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Episode 85 - Tactics Tuesday - Fulham 2 - 2 Ipswich Town
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Tom, Rob and Richard continue their dissection of Town's 2-2 draw at Craven Cottage on Sunday. With high praise for certain players as well as assessing Kieran McKenna's bold choice to switch formation halfway through the season.
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: Tom Crack
Guest: Richard Popple & Rob Binns
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Transcript
Introduction and Episode Overview
00:00:09
Global Sports Podcast Network
Hello, everybody, and welcome back to another edition of the Daily Up Switch here on the Global Sports Podcast Network. It is Tactics Tuesday. Yesterday, myself, Rob and Richard provided you with our sort of instant thoughts to Towns 2 to draw at Craven Cottage against Fulham, a well-earned point against one of the best teams in the league so far this season. As I said, though, on Tactics Tuesday, we go a deeper dive into the game when it comes to formations, lineups, players that impressed us, et cetera.
Game Analysis: Towns vs. Fulham
00:00:36
Global Sports Podcast Network
To help me do that, I'm joined by Mr. Rob Binz first. How are you doing, Rob?
00:00:40
Rob Binns
All good Tom mate, I'm looking forward to diving into the game a bit more.
00:00:44
Global Sports Podcast Network
Lovely stuff. Richard, yourself?
00:00:47
Richard
Very well, thanks. I'm looking also looking forward to hearing Rob dive into the game a little bit more.
00:00:53
Global Sports Podcast Network
Tom Daley-esque. Without further ado, we'll talk about some players, I think, first, guys. Obviously it was a very impressive performance, I think. albeit All things considered, we were kind of on the back foot for. portions of it but still some standout performances to say the least. Rich ah ah I'll come to you first because there's been a player I think a lot this season that you've been very keen to see kind of spread his wings on the pitch and he hasn hasn't really got a chance to do it. We're not sure about due to injuries or just some backstage falling out so to speak. A very very key player for us in recent seasons. I'm talking about Nathan Broadhead here in case anyone's wondering but you're a big fan of his. I know a lot of us are but
00:01:28
Global Sports Podcast Network
you know That cameo against Arsenal started against Chelsea and then obviously started here against film as well. Another great performance from the Welshman, wasn't it?
00:01:35
Richard
Yeah, doo, doo, doo, doo, Nathan Broadhead, he's back.
00:01:39
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah
00:01:40
Richard
I think, I mean, as far as I was concerned, he was the best player at the club for the last, well, since he came really, he was the best footballer at the club. So um obviously he got injured in pre-season, missed the start of the season, and then it was a very slow kind of like grind back to the first team.
00:01:55
Richard
but We don't know whether there was some stuff going on. There were rumblings, I i think it was you Rob that's actually talking about it. there There were a few rumblings maybe about that he wasn't very happy. about something or other. we We never really got
Nathan Broadhead's Impact and Future
00:02:07
Richard
much more wind of that. And the club are always very close, you know quite tight on on that kind of stuff. and And obviously, we've had a very happy camp for for the last few years anyway. and But yeah, it was it it was overdue, I think, because I don't think the players in his position had been pulling up any trees, to be perfectly honest, either Schmodick's on the left or Jack Clark, obviously, and when Amari Hutchinson's been played out there.
00:02:31
Richard
and that's not been his best position either. So I think Broadhead was needed and I think in the past two games he's proven exactly why he still remains one of the best footballers at the club.
00:02:44
Global Sports Podcast Network
Very much so. Rob, do you echo vote those thoughts? I think like this that, like we talked about the Arsenal game afterwards, that brief cameo in what was quite a drab affair, you saw the quality that Broadhead can bring, and he's only really kind of just improved upon that performance, hasn't he, including this game?
00:02:58
Rob Binns
Yeah, I think he's looked really bright in the cameos he has had that he sort of yeah added a bit of intensity into games. Like you say, sometimes I have been lacking them and and particularly in the case of the Arsenal game that the first start was coming. And so whether we have been, we don't really know the reasons for why he hasn't played that much. Has it been managing minutes of injury or or has it been, say, where was it something behind the scenes? Because I think it was If I remember correctly, he deleted everything Ipswich related off his social media, which caused a big conversation amongst fans everywhere that had something going on.
00:03:29
Global Sports Podcast Network
Mm.
00:03:34
Rob Binns
But whatever it whatever that is, whatever the reason was, we're over it now. And he deserved to start against Chelsea. He looked very good against Chelsea and he deserved to start again against Fulham.
00:03:46
Rob Binns
And he's looked very good against Fulham, that it's the way it it's the way it works out. And I think over a say, he's he' playing his way into the team in the moment. So those wide areas, nobody's nailed down their spot as a starter in those areas.
00:03:58
Rob Binns
Like I said, we don't, we're still waiting to see where Hutchinson's best position across the three years. He sort of had some good games in the 10, some on the right, play on the left against Wolves. The Chaplains play quite well in the middle.
00:04:09
Rob Binns
The Smodix is coming on the left, but we spoke about him yesterday that tends to be better away from home than he does at home.
00:04:11
Richard
Thank you.
00:04:16
Rob Binns
And so we've had the right hand side. We spoke about loads of times with the options there that No one sort of nailed themselves on. He's come in and had two really good games. And obviously he's got lots of credit in the bank from the last couple of years as well. And he probably has sort of nailed down that left-hand side spot now, the way he's playing. He certainly would only be dropped maybe to the sake of giving him a rest more than anything to do with his performances at the moment. And nice it's really nice to see as well, because he has been a key player and he wasn't really getting his chance to start with for whatever reason. So it's nice to see he's getting it and taking it.
00:04:48
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, very much so. Do you agree with that, Richard, you know, Broadhead sort of maybe being a, a, ah you know, we've got a few nail on starters in the team, I'd say Dilap, Mozzese, Davis, those those types of players, but, you know, maybe injuries could have been a factor as to him starting now with the likes of Chaplin, a few you guys, and Ahma Hutchinson going into this game. I think he would have started alongside Hutchinson regardless, to be honest, but injuries could be a factor, but do you think fully fit everyone versus Broadhead's position to lose now or is it a bit too early to say that after two games?
