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Episode 137: Daily Ipswich - Chelsea 2 -2 Ipswich
29 Plays3 days ago
Richard and Tom look back on Sunday's 2-2 draw at Stamford Bridge.
The Daily Ipswich Podcast, part of the Global Sports Podcast Network, is your new home of all your ITFC. Join us every weekday for the latest news, build-up and reaction in the club's first season back in the Premier League.
Host: Richard Popple
Guest: Tom Crack
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Transcript
Ipswich vs Chelsea: Match Overview
00:00:10
Global Sports Podcast Network
Hello everyone and welcome back to the GSPN Global Sports Podcast Network. This is the Daily Ipswich. My name is Richard Popple and today I am joined by Tom Crack. Hello Tom.
00:00:21
Tom Crack
Hi, Richard. Happy Monday. Yeah, good result. Yes, all things considered, guess. We'll get into it today, won't we?
00:00:26
Global Sports Podcast Network
We will, yeah, yeah. Happy Monday to everybody listening. i hope you all had a great weekend. It was a fantastic weekend of Premier League football again and Ipswich Town Well, we managed to pick up a point at Stamford Bridge. So this season we have taken four points off Chelsea.
00:00:42
Global Sports Podcast Network
But with another four, it's not quite so positive. We are now 14 points behind Wolves and off safety. So even though it was a pretty good result in the grander scheme of things, it didn't really do us any favours in our very much long shot adventure of trying to stay in the league.
00:00:58
Global Sports Podcast Network
ah but Tom, you watched the game.
Line-up Changes and Surprises
00:00:59
Global Sports Podcast Network
how how First of all, if we if we go to the start in terms of the line-up and stuff, obviously there were one or two surprises. Davis came back in um and Liam DeLapp dropped out. so any Any shocks for you?
00:01:12
Tom Crack
um um I mean, like you said at the top there, I think the Liam De Lapp one, it's it's one of those things we've said this season. It's it's it's it's very difficult to predict for starting 11 days, even hours before the game, because we keep injuries very close to our chest and not revealing anything. So De Lapp's injury, um my initial thought was maybe they just Chelsea are team of interest in them. Maybe we're not going um just allow them to get a...
00:01:34
Tom Crack
taster form for the Chelsea XM.
00:01:35
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, good.
00:01:36
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, nice.
00:01:36
Tom Crack
That's something I was thinking, maybe just doing that to be a bit snidey.
00:01:39
Tom Crack
But it was apparently a ah slight rib injury. We did see that in the last stages of the game, but in terms of his usual blistering self, we didn't see that at the beginning. And then just looking at the rest of the ah lineup, Jack Clark returning, Broadhead going out.
00:01:55
Tom Crack
Clark's you know fa fairly decent performance, all things considered. Got little bit of a nuisance in the first. Johnson, obviously, yes, he's been starting the past few games, but a really, really good performance for him. And And CISO, again, he's but one of the first names on the team, you know, and you saw for good reason in this game, more and and Johnson as well.
00:02:10
Tom Crack
But, yeah, I think Clark and Hurst were the, I mean, obviously, it was on that down but left side, but I think it's not surprise Davis coming back, but Clark and Hurst, especially those two are the biggest surprises out of all the changes we had.
00:02:10
Global Sports Podcast Network
of
00:02:21
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, and obviously Amari remains injured. Phillips wasn't even on the bench. i don't think he's injured too.
00:02:27
Global Sports Podcast Network
um Yeah, some interesting ones. Obviously, Broadhead dropping out for Clark, I think I was a little bit surprised because I think Broadhead's done pretty well in the last couple of games. um But, you know, ah maybe maybe maybe he just wanted to freshen it up a little bit and and offer something different.
00:02:27
Tom Crack
Yeah.
00:02:40
Global Sports Podcast Network
But I suppose the DeLapp one, you're right. Maybe it was that. Maybe they were being kind of like clever around that.
00:02:45
Global Sports Podcast Network
Someone also said that he's on... ah a yellow, he was on the threshold of the yellow card ban, wasn't he?
00:02:45
Tom Crack
Yeah. Yeah.
00:02:51
Global Sports Podcast Network
So if he'd have got a yellow in that game, ah he would have missed the Arsenal game the following game. and But he's managed to avoid that, so he will be available for Arsenal. But yeah, perhaps it was a rib injury. And look, it was a good chance for Hurst to get back out there. He's, as we've discussed all year, whenever he's been available, whenever he's been asked to play, he's been pretty impressive. And he actually had a couple of decent chances in this game, which, you know, could have got us the win ultimately, but not to be.
00:02:52
Tom Crack
yeah
First Half Highlights: Ipswich Leads
00:03:16
Global Sports Podcast Network
um Like many times this season, we took the lead. Like a few times this season, we took a 2-0 lead, particularly away from home, and we didn't manage to hold on. But how impressed were you with us in the first half getting that lead?
