With Wolfy and Burgess at the back, Phillips in the middle and Hutchinson/Burns in advanced roles, I very much doubt we will even get a draw. I'm going for a 4-1 Brentford win!! I would like to see... Walton Clarke O'Shea Burgess Leif Morsy Taylor Hutch wide right Chappers 10 role Szmodics wide left Hirst
Somehow Town are still not in the bottom three! As long as there are three sides worse than Town whilst we learn and grow, we’ll take it. COYB.
Thank you Forest!! Can we get back on track with another draw?1-1 (more in hope than expectation!) COYB!!!
With who we have currently available, I'd go with this team too. Walton will get the ball out of his hands quicker and I want to see Hirst/Chaplin front and centre. Clarke will provide overlaps, our right hand side has been pretty useless in that respect so far so it's no wonder Burns has looked bad, with nobody taking a defender with them from running beyond him. Hutch isn't strong enough for the 10 role yet, either in strength or overall decision making, so either have him out wide or see if Burns can benefit from those overlaps. Not really interested in the calls for 3 at the back but if we were to go that route, we should drop the double pivot in front and go with one holder so we can keep the same shape front line. I'm not going to blame Jack Clarke for leaving Leif exposed at times, Phillips should be doing a better job getting over to help his full back, that's the point of using a double pivot with attacking full backs. We've lacked cohesiveness, especially in the final third, Hirst and Chaplin up front changes that. Connor always finds space, he knows he's not the strongest so uses vision to give him the time to receive and play the ball rather than strength, Hutch could learn a thing or two from watching him. Hirst is better at closing the keeper down, cutting off passing angles and forcing mistakes. His running of the channels also creates space for the others behind to operate in. We brought quite a few new players in, and I want them to help improve the team, but I think it's time to start with the familiarity of last seasons lads to help improve performances. 1-0 win.
I think we might surprise a few people here. Has McKenna ever lost three Ipswich games in a row? Brentford at home is not an easy game, as they're becoming an established lower mid-table side. I'm with Gaffer, a 2-2 draw. As for the line-up, I'd stick with Muric in goal. Yes, his distribution needs work - but he's kept us in a lot of games and made some great saves. I'd be a bit concerned throwing Walton back in the line-up after a prolonged absence and think we need to keep that position settled, as we'll need to make changes outfield. In defence, sticking with a bit four from right to left, let's go with Harry Clarke, Woolfenden, Burgess, and Davis. They've racked up a lot of playing time together (albeit in lower divisions), but think we need to lean on their familiarity here. A midfield duo of Morsy and Taylor, give the latter a start. See what he can do, he's looked fired up whenever he's come on. Granted Everton were clearly coasting for most of the second half, but I think Taylor's done enough in the several games he's come on to stake a first team claim. In attacking midfield, move Hutchinson out to the right and play Szmodics in the middle. We've got last season's Championship top scorer on the bench, give him a start in his preferred position. I'd then give Jack Clarke one more start on the left to hopefully put behind a couple of bad games. Delap up top. Now, if that team doesn't work out for the first 45 minutes and we're losing - then McKenna must make changes earlier than he has been. If we've not scored in the first 45, I'd make a double change - depending on how well the attackers have been playing, but I think Chaplin for Clarke (shift Szmodics out wide left) and Hirst on for Delap need to happen sooner than McKenna's been doing.
Jack Clarke for Leeds was a confidence player, great when you are winning but his head dropped when things were not going well. In truth it is why you were able to sign him and other PL teams were not interested, he did not cut it in the PL last time. Phillips was not very good at Leeds before Bielsa, under him he was transformed, he lost his way before we sold him to City and he has never got back to his peak days under Bielsa and probably never will do. He isn't one who lets a mistake bother him though. Taking players like Clarke off on 45 minutes would do him more harm than good I did say long ago, it is so easy to go on a losing run in the PL and it doesn't matter how good the players are with a ball, they need a mental strength that is often overlooked. When he was 18 Bielsa subbed him (Clarke) at half time when 1-0 down against Boro, he collapsed on the sideline needing oxygen, they rushed him to hospital and discovered it was a panic attack, it's all over Google if you wish to read up on it
Clarke was 18 when he played for Leeds five years ago. He was 18 when he had this supposed 'panic attack' playing for Leeds (other sources said he had a virus). I'm not going to judge a player's perceived mental strength or weakness based on what happened in a young player's breakthrough season, years ago. He was playing well for a Sunderland team that hadn't exactly had it easy in the last few years - a club with a vocal, expectant fanbase. Clarke might've been a confidence player at 18, but I'd suggest he's matured and grown a bit to be the leading man in a Sunderland side that went from 6th in 2022/23 to 16th last season. He played fewer games last season than the play off campaign, but still managed to score more goals. Sunderland fans seemed to be mostly gutted to see him leave. Will he make the step up to the Premier League? He's struggling so far, but then again most of our players (new signings and lads who have been here for a few years) are struggling. And that's fine. It was always going to be a challenge to compete and stay up in this league. The hope is we can continue to adapt and evolve as a team, then start putting enough points on the board. With Southampton, Palace, and Wolves all scrapping for points - we've been given more leeway in the first couple of months than I thought we'd get. Clarke might be a success or he might not. If you're right and he can't handle being taken off after 45 minutes, then that would be a concern. But McKenna's a good enough man-manager to explain why and keep spirits up. There is a good player in there - he's got quick feet and isn't afraid on taking players on, even if he gets a good kicking. That suggests to me he's got better mental strength than you're giving him credit for.
I agree bigal....Foxtrot Oscar comes to mind when Leeds fans come on here, giving their two Penney worth, like they are the font of all knowledge. I don't bother with them anymore, one of them started going on about how easy it is to find out who I am etc, didn't have a clue what he was on about, I think he may have been on crack cocaine or spiceStrange lot, them Leeds supporters!!
Maybe you haven’t bothered for the last few weeks because you have had little to gloat about, I’m sure you’ll be paying a visit the next time we lose. Marcos and you have a mutual friend, you previously had a long discussion about it on our forum previously so memory problems or just lying again
This is wide of the mark. Jack has bags of potential and McKenna will realise it, we just can't afford to have 'potential' in the starting XI.
Just watched Kieran receiving his honorary degree from University of Suffolk, great footage. He tells how much he and his family love Suffolk and how settled they are. Lets hope he feels the same next May!
Enjoyable and interesting watch that. As someone who works in the “corporate world”, I did roll my eyes at some of the corporate jargon Ashton came out with in the first half of the interview - but it’s clear that he’s passionate, dedicated (some might say manically obsessed), and seems to genuinely care about the club. I found the part covering what happened when McKenna had the other job offers really illuminating. And as much as we say it’ll be a sad day when McKenna leaves - and he will eventually, probably to a big club - I do wonder if it’s actually Ashton’s departure that will spell serious trouble for us.
