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Episode 96 - Liverpool 4-1 Ipswich Match Reaction
39 Plays1 month ago
Rob & Richard reflect on the defeat at Anfield on Saturday afternoon. The lads pick the bones out of the game, share their concerns over the last two results even given the context of the opposition and discuss how this leaves Town ahead of arguably the most important week of the season with the end of the January transfer window and the visit of Southampton.
The Daily Ipswich Podcast, part of the Global Sports Podcast Network, is the 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: Rob Binns
Guests: Richard Popple
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Transcript
Reflecting on Disappointment and Future Fixtures
00:00:09
Global Sports Podcast Network
Hello and welcome back to The Daily Ipswich, brought to you by the Global Sports Podcast month but for podcast Network. It is Monday, that's where I was going on that. And as you can see, where the result of the weekend sort of, may is a game we didn't expect to get anything out of that doesn't make it any less disappointing in testing the sort of the manner of how the game played out. But we're going to be reflecting back on that trip to Anfield in today's episode.
00:00:36
Global Sports Podcast Network
and joining me, Rob Bins, to do such is Richard Popple. How you doing, mate?
00:00:40
Richard
I'm very good, Rob, yeah. You're a bit tongue-tied by the result.
00:00:43
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:00:47
Richard
Yeah, no, it was disappointing, wasn't it? But look, we'll try and pick out the pick out the bones of it, see if we can find any positives and stuff. And look, at least we're not going to be playing Man City or Liverpool again this season. Fantastic.
Defensive Struggles and Strategies
00:00:59
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, like we we were just saying before we started recording, weren't we, a sort of turnover this game really, there was a run of seven games we picked out before the trip to the Emirates of, really, there were seven games that there was a very fair chance that we walked away with zero points, we can't away with four, which isn't a too bad return considering some of the games in there. And now we've got a slightly more favorable run that we need to make the most of obviously starting with Southampton next week. But before we look ahead, we'll look back. So how did you
00:01:30
Global Sports Podcast Network
see the sort of the game play out where you was it how you expected really because it was it's pretty much men against boys for 85 minutes until we got back into it towards the end.
00:01:41
Richard
Yeah, I mean, the it's really difficult to analyze games like this, isn't it? Because there is such a huge gulf between the quality of the teams, unfortunately. And also, I think just confidence levels as well, football is, is as much about kind of like people feeling good and, you know, expressing their skills in that way, rather than, you know, just a quality difference. Because I think when a team is really well, you know, coached and really well motivated, they can obviously, as we know, pull off surprises. So I think You saw the golfing quality of the players, yes, but I think more so you saw one team who's just like flying and knows exactly what they're doing and is playing brilliantly well together. And another team that is being chopped and changed quite a bit that we're still searching a little bit for solutions and answers to different things. I think the five at the back may have plateaued as a useful experiment potentially.
00:02:35
Richard
And at times, yeah, you know you use the phrase men against boys. it just look We just look really static and quite easy to play through. And I think that was disappointing, obviously. But yeah, the result itself you know is to be expected. i didn't I didn't think we'd ship four goals, but I'm not surprised that we did, unfortunately.
00:02:52
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, I think you've hit the nail on the head there really and sort of how that looking static really, because that's been the ah the the big concern for me really. And why is it from the last two games is that obviously nobody expects to get any points out of those two games, but sort of the manner of the score lines have been the problem.
00:03:09
Global Sports Podcast Network
And that's been the big concern to me over both games is that how easy it's been to play through a lot. Yes, we're talking when you look at the quality of the players and that's there, but
00:03:16
Richard
Yeah.
00:03:19
Global Sports Podcast Network
That's something we've not really had. all like we've never We've never been someone you can just turn over. so we We always we give a good fire path. And so the odd games were like, say, until the last couple of weeks, it was only Newcastle, really, where we've completely looked out of our depth. And like before that, you go all the way back to sort of like think like games like West Brom away last year, where we just looked out of it completely. Then, say, two games in a row. and Now, yes, obviously, given the context of, like I say, we've had So Mo Salah and Erling Harland as two of the players to try and deal with in the last couple
Player Contributions and Positional Concerns
00:03:54
Global Sports Podcast Network
of games.
00:03:54
Global Sports Podcast Network
But that's been the worrying thing for me is that we've never looked so easy to play through two games in a row. Because even when we go back to when we played these guys consecutively at the start of the season, the Liverpool game, we looked fairly solid and then the had the City game it didn't.