00:05:14
Richard
I think it is because he because he's shown we first of all we've had two positive results in those games I'm not saying that's obviously down to him but like the the result against Chelsea is that's the result of the season really beating Chelsea third place tunal at home I know we won at Spurs but Spurs are what 14th and they've lost about 10 games so you know arguably that's that's that's
00:05:27
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:05:35
Global Sports Podcast Network
We'll catch it up with them.
00:05:39
Richard
Not the best result. and But anyway, the the the Chelsea result was was easily the best. I think the thing is about Broadhead is when he's playing well, because he can drift out of games. And even in the championship, he drifted out of games, particularly at the kind of like 60 minute onwards point.
00:05:54
Richard
So I, you know, I can understand why maybe work rate and and pace, which he doesn't have, like, to an exceptional level. He's a clever footballer and he's he's good on the ball.
00:06:04
Richard
I think the qualities that he does have in terms of like the stick ability, he can turn on the ball really, really well. He runs with the ball really, really well. And he retains possession and the way that Ipswich are playing at the moment to lap for all that I love him. And he's been fantastic. Sometimes when he's trying to control the ball, it looks like he's playing with. An ice puck sometimes where it, where it's kind of like bouncing off him or whatever. and And, you know, and sometimes it works out, but he's not, he's not amazing with his first touch. Sometimes Liam to lap.
00:06:34
Richard
And I don't think the other forwards are either. So I think Broadhead is on ah ah is definitely on a par with Hutchinson in terms of like that first touch and retaining the ball and using his body really, really well. And you need that with the way that we're playing at the moment because we're playing primarily on the break and you need players to retain possession for you higher up the pitch. So I think that's why he's looked so effective because he's a cut above.
00:06:55
Richard
what Jack Clark's been doing. And I think he's better than Schmodick's in that and part of his game as well. So he's really important to
Ben Johnson's Role and Performance
00:07:02
Richard
us at the moment. So i would I would suggest that, yeah, unless you're going to bring someone in who's better than that, he would definitely be my starting and winger on the left.
00:07:12
Global Sports Podcast Network
Very well put. A few of the players had some a decent performance at Craven Cottage. We kind of touched on him on the latter stages on Monday's show, but we've kind of all, I think, in of all an agreement that Ben Johnson put another a good shift in London in pink, just like he did against Spurs as well. Rob, thoughts on Johnson's performance against Fulham there?
00:07:32
Rob Binns
Yeah, he he played really well. I think he's, I said yesterday that I'm not keen on him as a fullback in a four, but he's looked very good when he's played as a wingback in a five. And I thought that he's getting much better with the balance of sort of getting up and down as well. Because obviously, why he done quite well, he done well against Spurs in that game, but he was all because he because his job was to stay back and let Davis go. Whereas this game, he was getting up himself and causing a problem. like So it was his was him battling the back post. I can't remember if him or the defender got the final touch in the end but he was battling well. That's what the ball came back off the bar and it led to Smodik's goal after what happened there. So he was getting he was causing issues at both ends of the pitch and he's really taken to that wing back role and so is Burns as well actually. So it's good for those two that so whoever we play there is
00:08:23
Rob Binns
it's going to put a good shift in the way things are going. And it also obviously keeps the competition going because they both just this week, they play one game there each from the start and both look really good and sort of and that's the sort of element of competition comes into that we spoke about with needing a striker in January with the lap of that competition kicking up an extra gear. I think that's what two players who were having underwhelming seasons are now sort of competing directly for one spot in this new set up and It's making them both play considerably better.
00:08:52
Rob Binns
And I thought he had a very good game, Johnson. And so I think he is a bit like in the Smodex category as well. I think he plays better away from Holmes or West Ham side, but then everyone had a bad game against West Ham that just happened to be that was the first time we saw him.
00:09:05
Global Sports Podcast Network
Hm.
00:09:07
Rob Binns
So we judged him for it more than most other people. But I was very impressed with what stood out to me today was his role in an attacking aspect, which we didn't really see in the other games he's played in this sort of role.
00:09:20
Rob Binns
So that's an interesting element to bring into it. I wouldn't have really put into his game of getting up the other end and making and having chances himself. that It's nice to see and and what I'd say it's good competition to see who goes, who nails his roll down going forward.
00:09:38
Global Sports Podcast Network
Very much so, you know, we're we're talking about, we'll touch on information and later and later in the show. But one of the things but I think we've all kind of said transfer wise, that we want that right side of midfielder, but with this formation scene to being there to stay, maybe that right wing back role is becoming more important than signing a right side of midfielder. Richard, like we obviously took that Godfrey coming into the team and we don't know how long to end Zebi's out for. Is this kind of, I know I just asked you, is this,
00:10:05
Global Sports Podcast Network
Broadhead's position to keep now, but I'm going to ask you the same for Johnson as well. Sorry to kind of keep the ribbon going there, but you know, it's, it seems like, you know, you get to that point of a season where you still are trying to find your back first on 11, obviously for a few players, we know who are, but it's, it's still one of those areas. We're not entirely sure, but he's, he's holding his account well in recent games, hasn't he? Which, you know, we kind of questioned it, but he seems to finally be finding his feet at the club, doesn't he?
00:10:28
Richard
Yeah, he I think that the Commons were saying it was seventh start of the season, which is obviously less than half the games that we've played. I think when he came in in the summer, he was probably he was someone that we thought would be the nailed on right back starter.
00:10:44
Global Sports Podcast Network
Hm.
00:10:44
Richard
obviously in ah ah in ah in a four, and Rob's right. For some reason, he looks much more comfortable in a wingback position than he does a back four. That might not be purely down to him. It might be to the players around him as well. But I would say, because Rob was saying he was looking good offensively in the game, but actually, he was defending that back post brilliantly. they were like there was ah ah There was a five or 10 minute spell in that first half before we scored where Fulham were putting in cross after cross after cross, and they were good. you know He was dealing with a Wobi and Robinson on the left hand side.
