If we beat the Millers..

In the cold light of day, one hopes that lessons can be learnt. Clearly, we were beaten by a strong, well drilled, disciplined side where everyone knew what they were doing. And out of 5-6 shots on target they scored twice.
I totally agree with previous comments and changes, like Chaplin, Fraser, Harper and dropping of Evans, and perhaps Clements too, tho he played well against lesser teams to be fair. At times last night we seemed to have 3 no 10's. We missed Aluko & Burns.

As many predicted, after a poor run and goal drought, we are now mid-table and tbh, unlikely to make the top 6.

This is not what the owners and Club declared ambition and aims were this season. Some feel we have regressed once more and the players hearts are not in it, and confidence has ebbed away. Changing the manager at this point would probably be unwise, even tho the new players, all 19 of them are contracted to the Club not PC.
There will be serious discussions at Board level, and Moneychangers will not be happy at a miserable underperforming mid-table. They will be asking how can our situation and performance be changed round, can the season be rescued? Will they be happy to spend more in January for one or two key positions - how many does PC need in a total squad?

What is PC's responsibility is team selection, playing men out of their best position as has happened several games of late, motivation & coaching. And we have the mid-week distractions of cups looming again.

My own view, is while I like the man, I remain unconvinced he is the right person with the right assistants around him to a. Take us up b. Thrive in the Championship.

Time will tell.

 

I say at least one more window and some progress in the second half of the season. People are disappointed but we were never going to have an easy ride going from bottom of the table to the play off zone in a couple of months.

 

I know he won’t do it but for the next game, I would like to see us in a 3-5-2 formation. If the same players are available, I would go for something like this
Gk Walton
Rcb Donacian
Cb edmundson
Lcb Burgess
Rwb KVY
Lwb Penny
Dcm Morsy
Cm Carroll
ACM Chaplin
Fw bonne & piggott

I know it won’t happen but I think with this formation, it strengthens the centre of our team and won’t allow midfield to be overrun

 

Think that would make us more solid at the back but our major problem is the wing backs; they’re ****e.

JD was in the wilderness and somehow he’s the first choice rwb now. But marauding full back he ain’t and he’s the best we’ve got. But I like the idea of him in a 3 man defence. Toto is a massive weak link and we need to get shot of him too.

without good wing backs there’s no quality balls on the deck or crosses, there’s no threat down the wings. So a wingback formation be it This one or cooks is doomed to failure.

bring on January and get the cheque book out.

 

If everyone is fit then Burns & Coulsen could play as wing backs and they would be better. If things continue as they are at present, 1 thing I can see happening is Bonne getting sent off - lashing out at an opposition player through frustration

 

I do feel sorry for Bonne, after his stunning opening period of regularly scoring for the club he loves, now reduced to scrapping for titbits. He had 2-3 Rotherham players in his face.

 

The wing back issue is what’s deterring me from a 5-3-2 as well. I quite like the formation and think you can be rather attacking and proactive with it. For me though, there are three main issues implementing it at Ipswich as of now.

Firstly, while we become more solid at the back and get two strikers on the pitch, That’s where’s the creativity going to come from? We’re already struggling and managing one shot on target a match, so playing what is essentially five defenders and two defensive minded midfielders (in the case of Morsy and Carroll, for instance) is being far too conservative for me. Imagine fielding that line up against bottom of the table Crewe. It’ll be full of direct football, with the players we’ve got, and probably end up 0-0.

Burns at right wing back is a strong choice. Unfortunately he’s injured. I wouldn’t feel too bad putting Donacien or KVY there. The second main issue with 5-3-2 is that I don’t think we’ve got anybody who can play that role well enough on the left. Possibly Coulson, but he’s perennially injured or half fit. Penney is nowhere good enough to fulfil the attacking/creative options at wing back. Clements is way off the required ability, as harsh as that sounds.

Finally, would you trust Cook and his coaches - who are used to managing and coaching 4-2-3-1 throughout their careers - reverting to a 5-3-2 and doing that formation justice? They’re already struggling with their preferred system.

