Premier League - Ipswich Town vs Everton FC Preview & Matchday Thread

[Cabanas Blue]

I know the game was lost but Hutchinson on the right was such an improvement in play surely KMc can see that.

[arana peligrosa]

+ points from today

Another near 30,000 at Portman Road. In the very recent past we'd struggle to fill almost half that

Win lose or draw We're a Premier League club name. Up until very recently were stuck in League One where at times couldn't find a way back

A number of exciting prospects were added close season. Marcus Evans has gone, we're under new and improved ownership, McKenna despite any faults remains easily one of the very best managerial figures here in many a long year

- points

No wins in 8 starts thus far. Opposition hadn't won an away fixture for like 16 games but they come to us and take away a victory. This happens often with us irrespective of what league we're at

Was once again underwhelmed with the start formation, players utilized from the start. Names that should have been included from the get-go but seem wasted in a sub capacity

Too often we're not taking chances that fall our way. With a different more lethal cutting edge it would produce results but sometimes or often our attacking potential (back at top level) seems spineless but then again you can only work with the alternatives available

All told, it's a disappointing start. Not overly concerned or upset, even embarrassed with how we've fared thus far, just disappointed. Believe that's the best operative term you can use here.

[Bluemike]

Only a idiot can't see it (Hutchinson wide). That was dire, Everton are poor, we are worse.

Jack Clarke and Phillips woeful, send them back.

Burns is finished now

O'Shea not a RB

Hutchinson must play wide

Delap needs service

Harry Clarke much better than Johnson

Burgess can't play at this level and neither can Woolfy without Greaves.

All in all we are not strong enough, our promotion bounce was the Four draws, reality is now setting in and we are floundering, I don't see where a win is coming from never mind Ten !! Not going to happen. Maybe McKenna reached his level last season too because we are predictable and error ridden, we don't take our few chances that do come along, I mean how the f*ck did Clarke miss the sitter at 0-0 then goes down for a penalty when he could have shot.

I knew when the team was announced we'd lose but again the performance was so so not Premier League quality. I actually don't see where a win will come from.

[mendipblue]

I don't knock KMck ever but he s getting it wrong with selections at the moment. Hutchinson must play wide right. Szmodics and Chaplin must start. Harry Clarke much better than either Johnson or Oshea. Taylor better than Phillips. Come on KMck sort it please

[Blue Wilf]

I am now very worried - I cannot see 40 points in this league with this squad. We played the second half with a league 1 team despite having spent £100M. Everton were indeed poor but we gave them 2 goals and are not good enough to outscore teams in this league. We look a shadow of the last 2 years - devoid of confidence. I said £20m for hutch was too much and I havn't seen much to say otherwise. I just don't get Jack Clarke - leave your hair alone man!!! Villa fans sang 'you're just a sh*t Jack Grealish' and they are right! Delap the only one with credit for me. Need a beer now... its not gone well for us...

[lucy]

The Game was delayed by 15 Minutes, I wish the Whole Game was delayed

[Blue Wilf]

Oh - and McKenna got it very wrong again today. He needs some new strategies as this isn't working!

[hallamblue]

Same old thing each game isn't it.


We Couldn't help the fact our first team defence was wiped out by injury and the 2nd string degence are weak, so conceeding goals from gifts yet again no surprise today.

For me, McKenna MUST change his approach up front.

Burns is not good enough. Rarely beats his man or puts in any decent crosses into the box. He's no threat at all. Omari is by far the better player, wide right.

Delap doesnt hold the ball up so, its constantly coming back at us, nor does he make the CBs work, or pulls them all over the park, and he doesn't bring the other forwards into play. His first, and only thought when he gets the ball is to run at the defence and try and shoot. A lot more guile is needed at this level and it's not in his armoury atm. He's young and inexperienced. Hirst needs to come in.

Szmodics needs to come in for Clarke. The latter spent most of the game trying to beat the whole Everton all on his own, often losing possession. I'd say both Delap and Clarkes naive play makes us much less potent in attack. We nowhere near a cohesive attacking unit with them both in the team.

But my overridning thought is unless McKenna changes HIS approach and HE
" learns from the game" we will continue to be prefer puff.

Also week after week far too many players are making silly mistakes eg unforced errors, gifting goals to the opposition. So the question is, why? At least stop thuis trait and we might starting picking up points again.

[MasseyFerguson]

That was really poor. For the first time since the season started I have real fears we will be in a big fight to avoid relegation.