00:04:07
Richard
Yeah, I agree.
00:04:10
Global Sports Podcast Network
So like I said, we've got the fixture, we've got a very favorable fixture, probably what the most favorable fixture on paper.
00:04:11
Richard
Yeah.
00:04:17
Global Sports Podcast Network
you have in the whole season coming up this weekend to see if it's an ongoing issue or is it something we can, was it just too much quality to defend against? But that's been, that's been my concern really with those games.
00:04:29
Richard
I mean, yeah, I completely agree with you. And I think the thing is with the quality thing, you know, that that's the thing that's out of your control, isn't it? So you know that you're up against, in theory, better players and, you know, they probably are better players, but, you know, what you can do, I suppose, is is control what you can control. And I think that's going with runners from midfield. That didn't happen for the first goal. I mean, so does I just kind of like walk through really?
00:04:53
Richard
It was pretty straightforward stuff. Second goal, right? So it's a decent cross and Salah does what Salah does. But the first one was so disappointing and you saw Morsy react because Dara O'Shea came out to close Slobbersleye down. Then he backtracked, so he didn't do anything. He just kind of like went into no man's land and then did nothing. Couldn't even put a block in at the end because he was kind of caught out of position.
00:05:16
Richard
The other central defenders didn't particularly react either, certainly not in unison and the midfielders didn't go with their runners as they continually haven't done for quite a period of time, unfortunately. So I think that was a disappointing kind of, it seemed to break down in communication really, and it did it did look far too easy and for good players, you're giving them, you know, I think that's the disappointing thing, right? We we just made it pretty easy for Liverpool and I think That was, that was a bit disappointing because we're we're offering so little going forward at the moment and particularly in these big games, Chelsea aside, but even, you know, a Arsenal, when it was a backs to the wall kind of stuff, we offered very little going forward. offered nothing against City and we've kind of offered nothing again. So, you know, all right, we're not going to be judged on the season. It's not going to affect our season necessarily, but it, but it is a bit like, or you know, this thing that's been hampering us all year.
00:06:09
Richard
seems to slightly be getting worse, if anything. And I suppose that is a bit of a concern moving forward, even if the fixture list is kind of getting easier to a certain extent.
00:06:20
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, so I think, I don't know, it's tough to say like, because unfortunately, there's been a lot of goals to talk about in the last two weeks, but there's not been many of them that have been bad.
00:06:29
Richard
Yeah.
00:06:31
Global Sports Podcast Network
At the same time, like we've we've looked worse overall, but most of the goals we conceded you can put down to quality as much as you can from maybe someone not tracking a run. So the shoppers lie one aside, and Saturday was the one that was the one we thought has he been allowed to run there and then like say O'Shea particularly didn't cover himself in glory, but then think of the Saligal, it's a fantastic cross.
00:06:53
Richard
Just didn't do anything.
00:06:55
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, exactly.
00:06:56
Richard
Yeah, yeah.
00:06:56
Global Sports Podcast Network
the the So the Saligal was a fantastic cross from Gackpo, Gackpo's second was a fantastic cross from Alexander Arnold and then it was almost fortunate the way, it's just quite good from Gackpo following into the third, like the initial play and the build up to the third goal was again really nice and then Waltman makes a good save and just happens to have Gackpo's
00:07:03
Richard
Yeah.
00:07:15
Global Sports Podcast Network
the one followed in, that could have failed to anybody. It just happened to fail to fall to him really that it's not like we concede and terrible goals like we were at the start of the season.
00:07:21
Richard
Yeah.
00:07:24
Global Sports Podcast Network
It's just that it has been a bit too easy at times. but like so But then I'm hoping that's just like you said, the quality factor that maybe that we said we talk about that.
00:07:36
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, I'm not as poor as it is in the build up to that first goal. But I'm there. You didn't think this weekend would think of a sort of woodlock Joe Aribo for example would he have the same result if you backed off him or would he shot or would he probably be ending up looking for a pass or would he be able to squeeze a strike like that there is that element of quality there as well like I can't see a like these crosses I can't see a Southampton player ghosting in the back post and finishing that chance like Mo Salah did so there's an argument both ways but certainly we need to we need to tighten up oh yeah I suppose so actually yeah I keep forgetting about him he's he just
00:08:04
Richard
Tyler
00:08:10
Global Sports Podcast Network
I forget he plays with Southampton in a way because he is just like such a class above the rest of them that I keep forgetting about him somehow.
