Been watching and reading this thread for months (and commented a few times) but I’d be very curious as to why if you go up you think you’ll make a better go of it than us?
We went up with one of the best season tallies in recent memory, bought some proper quality in the likes of Delap for sample who will be an england player in future seasons and we’re still very likely to go back down.
There was no guarantee that a) you’d be promoted and b) you’d make a better go of it than us anyway. I can see why he signed even asides for the money.
As it goes, he just lacks the physicality for the league. He’s showing no strength whatsoever and being brushed off the ball every time he does anything. He shows glimpses and then gets shoved off the ball by a big defender and then hides away for the next 10 minutes. Szmodics has earned the place over him quite frankly.
As for some other stuff in this thread, there is literally zero chance of McKenna being sacked. And to suggest he’s been ‘found out’ is also ridiculous. We had 6 starters last week who played for us against Exeter on the last day of our League 1 season. To even have us competing (1 win off the dotted line at halfway is competing) is a testament to how good a manager he is. Back to back promotions in the parachute payment era where the quality and gulf between the championship and premier league is enormous is a superb job. Even if we go back down as plenty of our fanbase expect we might, McKenna would be taking up a job at the likes of Spurs. He was already approached for the Chelsea job remember and offered the Brighton and Crystal Palace jobs previously. Nothing that has happened this season detracts from that.
Good luck with the rest of the season. Still hope yous go up despite reading stuff like ‘Pisswich Town’ in this thread which is nothing short of embarrassing in all honesty.
Posted this elsewhere but it's probably more suited to discussion here:
Regarding Clarke, you can't really label him as not good enough for the PL when he was purchased by a club who employ a system that was never going to suit him.
A lot of the attacking build up is via Leif Davis wide down the left, which in turn forces Clarke inside and narrow, thus limiting most of what he is best at.
Szmodics who you mention is a good example. You've used Szmodics on the left quite often and he has 2 goals from the games he has played in that position, whilst Clarke has 2 assists in the minimal game time he has had in the same position, so relatively comparable and similar production from two players who were arguably best in class in last season's Championship.
Szmodics for example had 27 goals last season and aside from 1 game out wide, played every other one centrally. Yet McKenna is playing him on the left almost every game.
To me it's more of an issue of Ipswich signing some players for the sake of it, with no real thoughts on how they are going to fit.
You have to sign players to suit your system regardless, and it's why having a consistent playing style, supported by a strong DOF and recruitment team, is of vital importance. Having 6 starters who relatively recently played for you in L1 (as you've noted) despite spending circa £120m this summer, speaks volumes IMO.
I suspect this "interest" that McKenna had last summer was played marvellously by him and his agent to capitalise on his high stock and sign a mega new contract on the back of it. Do you really think if Chelsea or Manchester United had genuinely wanted him as their preferred choice after interviews, that he wouldn't have gone?
Nothing at all against Ipswich and more power to you, but just my opinions above for what they are worth.