 

Just watched the replay and wasn't impressed.

The front three were all wrong, Fraser shouldn't play wide and Celina was poor out on the right. Celina actually had a very bad game. His passes were poor, either behind the player or the wrong strength to find the man. Nsiala is not good enough to get us where we want to go, terrifying every time he is in possession or one on one and running back towards goal. Too many long balls forward and too many passes that were just not quite right to really make counterattacks effective.

Edwards brightened the game up and what was needed at the time, as was the substitution of Evans and putting Fraser with Morsy. Mick Mills seem baffled as to why Cook would do that, I thought it was the best tactical move of the game from Cook.

Our trouble at the moment is that we don't have enough proper wingers. I'd only class Burns and Edwards as out and out, stay wide wingers and this game cried out for width to exploit the space that a 3 man defence leaves. Celina and Aluko both come inside too often for my liking but Aluko does create more than Bersant does, even if I would prefer that he stayed wide more often.

We need to change Toto at the back, Woolfenden isn't the answer and playing Burgess would mean swapping Edmundson to the right. I've been thinking lately that Donacien might well be able to fill that RCB role, he is a great one on one defender but then that's actually a good quality to have in the full back position to stop crosses coming in so I can see why Cook may not see using Janoi as a CB as a good choice.

Cook has been swapping players around too frequently of late, not helped of course by the two games in a week schedule he's got to deal with but it's led to inconsistency in performances. Ideally I would pair Morsy with Fraser, have Burns out right and either Edwards or Celina on the left with Chaplin behind Bonne. We need a new RCB in January to pair Edmundson, who has been one of our best players so far this season. LB isn't nailed down yet but I'm happy that Clements has been given a chance and he hasn't done too much wrong and will be learning very quickly.

We have had some tougher opposition in the league so not overly surprised by the results of late and we've got some easier fixtures coming up that will hopefully help to bring confidence and goals back to the team. I can't see Cook being sacked, the new owners did not say that promotion was the main aim this season and I'm not sure why some think they did. They said it would be nice but also said that it may take some time.

 

Watching highlights and replays does make for sobering viewing, and highlights all the points we agree on. Fraser and Edwards coming on in their right positions, arguably PCs best substitution all season, caused trouble in their defence for 1st time in 90 mins! Celina sadly not suited to his present role. Need Aluko back, sympathies for his loss and his strong Nigerian family sporting tradition. I too am happy to keep Clements.showed good promise for a young'un being thrown in at start of our poor run. Might be right to call time on Toto as 1st team player.

Interested to see evidence, reference SD to owners not expecting promotion. They certainly wont want mid-table!

 

It's an interesting thought but are we a stronger team without Celina in it? Probably our most talented player but in comparison to Man U, is he like Pogba who has superb quality and produces moments of sheer brilliance but there's no consistency and sometimes is a passenger and additionally in comparison to Ronaldo yes he's a superb player but does he fit into the style of play we want. I thought he was awful the other night, he lost the ball so much, didn't cover his position and when we were attacking kept dropping deep and coming inside. I know people have criticised Donacian for not being quite attacking enough in this formation but I honestly don't think Celina helped that situation, often when he was looking to attack he has 2 men in front of him, his marker and a free man with no options to play down the line, plus if you've a player like Celina in front of you are you going to want to attack as they're not going to cover you.

Part of me really wants to be able to get Celina in the team but part of me thinks its futile and we need a lesser player in there to make a better team

 

Yes agree, full backs haven't quite lived up to expectations but I also feel the men in front of them haven't helped. It feels like they are being asked to play as wing backs without the defensive cover. I also feel that whilst essentially the full backs haven't set the world alight none of them are bad players it just seems that the system we play requires them to be very good players. I feel that's the case for alot of positions in the team, it often feels like if we don't bring our A game the system just doesn't work with the players we have.

