Szmodics

[Shed on tour]

Got to have an operation on his ankle and will be out for a good number of weeks and if he is back this season it will be for the last couple of fixtures.

[Bluemike]

Hardly played too, can't make it up.

[hallamblue]

https://www.twtd.co.uk/ipswich-town-new ... njury-woes

Our injuries this season are just ridiculous.
I reckon you can say both players are as good as done this season.

[arana peligrosa]

Haven't been impressed thus far. Even when available for selection the manager either drops him to a subs role or plays him out of position.

Was initially excited when bringing him on board. Hell we got another team's most valuable asset or prize possession but think often he'd be better off back where he were. Hasn't produced the goals you'd expect or made little impact. Yes there's been injuries or whatnot but even when fit and available just hasn't been utilized to the right extent or productivity has been lacking / unsatisfactory.

[Mariner67]

Disappointing news,for me we played better with him.

[EveryoneKnowsaDave]

I agree he has not been utilised correctly, along with lots of other players.

Hutchinson should be wide right not a 10.

Townsend is a better defender than Davis whose set pieces have quite frankly been terrible with corners very often not clearing the first man.

Palmer should've been bought in the summer and Muric not even considered based on what happened at Burnley.

Hirst should be used way more as his hold up play is far superior to Delap who, as good as he is, needs to learn how to pass also.

Bizarre under utilisation of Broadhead until recently.

I'm yet to be convinced by Greaves and wonder if Burgess should have been persevered with, although that sums up how poor the summer recruitment was as he's not PL either.

Lots of what ifs, but ultimately lots of missed opportunities and bad decisions all round. Not making defensive substitutions when winning games... in fact often the opposite... we then lose..... rinse and repeat the same mistakes several times.

Notwithstanding lots of injuries, the sum of the parts adds up to equal tactical naivety and relegation.

[hallamblue]

Can't disagree with any of what you've just said. In fact they are my sentiments too. But the common denominator in all of this is the manager and his decision making.

[marko69]

Almost every thread?! Jaysus fkn H.

Tractor Groundhog Day Boys .com

[EveryoneKnowsaDave]

I'm new so not read the older threads. Seems like a consistent appraisal then.

[marko69]

I'm new so not read the older threads. Seems like a consistent appraisal then.

Yes, you made great points, agree with a lot of it. But to be unique from this forum, why not apply for a job at Portman Road. Get that shower o sh*t sorted the fk out.

Disclaimer: (NOT sarcastic)

[Cabanas Blue]

I agree he has not been utilised correctly, along with lots of other players.

Hutchinson should be wide right not a 10.

Townsend is a better defender than Davis whose set pieces have quite frankly been terrible with corners very often not clearing the first man.

Palmer should've been bought in the summer and Muric not even considered based on what happened at Burnley.

Hirst should be used way more as his hold up play is far superior to Delap who, as good as he is, needs to learn how to pass also.

Bizarre under utilisation of Broadhead until recently.

I'm yet to be convinced by Greaves and wonder if Burgess should have been persevered with, although that sums up how poor the summer recruitment was as he's not PL either.

Lots of what ifs, but ultimately lots of missed opportunities and bad decisions all round. Not making defensive substitutions when winning games... in fact often the opposite... we then lose..... rinse and repeat the same mistakes several times.

Notwithstanding lots of injuries, the sum of the parts adds up to equal tactical naivety and relegation.

Good post agree with most of that

[The Odious Mr Rossi]

I agree he has not been utilised correctly, along with lots of other players.

Hutchinson should be wide right not a 10.

Townsend is a better defender than Davis whose set pieces have quite frankly been terrible with corners very often not clearing the first man.

Palmer should've been bought in the summer and Muric not even considered based on what happened at Burnley.

Hirst should be used way more as his hold up play is far superior to Delap who, as good as he is, needs to learn how to pass also.

Bizarre under utilisation of Broadhead until recently.

I'm yet to be convinced by Greaves and wonder if Burgess should have been persevered with, although that sums up how poor the summer recruitment was as he's not PL either.