00:11:14
Richard
Anthony Robinson is one of the best left backs in the league and one of the quickest. Uobi's having a really good year and a bit of a renaissance at Fulham. And he's you know obviously they've got Jimenez and stuff up front as well. So Fulham carried plenty of threat and I thought he more often than not it was him getting his head on on the ball at the back post and he looked really strong. and i When I first saw him play, I thought he's a bit of a lightweight kind of player, didn't really look like he was up for a you know, in the kind of Trent Alexander role kind of thing, good on the ball, looks kind of classy, silky, not to that level obviously as Trent Alexander Arnold, but like defensively very, very gettable and not very physically kind of strong, but actually he was dealing with everything, like really, really impressively. And as as Rob said, he it was him that got up for that header that I think came off Bassey anyway, that hit the bar, but he was, you know, the one pounding up and down against, as I say, a very, very strong fullback in Robinson. and
00:12:10
Richard
both going forward and going back. So it it was a brilliant performance by him. Whether Godfrey comes in and takes his place, I don't really know. Rob said it in yesterday's episode, Godfrey's not really been playing for Atlanta. So I don't think he's going to come straight into the team. I mean, I expect him to play in the FA Cup because they're going to want to see what they've got and they're going to want to get minutes minutes into his legs. But I think Ben Johnson at the moment in that in that wing back position is a little bit ahead of Burns because I think he's he's a bit better defensively than Burns. And I think he showed me
00:12:40
Richard
Yeah, some strength that I don't really think that he that he had. He was really, really good, particularly at that back post throughout the game.
Player Highlights: Kaiuszte and Defensive Performances
00:12:48
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, very much so. Have you touched the verum as well? Like the competition is something, i Burns brief cam you had on the bench, tried to go past a few people and almost came to. So that was good to see from, I think both players held the road in that position and was there, which is good to see. Before we go to the first break, is there anyone else guys, players wise, you think so like stood out to you? Obviously the, I guess that can be always be the go-to, but is there anyone else before we go to the first break? Chime in if you feel.
00:13:11
Global Sports Podcast Network
and so
00:13:13
Rob Binns
I thought Kaiuszte is very good again.
00:13:15
Global Sports Podcast Network
Oh, sorry, I should have asked someone. Yes. Rob, can I use that?
00:13:18
Rob Binns
yeah I thought he was very, obviously he's just, yeah, he can set get a player of the month award.
00:13:18
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yes. Play of the month, two times in a row. Yeah.
00:13:24
Rob Binns
He just brings something different than the other midfield options really, don't he? I thought he was very strong again and I don't think it was coincidence that when he went off and we put Phillips on to bit bit more defensive, why Fulham started to get a bit of an uphold again, because we lost that, yeah, we lost that sort of element of bringing the ball out.
00:13:36
Global Sports Podcast Network
It's a big difference, isn't it?
00:13:42
Rob Binns
So it was just Fulham were able to stay in a bit more pressure after that, which I think was probably the idea of bringing Phillips on and taking him off was was to sit in a bit more defensively and let them do that because we backed ourselves to defend well, which we actually did.
00:13:56
Rob Binns
so So from open play, they barely created many chances really, didn't they? It was just couple of crosses or set pieces, they had some headers and then some dodgy challenges for their dependencies away. So we just seem to miss something when he doesn't play at the moment. He's really nailed himself in as one of the key players in the team. Obviously, given the fact he's one player in a month, two months in a row, since he's started becoming a consistent starter, I thought he had another good game and let's just credit to him how far he's come on in the last couple of months.
00:14:30
Global Sports Podcast Network
Anyway, for you, Richard, before we go to the first break,
00:14:32
Richard
Yeah, he was good again. he As you say, he he's willing to take the ball in kind of like areas that the other midfielders just don't. And he looks comfortable kind of going either way. He can use his left foot, which again, the other midfielders don't quite so much. and He was great. I would say that but all three of the central defenders actually had a decent game. Daro Shay did get turned a couple of times a bit too easily, but he definitely looks more comfortable in a three. Wolfenden I thought was good on the ball.
00:15:02
Richard
and played reasonably well.
00:15:02
Global Sports Podcast Network
And.
00:15:03
Richard
And Greaves, I don't think did play as well on the ball, but he was very good defensively, really, really good in the air, really strong, made a couple of strong challenges towards the end as well.
00:15:13
Richard
So I think defensively, they actually showed quite a lot of those three. Yeah, it was, you know, that that they did they did what they were supposed to do, particularly with the crosses and stuff. They were dealing with a lot there.
00:15:23
Richard
And when Menus came on in the second half and you have Jimenez in the team as well, that's a lot of kind of aerial threat that Fulham carried. So I think Ipswich did well to to counter that.
00:15:33
Global Sports Podcast Network
As you said there, Richard, defensive sort of holding the fort was very much the MO of the game. So we're going to touch on that more in the next part of the show as with our new formations. So I'll see you guys in a sec.
Tactical Shifts and Formation Changes
00:15:56
Rob Binns
hunt
00:16:16
Global Sports Podcast Network
And we are back here on the second part of today's Tactics Tuesday, they are looking back at Ipswich Town's 2-2 draw away at Craven Cottage against Fulham. Something we've seen from Ipswich in the last two and a half weeks or so now, guys, is a new formation that is seemingly here to stay. We saw it at the Emirates and we saw it against Chelsea. We saw it again against Fulham. It's more of a, correct me if I'm wrong, 5-2-3. And we saw it also in our victory, I believe, against Tottenham a few months back as well.
00:16:43
Global Sports Podcast Network
seems to be here to stay now. Obviously we do like our attacking football and that sort of lust to go forward, shall I say. But, you know, since changing this information, apart from the goal against Arsenal, we haven't conceded a goal from open play in our last two games.
