |
| We win that game comfortably with a vaguely effective number 10 on the pitch on 19:33 - Nov 22 with 1436 views | Herbivore |
| We win that game comfortably with a vaguely effective number 10 on the pitch on 19:04 - Nov 22 by ArnieM |
Shame that vaguely effective #10 has been farmed out to Pompey though, isn't it...meanwhile McKenna tries to shoehorn just about every forward he brings to the club , into that #10 role ( Omari, Szmodics, Akpom). What is the natter with the man??
Piss off Herbivore [Post edited 22 Nov 20:06]
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Szmodics and Akpom have both played a lot of football in their careers as number 10s. Playing them there isn't shoehorning them in. It's not working but I don't think that means there's something massively wrong with McKenna for trying to play them in a position they've played in often. |  |
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| We win that game comfortably with a vaguely effective number 10 on the pitch on 19:43 - Nov 22 with 1373 views | bournemouthblue |
That's a confidence thing sadly, he desperately needs that goal
The number 10 issue is a big problem we need to address |  |
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| We are a perfectly adequate.... on 19:50 - Nov 22 with 1334 views | bournemouthblue |
| We are a perfectly adequate.... on 18:42 - Nov 22 by Bloots |
....functional Championship team.
We have a dozen or so solid decent Championship players.
We play to our rigid formation and more noticeably to our oh so very rigid patterns.
On top of this we have 4 or 5 players who have that something extra that can win games with a little bit of magic, Davis, Clarke, Philogene, potentially Egeli, maybe Nunez.
If none of those players perform to their full potential, then we just remain that functional solid Championship team.
I guess the question is are they brave enough to step outside of "the patterns" often enough?
Will they take on their man on the outside, rather than cutting inside and looking for a pass?
Will they take that risky shot from range rather than look for the safety pass into the number 10?
Will they play the defence splitting pass rather than the "pattern" ball out wide or into midfield?
Does KM stop them from being brave? Is he too rigid in his play? Or are the players "scared"?
I think the ability is there, but something is holding them back far too often. |
Too some extent, some of that improves as the team grows
The problems on the face of it for me are balance. We have a problem with the number 10 position particularly and a pace on the break also
If you add 2023 Burns to this side, he gives us something different down the flank
I'd like to see a striker with genuine pace too
We may resolve some of these problems in January | |
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| We win that game comfortably with a vaguely effective number 10 on the pitch on 19:57 - Nov 22 with 1293 views | ottovonbismark |
I've written this season off, it's obvious KM cannot create a team that plays with speed and imagination. What is also obvious is that the board will not do anything this season so we are stuck with this turgid football for the 25/26 season.
The Southampton board recognised they had an issue that needed to be fixed and acted. Meanwhile the Town board has it's head firmly stuck in the sand. | | | |
| We are a perfectly adequate.... on 20:03 - Nov 22 with 1275 views | sundayroast |
| We are a perfectly adequate.... on 19:50 - Nov 22 by bournemouthblue |
Too some extent, some of that improves as the team grows
The problems on the face of it for me are balance. We have a problem with the number 10 position particularly and a pace on the break also
If you add 2023 Burns to this side, he gives us something different down the flank
I'd like to see a striker with genuine pace too
We may resolve some of these problems in January |
I keep seeing about the team growing, we are 1/3 of the way through, and we still look so disjointed, and even more of a concern it’s after 2 weeks of them working for things in training.
We absolute need a striker with pace, someone to play on the shoulder of the last man, someone to actually worry the defence, give them something to think about.
Predictable and boring at present | | | |
| We win that game comfortably with a vaguely effective number 10 on the pitch on 20:05 - Nov 22 with 1258 views | jas0999 |
A manager capable of a Plan B and changes which aren’t predicable would be good. | | | |
| We win that game comfortably with a vaguely effective number 10 on the pitch on 20:07 - Nov 22 with 1233 views | ArnieM |
| We win that game comfortably with a vaguely effective number 10 on the pitch on 19:32 - Nov 22 by Bluecasp |
Akpoms body language just looks poor. He had one decent Championship. So did Daryl Murphy. He needs to be on the bench, not starting games |
Of McKenna's going yo pksy him, he needs to play him in hus correct position. He's a striker, not a #10
Catch that herbivore! | |
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| The striker issue is..... on 20:11 - Nov 22 with 1194 views | Bloots |
| We are a perfectly adequate.... on 19:50 - Nov 22 by bournemouthblue |
Too some extent, some of that improves as the team grows
The problems on the face of it for me are balance. We have a problem with the number 10 position particularly and a pace on the break also
If you add 2023 Burns to this side, he gives us something different down the flank
I'd like to see a striker with genuine pace too
We may resolve some of these problems in January |
....bewildering and one that has been with us for a number of seasons.
Delap is the only decent signing we've made in that position and lets face it he only joined because he liked Ed Sheeran and we agreed to let him leave at the first opportunity.
If we don't sort it out in January then we won't go up.
Whilst we definitely lack pace, I don't think it's actually that important given the style of play and patterns (I'm boring myself with that word) that we adopt.
