Transfer window

[itfcptc]

For anyone who understandably won’t like to read my attempt at War and Peace above, I think your final paragraph does hit the nail on the head with regards to our attack.

We’re a good attacking team, but we’re not an overly clinical attacking team. We can create a load of chances in a match, but we lack … something … to really put the tricky games to bed.

I agree that there’s a disconnect between McKenna’s current system and the attacking players we’ve got. I know it sounds or reads like I disagree with everything you say ptc - honestly I don’t! - but we are definitely on the same page there. Either McKenna needs to be more involved in recruiting the players he wants for this system (which I think is the case anyway) or he and his coaches need to start sharpening this attack better in training and on match days.

Yes completely agree. No War and Peace from me in that response

 

[Nuggets]

I know you go to alot of games, so cant lay the criticism that you don't watch them on this but it feels as if a lot of your comments you have looked at our stats and on paper come to some of those conclusions. Look at the stats for Hull and you'd wonder how the hell they are where they are but their fans seem to be happy with how they are playing. Stats are important but I think there is also the eye test and our performances have been laboured this team hasn't got out of 2nd gear.

I don't think I've seen a decent progressive 90 minutes from this team in 2 seasons maybe with the exception of Coventry but look what has happened to their form since.

Kipres 90% of the time looks an outstanding player and is supremely talented on the ball but he has a rick in him most matches. He also has a tendancy to get caught out positionally sometimes due to lunging in. It looks like to me because O'Shea, Greaves and Kipre are more athletic they rely on these more than their positioning which is why they get caught out. Despite their limitations Woolfenden and Burgess barely put a foot wrong for 2/3 seasons. I think we've made far more mistakes this season centrally than we have done for a while...our weakness used to be down the flanks.

This isn't entirely down to our CBs by any means, the forward line isn't pressing as effectively as previous seasons and we lack anyone to control our midfield. For however good Matusiwa is he's not a playmaker and the double pivot is hard to control the midfield anyway let alone when your partner is more of an 8 or 10 who floats in and out of games. If you're going to play the double pivot how we play you need 2 consistent players in there who are going to show up every game. Which is why I think Neil could well be the perfect signing.

Then Clarke and Philogene, maybe sounds a stupid thing to say but if they hadn't scored all those incredible goals I find their overall gameplay extremely frustrating. It feels like they are definitely moments players and the rest of the time they frustrate and actually inhibit our general play.

I agree we're not that bad, I mean forgetting about the last 4 seasons the 10 or 15 before that were far worse but context or expectations have certainly fed into that. Our performances this season feel more like Paul Lambert in league 1 rather than McKenna very inconsistent with bits of quality probably above the level we're at. But the context is important McKenna pulled together a team that gave us an amazing 2 seasons, with brilliant football. We pretty much ripped that team up with many losing their places in the team based on how much they cost rather than performances and spent over £200 million to replace them. Nearly every player in our team in many cases cost more than a lot of championship teams entire squads (our championships promotion winning team cost £9 million) based on that should we be expecting to see better performances? I think so, is some of this inconsistency in our performances our own fault..definitely. Too much chopping and changing in terms of recruitment and player selection. And recruitment which may come off long term but in the short term buying players who dont fit with how we want them to play.

When I’m watching matches, I’m certainly more of a results person over a performance person. I take the point we’ve not looked a well-oiled machine and there is a sense that we’re playing or coasting in second gear. Part of that is a systems factor, as mentioned above, but I think part of it is also that we sometimes don’t appear overly challenged enough. For the games I’ve watched, at Portman Road and on TV, we’re dominant enough and controlled on the ball to get routine wins without playing lights out football. We didn’t need to step up in games because we’d often had a decent two goal lead. When we’ve seen teams attack us more and make a game of it - like the two Coventry matches - we have shown we can step up the performance levels.