00:03:29
Tom Crack
Yeah, really impressed. I mean, one of the things I said with you on the preview, and you I think you mentioned it as well, Chelsea really struggle against teams that sit back. I saw it briefly in the Conference League a few days before as well against lesser opposition there and many other the games this season. Yes, they've managed to scrape wins against sides in the bottom half, but it's only been one niils and a few things like that. It's not been but absolute thumpings you would expect you know a team of their pedigree against teams at that bottom half of the table. So,
00:03:54
Tom Crack
you know i wouldn't like Yes, they they they had possession, but they really didn't offer much going forward. Just aimless crosses into the box you know to a striker in the form of Jackson who's really not the player was at the start the season and you know a striker who's really not much of threat.
00:04:07
Tom Crack
So in terms of the chance that Chelsea created at the beginning, it wasn't really anything we couldn't handle. i think O'Shea and Burgess, they... Starting to prove as as the pair now. And another good reason was that first half.
00:04:18
Tom Crack
And it's, you know, I've said it before, just the way we play away from home is a sort of reckless abandon. And when we do go forward, I just feel way more confident going forward away from home than we do it at home. And a really well-taken goal from Nciso. Brilliant ball from Ben Johnson, who got a deserving second for us later on.
00:04:34
Tom Crack
I think it's Nciso's first goal for the club as well. And with the lap out, Nciso really kind of took on the man sort of like... Obviously, Hurst can do this, but Nciso was really good at as well, sort of holding the ball and allowing sort of our wing-backs and rest of the team to sort of push up a bit when we were sort of inevitably trying to clear it. So that was really good to see as well.
00:04:52
Tom Crack
And yeah, I think, yes, obviously we didn't have as many chances as Chelsea did at the start or throughout the entire game. But in terms of how the chance was created, it like I said, it wasn't an aimless cross into the box. It was well-created, well-moved from Johnson and a really good ball into Nciso to give us the lead, really. It was really, really good start. You can't really ask for much more than that.
00:05:09
Global Sports Podcast Network
No, and like you you talked about Nciso there, he's he's actually been in in decent form really for for a few weeks now.
00:05:14
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah. And I think proved what we probably already knew about him, you know, a couple of years ago for Brighton when he was, you know, in their team a lot before a fairly large injury.
00:05:14
Tom Crack
Yeah.
00:05:24
Global Sports Podcast Network
He was really effective and very, very direct. And we kind of like seeing some of that with Town now, obviously.
00:05:30
Global Sports Podcast Network
and I guess it's pretty doubtful that we'd be able to keep hold of him should we should we fall into the championship. But he certainly proved to be a a decent signing. And unfortunate, really, that I suppose we're in the position we're in because otherwise he might have been even a little bit more effective.
00:05:30
Tom Crack
yeah
00:05:43
Global Sports Podcast Network
Around him, what about Jack Clark's performance? Did he did he merit the start, in your opinion?
00:05:48
Tom Crack
I think so. i mean, everyone, it's it's it's it's a growing theme, isn't it? admits Or it's a continued theme, should say. did kind of flag around the 60th, but it's just like the second it hits 6-0, it kind of feels something changes within our team, really.
00:06:01
Global Sports Podcast Network
know, I know.
00:06:01
Tom Crack
thanks Saying that now, it's the sixth minute of the show, which is quite an...
00:06:05
Tom Crack
A weird thing there. But um yeah, just I thought really good, really good first half from him. um A few chances created here and there. Made a nuisance. One of the things I think that was very much instructed to the the front three or front four, whatever want to call it, was to get at Sanchez because his distribution is so poor and you can tell he's nervy and he gave away a few balls here and there that we almost capitalise on. He was very much one of those people trying to hassle Sanchez ah Sanchez there. You also saw because Chelsea started with Schalber at right back rather than him playing in his natural preferred centre because he had Tosin and I think Colwell in the middle there. So, you know, having a centre-back play right back, which he probably didn't didn't want to do, I think that helped us as well. And as a side, Jack Clark played on. Obviously, he's be a bit faster than Schalber, albeit Schalber's a good player.
00:06:50
Tom Crack
But yeah, I thought a decent run out from Jack Clark. I mean, I've said since like the Coventry game, I know this is a higher opposition, but you know He is starting to find his feet and it's just a bit too late, I think, unfortunately, when he started to find it. But he definitely is like finding a voice in the team. You can see him, I think, the way he carries himself. He looks a bit more confident and assured.
00:07:08
Tom Crack
It's just, unfortunately, been a bit too late. But you know we are most likely going to be a championship team next season. I think he's going to be, hopefully, I think a really, really integral part of that with the quality of opposition and just his confidence having gone up a bit. But good performance from him in terms of the first half and it did kind of flag a bit as it did for everyone, to be honest.
00:07:28
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yes, it did flag a bit indeed. but Midfield as well. like i mean, obviously, we seem to be down to kind of like a couple of midfielders now, obviously, with Phillips being out. Taylor obviously came on later in the game, I think with 10 or 15 minutes to go or something.
00:07:41
Tom Crack
Yeah.
00:07:41
Global Sports Podcast Network
But Morsi, can you stay? Can you stay putting in 90-minute performances, obviously, at the moment, which is obviously encouraging. How did you think that they fared against Chelsea's kind of like star-studied midfield?
