Match Day Thread Ipswich Town FC v Sunderland AFC – Saturday 13th January 2024 - KO 17:30

Why

 

It is crap that he seems to be being hounded out already and I’m trying really bloody hard to not write him off this early but he’s really not helping himself.

I burst out laughing when he said he played a striker as Jobe started. He’s not a bloody striker and that’s why the whole away fans were chanting for one yesterday. Singling Adil out also for his miss doesn’t help anyone at all.

 

The average age of our team got a few mentions on Sky yesterday.

Our first team could easily be our under 21 (or is it under 23) team with only Pritchard and Onion being oldies.
The signings, somebody mentioned only 1 out of the 12 is getting games and some of the others are getting the odd cameo but they are not ready yet.

To me this seems like that in a couple of years time we should have a really good squad when these young ‘uns get experienced and used to our game.
Hopefully we will not be selling them as soon as they come good and then get some more young players in to start again. We should at least get about 3 years from them when they have improved, then possibly look to cash in.

We are nowhere near ready for promotion yet and I don’t want to be getting hammered every game if we somehow got promoted via the playoffs. I’d much rather we stayed in the championship where we get good fairly even games for a couple of seasons until we have a squad capable of getting mid table premiership standard.

 

I can't remember who said it and I can't find it but I think it was @Prehab26 talking about Beales in game management being really poor and it's 100% correct. I am fairly certain that if Ba stays on we come away with at least a point and we are probably sat here talking about a good away point and a decent performance especially in the first half. Instead we bring on Aouchiche to play a position he has only played 3 times according to Transfermarkt. Thats just plain stupidity and it needs to improve now.

 

Problem with that though is that our best players won’t stick around for 3 years in the championship. We’ll continually be facing a battle to replace the best players in our team which is fine IF they invest big back into the squad. We just need some experienced bodies in there this squad is more than good enough for play offs imo.

 

Good points mate, the positive I took from yesterday is that Beale showed faith in Ba, hope he does the same with Adil in the near future, talking on the matter of the striker position most on here expected Rusyn to start , but he started Jobe instead, fair enough , but he should have made the change before he did, the timing looked more political than prudent to me.

 

Yep absolutely. His in game management whilst he has been here had been abysmal.

 

Players starting or coming on in their natural positions is the very least I expect from a new manager…injuries can change that of course but he can’t use that as an excuse currently (maybe Ekwah is the exception). Start with the basics and go from there.

It seems like we want a full squad of utility players

 

Trying to hold off judgement on Beale until next month when window is closed and he’s had some time. One thing that doesn’t feel right is the team identity. Two wingers, blood and thunder going forward is what everyone wants. If we lose games by going for it there is an awful lot of forgiveness out there. If we are going to play a lot more reserved, slower tempo then there is no margin for error. Speakman has talked about this identity being set through all levels of the club. Let’s see if he can coach Beale to play the team to our expectations.

 

Looks to me like as a club we struggle to profile players in terms of their best position or role. We have a squad of seriously talented footballers but the majority of them do not have a refined role. Can anyone at the club explain why Ba, Aouchiche, Seelt, Ekwah, Rusyn, Mayenda, Jobe and others don't really have a consistent position or role in the side. They are constantly in and out of the team playing different positions leading to no improvement or a consistent level of performance.

 

Jobe is made to be an 8. I’d say he’s the third best 8 at the club. Possibly the second best 10, hard to make a call on the 9 but arguably level first. That’s the imbalance of our squad and that shows we lack numbers in key areas (6) , quality in key areas (9) that signings haven’t succeeded (9,10). I think Rusyn would have done better at retaining the ball but compare both to say Connolly at Hull who isn’t a world beater or even Chaplin and you see we need a player who makes central defenders to work hard around the box.

 

Another thing that is bugging me is Rigg. Is he injured? Because if he isn't why did he not play for the u21s friday if we weren't going to have him on the bench yesterday? His last appearance was October against Norwich. He hasn't looked out of place any time he has played so why is he barely making the bench? Wouldn't blame him if he didn't sign the pro contract here.

 

could say same about jewi he’s made an impact every single time he’s came on yet nowhere near and yesterday was his first time on the bench for months.

 

Yep. Hate it when people say 'well they mustn't be performing in training' because frankly I do not care about training. I want players who affect games not training. Mowbray spoke about Burstow doing well in training yet he's been so poor in the actual games. We have players warming the bench or not making the squad who have effected games this season yet people talk about them not performing in training? Makes no sense at all.

 

Far too many were off the pace yesterday, couldn't pass a ball 10 feet , challenges, we lost more 50/50 the second half than I've seen for a long time,but apart from the ref getting the hand ball wrong, imo, immediately before they scored, Jobe just ambled and never went with his man ( the guy who handled and then passed the ball)that led to the equaliser, that he should have done and made it far too easy for the equaliser.. Maybe I'm seeing it the wrong way but far too many times, he has this habit much like Dan Neil does , of turning two or three times back into trouble when he has won the ball and cant understand why he ends up losing it. He did this at least 6 times in the first half, its there in the replays if people need to check, and the coaches should have been on his case at half time.

 

I thought where he had three goes to win the ball on the side line, second half, was his highlight.

 

Not sure how you can say that. You have no idea how the game would have panned out. Ba certainly has form for a) glaring misses and b) giving away soft free kicks
Feels like it's just a way to have a go at the Head Coach

 

I'm also getting sick and ****ing tired of watching Ekwah jog towards goal whilst his man sprints.

I suppose that will be Beale's fault too

 

I have spent all week defending the Beale appointment so no it's not me having a go at Beale, he does need to change though.

Leif Davis is arguably the best full back in the league and Ba was doing a fantastic job on him, he barely had the ball in dangerous positions because Ba wasn't letting him. Aouchiche, who I really like as a player, has only played 3 games as a right winger in his career before yesterday so it's asking a player to do something he is not used to doing against one of the most in form players in the league, Davis instantly was playing 10 yards further forward. It was a poor decision and I expect he learns from it.

 

I think four Ipswich were booked before we had anything approaching a yellow ...

... I'm not sure and can't be arsed to look tbh.

Hume tackles fairly, one of the best around imo.