It’s certainly not been perfect and there have been games that have really frustrated me. I think the defence is owed its plaudits though. Everyone knows the respect I have for the promotion teams, but I think Woolfenden and Burgess - in particular - are sometimes viewed with rose-tinted glasses. They were good players, but they had a mistake in them and they shipped in a lot of goals. Woolfenden was often too cautious and ponderous on the ball. Burgess, for me, was a slow player (even back then).

A fair bit of riding on the Neil transfer. I’m still quite positive on the midfield, but if he can come in and step things up - then that’s going to be an area of strength. I don’t agree that Philogene and Clarke “inhibit” how we play. They score goals and they create chances. Yes, they can be quite greedy on the ball and sometimes don’t play the right pass. But generally they’re showing themselves to be top Championship players. All the more impressive considering how they played last season. Then again, maybe I’m more forgiving or more accepting than I need to be!

I think comparing this team to Lambert’s League One side - even if I get where you’re coming from - is a bit of a stretch. That team was nowhere near as capable of controlling and winning games as we are this season. From memory watching those Lambert sides, I never got the impression we were on the cusp of being a side capable of achieving automatic promotion. They were routinely unable to put a winning run together after Christmas either.

Whatever we think of the recruitment decisions over the last two years, this squad has the right blend of experience, talent, and proven ability to be considered top Championship talent. The lack of an in-form centre forward might be a glaring oversight, but McKenna should be able to get this team competing for automatic promotion. Hirst and Akpom haven’t turned into bad players overnight. They have a record of scoring goals in this league. A wider concern for me is that we’ve lost a couple of highly rated coaches in recent years. I’m hoping that isn’t one of the reasons why the team hasn’t clicked when the chips are down.

 

[Southcoastoldgaffer]

The recruitment has looked a lot better this season compared to last season, mainly because we’re fishing in a market where we’re a bigger player. I think the criticism of this team being ‘a bad side’ is massively overblown. We’ve got the joint best defensive record in the league. We’re the second highest scorers in the league. Yes, the team does have its issues, but I think it’s looking better prepared to step up to the Premier League next season – assuming we manage to get promoted.

Defensively, this season we look a step above any McKenna team. I agree Tuanzebe is a better player than Furlong, but Furlong is a lot more reliable and available. Can he step up to the Premier League? I have my doubts, but he’ll play a part in the squad for sure. Kipre is a more solid and composed defender than either Greaves or Burgess. He has been a key part of how much more solid we’ve looked this season. On a wider note, O’Shea looks more confident and comfortable. Davis has also significantly improved defensively this year.

In midfield, I am more confident in Matusiwa (an outstanding signing), Neil (if he lives up to expectation), Taylor, and Nunez (as he can play there) than Morsy, Luongo, Taylor and Kalvin Phillips starting in a Premier League season. I feel this current batch of midfielders are in a better profile (both technical ability and age) to make that step up. I think they come in for unfair criticism at times, because a majority of games this season we have controlled for almost the entire 90 minutes. Matusiwa would benefit from having a regular week-in, week-out midfield partner to really build in a relationship. Maybe Neil is that player?

Attacking-wise, I agree our recruitment has been a lot more questionable this season. Nunez has been a bright exception and has linked play and been brilliant in the number 10 position. Egeli and McAteer – at a combined £30 million odd fee – have underwhelmed. Egeli is a talented, physical player – but he has struggled to adapt and deliver consistent performances, which you need to see in a promotion-competing side. Whether it’s a question of time, a question of poor coaching, or just an issue that he isn’t cut out for English football remains to be seen. The signing of McAteer is looking misguided at best, pointless at worst. Azon and Akpom have also failed to impress, despite some recent encouraging performances by Azon. I’ve been beating the drum a fair bit this week, but I honestly feel if we don’t go up this season – it’s because we haven’t got a decent, in-form centre-forward. Hopefully Hirst can get back to some level of consistency, because I think the recognition in the summer was he’d be our main man. The rather spiteful criticism and abuse of him on social media is completely unjustified.