00:07:51
Tom Crack
Yeah. Well, Q-Stay uses physicality so much. I'm Aussie to an extent as well in the first. I think really, really well played from Q-Stay. We've complimented him so many times this season of not just holding the ball, but turning and then running with it. And he did that a lot in the first and various stages of the second as well.
00:08:06
Tom Crack
He had a really good chance on the edge of the box. um I think around the 30th minute mark Q-Stay. that just scrap scraped past, um I think it was Sanchez's left left side post from his perspective.
00:08:17
Tom Crack
And, you know, when he was there on the ball, I thought, you know, especially his goal goal of the month against Forest a few weeks ago, when he was there, I sort of said, have a go. And he and quite rightly did. And just narrowly missed out. But that could have, at that point, made it 2-0.
00:08:28
Tom Crack
um But really good performance from Q's there as well. Commentary team was saying, you know, he's been, alongside the lap, maybe our best player this season. And probably in agreement with it with that. And, you know, with him being a loan signing, again, like in C-SR, probably not going to be at Portland Road next year. you I'd to see him in the Premier League next season because I think he's deserved a runabout. not sure what his relationship like is like with Napoli and where if they need a player in that position, maybe they'll keep him considering how decent he's been for us this season.
00:08:50
Tom Crack
And the pace the Premier League is obviously a bit faster than Serie A. That might help him when he goes to goes back to Napoli. But I'm there'll be plenty of clubs looking to sign him because he's been, like I think, a really good player for us, a bright spark for us, and he could be a difference maker the midfield again with with a ah slightly more confident team, shall we say, in of staying the Premier League.
00:09:09
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, yeah, absolutely. um All right, well, look, that
Second Half Challenges for Ipswich
00:09:12
Global Sports Podcast Network
will do for the first half. We obviously went in to nil at half time. And when we come back after the break, we will discuss, um unfortunately, what felt like slightly an inevitable turnaround.
00:10:00
Global Sports Podcast Network
And we are back here on the Daily Ipswich. So yes, we went in 2-0 half time, but with shades of Brentford away, Fulham away, where we took the lead twice in that game, um and obviously here as well, and and several times at home across the season, we didn't ah manage to hold on.
00:10:16
Tom Crack
Oh.
00:10:19
Global Sports Podcast Network
And and the problem obviously was was the timing of the first goal. 20 seconds into the second half, Cucurella, Mark Cucurella, who is potentially a the most annoying opposition player in the Premier League these days, this season. I mean...
00:10:34
Global Sports Podcast Network
There's been plenty of candidates in the past. You think of the likes of Joey Barton, I suppose, back in the day, was very much one of those players. But Cucurella seems to be that kind of like pantomime villain for most most opposition fans.
00:10:46
Global Sports Podcast Network
He made a bit of a nuisance of himself. I think it's been credited as a two-an-zabion goal.
00:10:50
Global Sports Podcast Network
um But the the timing of it is 20 seconds in.
00:10:50
Tom Crack
Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.
00:10:53
Global Sports Podcast Network
you're just like It seems to happen so often. And I think it seems to happen with... you know, clubs towards the bottom of the league, right? You see it year after year where somebody takes a lead in a game, particularly away from home and, you know, these bigger sides come back.
00:10:54
Tom Crack
yeah
00:11:06
Global Sports Podcast Network
What would have been said at halftime and what what was not kind of like listened to at halftime? Because you're just like, you know, hold on for 15 minutes and we really might have a chance in this game to hang on, you know, like at Bournemouth, which we managed to recently.
00:11:21
Tom Crack
I think it's a mixture of what was said, but also what wasn't said and like best avoid saying it. Because I feel like it's such an elephant the room in terms of when we're leading now and you know not reference. and everyone I feel like it's obviously a great thing to be leading. You want to be leading in a game. Everyone does. But With us, it's happened so many times as you pointed out that it's weird, actually.
00:11:42
Tom Crack
It gets Fulham, Brentford and Chelsea away, all in the same part of the country that we've managed to give away two goal leads here and there.
00:11:46
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yep.
00:11:49
Tom Crack
um I think we've it's just like we've been in that position so many times for this season of leading both home and away and then inevitably either giving up the... if being in a losing position or, in this case, a drawing position. And it just...
00:12:02
Tom Crack
You just feel like it's inevitable. reminded me a lot of the start the second half at Old Trafford where we went in yes 2-2, but we came out in in comparison to this, like looking to go ahead and looking to be in the driving seat, especially them being down to 10 men.
00:12:07
Global Sports Podcast Network
ye
00:12:16
Tom Crack
We conceded from a naff set piece, so let not as quick as 20 seconds, but give or take a few minutes later. And it's this one again where just concede straight away and then It would have been obviously in the back everyone's minds to be with him the last 10 minutes, sitting back and holding on to holding onto the lead as as as we probably would have been.