00:16:57
Global Sports Podcast Network
It seems to be working just before we go into the sort of aspects of every sort of area of this formation, guys, like just what's your thoughts on the overall change?
00:17:00
Richard
Oh, sorry.
00:17:04
Global Sports Podcast Network
Like, were you happy to see that change come through? I'll start with you, Richard, from the usual four to three when we had, are you happy to see now having a five at the back sacrifice in that position going forward?
00:17:13
Richard
Well, it's going to be a long season watching it, ah but because I can't say that the games have been the most riveting watches, but I don't think I'm in the camp of football is purely about entertainment. I actually do think the results are quite important. So I think as long as we're carrying a threat going forward, then I don't, you know, I think obviously it's the pragmatic and right thing to do. I think You know, people have mentioned this and talked about it.
00:17:42
Richard
The Newcastle result was that moment where it was like a crossroad, really. and we We still had three games to go at that point, obviously, before the January transfer window.
00:17:47
Global Sports Podcast Network
And.
00:17:51
Richard
You still have January to kind of negotiate as well. And it's like, do we still go try and go toe to toe with these teams and try and play our football that we've been used to doing for the past couple of years? Or do we try and adapt a little bit and show a bit of Nelson that we've kind of, you know, that we're learning from the Premier League experience so far?
00:18:10
Richard
And I think McKenna doing that and sort of like adapting the system seemingly on a more permanent basis, not just by ah ah the odd game or whatever, has has proved kind of fruitful so far. We scored, like we said in yesterday's episode, we scored four goals in the last two games. So we backed up two games with two goals in the games. I think we have to score two goals to get any points in the league because our defense isn't quite good enough to be able to keep sides out you know on a consistent basis.
00:18:40
Richard
And I think it showed a bit more solidity to the team. I think we've we've definitely sacrificed a bit of, we've definitely sacrificed possession and we've definitely sacrificed trying to be on the front foot in games, but we weren't necessarily enjoying all of that in the previous formation anyway, because I don't think we quite have the personnel to be able to carry that off at this level at the moment.
00:19:00
Richard
So it's the pragmatic approach and it seems to be the intelligent one that's working at the moment. The worst thing you can do in this league is to become too predictable and I think
00:19:08
Global Sports Podcast Network
know
00:19:09
Richard
when we got pumped 4-0 by Newcastle really easily, it was because we were just really easy to play against. And the times this season when we've looked really ordinary, West Ham, Everton, Newcastle, it's when we've when we've been far too easy to play against and we've you know we we we just look at a level below everybody else. So let's make it hard for teams to beat us. And you know i'm I'm all for that. And if it means sacrificing a bit of entertainment and it means kind of like watching us press for you know long periods of the game or or or hold our position for long periods of the game, and then kind of so be it.
00:19:46
Global Sports Podcast Network
Hmm. Yeah, very much. So Rob, where's your head at with the formation change as well?
00:19:52
Rob Binns
i agree what rich was saying really because ultimately as much as we four two three one been tried and tested we yeah it's the way we've been alert with Everyone's learned how to play last couple of years.
00:20:03
Rob Binns
It it wasn't working ultimately. You look at, say before we switched going into that Arsenal game, what was that 17 games of the season, what we'd lost nine, drawn five or six, one twice.
00:20:07
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:20:14
Rob Binns
And then one of those wins, we played five at the back against Tottenham. We were only one, there's only walls where we turned up and played four at the back and one this season. And that was a 94th minute corner header.
00:20:25
Rob Binns
They're like, we were 30 seconds or whatever it was left of the game away from drawing. So it clearly wasn't working. And so Newcastle was sort of final now final nail in the coffin, because like Rich said, it was just so easy for them. like Obviously, when you can see it in the first 30 seconds of the game, it sets you up badly. But that was just for for for a variety of reasons. that was that well you You walked away from that game, you and that's when you were like, well, we we can't go and play like that again. And I was really interested to see whether we stuck with the new with this
00:20:59
Rob Binns
more defensive formation against Fulham because obviously a good job at Arsenal, brilliant job against Chelsea in that result, but obviously they were second and third in the table at the time. Fulham were down 8-9 for whoever they were before we started playing them. that I was interested to see if that was just going to be our resort for when the teams right at the top of the table come to town, or if that is what we're going to run with now. but and then So i was I was looking forward to seeing why where it went with that. And we stuck with it. And I think, they like I said, they used the right decision because we picked up say four points in... if you If you'd offered us four points in a run of games of Arsenal away, Chelsea at home, Fulham away, you'd have taken it. And have they been known have they' been particularly entertaining to watch? No, but like I said, four points from those three tough games. Absolutely no way would we have got that playing four, two, three, one on the front foot like we've tried to the first.
Pragmatism vs. Attractive Football
00:21:57
Rob Binns
16-17 games of the season. So it was a necessary change and a hazard it's it's doing wonders that, say yes, the game's a bit more dull, but you sacrificed that for points on the board, wouldn't you? If it if we say but you will say it's almost like the question of if we were to stay in a division, picking up these thesea points away from home or getting results, picking up like that, maybe with games that slightly dull like the first half an hour was this game where we were on the back foot a bit. Or would you rather play nice three firm front footed football but get relegated? It's sort of this, you've got to play like this almost adapting with what we've got to get results. Like Rich said, we haven't got a good enough squad to go and set up be beyond the front foot and just outscore people like we have done the last two years. if not
00:22:45
Rob Binns
you know, but if you think we're going to let two in, we can't go up the over end the score three this year, like we would have done last year. So we have to sort of defensive side out first, and it it has been working. So we should stick with it.
00:22:59
Global Sports Podcast Network
Very much so. Both talked about there about adapting to, you know, I don't want to say your faults, but you're realising areas that aren't working and changing them. and weve We've seen a lot in recent years, you know, you saw Burleigh RCA not change it, you saw Southampton begrudgingly still and it wanted to change and at the moment it seems like they're still in that kind of mindset.
