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Ipswich Town 1 v 2 Southampton
FA Premier League
Saturday, 1st February 2025 Kick-off 15:00
Morsy: The Margins Are Fine, We Have to Grow and Get Better
Saturday, 1st Feb 2025 21:54 by Russell Claydon

Ipswich Town captain Sam Morsy felt it was fine margins which went against his side in the 2-1 home loss to Southampton but feels working ‘even harder’ can still bring the results to secure Premier League survival.

The Blues responded to Joe Aribo’s 21st-minute opener, which came against the run of play, through Liam Delap’s one-on-one finish 10 minutes later but were unable to get themselves into the lead by the interval.

And a failure to take their chances in a game in which they were largely on top saw them pay the ultimate price as Nigerian international Paul Onuachu reacted quickest to poke home substitute Kamaldeen Sulemana’s 87th minute shot which had been palmed out by Aro Muric. 

The Town skipper admitted the defeat, the Blues’ fourth in a row, was a bitter pill to swallow.

“Yes, definitely. We really wanted to win. We went for the win,” he said. 

“We had a lot of good chances. We took the game to them. And unfortunately, it was a sucker punch at the end.”

Asked to pinpoint what went wrong against the league’s bottom side, who had only tasted one win since promotion going into the game, he said: “The first half was really good, exactly where we wanted the game to be.

“The second half was more even. But we had a lot of good opportunities to create chances and we just couldn't quite get that goal. And when a game's 1-1 in this level, there's always quality and you can get punished.”

With chances such as Nathan Broadhead’s saved effort after being played into the area towards the end of the first half going begging, Morsy admitted it was fine margins that once again went against them, as on so many occasions this season.

“Yes, And that's something that we all have to take responsibility and take ownership of,” he said.  “And each and every one of us to improve individually as a team.”

On it being a flat dressing room he had left, he said: “Yes, bitterly disappointed. But you want it to be after that. You want to feel the emotions and feel the hurt. 

“And we know our fans have backed us incredibly over the years and they'll continue to back us. And we're disappointed for them today as well. We're disappointed for all of us. But we don’t want to feel sorry for ourselves. We'll work even harder. 


“Like I said, each individual has to take ownership and has to keep improving. And if we do that and come together and stay together, we'll be a better team because of it.”

The defeat, coupled with Wolverhampton Wanderers’ 2-0 home win against Aston Villa, leaves Town in the bottom two still but now three points from safety with 14 games to go.
But Morsy feels there are still plenty of chances to turn things back in their favour in the survival race. 

“It's every game, there's an opportunity to win,” he said, “and you never know where you're going to get your points from.

“Nobody would have thought our first win would have been Tottenham or our first home win would have been Chelsea. You don't know where you're going to get your points from, that’s for sure. 

“But lots and lots of football to be played. And yes, lots of time for us to get better and get points on the board.”

On whether he still believed they can finish outside the bottom three, he replied: “Oh yes,
100 per cent, 100 per cent. We keep going and see how hard everybody works day to day. 

“But for sure, we have to be better and we have to take on the challenge and we have to take ownership of it, look the challenge in the face and keep improving.

Asked how difficult it is to not get the rewards for their work and positive play like they have done in the previous two seasons, he replied: “No, it's not difficult because we're playing in the best league in the world.

“And we know that and we know the margins are fine. And we know that we have to grow and we have to get better, and that's a great challenge. It's a challenge we all dreamt of and worked hard to get to and we have to embrace it.”

Asked if he felt they were getting better as a team, he said: “Yes, definitely. I think from the first time we played them in the season [the last-gasp 1-1 draw on September 21st], it was a much less even game today. 

“I thought we were the better team and we have to keep pushing. But when you are improving it's never straightforward. It's bumps, it's bruises along the way, but we're definitely not going to shy away from it.”

The Egyptian international did not agree the game was symbolic of their season so far, with playing well but not getting their rewards.

He said: “I probably wouldn't say [that]. I'd probably just say it's disappointing not to win.
“We've tried to win. We've come close, but there's going to be close games where we win this season for sure. We're just going to keep working.

“We're not going to feel sorry for ourselves. We're definitely not going to give ourselves that victim mentality. We just have to get better. That's the only thing we can do.”

Morsy believes the three new faces who have come into the squad in the January window, Ben Godfrey, Jaden Philogene and Julio Enciso, can improve the quality of the team.