00:12:28
Global Sports Podcast Network
Thank
00:12:32
Tom Crack
But to concede that quickly, it almost feels like you're back two all straight away because the amount of time that's left, you just feel like very nervous score again. I mean, we'll get to as well, but Sanchez's goal was very, very good in comparison to this one. But it's just like...
00:12:45
Tom Crack
You get ahead by two goals or one goal like it was last week. It's just it's a shame and it's it's been the case all season, but you just feel like it's going to happen. I don't know why that is, but it just you just feel like it's inevitable. why it's going what like yeah ah read I have an answer, Rich, in terms of why it's happened every almost every game after we've gone to Lee. Why do you think... like We've put ourselves in these spots so many times this season and like you know it's it's ridiculous to say we could have held on to every single lead, but there's lot of games like this, for for example, where we really should have and got all three points.
00:13:16
Global Sports Podcast Network
Well, I think it's exactly that word,
Mentality and Playing Style Issues
00:13:17
Global Sports Podcast Network
isn't it? You're so you know you're saying hold it holding on to the lead. I think when you go into that ah mentality, whether you whether it's a kind of like conscious decision or not to do so, then you're just asking for trouble, really, because you stop you stop playing.
00:13:28
Tom Crack
Yeah.
00:13:29
Global Sports Podcast Network
And i think there's been so many times this season where the longer the game's on gone on, the deeper that we've got. The less ball retention that we've been able to have and therefore less threat. And so when you're giving the opposition basically 70% of possession, 75% of possession, which, you know, I'm sure if if you look at the stats across the season, there have been many, many games where where we've given that up and and Chelsea was one of them. I think they ended up with nearly 75%, something like that overall.
00:13:56
Global Sports Podcast Network
There would have been no way that that was the stat after the first half. But i think I think it's a mentality problem fundamentally. And then what feeds into that, obviously, is a sense that it's happened many times before. so it's very difficult to get over it. And then, you know, we've talked about how our squad is not.
00:13:56
Tom Crack
Yeah.
00:14:12
Global Sports Podcast Network
on the level as other teams. And so you get to that last kind 20 of games and we're flagging, whereas whereas other ah the squads come on and they're stronger. So it's a combination of things, but I think the unfortunate thing is, is that everybody can see it coming a little bit. um And there's a sense of, you know, we're we're good we're good for those kind of like leads for ah for half an hour or 15 minutes even.
00:14:36
Global Sports Podcast Network
And then unfortunately, most of the time they've come back. I mean, obviously, you know, we've held on to a couple of them. We went 2-0 up at Spurs, won that game, went 2-0 up at Bournemouth, won that game. But I think we've lost the most points from from winning positions in the league this year.
00:14:48
Global Sports Podcast Network
I think it's something like 27 or 28 points now, um which is why we're getting relegated, right?
00:14:50
Tom Crack
Yeah. Yeah.
00:14:53
Global Sports Podcast Network
You know, if you're halve that, then you're right in the mix of staying in the league. um So it shows, in some respects, you know, it shows that we've been competitive all year. And I think the eye test says that.
00:15:05
Global Sports Podcast Network
But... The reason why we have only won four games and and not maybe seven, which would have kept us kind of like in it, is is because of that mentality thing where it's just like the players don't quite know how to go for the kill.
00:15:18
Global Sports Podcast Network
And maybe that's a skill and kind of squad depth thing. And and maybe it's a mentality thing that, you know, the wins just haven't come and and the confidence has kind of ebbed away a little bit. But yes, so it is is a shame and the timing of it was just so frustrating.
00:15:33
Global Sports Podcast Network
And then it became a backs against the wall thing. i know there was a couple of chances for town later on. Jack Taylor had a couple of good opportunities and stuff. And Chelsea were not good defensively. They were there to kind of be picked off.
00:15:43
Tom Crack
Yeah.
00:15:43
Global Sports Podcast Network
um But yeah, it's just not quite having that composure really that we sort of lacked all year. As you say, though, you know, Sancho's equaliser was a great goal. They obviously took ah several short corners. I think they had about 15 corners in the game. So they were they had a lot of opportunities.
00:15:58
Global Sports Podcast Network
and Did we make it a bit easy for them defensively? I think Morsi went out to him um and was kind of bypassed fairly easily. But was he a bit late arriving, perhaps?
00:16:07
Tom Crack
Is this Santa's goal? Sorry.
00:16:09
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, yeah.
00:16:10
Tom Crack
Yeah, yeah, I think so. I mean, it was just, it's it was kind of disarray. And yeah, with the way the game was going, with the amount of corners they kept having, we kind of expect them to swing in. And when it didn't, Sancho was there to just, yeah, fantastically put it in. And then Palmer couldn't do anything about it. I mean,
00:16:25
Tom Crack
slight deviation from the goal. Palmer's like, I think, really late heroics later in the game. it' There's lots of what-ifs this season, but he's very much a big one in terms of what-if he was there all season. You know, not necessarily saying, you know, keeper can't win you the match going forward, but defensively he's a bit more assured.