00:23:17
Global Sports Podcast Network
It does show Richard, doesn't it?
00:23:19
Richard
Mm hmm.
00:23:19
Global Sports Podcast Network
Keira McKenna is like humility as a manager to realize not that he's wrong, but you know, just, you know, you can see, but it's not working. And, you know, as you said, get getting fumped by new cast, you have to change that from regardless, whether it's this drastic or not.
00:23:31
Global Sports Podcast Network
But just to just deviate slightly from information, look at the manager. It does show his his sort of quality, doesn't it? That he's able to sort of stand back and reflect and realize what needs to be changed.
00:23:42
Richard
Definitely. And i think it I think it does a couple of things because it it one, it gives the team you know a better opportunity to to pick up points because we're staying in games for a bit longer. Like as Rob said, you go so you go behind 30 seconds against Newcastle.
00:23:57
Richard
But we're not coming back from games anyway this season to win win games. So the best we could have hoped from that position probably was a point right on that day. And then obviously it ended up going a lot worse. So we're staying in games for longer because we could we look more solid. And I think also it slightly protects the players a little bit because if you're getting if you're getting thumped and you're getting played around, which You know, at times Fulham did, when Fulham upped the tempo of the game, I know they didn't necessarily make clear cut chances out of it, but when they upped the tempo of the game in the in their final third, we were still being bypassed quite easily at times. And I know good teams will will do that and that's kind of like part of it. But what the formation does is it it gives us the extra player back there to help deal with it, particularly with the crosses, particularly with the balls like being played in and around there. So it gives you another opportunity to clear the ball.
00:24:46
Richard
what you do with it when it gets further up the pitch obviously becomes critical because you have to carry that threat. Luckily in the last two games we've carried that threat and obviously it's paramount that we do that to play this formation moving forward because we've played it a couple of times now, we've been successful, teams are going to know about it a little bit more. you know We've got Brighton and Man City next, undoubtedly it will be this this formation for those games because because of the threat that both of those teams carry going forward. So you know will will those teams work out a little bit more how they're going to try and break us down with that? There still seems to be weaknesses in the team, particularly and you know the the the the the good and the bad of the Leif Davis situation on the left-hand side with him eroding forward and also obviously giving up space behind and stuff. so
00:25:34
Richard
McKenna, McKenna's a smart guy and I love the fact that he's kind of like being adaptable, but I also don't necessarily think that this is going to be our formation until at the end of the season. I can see personnel changes in this window tweaking what we do moving forward.
00:25:49
Global Sports Podcast Network
As Richard said there, Rob, you know, we're playing Brighton in Man City. We were very much under the kosh against Brighton when we had Paderol formation. So you kind of expect it to happen when we have them at Port Road in a week or so. And obviously the same with City when they come to Suffolk as well.
00:26:03
Global Sports Podcast Network
playing against slightly lesser opposition, shall we say, because, you know, we've only got a win against Wolves in that area of the field. Do you see us going back to maybe the old four again, or when we play teams when we head to Goodison, shall we say, or when we could go to Salas Park, or the King Power, or Southampton come to us? Will it be five at the back again there? And I'm asking a lot of you to predict the future in Islaeru, but would you like to see us go a bit more attacking? or Have that five, but then the guys can be more forward. its its It seems like a difficult thing to balance attacking or get seems difficult to have more of an attacking teeth to your team when you play in the summation, doesn't it?
00:26:37
Rob Binns
Yeah, but ultimately, it's it's what feels right in the week leading up to those games. I can't possibly predict them now. Part of them may be Brighton, which i said we'd expect to see the same thing again.
00:26:47
Global Sports Podcast Network
i Go on.
00:26:49
Rob Binns
But that but we simply said this before the season even started, didn't we?
00:26:51
Global Sports Podcast Network
Hmm.
00:26:53
Rob Binns
said The key in the Premier League is you have to be pragmatic as a manager, you have to be pragmatic, and you have to be able to adapt week by week as things ah ah go on. Because if you stick to the same way for too long, you get found out. And then that's what sort of teams knew how we like to play, they're ready for it, we struggled for results early on, we switched now, it's working well, but that will get found out as well.
Adapting Tactics for Success
00:27:14
Rob Binns
So we kind of have to be pragmatic again, we'll have to work a new solution on that, like Rich said, and and we need to have multiple different ways that coming in and I would say with personnel whether that's with recruitment in January or players coming back from injury or whatever that we almost need to we need to be able to switch if something's not working because that's the thing at the moment this formation is doing well but what happens when it stops working so well how do we go from there is it an in-game shift or is it something that we just try and get on with it for that game and we figure something new out for the one afterwards because
00:27:47
Rob Binns
you should be able to have that in your arsenal switch, tactical switch in the game. and You can say it's not working, which, so that'll be where I think we'll push this as long as we can, as long as it works.
00:27:58
Rob Binns
And I think it could work against Brighton, you know, they I don't think they've won since November. So they're not, they're hard to beat because they've got the most, they draw the most games in the league, but they don't, they're not particularly and in good form at the moment, despite say not losing too many games.
00:28:04
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:28:13
Rob Binns
So, maybe we want to have something in there and so we'll talk about it in the final part but so Fulham changed their setup two or three times in the game and that's something I don't really see us having at the moment and we don't we don't tend to switch the setup in the game unless we're sort of chucking everyone behind the ball for someone hanging on to someone always sending loads of extra personnel up front them if we're chasing that we haven't got that sort of switch and that's something I think we need to develop when it's like you say with the looking at all those games you mentioned later in the year. By the time we get to them, we need to have a sort of plan B in place because this five-back setup would have been figured out by then.
00:28:50
Global Sports Podcast Network
very much so well it's good to see regardless isn't it that we're not kind of sticking to the same way and that's getting painted about same promoted club brush of just trying to stick to what you did last year and hope that it works like we're recognizing like like I said not faults in our game but just areas that need addressing and they have been like you said four points out of the last out of a possible nine against some really top clubs is really really good to see and it's been done with this formation so it'll be interesting how it does going forward. We're going to take one more break and when we come back as as Rob alluded to there we're going to talk about how Fulham change their shape in the game and talk about Town's game management as well.