“Yes, we hope so,” he said, “but again, it's football, it doesn't quite work like that. But we just have to encourage them, get them into our culture, into our group and hopefully they can all thrive.”

Morsy has been interchanged with Kalvin Phillips and Jens Cajuste week by week and was asked how easy that is to adapt to.

“It's easy,” he said. “These are really good players. I think we've got a good midfield unit and whoever plays is always ready.”

On having Delap in their side and his importance, but with the striker also requiring help, he said: “He wants to score every goal, which is great. And you need a confident striker who wants to score goals.

“He’s having a brilliant season and we've just got to keep supporting him and just keep him going.

“And again, even he can get better and keep improving and he's going to be a big player for us.

“He was on loan last season to Hull, and you come in as a young player in the Premier League and who knows what you're going to do? 

“He’s just a lad who just takes it all in his stride and he'll just keep going and just score as many as he can.”

One positive from the game was a lively home and full debut from Julio Enciso and Morsy was quick to praise the Brighton loanee.

“Yes, exceptional talent. You can see straight away he loves the ball. He's a great dribbler.
He can beat people. He's going to be a big player for us,” he said. 

“And yes, it's his first night in a while, so he's going to keep getting better and better, and I'm delighted he's here.”

He added: “He’s a fantastic talent. Great quality. Really good footballing brain. And he's someone who is going to get better and better when he learns the style and how we're going to play. He's got that individual quality, which is going to be massive for us.”

With the FA Cup fourth round tie away to Championship side Coventry City up next on Saturday, Morsy was asked if could be a good distraction from the intensity of the Premier League survival quest.

“Yes, maybe, but it's not something we think too much on. We've got to take the challenge on board,” he said. “You know, you can't hide from it. You've got to look it in the face and keep going.”


Russell Claydon/Matchday Images



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Blue_Heath added 22:11 - Feb 1
Correction - 4 points from safety due to hugely inferior goal difference.
2

Knightsy added 22:35 - Feb 1
He was invisible in that game today.
-1

itfc2024 added 23:04 - Feb 1
morsy is invisible in most games he's not good enough for this league
0

ITFCSG added 23:05 - Feb 1
Really, 0 shots at goal in the 2nd half, all the sideways and backwards passing, went for the win?
0

cartman1972 added 00:54 - Feb 2
Sorry Capitano , you should have been taken off and Cajuste left on .......been a ghost last few games
-2

Leejames99 added 04:36 - Feb 2
A solid midfield unit? Enciso needs to learn his style?
What is he on about, should be a leader and accept this level is a step too far for him also, just jogs around pointing.
Has to be Phillips in surely.
-4

therein61 added 07:38 - Feb 2
I don't doubt that the boys are working hard the thing that stands out alarmingly for me is a lack of ability in certain areas on the park.
-2

grinch added 08:11 - Feb 2
Your one of the main reasons we are not performing. You have been a great servant in lower divisions but your pace and ability to cover the pitch has been woeful at preiership level bench at best is where you should be and the arm band situation also showed a lack of respect from a club captain hand that over to oshea.
0

Bluewhiteboy added 08:32 - Feb 2
Problem is pal is crunching tackles are great in league 1 you managed to get a way with it in championship somehow but your to slow half the time to even foul anyone in this league. Take your yellow cards and homophonic actions to Chesterfield and see out your career and will remember you for captain that got us promoted not relegated.
-4

bignics added 09:19 - Feb 2
Responsibility and taking ownership mentioned a few times so I wonder if he will or whether that’s aimed at others?! He has been a great captain in the lower leagues but he is not good enough and certainly way way off pace wise so how can he ever lift a team as captain and why do so many players give the ball to him when he is 5 foot from them for him 90% of the time to go sidewards or backwards. Morsy is the specific reason why our game slows down he is out of his depth sadly.
2

Magic8 added 09:22 - Feb 2
I tend to agree...Morsy has been a positive influence on our climb to the PL but he is not up to the level required...CM is key in a game of football...the attributes of power strength and skill are clearly on show by our opponents....that's where we should have invested...but we must and will continue to support the team and players who wear our shirt ..
0

