| A promising performance, a rare exciting pre-season game, player review 14:09 - Jul 26 with 2404 views | unstableblue |
Well I thoroughly enjoyed last night, I normally leave a pre-season game questioning the depth of my Ipswich addiction, typically feeling somewhat underwhelmed. But there was energy and intent in that Town performance. Some really good individual performances, Luton played a part, and crucially we filled a ground and the fans actually sang?!
Bravo.
As for Luton during the early stages they showed quality and strength and 4 or 5 players stood out. But then promisingly Town dominated apart from a wobble later on where we handed Luton the ascendancy. We looked better than the Premiership team, and I know its only a pre-season friendly but it bodes well. Crucially I think it was their A team selection, yet surprisingly we outmuscled them all night as well. I think they may struggle as Town represent a Premier style of passing and press, but our players are £2-3 million not the the £20m plus they’ll soon be facing. They’ll need all the dark arts of Kenilworth Road to survive.
Shame we didn’t get the 1-0 win, or push for the second in a bright second half with multiples half-chances or promising attacks. But a lesson for the Championship where you’ll get fewer chances, and be up against stronger defences, and never far away from conceding.
So to the player performance thoughts:
Walton - he was pretty good with a couple of heart in mouth moments, strong at set pieces, as were Town all night, which was really promising as this had been a concern
Donacien - great to have him fit with Clarke suspended for Sunderland (albeit we have Ball!!). He had a couple of standout moments of beating a man or good service, was found out on an occasion
Woolfenden - didn’t put a foot wrong, comfortable on ball, available for the pass back and to link and switch play
Burgess - I think we all believe we need a strong left centre back, but I have to say Burgess looked the part last night, strong in the air, and a good range of passing
(Edmundson) - rusty is the word, and no longer looks our beat centre back with ball at feet, but I believe in him, needs game time, seemed to have a rush of blood for the Luton penalty
(Baggott 62) - I thought Baggot had a strong cameo, did a lot of good things, he’s a culture centre back
Burns - great to have him fit and firing again, the Hutchison competition will help him to ‘tear apart’ stronger… a couple of rusty moments, but a goal and some good service.
(Jackson 46) - close to MOTM for his second half display, incredible energy/pressing but some real pace and cutting service today, enjoyed watching him. Whether he has the quality to really beat championship defenders remains to be seen. But McKenna believes, he has a a role, and is fired up - pipe down naysayers!
Morsy (c) - MOTM, he was absolutely purring that first half, and just dominating that midfielder. He looks ready for the Championship.
(Evans 46) - Oh Evans, he starts the second half just so well, picking up ball and spraying it around with class, I’d forgotten the quality. But he seemed to get little overrun a later in the game and had some errors.
Taylor - stick with him people. It wasn’t a great night for the new signing. Some good things. But needs some confidence as he was trying the easy stuff and slowing play, and his passing wasn’t as crisp as we need. Hopefully the Austria trip can bed him in. Feels like Luongo for Sunderland (or Dom Ball!) - but let’s get behind Jack, success at a club is fine margins.
(Edwards 46) - lots of good stuff, and I do like Edwards. In some ways he’s more effective than Hutchison who we will rightly drool over… but I do feel like Kyle would really benefit from a run in the team. But is behind Broadhead and others.
Davis - just solid and dependable, one of out top players
(Leigh 46) - I feel for Leigh, for me he’s good enough to be in our first 11, so physical, energetic, good in air and really committed, I thought a lot of our back-up players - Ball, Jackson, Harness - gave a really good account of themselves, none more so that Leigh
Chaplin - with Broadhead, David and Morsy he’s our top level player, I’ve always thought that can he step up to the Championship, but last night he looked so good on the ball I could even see an offer from a Leeds, Saints, Boro coming in - he’s that good - no chance he’d leave, he’s currently our ‘Mr Ipswich’
(Hutchinson 46) - well the younger lads in our group were slavering about his performance last night, as were the Blue Army… what a prospect?! he’s a nightmare to play against, he can go past you either side, still think he needs to work on relationships and end product, and is still behind Burns
Broadhead - we can’t really afford for him to be injured, he’s our best player, and had several stand out moments of quality, McKenna was comforting him as he was upset with the niggle… hopefully nothing more than that
(Harness 34) - he’s having such a good pre-season which earnt a long song from the massed ranks of the Blue Army last night, energetic, breaking, passing, it was a good display - close to MOTM - BUT when he moved deeper alongside Evans he did start to bring the errors which tarnished the display
Hirst - a bit of rust, but I still think he looks the real deal, what really struck me was he has some real pace and he can bully
(Ladapo 46) - hmmmm, came on in his usual second half smash me up role, was a handful, but the had 2-3 chances he had to put one away, and we had clinical eye in the championship where chances will be at a premium
BALL - ay Karumba, what’s this guy been doing over the summer, his touch is sublime, he’s beating people, some of his attacking passes are top draw and he’s owning that right wing back role when he comes in… he’ll play a part this season
Yes only a friendly, but lots to be excited about. Interested to see how they fare in Austria against even higher quality than Premier League (‘you’re having a laugh’) Luton [Post edited 26 Jul 2023 23:38]
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| A promising performance, a rare exciting pre-season game, player review on 14:15 - Jul 26 with 2322 views | catch74 |
Thanks Unstable - good read. Think Clarke is going to miss more than the first game, by the sounds of it. |  |
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| A promising performance, a rare exciting pre-season game, player review on 14:20 - Jul 26 with 2287 views | DJR |
That pretty much sums up what I posted on another thread although not in such a strutured way, and the game certainly proved to me that Donacien can cope at this level. [Post edited 26 Jul 2023 14:39]
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| A promising performance, a rare exciting pre-season game, player review on 14:26 - Jul 26 with 2237 views | NthQldITFC |
Thanks for that.