00:29:48
Global Sports Podcast Network
And we are back on today's show, final part of Tactics Tuesday. As I said before the break there, and ah ah as Rob pointed out earlier in the show, for them change their shape in the game. Rob, you seem to have noticed this throughout the game, that was three, four, three, it was start. what what What made them change their formation? Kind of had this bit of tactical turnaround they had throughout the 90.
00:30:08
Rob Binns
Well, we were frustrated. That's the other benefit of this system we have, really, is that how how many times have we just frustrated teams? and how many are they out to How many significant tactical switches have teams had to do against us to go and get results? They just turned up, they've been on the front, foot they've made they've made things work. We discussed this on the crossover with the guys from Daily Fullum.
00:30:33
Rob Binns
that They've been very similar to us. They've recently switched to a more defensive set up and we were sort of interested to see do we both stick with it against each other or does it mix up a bit? And we both started with it, but say the difference was we stuck with it the entire game and got the result for it. They were forced to change a couple of times because of the way we played. So it's fairly matched, just fairly to start with. And obviously we got into halftime, won the lap. They're very frustrated because they saw a lot of the ball in that first 45.
00:31:00
Rob Binns
didn't really make any good. Walton made one decent save other than that. He wasn't really calling to action to show their dominance and they went in one nil down, which is that frustrated them. They made the positive change. They took a center back off, put a winger on in Smithrow, went to a four, had a bit more joy, and then still weren't really getting themselves back in the game. And then changed it again. And then they went to a two up top when Muniz came on. And that's when they started to have the sort of more sort of threat and so when they were on Pereira and Moonee's at the same time and went to more of a 4-4-2 at that point and just literally tried just committed some more bodies up and tried to break us down and go and went from there and so that's three completely different setups they weren't they so they went from a three at the back with four backs bombing for because Wilson and Woebe both like to come and come on narrow play a bit more century to let the wing backs play
00:31:58
Rob Binns
That didn't work. So they went to what they've been doing in recent months. they went So they went on to that four. but so the The two sitters in midfield and and three bodies pushing slightly further forward. That didn't really work for in them. And they found a bit more joy with the two up front. But that's what I say. That was all but up because of how well we were playing. They've not done that because and what that wouldn't have been in Marco Silva's game plan. He wouldn't have been thinking, right, I'm going to change. We're going to change everything at halftime and change again on 60 minutes.
00:32:27
Rob Binns
It's because the way we wouldfect we were defending resiliently, we were frustrating them in a lot of areas of the pitch and we forced them into doing it, which is something we haven't been doing in a lot of games.
00:32:28
Global Sports Podcast Network
Mm.
00:32:36
Rob Binns
We haven't made it difficult for teams and made them come up and think of a solution. we've A lot of the time we've just been doing it for them and in a way we did in this game with the two penalties.
Game Management and Substitution Patterns
00:32:46
Rob Binns
We're actually making people work hard to get the results against us now, which is perhaps what we weren't doing, particularly in the first sort of month or two of the season and something we've got a lot better at. So something I was glad to see really when I kept getting spotted all these little tweaks full on the doing, and because it shows we were frustrated when they were having to figure something out to try and get around us.
00:33:07
Global Sports Podcast Network
Hmm. Yeah. Brilliantly put there. I think, you know, talk about how we frustrated them. I don't know how you guys kind of felt. I kind of alluded to it on Monday show of a slight frustration with how we manage the game in the latter stages. And obviously, you know,
00:33:20
Global Sports Podcast Network
you might not play our usual way when you're trying to hold on to a lead. I think most clubs will be in the same ballpark, to be honest. But we've talked a lot about game management this season and just not necessarily holding on to results. We've had that many results to hold on to, but just start of play when, you know, certain players come on, you know, you look at certain like-flight results, which switches we do on the bench. I think like the Al Hamadi glap swap is almost an inevitability every single game now. And a few other substitutions like that.
00:33:46
Global Sports Podcast Network
Do you think Richard like those certain substitutes, obviously it might look different with who we bring in January to be fair, but just things like game management and who comes on and as if there's a lot of things maybe you need to change or things you're not a fan of or you are a fan of. I don't know where either you guys out of this, but rich, I'll start with you.
00:34:03
Richard
Well I think that is part of the game where it is unfortunately predictable for us at the moment and because of the injury to Hurst this has obviously been very well documented and talked about but we don't carry any kind of threat really from the moment that Dilap leaves the pitch and I think that that can't be understated because I don't think you can play this formation that we are if you don't have Dilap in the team because you need a striker that is even though sometimes he can be a bit wayward in some of his play and and the hold-up play and stuff, which i you know ah ah I talked about.
00:34:33
Richard
That is nitpicking on a player who who has been unbelievably effective. And I think you can kind of tell by the reaction of the opposition fans. Like, Fulham fans were quiet during the game, as as you mentioned um in yesterday's pod, Tom, rather disparagingly.
00:34:50
Richard
Sorry, Fulham fans. But they were really quiet.
00:34:53
Global Sports Podcast Network
Probably still asleep.
00:34:55
Richard
yeah Yeah, they were really quiet and the thing and ah what what what you notice with that is obviously certain reactions to kind of certain things and Dilap has built up a reputation because of the the strong first half of the season that he's had. So when he was picking up the ball just around the halfway line and stuff and turning and running, you could sense the kind of like anxiety in the crowds a little bit. And if you've got somebody like that, then that can obviously feed into what's going on on the pitch and stuff. And I think Most teams are aware of his threat and are respectful of his threat. And so that gives Ipswich an opportunity to get up the pitch and obviously and has led to not only goals for him, but goals for other people as well. So if you don't have that, and we don't from the kind of 70, 75th minute mark when he goes off, your threat level literally goes to zero. And like the stats back that up.