Clarke and Philogine have shown in flashes that they are more than capable of running away from their defender, but they just don't show that ability often enough.
I still think that given our inflexible style of play, without the "X Factor" we just look ordinary. | |
| "I saw him at the match last week, what a legend. I was slightly overcome to be honest” - TWTD User (Nov 2025) |
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| The striker issue is..... on 20:16 - Nov 22 with 1161 views | sundayroast |
| The striker issue is..... on 20:11 - Nov 22 by Bloots |
....bewildering and one that has been with us for a number of seasons.
Delap is the only decent signing we've made in that position and lets face it he only joined because he liked Ed Sheeran and we agreed to let him leave at the first opportunity.
If we don't sort it out in January then we won't go up.
Whilst we definitely lack pace, I don't think it's actually that important given the style of play and patterns (I'm boring myself with that word) that we adopt.
Clarke and Philogine have shown in flashes that they are more than capable of running away from their defender, but they just don't show that ability often enough.
I still think that given our inflexible style of play, without the "X Factor" we just look ordinary. |
We have a manager so obsessed with this system, that all focus is on stock piling no.10’s and right backs
Had we stuck £12m on a striker in the summer we’d be in a better position right now.
Shame the fans forum isn’t this week instead | | | |
| The striker issue is..... on 20:24 - Nov 22 with 1132 views | bournemouthblue |
| The striker issue is..... on 20:11 - Nov 22 by Bloots |
....bewildering and one that has been with us for a number of seasons.
Delap is the only decent signing we've made in that position and lets face it he only joined because he liked Ed Sheeran and we agreed to let him leave at the first opportunity.
If we don't sort it out in January then we won't go up.
Whilst we definitely lack pace, I don't think it's actually that important given the style of play and patterns (I'm boring myself with that word) that we adopt.
Clarke and Philogine have shown in flashes that they are more than capable of running away from their defender, but they just don't show that ability often enough.
I still think that given our inflexible style of play, without the "X Factor" we just look ordinary. |
Hirst, Moore and AAH in fairness were a success at the time
I do think should have found another one by now though and it puzzles me why we haven't made this a priority | |
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| We win that game comfortably with a vaguely effective number 10 on the pitch on 20:28 - Nov 22 with 1097 views | ZapatasMoustache |
He had a pretty poor game today in terms of outcomes, though got himself in lots of good positions. Far from our worst player on the pitch though. Davis was dreadful today. Nuñez was dire when he came on. O'Shea and Matusiwa had uncharacteristically bad games. Walle Egeli was ineffective, as was Taylor. Kipre and Furlong were very inconsistent. Akpom wasn't great, but he wasn't the biggest issue, not by a long chalk. |  | | |
| We win that game comfortably with a vaguely effective number 10 on the pitch on 21:05 - Nov 22 with 932 views | BouncebackIpswich |
| We win that game comfortably with a vaguely effective number 10 on the pitch on 19:33 - Nov 22 by Herbivore |
Szmodics and Akpom have both played a lot of football in their careers as number 10s. Playing them there isn't shoehorning them in. It's not working but I don't think that means there's something massively wrong with McKenna for trying to play them in a position they've played in often. |
If you think they had their stand out seasons as traditional creative number 10s as we play them, then I despair. Both were played as second strikers where the onus was to make runs and get on the end of moves rather than being creative fulcrums. In sides that often played counter attacking football I will add. Quite clearly square pegs in round roles in our system to anyone who has a modicum of knowledge about football. | | | |
| We win that game comfortably with a vaguely effective number 10 on the pitch on 22:04 - Nov 22 with 810 views | Herbivore |
| We win that game comfortably with a vaguely effective number 10 on the pitch on 21:05 - Nov 22 by BouncebackIpswich |
If you think they had their stand out seasons as traditional creative number 10s as we play them, then I despair. Both were played as second strikers where the onus was to make runs and get on the end of moves rather than being creative fulcrums. In sides that often played counter attacking football I will add. Quite clearly square pegs in round roles in our system to anyone who has a modicum of knowledge about football. |
If you'd been supporting Ipswich in recent years rather than Leicester you'd know we used to play Conor Chaplin as a second striker in the 10 role. He scored 40+ goals in 2 seasons in that position for us. | |
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| We win that game comfortably with a vaguely effective number 10 on the pitch on 22:19 - Nov 22 with 758 views | mellowblue |
| We win that game comfortably with a vaguely effective number 10 on the pitch on 22:04 - Nov 22 by Herbivore |
If you'd been supporting Ipswich in recent years rather than Leicester you'd know we used to play Conor Chaplin as a second striker in the 10 role. He scored 40+ goals in 2 seasons in that position for us. |
Same with Broadhead on the left side. However Chaplin was also heavily involved in the link play as well particularly with his bro, Burns. Versatile player with more nous and creativity than Sammy Szmods and Akpom put together. | | | |
| We win that game comfortably with a vaguely effective number 10 on the pitch on 22:31 - Nov 22 with 725 views | Freddies_Ears |
If only we could replace him with a peak-era Scowie!
Akpom was absolute poo today. | | | |
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