We have certainly missed Burns, his form dropped a little in his last couple of games (maybe he was carrying an injury) but other than that he has been superb, I'd say our player of the season. If we could get a player like him on the LW, at RB and LB this team would look alot better, in my view he's been the perfect signing for this club in where he's come from and how he fits into this formation either on the RW or RB

 

Completely agree, I think we were both quite sceptical over the summer despite the optimism at how this season would go because you can't change a whole squad, coaching staff and backroom team over a few months and expect consistent performances straight away.

The performance and result against Rotherham wasn't great but thinking glass half full since our awful start to the season we have improved and got more consistent and our recent losses have been to Plymouth, Sunderland and Rotherham, all teams who are having very good seasons and we felt disappointed not to win the Plymouth and Sunderland games.

We needed alot of luck for us to achieve autos this season but I still feel we could make playoffs, my gut is we'll have something to play for on the last day of the season.

 

Great Post SD completely agree with all your points.

I thought for all the noise about dropping Edwards he game on and did well. From what I've seen all season when our wide players stay wide and attack the full backs we look far more dangerous and create far more chances than when they move into the middle, it gets too congested and they don't have the skills to play in those spaces (apart from Fraser and Chaplin). When those players stay wide it seems to open up so much more space, which is partly why I think Burns has been so successful, he attacks space.

 

A string of good posts & positivity to lift my spirits. It's no joy being so immobile for 1st time in 70 yrs!

 

I've trawled about a bit but can't find the articles I was looking for. Here's an early one from Mike O'Leary saying that promotion as early as possible is the target but also saying that it may take some time.

https://www.twtd.co.uk/ipswich-town-news/40058/oleary-premier-league-is-the-target

Here's Ed Schwartz saying they are in it for the long haul and to build a sustainable business at our club

https://www.twtd.co.uk/ipswich-town...e-opportunity-at-town-was-too-good-to-pass-up.

I've watched both fans forums and the consistent message is that promotion is the aim, as quickly as possible but also the reality that it may take time. I don't think Cook will be under pressure yet and will more than likely be in charge next season as we slowly build this club back up.

Naturally that could all change if the support turns nasty against Cook and gates drop drastically but I think everyone should just get behind this project and not expect instant success. TWTD has a slew of stupid posts after a loss, so many fans changing opinions from one result to the next, does my bloody head in! Look at Paul Warne, he has made a great team at Rotherham but he has also been there 5 years and had the time to do it.

Here are the 2 fans forums if you have some spare time

https://www.twtd.co.uk/ipswich-town-news/40683/fans-forum-streamed-live-this-evening
https://www.twtd.co.uk/ipswich-town-news/41422/schwartz-at-fans-forum

 

Given the absolutely dire situation the Club was in from top to bottom at the end of ME's reign, are people really expecting us to be pushing hard for promotion after just one transfer window? I'm certain over the next six months we're going to see further changes, both on and off the pitch, which will, in the medium to longer term , result in us putting together a more concerted challenge.

 

SD you're right Im sure the owners didn't say they'd expect promotion (although one of them did make that 'god have mercy because we won't comment on L1 which kinda hinted they felt they'd give us the players to romp the division?

but the players that signed said they were here to win promotion (and you wouldn't just say that-it adds needless pressure unless you believe its a realistic prospect). Cook said it was about aiming for promotion too didn't he..?

as Big al says it is unrealistic to get it bang on after one window and I'm certainly of the view cook must stay (there's no one better im aware of we can hire right now) and frankly no one gets everything right in one go. to get all your signings spot on in one window is ludicrous. he needs Jan at least, get some additions in the problem areas (lets discuss in the team sheet thread) and see if we look a lot better stronger second half of the season.

we could be very well set up for a proper go next season...?

 

Interesting debate on who should play on the left side of the attacking 3 behind Bonne. The more I watch him, the more I think Edwards is best coming on as an impact sub when defenders are tiring - last 20-25 mins. Much like Danny Haynes was a few (or more than a few) years ago. Fraser should not play wide but that only leaves Celina who I don’t trust to put a shift in for the team. Once everyone is fit - Burns right and Aluko left. As has been said many times, the team just looks unbalanced at the moment