Here's a thought for you all.... Having watched the team progress this season and certainly under PJ, his win ratio being very acceptable, I think I've noticed the main reason why. Can any of you remember an Ipswich team that had so many accurate shots on goal from outside the box. We seem to have a policy of shoot on sight and with the exception of Leadbitter (who is playing well but could do with some shooting practice) they are all fairly good. Obviously they are still playing good passing and moving and plenty of crosses into the box to create chances, but I just cannot think back to a side who were so trigger happy outside of it. Anyhoo here's hoping for a good run up to xmas ( I wanted to be the first to mention xmas ) .
Well, when you have Andrews, Bullard, Bowyer, Scotland, Chops, Cresswell, Edwards in the XI - every single one of them is a good hitter of the ball, think you've hit the nail on the head
Well the old saying is, if you don't buy a ticket you can't win the lottery. And with the players we have, as hampy said, all can strike a ball pretty well so why not put the keeper under pressure. Thinking back to last saturday, would any striker we have had in the last 10 years been able to score the goals chops did?
Guru - even when Chops has been wasting chances, it's hard to remember the last time we had a striker who got into so many good positions to waste a hatful from! You have to go all the way back to Bent and Kuqi.
I would say even before that hampy, Bent was all pace and Kuqi all power. Chops has that intelligence to make runs when he needs to, I would say he is our best striker since Marcus Stewart. But more importantly, he has built a partnership with big Jason which is the best i can remember for a long time at Portman road.
Yes and No, Its not just our long range shots it the attacking play and intellegence as well. We are currently almost playing a 2-6-2 formation. Edwards and Cresswell are more like wingers than fullbacks and with Bullards vision, playing just in front of the centre backs means we can instantly spring forward. Its not going to work against all teams but at home we should be able to play like this against all but the best teams As Guru points out if you dont buy a ticket then you wont win the prize and by having so many options we are creating the opportunities to get the goals.
Tractorbhoy, makes a very good point about Edwards & Cressy. Edwards especially has been in for a lot of stick, but its his attacking nature that makes the system works so well, a normal run of the mill right back wouldn't be getting so far forward thus we would be creating less chances.
I've always backed Edwards at RB much to most peoples (on here) confusion but it just makes so much sense. An expereinced aging and slowing wide player, moving back and using that experience to learn a new position. It will probably allow him to get another year of playing too and his performances lately have been a major factor to our good form as we have genuine width in the team.
To add to my earlier point I think we have also turned a mental corner and realised it is OK to attack. I dont want to hark back to the Keane days but he had a 'cant get beaten' mentality. It basically meant we put more emphasis on being tight at the back (which failed) and we hardly tried attacking moves. We had a turgid rigidity that couldnt create chances. We are now more keen to move forwards. Take Leadbitter for an example. Too many times he has been fairly criticised for backward or sideways, negative and safe 5 yard passes. He never used to help create anything and often we conceded, or at least put ourselves under pressure as a result of dithering. Since the Peterborough game he has added an energy to his game but also a forward thinking mentality. He makes runs, he gets ahead of play and seems unafraid to be more adventurous. It stands to reason the more forward thinking we are the more attacks we have and therefore a larger percentage of shots and goals.
I agree to a point. I would prefere we had another option for full back when we are playing against a stronger team or need to retain a lead. He is fine for matches we expect to win and have a large percentage of the play. Positionally he isnt always great and he is not always thinking primarily about his defensive role. His pace has helped him out on a few occasions, as have the new central defenders. I think half of our earlier problems this season could partially be as a result of edwards not being in 100% in his role and the centre backs not having the intelligence to sense danger when he had been court out.
Guru hit it on the head when he said the word intelligence,Chropra misses chances because he makes so many more than other so called strikers weve had. The work he does when he hasnt got the ball is terrific, running up and down along the line, twisting and turning, always trying to make an opening if not for himself then for someone else take. Just watch him when he hasnt got the ball it really is very impressive.