I was at the Everton Tottenham match on a corporate jolly a few weeks ago and I thought Everton were dreadful and certain to go down. They were better today but they are a poor Premier league side. The fact that, at this point, we are a lot worse than them is a huge concern.

Our squad is not strong enough for this level. KMcK is a good manager, but, if we are serious about staying in this League, we need damage limitation until the transfer window and a lot of money spent in January to strengthen the squad.

[JohnnyB]

Sobering times. I think we've only showed ourselves to be a better bet to stay up than Southampton, maybe not even them. Palace and Wolves are in false positions, one if not both will pick up form sooner or later. Leicester are grinding out wins.

Is there anyone who wouldn't bite the hand off 17th if it were offered now?

[ITFC2024]

I’ve got nothing positive to say this time. Hutch was better than Burns, but he still lost the ball numerous times. We’ve got problems all over the pitch, I’m not sure tweaking positions can even help. Completely agree KM needs to change tactics, otherwise there could be a thumping on the horizon. Spurs comfortably beat West Ham, the team that comfortably beat us.

Can anyone find any positives because I can’t at the moment. KM had plenty of time to get the squad ready for this, and they didn’t show up.

[hallamblue]

Greaves out for a few weeks due to you've guessed it, a hamstring injury.

[ashfordblue]

The only positive you can get is that KM has a massive clearout in the Jan window, and Ipswich have got to spend some real money on imports who will cut it at this level half the squad are in real terms sh*t and won't cut it at this level. SO clear them all out and start afresh, there are quality players with premiership experience not getting game time so bring them in and sell the ones who are not up to it, this league is a cruel league it brings out al the weaknesses in players our owners must now go scouting the world and bring in players that will cut it at this level.

It is either that or relegation is a certainty and KM will not be here if we do go down, my golfing buddy has had a bet on KM being the next MAN U manager of a club where monetary resources are plentiful, and we will need to bring in a manager like Thomas Frank of Brentford, as it stands now we are a certainty for the drop FACT, unless of course we spend big and bring in the quality needed to survive in Jan window

[ITFC2024]

Ok I’ve had some time to absorb today’s defeat, and believe it or not I have found a few positives.

Harry Clarke played very well defensively and getting forward. I think he deserves to start a few matches to see if he’s consistent. Taylor didn’t get the ball much, but he was able to get a shot on target. Morsy did his best to advance the ball, and he finished the match without a yellow card. And finally, as much as he frustrates us all Muric saved it from being four or five nil.

That’s all I have other than Szmodics looking feisty when he came on. Oh, and Chaplin moved the ball quickly.

[hallamblue]

Chaplin rarely needs / takes more than 2 touches of the ball. He's ideal for PL around the top of the box, but he needs a striker who can hold the ball up and to feed off. Delap is not that type of striker, yet.

[ITFC2024]

My line up for Brentford:

Muric

H. Clarke O’shea Greaves Davis

Morsy Taylor

Hutch Szmodics Chaplin

Delap

[Mach_Polish_Blue]

Got back and can't take this defeat lightly. However no complaints about the result as this was we deserved.

It's a painful and brutal one but if Burns can't control the ball and Clarke can't shoot into the goal, what can you expect?

Forget VAR and penalty. One day similar moment like that will go our way.

Plenty of poor individual performances. Jack Clarke, Phillips, Burns was shocking. Who recommended we sign O'Shea? He is useless.

Most important change I want to see at Brentford is moving Hutchinson on the right wing and play Szmodics in the middle. Play Szmodics where he is effective. Championship top scorer who is being wasted when playing on the wings. And please drop Burns.

[Cabanas Blue]

My line up for Brentford:

Muric

H. Clarke O’shea Greaves Davis

Morsy Taylor

Hutch Szmodics Chaplin

Delap

Greaves is out for a few weeks.

[The Odious Mr Rossi]

My line up for Brentford:

Muric

H. Clarke O’shea Greaves Davis

Morsy Taylor

Hutch Szmodics Chaplin

Delap

Chaplin on the left? Really?

[The Odious Mr Rossi]

2nd poor performance in a row, which is concerning.

It seems to me that the inexperience, obstinance, and sheer pig-headedness of our manager is leading us straight down the trapdoor to relegation. I'm in no way calling for him to be shown the door, but I wonder if getting in a mentor for him on a temporary basis might be a good idea.

Finally, Burns proved today what I've always said about him - he could not cut it in the PL early in his career, and he cannot do it now, he's simply out of his depth.

