Quens Park Rangers
A win, is a win, is a win.
Sometimes it isn’t about winning pretty, or having a dominant performance. It is about the struggle, the desire to win and dealing with the adversity. We had all of that in last week's win against West Brom.
Coming into the game off the back of an unexpected result against Charlton, all that really mattered was that we followed that defeat with a win. Town started the game having made 9 changes over the side that lost midweek. Captain O’Shea and Leif Davis were the only starters that carried over from the Charlton game. We were back to the same side that defeated Norwich, with the additions of Jack Taylor replacing Jens Cajuste and Christian Walton replacing the injured Alex Palmer.
The opening passages of play were fairly equal. With Town slowly but surely easing themselves into the game and gradually dictating proceedings. Any chance of settling the new 11 passed quickly as No 10 Sam Szmodics was clattered by Chris Mepham. Sam was revived by the magic sponge but it soon became clear that he couldn’t last the half, let alone the game. He was finally replaced by Ajax loanee Chuba Akpom in the 22nd minute.
Town gradually edged back into the game after the enforce change, pressuring West Brom throughout the half. The Baggies had a little spell towards the conclusion of the first 45, but Ipswich soon wrestled back control. As the sides left the field, the 0 - 0 score line was probably a fair reflection of the events that had occurred. Despite coming close, neither side had really created a clear cut chance. Maybe Town could have had a penalty when Phillips bundled Philogene over, but sadly Jaden is starting to get a reputation for going to ground too easily. That will work against him and us when there is a legitimate infringement.
“The boy who cried wolf”
At the start of the second half, Town raced out the blocks and put West Brom under some early pressure. The game then drifted into a scrappy few minutes, which ended in the 56th minute with a poor foul on Akpom. Diakite managed to get his studs into the No10s ankle. Despite receiving treatment for the injury, which Kieran McKenna would later confirm as a flesh wound, we had to twist on the 10 again.
Sometimes in football, managers make great tactical decisions. And sometimes just sometimes, they are forced into a change that works beyond expectation. Versatile midfielder Nunez was Akpom's replacement. The ex Norwich man went on to put in a performance that was pleasing to the eye.
Town went through their regular cycle of changes bringing on Azon, Cajuste and Clarke for Hirst, Taylor and Philogene. Nunez seemed to grow and improve, acting like the glue or the oil in our front line, linking players together and making the ball flow from back to front. On reflection, Nunez’s performance was probably the best we have seen in the virtual 10 shirt this season. For all the improvement, it still looked very much like Town wouldn’t make a break through.
That was until they did. The young Baggies keeper Griffiths played a weak ball out to Mowatt. The West Brom player turned but Cajuste was on top of him. The Ipswich midfielder managed to dig the ball out playing in Azon. The spaniard shot, but Griffiths atoned for his mistake saving the No 9’s attempt. Fortunately Jack Clarke was following up and spanked the ball into the roof of the net.
1- 0
Portman road erupted with wild celebrations. A mixture of joy and relief. Over the closing minutes Ipswich pushed their advantage, before getting a little nervy in injury time. There was shock when the Baggies worked the ball into the net from a fantastic Mowatt strike. However the referee had blown for offside in the build up and the Town defence had played until the whistle.
It hadn’t been the greatest of performances, but Town had worked themselves into the game over the 90 minutes and secured a victory. There had been a few setbacks with the loss of 2 number 10s. But the introduction of Nunez in that retracted forward position, played a huge factor in the outcome. The period of play after his introduction created a flow we haven’t seen before. The Chilean was available and moved about well. Drifting wide and supporting other players as needed and creating overloads in different areas of the pitch. Does this now give Kieran McKenna a headache? The former Norwich man was brought to be one of the midfield players. Does he now drift into the attack at 10, pulling Taylor into the starting side and allowing Cajuste or even Humphries to come on later in a game? Are we now in a position where the huge squad that started the season perhaps confused the staff? A couple of adverse incidents have forced us into a different direction taking us to the next level.
It has happend before in football, please happen now.
Tomorrow we’re at QPR away. Perhaps one of the best away games for Town fans. A game in the capital that most can take the train down for. Drinks somewhere central then a bit of a sing song on the tube. Before 90 minutes in a really tight ground and away end a Loftus Road. A stadium so compact you could be forgiven for thinking you are looking at a 5 aside pitch rather than an 11. Rangers sit just a few places above Town, with just 2 more points. They haven’t really set the world alight so far and come into the game off the back of a 1 - 0 loss away at Derby. You could say we haven’t, but our potential ceiling when everything gels is far higher. We should go to Loftus Road with an expectation of 3 points.
Come on you Blues
Adrian in Amsterdam