00:35:43
Richard
I'm not really one for stats particularly, but this is kind of like, this sort of says everything really from the 60th minute onwards, we've scored five goals all year. Uh, so we significantly drop in terms of our threat level towards the end of games. And we are, we're not necessarily conceding loads later in the game, although we, we obviously have a few and we did in this game, we did at Brentford and stuff, but we are not threatening whatsoever. So.
00:36:10
Richard
You know, that that just shows, right? Unless we are clear, which we only have been in, in two of those games, obviously Spurs got one back in the end, but we were tuning all up on Chelsea. We obviously nicked a result at Wolves in the end, but in the other ones, we haven't been clear enough to be able to either hold onto a win or even to hold onto a draw because we just don't carry that threat. So it's, that's where January has to be key for us because if we don't bring in somebody We're not going to get someone to collapse level, you wouldn't think, but we have to have somebody that can come in and make the opposition think. Because if we start just being pinned back for the last 15 minutes, more often than not, there are good enough players in the Premier League to punish you.
00:36:49
Global Sports Podcast Network
I think, yeah, kind of hitting on the head there, keeping Dilap on as much as you can. I think this game, to be honest, he was I think he was on until the 80th minute or something.
00:36:57
Richard
We'll see. All right.
00:36:58
Global Sports Podcast Network
So I think it's even, that i' I'm sure the team are very much aware of, like, we have to keep him on. He was on as much as possible until, yeah, his legs kind of gave way. I think after they can seeed the as we the equalised role, it cut to Dilap on the bench of his head and his hands.
00:37:12
Global Sports Podcast Network
Probably thinking to myself, I might be able to change something here and be that threat going forward.
00:37:12
Richard
Yeah.
00:37:16
Global Sports Podcast Network
Obviously, Rob, you can echo Rich's point as well if you want to know about any other aspects of game management and just rotations that you think need addressing.
00:37:25
Rob Binns
Well, it has been a problem, hasn't it? I'm just distracted by it. I'm really trying to figure out what those five goals were.
00:37:29
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:37:30
Rob Binns
I've got four of them. I'm trying i'm trying to think what the other one was. No, that's been running in the back of my head while you've been talking.
00:37:34
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, go on. This is a good game. Yeah, go on then. What have you got so far? What have you got so far?
00:37:38
Rob Binns
I've got Winner at Walls, Equalizer at Southampton today, because that was in the 70-something for a minute, that pen the penalty, and then did what proved to be a consolation against Brentford.
00:37:38
Global Sports Podcast Network
I'm intrigued. Let's see if we can get it.
00:37:42
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:37:47
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah. Yeah.
00:37:51
Rob Binns
That was about five minutes to go before we conceded again.
00:37:53
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:37:54
Rob Binns
And then I'm stumped. i can't clo a lot I can't get the last one in my head. That's been bugging me while you've been talking.
00:37:59
Richard
was to lapse equalizer.
00:37:59
Global Sports Podcast Network
was
00:37:59
Rob Binns
I'm trying to figure it out.
00:38:00
Global Sports Podcast Network
but Yeah. Yeah. Oh Richard. Yeah. So I'm thinking let's have a look.
00:38:04
Rob Binns
Oh, yeah, that must have been, yeah.
00:38:04
Richard
Yeah.
00:38:06
Global Sports Podcast Network
See, let's have a look.
00:38:08
Richard
Yeah. I think so.
00:38:09
Global Sports Podcast Network
See people are probably screaming at us at home right now saying, yeah, if that's it guys.
00:38:09
Rob Binns
Do you think if you go down the table, you probably get it fairly quickly le because there's a lot of games you can rule out, but we didn't score at all.
00:38:12
Global Sports Podcast Network
How'd you not get that?
00:38:16
Rob Binns
So you can look at that one.
00:38:18
Richard
Yeah.
00:38:18
Rob Binns
But obviously, game management,
00:38:18
Richard
Yeah.
00:38:19
Global Sports Podcast Network
It was, yeah.
00:38:21
Rob Binns
Yeah. So that's a problem in itself that we don't score late, but game management has been a problem.
00:38:22
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, sorry, we're going.
00:38:26
Rob Binns
Like it's so tight down the bottom of the table that I think how many points we've thrown away from poor games management. I mean, Lester last minute goal, Brentford last minute goal today, silly penalty.
00:38:38
Rob Binns
They're not just like, it's not like we've been things we've been trying knocking on the door and we finally just fell apart towards the end. they' They've been gifted some of the things that have happened in these games as some of these goals.
00:38:50
Rob Binns
say the Brentford one was a mistake and say penalty today that we're throwing points away because we we can't manage the game when we get to the sort of when we get to like Richard saying when these when the key players have to go off because they've run their race like to dilap being the standout one we just start to offer zero threat and we aren't good enough to just sit and take constant pressure we will we will concede eventually whether it's our own mistake or
00:39:13
Richard
No.
00:39:15
Rob Binns
just the pressure telling for too long. And we've thrown, so those are just those three games I've mentioned there. That's what, was it five points we've thrown away there? Two should have been, two draws, some should have been wins and lost a point at Brentford.
00:39:27
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:39:27
Rob Binns
So they said, put five points on us on the table. We're, we're, so a couple of, we're two or three positions higher up, aren't we? That, crucially, obviously outside of the bottom throat, that we need, so it's something that needs to be improved.
00:39:36
Richard
Yeah. I mean,
00:39:40
Rob Binns
Definitely.
00:39:43
Richard
Yeah, and I can be like, you know, we talked about we talked about game management, or like, what else could they do like later in games to try and if you're in a winning position, try and hang on, you know, he could have bought on a centre half, he could have bought on Cameron Burgess, right, and and and really said, okay, we are we are literally going to hold on to this for as long as we can kind of thing. And But that would be the next level of evolution of ah ah of a defensive mindset, which I just think McKenna, I'd be very surprised if he goes down there. I mean, obviously, if you get into injury time in a game or whatever, and you're you're holding a 2-1 lead, then you you you know you potentially do that. But we've never really ever seen him do that because he very rarely puts defenders on the on the bench in the first place. It's normally only like full backs at most. So I don't know. maybe Maybe there's that in our locker that we need to try and think about. Maybe we do that.
