I haven’t written a blog for a while. To be honest, I thought some kind of downfall was coming.

Firstly, I do need to say that injuries in the midfield have been absolutely horrific. We are quite literally left with two centre midfielders, one being a kid who is only getting minutes because of such problems and there is the skipper Sam Morsy, who on his day is a classy midfielder but right now we can’t even field one other midfield player on the bench.

Lee Evans, Dom Ball, Panutche Camara and Massimo Luongo, all injured. We certainly are looking terribly dull in midfield, there is no height or strength.

Humphreys and Morsy are far too similar to play together. Besides, Humphreys is going to be playing back to back to back and if Massimo isn’t back, he’ll have another 90 minutes.

We were missing Evans today a bit of bite and creative distribution that honestly this game needed in the first half. So, what do we do in this horrific situation?

Well, why don’t we start by trying to play a different way? Not dropping our best two players in Nathan Broadhead and Conor Chaplin, and trying a different system?

I know we went to a more solid 4-2-3-1 today but why not go and try something a bit more attacking, my two options would be playing a 5-2-2-1 actually playing it properly with Harry Clarke as the wing-back and playing George Edmundson, Cameron Burgess and Luke Woolfenden.

This is, of course, extraordinarily defensive but it means that the two in midfield can try to be a bit more expressive and make forward runs without being made to look foolish. You play Freddie Ladapo with Chaplin and Broadhead either the side of him and drop Wes Burns who unfortunately hasn’t been looking great in the past few games.

See how it plays, if we score, we can keep its shape or if we are tied then we can try to push out and make attacking alterations.

Or if we wanted to play a system with four at the back play two up top, try giving Chaplin an actual go at being the little playing of Ladapo and play a solid 4-4-2 moving into a 4-2-4 in attack, just seems like a good idea at this point especially on a Tuesday night away from home. Try to make something happen instead of waiting for one in 200 passes to go through a brick wall eventually.

Honestly, his stubbornness to keep playing a specific way is coming off sour, we want results, so find a way to create results, at this point we don’t care if it’s pretty, or the ‘proper’ way, some games at home like Morecambe or Oxford at home deserve that treatment, but when you're away from home on a Tuesday night, create a better plan! Don’t expect to keep winning just because we create so many chances that are never that clear-cut.

We’ve had to deal with this kind of a disappointment for over 20 years, my whole life we have never been in the Premier League and I was born the season we got relegated.

I am sick fed up with having hope for half the season and then just letting it go. I want to see passion, fight and ruthlessness, I want players getting annoyed when they miss, because they might not get a better opportunity.

Right now it feels like players are letting themselves off for missing a great chance because there are always more, which do not get dispatched.

These rough away games need to start changing, Tuesday nights in League One are not Saturdays, we have to start playing with a tempo to win and block the opposition out go for it.

I still think there is a slim chance for automatics if we really start to crack on and don’t sit on our bums waiting for wins to happen. Let’s back the lads for the rest of the season, because if this poor run continues, we might not even get in the play-offs, but I’m doubtful it will come to that.

SpiritOfJohn added 08:37 - Feb 16 I agree that we need to try something different, especially against teams who will try to park the bus i.e. nearly all of the remaining fixtures. But I don't think Broadhead was 'dropped' - he wasn't 100% fit. As for Chaplin, despite being our top scorer he has lost a bit of form and certainly didn't look our best player against Sheffield Wednesday. IMO KM has been too kind to the players in giving them all a lot of minutes, now is the time to be a bit more ruthless, find a winning team and stick with it as much as possible.