Regarding Greg Leigh - I can't remember whether we've tried him at left centre-back? I think he'd be a really good candidate for that role - strong (very), quick, happy on the ball. Burgess has done enough for me to hold that position in the Championship, but I think Leigh would be my first change there, if required. |  |
| # WE ARE STEALING THE FUTURE FROM OUR CHILDREN --- WE MUST CHANGE COURSE # | | Poll: | It's driving me nuts |
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| A promising performance, a rare exciting pre-season game, player review on 14:46 - Jul 26 with 2137 views | RobTheMonk |
I think people forget that Dom Ball is only 27! Seems like he's been around for decades. |  | | |
| A promising performance, a rare exciting pre-season game, player review on 14:54 - Jul 26 with 2052 views | The_Realist_09 |
Agree with lots you said apart from Harness, thought he looked a bit fitter but gave the ball away carelessly on many occasions much like the back end of last season. |  | | |
| A promising performance, a rare exciting pre-season game, player review on 15:45 - Jul 26 with 1892 views | unstableblue |
| A promising performance, a rare exciting pre-season game, player review on 14:15 - Jul 26 by catch74 |
Thanks Unstable - good read. Think Clarke is going to miss more than the first game, by the sounds of it. |
Sorry to hear that… could be a blow as he gives is some energy. Albeit we have cover from Donacien and Ball.
What did you hear and where? | |
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| A promising performance, a rare exciting pre-season game, player review on 15:47 - Jul 26 with 1885 views | unstableblue |
| A promising performance, a rare exciting pre-season game, player review on 14:54 - Jul 26 by The_Realist_09 |
Agree with lots you said apart from Harness, thought he looked a bit fitter but gave the ball away carelessly on many occasions much like the back end of last season. |
Do you not think he was only giving the ball away in the second ‘half’ of his display? When I think he changed position?
When he was higher up the pitch I thought he was really good, and McKenna stated the same | |
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| A promising performance, a rare exciting pre-season game, player review on 16:00 - Jul 26 with 1849 views | TRUE_BLUE123 |
Good read.
I also usually hold a lack of interest in pre seasons, but I thought the Preston game was really good as well.
The two times we have put out close to a first team in pre season vs Preston and Luton first half we have looked really really sharp. promising stuff. |  |
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| A promising performance, a rare exciting pre-season game, player review on 16:06 - Jul 26 with 1823 views | portmanroadblue |
Thought Ball was excellent, wasted at RB. |  | | |
| A promising performance, a rare exciting pre-season game, player review on 16:39 - Jul 26 with 1729 views | unstableblue |
| A promising performance, a rare exciting pre-season game, player review on 16:00 - Jul 26 by TRUE_BLUE123 |
Good read.
I also usually hold a lack of interest in pre seasons, but I thought the Preston game was really good as well.
The two times we have put out close to a first team in pre season vs Preston and Luton first half we have looked really really sharp. promising stuff. |
I think the way McKenna is setting-up, positioning and communicating his pre-season plans is the difference
He was clear that the Austria games, the Cambridge/Stevenage games were minutes... and that Preston and Luton would be more like putting the eventual game plan and style into action
I'm not yet clear on how he sees the tournament | |
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| A promising performance, a rare exciting pre-season game, player review on 17:12 - Jul 26 with 1637 views | Nutkins_Return |
Great read. Really enjoyed it. Your enthusiasm leapt of the urrr... Screen. Nice work | | | |
| A promising performance, a rare exciting pre-season game, player review on 17:49 - Jul 26 with 1550 views | unstableblue |
| A promising performance, a rare exciting pre-season game, player review on 14:26 - Jul 26 by NthQldITFC |
Thanks for that.
Regarding Greg Leigh - I can't remember whether we've tried him at left centre-back? I think he'd be a really good candidate for that role - strong (very), quick, happy on the ball. Burgess has done enough for me to hold that position in the Championship, but I think Leigh would be my first change there, if required. |
In the half-time warm-up they were doing a line of defence, and attacking thrown lofted balls, Leigh almost had the best height with his leap and the strongest header.. even more so that the giant Baggot | |
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| EDITED - to actually make sense; summary points for those wanting a short read on 20:17 - Jul 26 with 1312 views | unstableblue |
I did it on phone, and on re-reading, some shocking English, so have edited original post.
- Luton have strong players, but were inferior to Town
- they’ll struggle, especially as we outmuscled them
- MOTM Morsy
- Harness gave a good account of himself, but then wobbled
- Ball is a baller
- Morsy, Chaplin, Broadhead, and Davis our best players - but we knew that
- game was a good contest and a good atmosphere, best pre-season friendly I can remember
- Edmundson very rusty
- Taylor needs some confidence
- Jackson excelled
- Hutchison is very very exciting - will there be end product?
- Freddie needs to take his chances [Post edited 26 Jul 2023 20:18]
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