On a wider note about our attack, we create a lot of chances. I don’t think it’s a poor attack, supported by being second highest scorers in the league. Jack Clarke and Philogene – widely panned last season as poor signings – have more than delivered this season. Clarke is already only a goal behind both Chaplin and Broadhead, joint top scorers in our 2023/24 promotion season. Losing Delap and Hutchinson – for me, our best attacking players last season by some distance – has had an impact. Particularly as those are the two positions where we’re struggling for a stand-out, consistent player.

I agree the goalkeeper position has been a recruitment issue. It has been since Hladky left. The signings of Muric and Palmer, to an extent, have underwhelmed. I don’t think Palmer was playing poorly, but Walton has come in and made the number 1 shirt his on merit. Is Walton going to be the answer if we get back to the Premier League? I’d say no. Maybe with confidence as a starter in a promotion season, playing behind a more solid defence, he would be. It speaks volumes that Muric was statistically our best Premier League goalkeeper last season. A separate debate could be had that we were hasty offloading him, especially considering how well he’s been playing in Serie A, but maybe a different league and country was what he needed.

I think the good things this team does is often taken for granted. You see it on this forum a fair bit (and I’m guilty of it too) in that we’ll barely comment after yet another 3-0 dominant win. However, when we slip up, or in the rare instance lately that we lose, then most of us are on here looking for scapegoats. McKenna has to develop and implement a system that gets these undoubtedly talented players playing above and beyond their natural ability. Like he did two years ago. It currently feels a bit like McKenna Year 1 in the third division, when we got through games mainly due to having a better and deeper squad than most opponents. We’ve been quite a ‘cold’ team this year in how we’ve dispatched teams, but did it by muddling through in second gear. Always tempting people with a ‘look how much better we’ll be when this all clicks’. Compare and contrast with two years ago, when we were riding the wave of a first Premier League promotion in 22 years, by winning end-to-end, scrappy encounters - and thumbing the noses of some parachute payment clubs in the process. On a wider point, if anyone’s been to Portman Road this season, like me you’ve probably noticed the raised expectations, the underlying entitlement by sections of the stadium, and the constant huffs when a pass gets misplaced. We’re not used to being a club with big expectation. And I don’t think, as a fanbase, we wear it well.

Essay over

Think I will read this again with my nightcap!
Both Ptc and Nuggets make lots of valid points. Perhaps you can meet up at a
local pub near PR one fine Spring day and have a good chin wag!

 

[Mike_Holmes1990]

Overall I'm quite relieved with our January window. The previous 3 have seen so many incomings building a team became difficult. We'd have liked to have seen a goal per game striker, but - delap aside - that has never been part of our play. So I think the personnel are already here, and by and large have been becoming a more effective unit as the season progresses.

 

[stretchyboy]

I also am in the belief that we didn't need anyone else, our squad is plenty good enough.
I'm sure most supporters in our league would love to have your 2 #9's (Clarke and Philogene), who have, between them 21 goals and 4 assists, and your two wide men (Hirst & Azon) have 8 goals and 2 assists between them.
Our style of play i don't believe is suited an orthodox #9.
We have 16 players that have all scored....I'd rather it be spread around then relying on one man to score.

 

[FabiGoal]

Just came across this report about Ipswich potentially triggering the option to sign Cédric Kipré permanently — and honestly, I think this could be a really interesting move.


He’s got solid physical presence, experience at a good level, and what I like most is that he’s already played in English football. That should make the adaptation much smoother compared to bringing in someone completely new to the league.


Feels like the kind of practical signing that adds depth and competition at the back without huge risk. Definitely has room to grow as well.


What do you all think? Worth making it permanent?

 

[Bigal2]

Just came across this report about Ipswich potentially triggering the option to sign Cédric Kipré permanently — and honestly, I think this could be a really interesting move.


He’s got solid physical presence, experience at a good level, and what I like most is that he’s already played in English football. That should make the adaptation much smoother compared to bringing in someone completely new to the league.


Feels like the kind of practical signing that adds depth and competition at the back without huge risk. Definitely has room to grow as well.


What do you all think? Worth making it permanent?

Decent at Championship level but good enough IF we go up is severely questionable.