Alphawhiskey added 10:27 - Feb 2
Please stop with all this fine margins rubbish.
Our manager still doesn’t know his best starting 11, and still doesn’t have a Plan B.
We have a goalkeeper who is so low on confidence yet is still picked.
He has a mistake in him every single game I’ve watched him play.
And as for our captain, I can’t remember the last time he played well and is slowing down each game.
Yet he is still picked to start the most games.
Yes, I know it was always a struggle to stay up, but this current team has no fight in them. I like the championship team and league one team.
We also have too many powder puff wingers who offer nothing and get knocked off the ball so easily
-1

Suffolkboy added 10:47 - Feb 2
Having just watched the highights , we look good going forwards but lack the final touches and maybe that’s a ‘confidence’ thing ?
As for Muric I’m afraid he continues to look like a ‘rabbit caught in the headlights’ ! His keeping lacks conviction and even sometimes a lack of understanding ; what is his problem ? KMcK will have to literally sort it out or totally dispense with his services ; do we have a sports psychologist on board?
A truly disappointing result ; but all the essential groundwork is being done ,and we ARE very much still a unit in the development stage with definite potential!
COYB
-2

BlueRuin69 added 11:02 - Feb 2
Muric crap, team destroyed, decline inevitable
-1

del45 added 11:21 - Feb 2
Same old words coming out of the dressing room after each game for chi sake do something about it or we are down.
-1

Bluewhiteboy added 12:11 - Feb 2
Dear oh dear our fans,talk of development when it's Feb! We look good in attack they say! We scored one goal against the team with the worst goal difference in the league, hardly prime Barcelona.
-1

tractorboybig added 12:38 - Feb 2
del45 we are relegated we are the poorest team in this league with a manager out of his depth and a club who other than delap have signed average championship players since august
-1

Gforce added 13:42 - Feb 2
One home win all season,says it all, the writing is on the wall unfortunately. Will we actually get a second home win this season, I doubt it.
0

bluesince76 added 14:59 - Feb 2
Morsy never played in top flight for a reason
-1

KBsSocks added 16:16 - Feb 2
Good grief: not a single positive here in Comments.

Morsy holds the ball like glue; Enciso same, but with more magic, but perhaps more risk. Our midfield engine shows some good, hard work, power, and has some excellent deft touches. Distribution is good.

Yes, it´s fine margins. Yes, we have been on the wrong side of them more often than we perhaps should have. But we should not allow defeatism to creep into the team or else we will be lost.

C´mon The Blues !
5

Eeyore added 18:59 - Feb 2
Well said KBsSocks. The moronic comments about Morsy on here are embarrassing. ‘Supporters’ with absolutely zero knowledge of football. Knuckles dragging on the floor. Morsy has been outstanding all season. Hardly ever gives ball away. Always in space calling for the ball and directing the team. You have to actually watch the whole game, not just start to watch when we have the ball in opponents area. Most of us have noticed that the modern midfielder plays passes sideways and backwards to retain possession when a forward pass is not on, and also to draw the opposition in. Yes this didn’t happen in the 1970s but it is considered good practice now and isn’t that hard to understand for most of us. We were unlucky against Soton. If we play like that we will pick up some wins. If it’s not enough and we go down, it’s still been a great season and we move on. Don’t get entitled, one season in the Prem is better than none and we can get back there with the guys we have in charge. We need the fans to support and get behind the team in difficult times. Glad to see most have voted those idiots down who are slagging off one of the greatest captains the club has had. Now, you guys, put those tickets on resale so proper supporters who don’t boo at the final whistle can now attend.
0

Gforce added 19:56 - Feb 2
Although I feel we have little hope of staying up,I have to say Morsy has without doubt been our best signing and captain since Matt Holland 20 odd years ago.He will be our driving force again next season, when we win the championship title.
0

BlueRuin69 added 20:44 - Feb 2
MORSY is having a good season…..COYB
-3

carlgibbs13 added 09:17 - Feb 3
How many times are we going to hear the same thing? About how close we were, and how we need to improve?

SO why haven't we? Even though we were thumped by Man City and Liverpool, there were still flashes of growth. But against the worst team in premiership history, we showed nothing. We haven't learnt from any pf our past games, we haven't grown at all, and we will continue to use these lame excuses every time we get embarrassed.

Its been such a fantastic last few years supporting this club, and I fully expected relegation from day 1. So lets stop with the excuses now and look at how we can bounce straight back next season.
2

Gcon added 10:19 - Feb 3
I despair at some of these comments. A lot of unfamiliar names appearing, clearly just jumped on the ITFC bandwagon. Please go back to supporting Man City or Utd.
-1


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