00:16:40
Tom Crack
And, you know, a full pre-season and a full time with with these guys in front of him defensively might have helped us a lot more this season because he put some really good saves and there was a near post one from Shalabah then a sort of ricochet off Palmer and a long range from Palmer as well.
00:16:52
Tom Crack
Palmer the outfield pair, I say, not the goalkeeper um against each other. But yeah, really really, really good performance from him. Again, looking forward to what he's gonna be doing for the club for next few years because I thought he's he's been a really, really good signing.
00:17:04
Tom Crack
But yeah, just disappointed to go, was going to go two all down. doesn't make sense because it's an equaliser, isn't it? But kind of felt like that. We had, I think the only real chance, not real chance, like around the 90th minute onwards, we had a real wayward effort from O'Shea.
00:17:17
Tom Crack
It was like within our own half. It's about a 60 yard shot when Sanchez was off his line and he kind of went for it.
00:17:19
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.
00:17:22
Tom Crack
And I was like, imagine if he scored that, like one of the moments of the season, but sadly not to be. But yeah, I mean, it's, it's, it's, you know, I've i've said a few weeks recently, like it's, obviously it's it's rubbish to be feeling down about going down.
00:17:36
Tom Crack
But, you know, it's night and day from where we were like four or five years ago. And, you know, we've taken four points against a team that won a European Cup four years ago.
00:17:42
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah
00:17:44
Tom Crack
i know they're not that great at the moment, but that's that's a really, really good thing to sort of be proud of this season. i mean, our fans were singing after when were two lup, can we play you every week? Which, to be fair, like, you see, like, these sort of teams who kind of just expect to maybe get something eventually like Chelsea, whereas, you know, your Liverpools and your Arsenals, you really go for it and, like,
00:18:02
Tom Crack
proper have a bite about them. Chelsea just don't have that. They look so flat, look so, so flat.
00:18:05
Global Sports Podcast Network
No.
00:18:07
Tom Crack
Like, Palmers, yeah, I said but in the preview, like, the reason maybe he's been struggling is the fact that he hasn't got that great many players to pass to, which I think there is an aspect of that. But even he really, until we started flagging and, you know, his his ability rather than fitness was able to outshine our defenders he didn't look that great either just again just putting wayward boxes into the ball and hoping for the best and nothing really came of it so I think they really just kind of just had a few moments of brilliance rather than like any sort of team sort of like build up to a great goal or anything like that it was just little sprinkles of quality they managed to get for two goals because apart from those two moments the rest of their chances really weren't that great and it just happened to go to back it out those two but
00:18:45
Tom Crack
Yeah, four points against Chelsea is a good good sort of thing to be proud of come the end of the season, but would have liked to have got the three points, that's for sure.
00:18:53
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, at one point it was, you know, aggregate 4-0 against Chelsea.
00:18:56
Global Sports Podcast Network
I mean, you know, you'd have taken that all day long. But yes, you can't really be too disappointed, can you, really, with the twotoo draw at Chelsea? But I suppose, as we've already pointed out, it's that kind of like pattern of how results have kind of like come up over over the course of the season.
00:18:57
Tom Crack
Yeah.
00:19:10
Global Sports Podcast Network
and OK, well, that will do it for the second part. We'll take another quick break and then we'll be back for the final part of the show.
00:19:11
Tom Crack
Yeah.
00:19:21
Tom Crack
Thank you.
00:19:49
Global Sports Podcast Network
How about that from our host Zencast? Fantastic stuff. um All right. And the final part of the show. So a little bit of news ah off the pitch, I suppose, as well. Just but pre pre-game, really, before the game. think it was it was the day before in his press conference.
00:20:03
Global Sports Podcast Network
McKenna, who actually is now four games unbeaten against Mareska, because we drew twice with Leicester.
00:20:09
Tom Crack
Yeah, I was thinking that during the game, yeah.
00:20:11
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, twice for Leicester year and obviously four points from Chelsea this year. So bit of a bogeyman for him. um He was talking to the press and he was talking about his future and basically said, I think I've got the quote here, but essentially the short answer to whether Kieran McKenna is staying in charge of town next year...
McKenna's Commitment to Ipswich
00:20:29
Global Sports Podcast Network
whatever division we're in. He said the short answer is yes. He he repeated that he's still happy, ah that this year was always going to be a challenge. And the fact that it was going to be a big challenge was one of the reasons why he wanted to stay.
00:20:41
Global Sports Podcast Network
He felt it was the right thing to do. And he said a few times, I think the club has a fantastically bright future in many, many different ways. I think it's a club that's on the up, irrespective of a possible, you could say probable, backward step this year.
00:20:55
Global Sports Podcast Network
I think there's great potential to make some big st strikes over the next few years. So I'm excited to be a part of that and I'm proud to lead it. So that's pretty, that's pretty comprehensive. I'm quite surprised that he's coming out with that now. Are you?
00:21:09
Tom Crack
Yeah, definitely. I think, you know, we've said a lot this year that if we went down, McKenna would still be a Premier League manager next season. And it was, I mean it was a good, you felt like that was a good sort of thing to hang your hat on considering how great he's been and the sort of clubs that were after him in the summer leading up to this season. And luckily we were able to hold on to him.