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AYACCA added 09:25 - Feb 17 Yep 4-4-2 might suit us Chaplin ladapo up front, wide players from burns, Edwards, broadhead, harness..
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Europablue added 15:36 - Feb 20 However it goes this season, we need to be ready to hit the ground running next season. It will help us greatly to work out a gameplan against teams that want to sit deep and play for a draw.
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ElephantintheRoom added 15:17 - Feb 21 I think you’re asking a bit much for players that have been here a few weeks to play with passion and desire when they’re already being replaced - or getting 60 minutes. I suspect it’s midway been baffling and infuriating for them. I think the only desire you’ll see at Portman Road nowadays is to maximise the income. Leadership comes from the top and ÔLeary and Ashton are only interested in keeping ‘game changer’ happy who are only interested in keeping Schwarz happy who is only interested in keeping Arizona’s Finest’s pension fund happy in the odd 5 mins a month he might think about his soccer team. . You have my sympathy for missing out on the last century when Ipswich had a football club - but things have moved on.

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Cadiar added 18:33 - Mar 4 I don't often read bloggs and this one by Davlon epitomises why, he really should be coaching Arsenal with his insight into the game, what a load of crxp
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warfarinman69 added 19:57 - Mar 11 Please read this blog after breaking records for clean sheets, 5 wins on the bounce - and strangely still playing the same way.....
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oldblue added 09:03 - Mar 12 Well said warfarinman69..so glad we have KMK making decisions for us not some of these armchair coaches ..keep the faith..trust in our coaching staff and enjoy ... McCarthy/Lambeth/Hurst...now that was dinosaur football.
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Churchman added 08:38 - Mar 13 Agree Oldblue. This blog hasn’t aged too well. I too am pleased we have KM here. He’s going to do a really good job here if he’s allowed to. There’s no patience or view of the big picture these days. Just want it now. If it isn’t instant, get rid of the manager, as more than one person was alluding to or directly say just a month ago. As for ElephantInTheRoom, same old nonsense on this blog. Strangely silent on the forum, but then we’ve been winning games. And Norwich lost, of course. Oh the disappointment.

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Europablue added 10:42 - Apr 3 Churchman, In fairness, the current run of form has only really happened since Luongo has been fit enough to get a run in the team. There really was a problem in that we either didn't have the personnel, or the right players were injured and we didn't look like we had a plan B. Obviously, anyone who was asking for McKenna to be sacked lacks the judgement to be allowed to independently operate in society. However, it was a legitimate criticism to say that McKenna needed to find a plan B. I would say that it is fair to say that McKenna has developed the side to be able to find plan B in the form of set piece goals, and even plan c in the form of more direct counter-attacking goals. I still hold concerns about the ownership of our club. The fans should have way more power at all clubs not faceless organizations or pension funds demanding return on investment or billionaires doing away with the club culture. Right now everything is great with the owners, but it will come time to collect on their investment, and I am not convinced on the business plan. If it is to buy and sell players, then I can get onboard with that, but if it about getting promoted and staying the in Premier League to realize the profit in the sale of the club, it is very concerning who would be the buyer in that case. Anyway, for now we can enjoy things and worry about the future another time.

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BobbyBell added 12:31 - Apr 5 Now 7 wins on the bounce, 8 clean sheets in a row. Twenty goals scored since we last conceded and a chance of winning this league. We are top scorers by a big margin. No one has conceded fewer goals than us. Why was a blip deemed to be a crisis??
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Crinkle59 added 18:28 - Apr 13 After having follwed,watched The Town for 82 years I wonderw if some "supporters " demand that we win ecery game , give managers 1 amonth to sort things or sack them? MKM is learning his trade and doing it well. Of course the owners of ANY company expecct to make a profit, This is the best set up EVER (including the Cobbolds)and the best fooball played since Burley. If you had watched in the old 3rd Div days in the chicken shed you would have reason to complnan!!Onward and Upward!

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Crinkle59 added 18:31 - Apr 13 excuse the typing, at 94 y..o. i'm not the greatest .
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Churchman added 22:57 - Apr 15 Crinkle59 - my dad is a year older than you and he’s seen what you’ve seen. In fact his first ever game was in 1938 when his dad took him to see Street and they sat in the Chicken Run. I think he’d echo your views if he was well enough to do so. In fact I know he would. No excuses necessary for the typing. Onward and upward!
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Shotleytractor added 23:16 - May 1 I think it turned out ok. Uppa Towen!
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