00:40:31
Richard
you know would Burgess have in that left back or left side of of defense, would that have been the adequate cover that we needed at that point? Who knows. But I think all things being equal with with the squad staying as it is, we have to develop a ah ah different way of seeing out games towards the end. But if we improve the the personnel quality in the next few weeks and we have other attacking options that we think we can rely on a little bit more to carry more threat,
00:41:00
Richard
in the last 10 minutes as well and make the game a bit more even going into the final kind of like 15 minutes of the game, then you know maybe we don't have to change tactics so much but those are really damning statistics and I think at times our midfield still looks really overrun on a physical level. I mean Calvin Phillips, would I'm not again I don't want to dig into players particularly but he comes into the game and he he was literally non-existent, he really really was non-existent and you're kind of like your job is to come in and I know difficult to get up to the speed and all the rest of it.
00:41:30
Richard
But yeah for me, that wasn't the sub. I'd have taken more Z off out of all of them and put Phillips on instead of because you stay because you stay can hold on to the ball and he can bring the bring the ball up the pitch.
00:41:42
Richard
So I didn't necessarily agree with that sub. But again, he may have run his race. He may have been out of legs, whatever it might be.
00:41:47
Global Sports Podcast Network
Mm hmm.
00:41:48
Richard
So it's tricky. We are we are on demand. And we'll talk about that, you know, we're going to do a transfer window kind of like thing this week to see, to see what the squad needs. But yeah, it's a
Episode Conclusion and Future Outlook
00:41:59
Richard
shame. Obviously we we we couldn't hang on, but the end of games, we really aren't dominating whether we are holding onto that result or not, which we're not in the ascendancy more often than not.
00:42:10
Global Sports Podcast Network
it's, you know, we've touched it on Monday show and many, many times this season, how it's fine, fine margins. And, you know, that was almost, you know, he's saying how you could have potentially brought on Cameron Burgess.
00:42:21
Global Sports Podcast Network
I think the comms did say, or why is he not brought on a defensive substitution, but he brought on Jack Clark and said, and it was almost a touch of genius. Wasn't it? Cause he almost scored what would have been the third goal and definitely now in Fulham's coffin as well.
00:42:28
Richard
Yeah.
00:42:32
Global Sports Podcast Network
So it's, it's difficult to like, you know, in hindsight, it's, I think we're kind of all on the same page where you save these sort of things because you know if you look at the result it makes sense that things could have been done slightly different but also he had a plan and almost completely paid off so it's a difficult thing to put in I mean I do not envy Kieran McKenna one bit in terms of making decisions because they're a genius or just kind of begrudged on ever so slightly but never going to obviously be smudged because we love the guy but yeah yeah
00:42:57
Richard
And also, though, just one final thing on it, like, you know, where either of the goals down to the the tactical setup, they weren't neither. They're two penalties. They're two poor challenges from us. So they go down as individual mistakes. You can't really say that it's down to tactics. Maybe, maybe the the Davis one is maybe it's alike. We are holding on to a lead here. Why are you marauding forward so much? Maybe. But that's the way he's played for three years, which has been more successful than not. So it's very difficult to point the finger at that.
00:43:27
Richard
and Yeah, anyway, whatever. it's It's a point gained.
00:43:29
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah
00:43:30
Richard
It's a point gained.
00:43:32
Rob Binns
Yeah, but the thing is as well, obviously, yeah, the thing is as well is that we are getting better at it.
00:43:32
Global Sports Podcast Network
Exactly, exactly. Robert, we got anything? There we go, yeah.
00:43:38
Rob Binns
Like I know we're saying that we didn't do it today, but we've got seven points in the last five games. We've had 16 all season. So it's a 15 games.
00:43:45
Richard
Yeah.
00:43:46
Rob Binns
We've got nine points. We've now got seven and five. And so other teams aren't say walls have got seven and five as well. I think powers got eight and five. There's some teams that start to hit the stride now. We need to make sure we're in that bracket still because as as impressive as those three draws they got were.
00:44:02
Rob Binns
against City Arsenal and Chelsea. There, everything's only three points in the last sort of six or seven games. And three points in that run of games is pretty poor.
00:44:08
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:44:09
Rob Binns
Leicester have lost five on a five in a row now after the initial honeymoon period to Van Nistreoy that we've got to make sure we stay in that bracket. of or they're theyre on They're picking up semi-decent points in the last few games rather than they're falling away at the wrong time and improving game management will help though will help us stay in that bracket.
00:44:28
Global Sports Podcast Network
Hmm. Very much so. Brilliantly put there guys. That's going to do it for today's show. Thank you, Rob and Richard for joining me and thank you everyone for listening. It's going to be a bit of a different week this week with no Premier League football this weekend. It's the FA Cup. We are hosting, I believe Bristol Rovers or I guess there's three teams in that part of the world. So Bristol Rovers, Rob's nodding. So that's what we were playing in the FA Cup, a difficult competition. We always try and make it tougher for ourselves. We need to be. if you look back at Maidstone last season. Anyway, yeah, so we'll be doing a preview for that later in the week. We'll also be doing a sort of January transfer window preview. We'll give you, we'll try and get all four of us on a two-parter or it would just be us free again. We'll be kind of giving our sort of players we'd like to sign, maybe some who should leave and all stuff in between. Whilst you're here, you can head to our socials at GSP Ape Switch, check out social clips. You can see our mugs if you want to hear what we're saying as well and all that. We really appreciate it. Give that a like, give the podcast like
00:45:21
Global Sports Podcast Network
all the usual stuff. But yeah, thank you so much for listening. I hope you enjoyed the show, as well as Townes Drawer gets for them, and we'll see you next time.