JADEN’S A JOY
This game, thanks to some cut price tickets and greater availability, will have been a first or rare taste of Ipswich Town for many among a 27,527 crowd. I’ve got a feeling that a lot of the youngsters who were in attendance will excitedly be trying to replicate the skills of Jaden Philogene when they’re next on the playground.
There were sharp stepovers, two nutmegs and a moment where he juggled the ball over an opponent’s head. Another Portman Road goal – his 10th of the season – came in trademark fashion. That laser accurate curling finish into the far right corner of the net has happened in front of the South Stand a few times now.
The hefty £20m transfer fee paid to Aston Villa a year ago is increasingly looking like a very good piece of investment.
KILL IT OFF!
I’ve used this sub-heading a few times this season, haven’t I?
Town had built pressure in the early stages. Cedric Kipre’s header at a corner was well saved, Wes Burns stumbled at a vital moment in the box, while both Chuba Akpom and Jack Taylor put decent headed chances over. Once Philogene had broken the deadlock in the 35th minute, therefore, you hoped that more goals would follow. The game wasn’t put to bed until late on though.
Akpom’s rising strike was pushed over, Ben Johnson, Jack Taylor and Philogene all fired narrowly wide from the outside the area, while Ashley Young and Jack Clarke saw well-struck shots blocked. Ipswich continually passed and probed, always felt largely in control, but at 1-0 there was always some jeopardy in the air.
“We scored a really good goal in the first half and I thought we generally moved the ball well,” said Kieran McKenna. “Of course, we still need to be more efficient to go and get that second goal earlier with the amount of opportunities that we had. The decision and final pass still can be better.”
MAKING HIS CASE
Jacob Greaves was Town’s clear Man of the Match. He made two outstanding lunging blocks, got team-mates out of jail with covering tackles, strode out from defence on a few occasions and got his head on multiple set-piece deliveries, rising above keeper Bailey Peacock-Farrell to score the 87th minute clincher from an Ashley Young corner delivery.
You can’t knock him for conceding the penalty which Ashley Fletcher converted for a consolation goal deep into stoppage-time either given I thought he got a touch on the ball when making a hooked tackle in the box.
“I know how good Jacob is,” said McKenna afterwards. “I think we have three top, top, top centre halves for the level to be honest. The competition there is fierce but I’ve got no doubt about Jacob’s qualities and the future that we want him to have at the club.”
LONG BALL ISSUES
Along with not being ruthless/clinical enough, there were a couple more recurring themes in this game. One, struggling to break down a back three/deep block. Two, looking vulnerable to long balls.
A long punt out the hands from keeper Peacock-Farrell led to CJ Hamilton getting in behind Ashley Young and forcing Alex Palmer into a save with his legs early in the second half. There were other examples of route one causing issues too.
Young, who became the oldest captain in Ipswich history at the age of 40, still produces some really classy moments on the ball. Off it, he does look vulnerable to pace though.
“It was tactically quite a good game for us because we’ve got quite a lot of back five teams coming up in the league, so there are some references that we can take from it,” said McKenna, adding: “We didn’t deal with the direct play as well as we would have liked.”
CLARKE EXPERIMENT
Ipswich have two left-wingers that would walk into most, if not all, Championship teams. Philogene and Jack Clarke have 18 goals between them this season. Getting both in the same team has proved difficult though given neither have looked anywhere near as effective when deployed on the right. McKenna may now have worked out a way to do it.
In the 2-0 win at Coventry at the end of December, Clarke started on the left but played deep and narrow. It flummoxed the Sky Blues and was a big factor in the Blues completing a double over the league leaders. In the subsequent New Year’s Day 2-1 home win against Oxford, Clarke was introduced off the bench in the No.10 role. The experiment continued with him starting in that central attacking role for this game.
I don’t think it will become his prime position, but it’s certainly a different option. The 25-year-old can eat up the ground with the ball at feet, beat a man in both directions and has an eye for a pass.
Sindre Walle Egeli, who McKenna believes will become a No.10 in time, got some minutes in that position late on. Marcelino Nunez, Chuba Akpom and Sammie Szmodics all see that as their best role too. It’s good to have variety and depth. Town are arguably over-stocked in this department though.
INTO THE HAT
There was a near decade long spell (2011-2019) where Ipswich couldn’t get past the first hurdle in the FA Cup. The Blues have now made it past the third round stage four years in a row.
The draw for the last 32 takes place tomorrow tea time. McKenna believes a cup run can help, not hinder a promotion push. He’s keen for his team to test themselves against a Premier League team at some stage.
The next round will take place on the weekend of February 14/15, meaning the home league clash with Hull City will be rearranged. Progress to the fifth round would mean the home league game with Leicester (March 7) being moved too. A couple more nights under the Portman Road lights wouldn’t go amiss.
Ipswich have the squad depth to deal with the extra games. They can take inspiration from the way Coventry reached a Wembley semi, and almost the final, back in 2024 too. Dare to dream? Why not.
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