[The Odious Mr Rossi]

Got back and can't take this defeat lightly. However no complaints about the result as this was we deserved.

It's a painful and brutal one but if Burns can't control the ball and Clarke can't shoot into the goal, what can you expect?

Forget VAR and penalty. One day similar moment like that will go our way.

Plenty of poor individual performances. Jack Clarke, Phillips, Burns was shocking. Who recommended we sign O'Shea? He is useless.

Most important change I want to see at Brentford is moving Hutchinson on the right wing and play Szmodics in the middle. Play Szmodics where he is effective. Championship top scorer who is being wasted when playing on the wings. And please drop Burns.

I think it needs a slight tweak to formation too, Mach...........
--------------Muric----------
Clarke--Woolfenden--Burgess--Davis
---------------Morsy--------------------
--Hutchinson---Chaplin---Broadhead
------------Delap-----------Szmodics

[Mach_Polish_Blue]

Wishful thinking I am afraid.

It is always 4-2-3-1 from us. Nothing else.

[Mariner67]

To many mistakes & players not being deployed effectively, We are unlucky with the injures to the defence,Need to strengthen that area in January, & offload some dead wood.Was that a penalty on Clarke?

[Bluemike]

I don't knock KMck ever but he s getting it wrong with selections at the moment. Hutchinson must play wide right. Szmodics and Chaplin must start. Harry Clarke much better than either Johnson or Oshea. Taylor better than Phillips. Come on KMck sort it please

Couldn't agree more regarding Clarke, Taylor and Szmodics

[Bluemike]

Still pissed off this morning and McKenna’s interviews are becoming repetitive. We need a change in approach, formation and personal.
Team for Brentford....

Muric

H. Clarke O'Shea Burgess Davis

Hutchinson Morsy Taylor Broadhead

Hirst Delap

4-4-2

[Charnwood]

I missed yesterday completely as I was driving most of the day and missed the match completely and no access to English tv.

It sounds like a shocking performance as I really thought that game was winnable, especially if we got anywhere near our level of performance against Villa.

Not blaming them of course, but why were Woolfy & Burgess lined up at centre back ? …what’s happened to Greaves is he injured ?

If we can’t win at home to Everton it’s a bit of a worry where our first win will come from.

For the first time I’m beginning to get worried.

[Shed on tour]

Charny, Greaves has a hamstring problem and will be out for at least a few weeks. It was really poor yesterday and like you I’m finding it difficult to see where our first win is coming from. We can’t keep gifting goals like yesterday and expect to survive in this league.

[Blue Wilf]

Yes - Greaves injured As I said yesterday, I really cannot see where 35-40 points are coming from. 8 games in and we have 4 with Brentford away (a point would be optimistic), Leicester Home (deffo must win but no guarantee at all), Spurs away (little to no chance) and Man Utd at home (heart says draw/win but head says no chance). That would put us 12 games in (ie a third of the season give or take) with 9 points at best. We really should start to worry and I don't buy McK's its not the end of the world and no pressure messaging. I know he is protecting the players but at some point it really IS a problem.

Worst worry for me was after the subs, we played the last 25 mins with effectively our League 1 team (how did that happen even though we spent &100M!!) so no wonder we are struggling. I just don't think Omari, Clark, Burns, Johnson,O'Shea, Woolfie etc are good enough even against the lower teams in this league. For me, S'ton will be 1 relegation slot, Wolves, Palace and Everton will improve and Leicester were probably the best equipped squad of the promoted teams and have had the best start so I cannot see past us occupying one of the other 2 relegation slots at the moment.

I even thought (and said) during the game yesterday that it is almost like we know we will go down so we have bought to strengthen a bit but to go down and come up to strengthen a bit more. I certainly would not be spunking tens of millions on a new Cobbold Stand in the near future!

A bot doom and gloom, I know, but thats how it feels.

[Shed on tour]

Still pissed off this morning and McKenna’s interviews are becoming repetitive. We need a change in approach, formation and personal.
Team for Brentford....

Muric

H. Clarke O'Shea Burgess Davis

Hutchinson Morsy Taylor Broadhead

Hirst Delap

4-4-2

I know we all see games differently but I can’t agree with McKenna when he says the margins in the first half were very small. Yes Clarke missed that chance early on and if he had put that away it might have been a different story but for me I felt Everton were well in control of the game even in the first half.
If it had been a boxing contest and went to the scorecards for me it would have been a unanimous decision all round.

[Bluemike]

The one positive is all the glory hunting opportunist fans may p*ss off so away tickets are accessible again.