Lots of what ifs, but ultimately lots of missed opportunities and bad decisions all round. Not making defensive substitutions when winning games... in fact often the opposite... we then lose..... rinse and repeat the same mistakes several times.

Notwithstanding lots of injuries, the sum of the parts adds up to equal tactical naivety and relegation.

Hard to disagree with any of that, Rodney, except I think that Hirst and Delap should be played up front together

[RRanger]

Almost every thread?! Jaysus fkn H.

Tractor Groundhog Day Boys .com

Word

[ITFC2024]

Well since we're reminiscing, the biggest head scratcher for me is Muric. How on earth did we screw that up?

Back to Sammy, all the best and a speedy recovery.

[Bluemike]

In any world where Delap is used less we'd have been down by Christmas

[hallamblue]

But how can other forwards score goals when they are stuck on the bench game after game?

Drlap is an incredible potential talent. But he's not be all and end all at this club. He's scored 1 goal in the last 10 games he's played in . Most of his goals came at the start of the season. When he burst on the scene. He is frightening when he run at defenders with the ball. But there's MUCH more to leading the line than just running head down for goal. He doesn't bring others into games and he doesn't hold the ball up. That striker is stuck on the bench!


Yes, I do like Hirst. He has a lot more to his game. It's no coincidence that the other forwards stopped scoring goals once Hirst went out of the side injured last season, and again this season.

We have just 11 games left. If Hirst played every one of those games now ( breath easy it wont happen), he would barely be hitting form again by the end of the season.

McKenna is so bloody blinkered!

[Bluemike]

I'm not talking about Hirst, that's not the issue, I've said to you for months now they should both be on the pitch together, its like a bloody unwritten law that that can't happen, but I do reiterate my previous comment a few days ago, only an idiot would drop Delap.

[Bluemike]

The other problem where Hirst and Mckenna are concerned Liz is players need to grab their chance when it comes, against Forest Townsend and Johnson did, Hirst and Broadhead didn't, yes some of our creative players didn't help their cause but as the commentators said, the movement up front wasn't great.

[ITFC2024]

I'm not talking about Hirst, that's not the issue, I've said to you for months now they should both be on the pitch together, its like a bloody unwritten law that that can't happen, but I do reiterate my previous comment a few days ago, only an idiot would drop Delap.

Since we’re off topic, I’d like to comment. I’ve always believed the 4-4-2 or 5-3-2 would suit our squad. Delap and Hirst upfront together would be the icing on the cake. McKenna likes to play the 4-2-3-1 like many “successful” PL clubs…but you have to have talent all over the pitch for that formation to work. Anyway, I know it sounds like a broken record but manager’s need to recognize their players strengths and weaknesses and build a plan that is achievable. Sticking to a philosophy without the right pieces is untenable. Apologies for the same old song, but that’s it in a nutshell.

[Bluemike]

Yes i agree, for me we've learnt very little in 27 games

[EveryoneKnowsaDave]

I'm new so not read the older threads. Seems like a consistent appraisal then.

Yes, you made great points, agree with a lot of it. But to be unique from this forum, why not apply for a job at Portman Road. Get that shower o sh*t sorted the fk out.

Disclaimer: (NOT sarcastic)

Because football is a closed shop. It's not really a difficult thing to navigate tactics-wise if you have a brain, the concepts are quite simple compared to something like cricket, but unless you have experience as a player as a pro yourself, you stand no chance.

How many managers and coaches are ex pros? Doesn't necessarily make them any good, but you can count the number who aren't ex pros all the way to probably tier 7, on the fingers of one hand.

Without elite level playing experience you would probably have to pay them or work for free even if you could convince them to let you try in the first place.

[Blue Wilf]

Almost every thread?! Jaysus fkn H.

Tractor Groundhog Day Boys .com

Sadly, it is cos it is true! It has been the elephant in the room for months but most didn't want to acknowledge it and some still don't!