00:21:27
Tom Crack
But I think just, you know, McKenna, it seems like he is a man of his word. And, you know, he so he is on occasion been quite coy with the media as well. You remember last year when just after we got promotion confirmed, maybe just a few weeks before actually, and he was being asked those questions that will you stay or will you go? kind of thing And he was being a bit like...
00:21:44
Tom Crack
yeah, we'll see how things go. Because obviously, I imagine at that point, he was getting phone calls, emails from various clubs. But in this scenario here, he like you know he's come straight out.
00:21:48
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah
00:21:52
Tom Crack
He's not been like, oh, we'll yeah we'll see come the end of the season. He's just like, yeah, I'm here. I'm staying. And I think the relationship he's made with the fans and the club and players, especially the past almost three years now, he's going that that's going to be, that seems like definitive to me.
00:22:06
Tom Crack
And I think, yeah, he's right.
00:22:07
Global Sports Podcast Network
Mm-hmm.
00:22:08
Tom Crack
I think we are in a good spot. I've said him a lot recently, like, yes, we're going down, but in comparison to the other two clubs, and I think a lot of other clubs in, for Championship Below. There's so many reasons to be positive. I think the majority of the players will be sticking around. Him being a manager who's been in that league and done it will be a really, really helpful thing. Play for Rhodes, getting an upgrade.
00:22:23
Tom Crack
Portland Rhodes, getting an upgrade. There's so many like things off the pitch as well that's really, really exciting. And, you know, you don't it sounds strange to say you don't want to be one of those clubs like maybe like a Burnley goes up and down and up and down. I mean, obviously, it can be exciting and depressing at the same time. But I think there's so many reasons to be positive and moving in so many good directions off the pitch as well. And, you're like you know, Bournemouth, for example, who, you know, went down after a year or two are now a Premier League fixture, aren't they, after getting back into it. So, you know, it's not all doom and gloom going down once because I think the quality we we have as a team next season is, um on on paper anyway, better than what we had last year. I think it's just it's exciting to have that. I think without McKenna at the helm there, it's such a big question mark as to how we perform as a club. Obviously, there's some good managers out there who can, you know, that whichever manager does walk into which town, let's say McKenna does leave or in a year or two, whatever, they're walking to a a better club than what McKenna walked into, that's for certain.
00:23:13
Global Sports Podcast Network
Oh God, yeah. Hmm.
00:23:14
Tom Crack
So, like, it's it's not like, you know, we're back to square one the second he leaves, but
00:23:20
Tom Crack
you know you just feel lot more confident with him at the helm. um So I'm really, really chuffed for him to be staying. and it just you know there You feel like there'll be a lot of changes coming this season, this summer, sorry, with potential transfers of De Lapp and a few others. But for him to still be there, I think that will maybe make a few other players stick around.
00:23:37
Tom Crack
and So it's great for to say that because I think a lot of players will hopefully follow suit as well.
00:23:42
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah Yeah, it's interesting. I mean, the summer's going to be fascinating, isn't it, really? Because, you know, as I mentioned, we've we've we've had a great result against Chelsea, but fundamentally we're now 14 points behind um safety.
00:23:52
Global Sports Podcast Network
It's not even Wolves anymore. Wolves have lept from West Ham.
00:23:55
Global Sports Podcast Network
So West Ham are the ones in front of us.
00:23:56
Tom Crack
i was
00:23:57
Tom Crack
yeah I was going to say, like when we were 2-0 up, I was like, oh, 12 points behind, still got West Ham to play. You never know. On the final day of the season, West Ham as well.
00:24:03
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
00:24:05
Tom Crack
imagine that if it came down to that. but
00:24:07
Global Sports Podcast Network
I don't think it's West Ham they need to worry. I think it's Tottenham.
00:24:09
Tom Crack
Yes. Yeah. Flipping heck.
00:24:10
Global Sports Podcast Network
I mean, unbelievable.
00:24:11
Tom Crack
Yeah. Yeah.
00:24:12
Global Sports Podcast Network
they've they've only We've only lost two more games than Spurs. It's absolutely insane, really, how how poor their season has been.
00:24:16
Tom Crack
Crazy, isn't it? Yeah. Hmm.
00:24:19
Global Sports Podcast Network
ah they're They're the club I would worry about with McKenna because I think Amerim will stay United because he's going to be given you know summer to try and like sort it out, obviously.
00:24:23
Tom Crack
Yes.
00:24:28
Global Sports Podcast Network
I mean, it's going to take him a lot longer than that. I don't see him going to any other big club because I think, you know, if you think this time last year and particularly after the promotion, his stock was so high.
00:24:39
Global Sports Podcast Network
You know, he was he was being spoken about in the same breath as Maresca. And obviously Maresca gets the Chelsea job, obviously. McKenna linked to so many other clubs. um They've kind of gone in different directions. You would think Fabian Herzler, who's had a good first year at Brighton, is probably going to stick around, you would think.
