Very good result and a really solid performance, although not the most entertaining of games it's the best atmosphere at a Town match for a while so that made up for it. It's tough to get good entertainment at PR in recent years but at least we're getting results now. We definitely did a job on Fulham today, they completely bossed possession and just before we scored I started to get concerned that we could be in for a hammering but once we scored until the final few minutes whilst Fulham still bossed possession it felt quite a comfortable game for us, we didn't concede many chances and Fulham really didn't look like making a break through. Hyam and Skuse going off certainly made a difference as we had 2 ball playing midfielders in the centre but by that point I think we were tiring from chasing the ball most of the game, so even if they were on I think we would've had a few nervous moments at the end. I actually think when Wordsworth came on we looked far more balanced in the midfield, for me I just don't think Hyam and Skuse works unless we're just going to sit back and defend. Off the ball this is probably the best town team I have seen, we're very well drilled and it means average players can come in and we can get results. On the ball we don't play hoof football but it definitely isn't the most dynamic, I'd like to see us attack as a team as much as we do defend as a team. Parker was the stand out player for Fulham, some of their passing and movement was very good and they could well have a promising future they just looked blunt in the final 3rd which isn't encoraging when you've got an £11 million striker on the pitch MATCH RATINGS: Gerkin - 8 - Not 100% confident about his handling but he's great at coming off his line quickly and making himself big and being brave a quality that I like to see in a GK. He as a GK was epitamised when he dropped a fairly easy shot but redeemed himself but reacting quickly and making himself big to deflect the rebound away from the goal. Chambers - 7 - Defensively fairly solid and certainly looks alot better going forwards than he did last season, would still prefer to see him at CB though Berra - 9 - This guy is easily our best player IMO, a class above he just doesn't miss anything, he makes defending look easy Smith - 7 - Solid game, not much else to say Mings - 5 - Wasn't overly impressed, looked fairly poor going forwards and got caught out alot down that side where all of Fulhams attacks seemed to have come from. Certainly not an adequate replacement for Cresswell atm Hewitt - 7 - I definitely think this guy is still a full back but can do a job on the wing. Positionally when off the ball he seemed to have improved a great deal since last season and I think he gave Chambers far better pretection than Tabb gave Mings. It seems that the improvement defensively though led to perhaps a lack of zeal going forwards to what I've seen in the past but perhaps this is because as a full back he is used to going outside the winger. Although not great it was a better performance than anything I've seen from Anderson on the wing. Skuse - 7 - Did alot of dirty work in the midfield, scrapped away. 1 thing annoyed me though he often got too close to the player he was marking which meant he was either turned or fouled the player. Although he did alot of dirty work for us today when he went off we looked alot more balanced in the midfield with Hyam and Wordsworth Hyam - 8 - Had a decent game and we certainly looked more vulnerable when he went off. I still think he'd be suited to being not neccessarily a defensive midfielder but the deeper out of the 2, say like the Holland out of the Holland, Magilton partnership. Tabb - 6 - For me he huffed and puffed but didn't do alot. No idea why he kept taking the freekicks. I couldn't figure out down the left whether he kept get caught out leaving Mings exposed or which I think was more likely to be the case he was left covering Mings alot which meant he looked out of position. There was certainly a few issues down that left hand side Murphy - 9 - MOM for me, superbly taken goal. I used to think the guy made a better winger than a target man because he just didn't win enough in the air or know how to use his strength effectively. Now he's like a completely different player, he's so strong and knows how to use his body and wins so much more in the air. I called for us to get another target man to come in and replace him but actually I'd be happy if he continues to produce performances like that Bajner - 4 - Not an impressive start but very difficult to judge as he clearly was not fit nor used to English football, he will certainly need to up his game if he's going to be a success here. Not to be written off though Subs: McGoldrick - 7 - Showed some nice touches on his return and actually looked to get in behind the defence which I hadn't seen on too many occassions in the past. Out on his feet at the end though. Wordsworth - 7 - I like this guy, he showed some nice touches and I like the fact he brings a bit of purpose to our play, is a more positive player and now looks like he's prepared to put in a shift. I think we look more balanced with him in the team. Hyam and Wordsworth would be my preferred midfield pairing. If this guy gets a few games I'd fancy him to score a few goals aswell, very impressed with the timing of his runs into the box Bru - 6 - Very difficult to judge as he didn't have too many touches of the ball, made a couple of good blocks at the end though
An interesting alternative view here http://the72.co.uk/14750/scouting-report-3-players-that-stood-out-for-ipswich-town-vs-fulham/
Excellent ptc....you really nail it for those of who cant do all the travelling, many thanks! So, Mings not going to do the Cressy stuff yet? Bajner clearly needs more match practice...reserves Tuesday? Just hope he doesn't vanish off MMs radar. Very encouraging hard to beat philosophy does the trick for time being...especially for this difficult tough month of games. But will I be off my seat whooping with delight at the creative attacking play when I get up to PR?!! Great start and no whinges from the south!
Agree with your summary ptc, some have been going over the top with regards to Tabb, i thought he was ordinary at best and must be taken off of free kicks. When Parr is fit i would much rather see him with Hensh than Mings and Tabb!
Thanks it's always nice to see what others think. I have to say I'm not comfortable with Micks don't get beat first policy and everything else is a bonus, particularly when tickets are so expensive. It's just not how I like football to be played. It's great to see us so organised off of the ball, like I said I've never seen a town team anywhere near as good as this off the ball, I just wish we'd focus a little more on when we have it and keeping it. I don't think Mings will ever be up to Cressys standards but you can't write him off particularly with Mick as manager. Bajner was very hard to judge but he didn't win much in the air and seemed to lose the ball everytime he had it, as I said don't write him off yet but he'll need to up his game if he's going to be a decent player here.
He worked hard but hasn't got alot about him on the ball. I've seen him perform alot better, lets be honest he's not a wide player. As for Hensh and Parr, I don't know much about them but I'm agreeing with you on the hope that they're better than Mings and Tabb
In my opinion there were at least three Town players better than Tabb -Berra,Murphy,Hyam....possibly even McGoldrick and Chambers. Yeah Tabb runs around a lot but his delivery from set pieces was pants and he was partly to blame for their goal.
Warky if you think that Tabb was MOM then your football knowledge has gone down in my estimation!! He was nowhere near MOM!!
He was actually voted it Spanish.............. by football experts so I will take their view over you! Although I also thought others played better haha
Really? i thought Murphy was given mom!! Sky sports in Spain must be different then, coz i am sure i saw dids hand the mom trophy to Murphy, damn that sun and Spanish lager, must make one halucinate!!