[marko69]

Always thought an “elephant in the room” scenario was indeed about an issue, but an issue that’s never discussed?
Does that apply on TB.Com?

Part of me wants him to play Muric tomorrow, make 5 shyte HT subs, play “the wrong” formation, get fkn pumped…… get emptied…… get the new guy in, start over…… Move on, have a two week new boss bounce period and get some group positivity going again ….. like what happens when they’re WINNING, before it turns to sh*t again, and Mashton hides in the toilets.

The Trials & Tribulations of a Premature E …… EPL Boss.
By K. McKenna.

[Blue Wilf]

Always thought an “elephant in the room” scenario was indeed about an issue, but an issue that’s never discussed?
Does that apply on TB.Com?

Part of me wants him to play Muric tomorrow, make 5 shyte HT subs, play “the wrong” formation, get fkn pumped…… get emptied…… get the new guy in, start over…… Move on, have a two week new boss bounce period and get some group positivity going again ….. like what happens when they’re WINNING, before it turns to sh*t again, and Mashton hides in the toilets.

The Trials & Tribulations of a Premature E …… EPL Boss.
By K. McKenna.

The elephant was there all along Marko but most wanted to ignore it and kept telling me that it was a "process' and to wait and see. Well the elephant is now on the rampage and your hoped for scenario may well happen again as the first 2 sentences were very much in evidence for a number of games in and around the Brentford one towards to end of last year when the elephant was indeed identified!

[hallamblue]

The other problem where Hirst and Mckenna are concerned Liz is players need to grab their chance when it comes, against Forest Townsend and Johnson did, Hirst and Broadhead didn't, yes some of our creative players didn't help their cause but as the commentators said, the movement up front wasn't great.

The only observation I'd make on your comment here is the two players who shone were in defence...the two that didnt were forwards.

The major difference being, the forwards rely on service, and that has been a major problem thus season, our inadequate midfield provides precious little service to our forwards. Which is probably why Delap has to literally run with the ball from the half way line.

[Bluemike]

Yep exactly that, which is why to get 10 goals with the crap service he gets is phenomenal really and as you say, why much of the time he has to create as well as score a fair few of his goals.

[The Odious Mr Rossi]

Yes i agree, for me we've learnt very little in 27 games

We've learned plenty, Mike - it's just KM that hasn't

[The Odious Mr Rossi]

Talking about formations, it's funny how they go in and out of fashion.
It's got nothing to do with the pace the modern game is played at - things go in cycles (think fashion, music, etc).

So, 4-2-3-1 has been the preferred option over the past few years - but just because most teams are still playing it doesn't mean it's necessarily the best option, it's just that certain teams have used it to success and a load of other managers have followed like sheep. When all of the top clubs stop playing it (as they will at some point) I'm sure that KM will change his philosophy.

Stop being a sheep, Kieron; stop being a one-trick pony, Kieron; we have 2 strikers who complement each other in the difference between their games, but you have never tried playing both of them together once. Why not?

[mendipblue]

The issues we have had at no.10 with injuries Chaplin, Smzmodics, Enciso and Hutchinson. Why could he not play Hirst there? It would give us extra fire power without upsetting the system

[hallamblue]

Talking about formations, it's funny how they go in and out of fashion.
It's got nothing to do with the pace the modern game is played at - things go in cycles (think fashion, music, etc).

So, 4-2-3-1 has been the preferred option over the past few years - but just because most teams are still playing it doesn't mean it's necessarily the best option, it's just that certain teams have used it to success and a load of other managers have followed like sheep. When all of the top clubs stop playing it (as they will at some point) I'm sure that KM will change his philosophy.

Stop being a sheep, Kieron; stop being a one-trick pony, Kieron; we have 2 strikers who complement each other in the difference between their games, but you have never tried playing both of them together once. Why not?

I can't help but think KMcK is trying to get the players to fit his prefered formation, rather than fit the formation best suited to the skill sets we have in the squad.

To change is not a sign of failure , but one adaptation and an open mind. I'm not sure Kieran is demonstrating the latter.