00:24:39
Tom Crack
Yeah.
00:24:54
Global Sports Podcast Network
I mean, maybe if someone like Brentford parted ways with Thomas Frank or something, that's obviously a you know, or Areola goes to, Iola goes to um Spurs or something like that Bournemouth becomes available.
00:24:59
Tom Crack
and
00:25:04
Global Sports Podcast Network
Maybe someone poaches McKenna in that way.
00:25:07
Global Sports Podcast Network
But I think Spurs are the one to watch because obviously he's got a connection with the club and stuff. And ah unless Postacoglu wins the Europa League, he's gone. he has to be gone, ah given by what they've done.
00:25:07
Tom Crack
yeah
00:25:17
Tom Crack
Yeah.
00:25:18
Global Sports Podcast Network
So it's really interesting. And I think you're right. What you said at the beginning was right. He's a man of his word. And I think, the area matters to
McKenna's Connection to the Community
00:25:26
Global Sports Podcast Network
him. i think he, he's got young kids obviously there. think his brothers moved down there as well to study and stuff.
00:25:33
Global Sports Podcast Network
um You know, they've, they've got, they've got their kind of like roots embedded into the community and he likes, he likes the area. He likes Suffolk in general. And I think because he had such a big say in how the Playford road development is going to go. and obviously that stuff that has started and is going to be a big piece over the summer.
00:25:51
Global Sports Podcast Network
I think he'd feel guilty almost because it's like, well, I've asked for this and I've said that the recommendation to the club is you have to have this in place to be able to kind of like move forward long term.
00:25:53
Tom Crack
Mm-hmm.
00:26:01
Global Sports Podcast Network
You know, surely he wants to kind of like oversee that at least for a year.
00:26:04
Global Sports Podcast Network
And then maybe if he leaves in it, you know, if we don't get promoted or whatever in a year's time, but he leaves us in a solid place, then perhaps at that point he goes on to something else. But Yeah, it's interesting. I think if a big club comes in, his head could still be turned for sure.
00:26:04
Tom Crack
and
00:26:18
Global Sports Podcast Network
But it seems like we might keep hold of him. And he also mentioned that it's not infeasible that we we keep hold of De Lapp as well. what What are your thoughts around that?
00:26:28
Tom Crack
Yeah, i mean with that answer, he did he very much was a bit more politically savvy, shall we say, in terms of being in terms of being definitive.
00:26:32
Global Sports Podcast Network
Sure, yeah.
00:26:34
Tom Crack
But I mean, obviously, it's another player, it's not his own future, so he can't exactly give like as as straight of an answer as he can about his own future. But, you know, as I said ah in the and the last part of the show there, like with McKenna staying, I think it will persuade a lot of other players to stick around next as well. I'm very certain of that.
00:26:52
Tom Crack
Maybe the laps, not one of those. Cause I just think the the amount of, the the amount he's going to cost for a striker seemingly of that quality is just, I think the sharks will come swimming because that this day and age, it's not that expensive.
00:27:05
Tom Crack
And also, you know, with being a young English striker, world cup year, he may want to even try his hand at that as well. I think the only thing with the lap as well, like, you know, i guess in 30 million, it sounds strange, crazy to say, but this date, these days and age, this day and age isn't that much money in like top tier football, but He's only been the Premier one season. So if he can't do it again, you may have an Evan Ferguson snort on your hand and that price tag may start going down and down and down.
00:27:29
Tom Crack
But I think most likely he will be gone. But it's it's good it's good to see. I think McKenna's nice since since the relegation's almost been not mathematically confirmed, but emotionally and realistically kind of confirmed.
00:27:40
Tom Crack
He has kind of you know been a bit more out there in his statements and sort of just looking ahead and stuff.
00:27:42
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, he has.
00:27:43
Tom Crack
And I think that's good because at a time when you know things could really down, especially heading into you know a free game stretch against Chelsea, Arsenal, Newcastle, it could look really, really bleak. Not of anyone expecting to get wins out of his games, but I think he's, again, we've said it so many times, he mechas he's carried himself so well in like scenarios that we've not been used as a club since he's been there this season. Yeah.
00:28:04
Tom Crack
And but the way he's been talking, it's what you want to hear from your manager in these scenarios when things aren't great on the pitch, but off the pitch, he's just said all the right things about your star players, his future and other things like that.
00:28:15
Tom Crack
So, you know, he's got us optimistic about It could be in the case and it's a nice thing to think, isn't it? Because imagine, obviously, yes, he was in the Championship of Hull last year, but I think De Lapp as a player now is far better and one of the top strikers the Premier season. So if he sticks around next it'd be very, very exciting. But yeah, we'll see of that. Again, you said there's so many...
00:28:32
Tom Crack
storylines heading into this summer, which is really, really interesting. I think even the incomings I'm really excited about, especially the centre of the midfield. I'd really like Cameron Humphries maybe goes ah start next year, and I think we need a few other players in that part of the field.
00:28:43
Tom Crack
But there's so many aspects of the ins and outs and the managers and all that sort of stuff next season.
00:28:44
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah
00:28:49
Tom Crack
It's going be really, really interesting how the summer goes. But the Napstays will be happy, if he doesn't leave, I won't be surprised either because he's yeah he's he's proved his worth this season, for sure.
00:28:59
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah. Yeah, without a doubt, central midfield is is the area of the pitch that the club have to get right and invest in in the summer, not not just for next year, but for for the next of two or three years if they can.
00:29:10
Tom Crack
yeah
00:29:10
Global Sports Podcast Network
And defensively, fundamentally, because even in the Championship, you know, the the promotion year, we were we were leaky at times. And I think we could do with a bit more solidity there. But that thing's interesting to me because, yeah i mean, of course, he's had a brilliant year, but he's also had a brilliant year in a,
00:29:28
Global Sports Podcast Network
you know, an in a port poorly performing team in terms of like points total.
00:29:32
Global Sports Podcast Network
So he's he's had to play and he's played a style that very much suits his style, which is very direct, very much counterattacking, Not a lot of build-up play.
00:29:32
Tom Crack
yeah
00:29:43
Global Sports Podcast Network
So if he works in a team that is far more established in terms of like their actual build-up play and everything else, and you have to think, you know why did City let this player go?
00:29:45
Tom Crack
the
00:29:52
Global Sports Podcast Network
Because Erling Haaland, his build-up play isn't great either. And he has, I'm not saying De Lapp's on his level, but there are similarities in terms of the style, right? The bullying, kind of like pace, directness, all those kind of things.
00:30:06
Global Sports Podcast Network
And De Lapp wasn't asked to stick around even as a backup there. So it's kind of interesting and And it will be interesting to see him develop that side of his game a little bit um because we've not seen that.
00:30:16
Global Sports Podcast Network
we've We've not necessarily had to see it with Ipswich, but also, you know, maybe that's one of our flaws in terms of like, we've not been as much of but an attacking threat in terms of like a flowing team going forward.
00:30:19
Tom Crack
Yeah.
00:30:27
Global Sports Podcast Network
and
00:30:27
Tom Crack
I mean, there's been aspects of Dillap.
00:30:29
Tom Crack
Yeah, I agree with you in terms of most of his goals and his and his play. The things you remember are his sort of getting on the half-air line, sort of bulldozing forward and...
00:30:36
Global Sports Podcast Network
Bulldozing forward, yeah.
00:30:37
Tom Crack
Yeah, and maybe getting a goal. But, you know, you look at his goal at Villa Park, good build-up there, got in a really good position, strokes a pass, you know, one of the best goalkeepers in the world.
00:30:43
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah. Yeah.
00:30:47
Tom Crack
And then last week against Wolves, albeit from a set piece, but positionally, he got a really good spot there. So I think he ah do think, yeah, his it's the weakest part of his game as a striker is his sort of build-up play.
00:30:51
Global Sports Podcast Network
ye
00:30:57
Tom Crack
Again, if you have the team presses forward more in ah in a better side, he won't have that freedom to run about like he does with us. But I think he's shown in the small occasions that we've been like holding ball really well going forward, he's got in those positions.
00:31:08
Tom Crack
But yeah, it would certainly be an aspect of his game he'd have to improve upon that positioning and not being able to run about as much when he's only got 12 yards to do it.
00:31:12
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah
00:31:15
Global Sports Podcast Network
Exactly. And i'm not I'm not saying any of that is a slight on him.
00:31:18
Global Sports Podcast Network
It's just, you know, that that but we've relied on that as a tactic to be a threat this season, you know, to to play literally on the halfway line and ask him to ask him to be a hero for us.
00:31:18
Tom Crack
No, no.
00:31:23
Tom Crack
Yeah, definitely.
00:31:27
Global Sports Podcast Network
And we've asked that too many times, obviously. But it yeah, it would be interesting. you don't We haven't seen him score though very many of those kind of like classic on the shoulder of a ah defender, kind of s slipped through by a ball and, you know, finishing from from the edge of the box or whatever it might be.
00:31:40
Global Sports Podcast Network
We've just not really seen that this year because of how we've played.
00:31:43
Global Sports Podcast Network
But and hopefully we see it with town next year, obviously. um And if not, then, yeah, obviously we're wishing the best. But that's all for later in the season. But the McKenna stuff definitely was, um I think, tonic to a lot of a lot of town fans because it is going to be an interesting summer. We're obviously going to cover that when we get there in ah in, it's not long now, a few weeks' time, basically, and because there will be upheaval. I'm sure the squad is going to look different next season, no matter what happens.
00:31:43
Tom Crack
Yeah.
00:32:10
Global Sports Podcast Network
But as I say, that's for another day. We hope, thank you very much, Tom, for your thoughts today.
00:32:16
Tom Crack
No worries, Richard. Yeah, happy to do so.
00:32:18
Global Sports Podcast Network
Good. um Always, always good to ah to check in on a Monday morning. ah We hope you enjoy start your week, everybody. And we will be back tomorrow where we will dive a little bit deeper into how the game played out yesterday.