00:08:13
Richard
What he won't do for much longer,
Attacking Strategies and Goal-Scoring Issues
00:08:16
Richard
will he? but and yeah and yeah i mean I absolutely hear you.
00:08:18
Global Sports Podcast Network
No.
00:08:22
Richard
it' it is ah ah It is a massive golfing quality. but i think that thing of you know yeah all right It's a bit of a mistake for the first goal. I keep picking up on the first goal.
00:08:32
Richard
but it's like you can You kind of saw a bit of indecision throughout the game, really, between Greaves and O'Shea a little bit, and obviously 2-0 is coming back into the team. I don't i don't know the stats on this, but but ah since we switched to a back three, I'm not sure if it's been the same back three throughout that whole time. And all of those players apart from 2-0, I think, have been fit for all of that time for the last three or four weeks.
00:08:56
Richard
So McKenna has changed it around quite a bit, searching for the kind of like right setup for him. He seems to be reluctant to play Greaves centrally. He puts Greaves on the left. I'd i'd be interested to see if Greaves centrally and and Burgess next to him on the left, if you're going to stick with the three. I'd be interested to see what that looked like, because I think O'Shea has looked at his best when he's been on the right-hand side of that back three, not in the centre. And I actually thought Wolfendom was kind of doing OK, but obviously he's been brought out of the team again.
00:09:27
Richard
And I think there has been a bit of that with the team selection and I'm i'm not having to go at McKenna at all. like i'm I'm genuinely not. I think he is searching for solutions and you know, the best, the best fit of players basically. But you know, when Broadhead was in the side playing well, he's now been completely taken out of the side. And I think that does change the way that we can break because he, as we've said before, is the best player at traveling with the ball. For the most part, he retains possession really well. And he was in good form. So it seems strange that he's come out of the team again.
00:09:57
Richard
And it seems a bit strange that we keep changing those back three because I think it makes it very difficult for them to communicate. And you kind of saw breakdowns in communication a little bit during the game. And I guess if you're up against a quality team, they're going to make you pay. And that's what Liverpool did.
00:10:12
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, exactly. So what follow on for that then, we so we spoke about it. In a way, how do you see with this, like I said, a slightly more fable runner fix is coming up. Now, would you like to see us go back to a four or would you stick with this five?
00:10:26
Richard
I think they will. And I think that I think I sort of think they have to, because we simply have to score more goals. So you've gone, you've got to have another attacking player on the pitch. I think we've reached the point in the season a little bit where you you've got to go down a little bit. If you're going to, you know, if, we if, if it's going to be a struggle right to the end, which is what it looks like. So I think we've, we've tried the pragmatic approach, you know, we tried to go toe to toe and played our football for a long period of the season. Then we tried to be pragmatic and that worked out a few results.
00:10:55
Richard
We spoke about this on the podcast. Teams were going to start working you out. You know, it it was a bit difficult for Chelsea. It was a bit difficult for Fulham teams and start to work you out a little bit more and be like, Oh, well, that's what they're doing. And we're playing quality teams. So even though you're saying, you know, the quality dips, it does against Southampton, but then we go right back to playing people like Villa and you know, Spurs and man United. I know they're not in good form, but they're still good players on the pitch.
00:11:22
Richard
So, you know, I think he has to, do but because we need to score some more goals. What what do you think?
00:11:30
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, I'd like to see it go back to a four now, I think. There's he said we're just not off there's not enough attacking threat there. I mean, there was three shots total. Again, obviously, yes, where obviously we know we're going away, away from home to the top of the league. But, so I can tell you what all three shots were. those So, Hutchinson just had a run from distance straight down the middle, and then Hurst had a header he should have scored. And we talked about chances that we need to be put in a way that, yes, again, we fought we were 4-0 down.
00:11:59
Global Sports Podcast Network
with two minutes to go. And again, we weren't going to turn around, but that's the sort of chance that we keep making and not putting away. And he should say he should have scored that. And then obviously then grease in the corner to get the consolation goal.
00:12:12
Global Sports Podcast Network
So three shots total, two of which came from 87 minutes onwards, which regardless of who you're playing is not a respectable story to put together there either.
00:12:19
Richard
I also love that.
00:12:23
Richard
No, no, it's not. But I did love the reaction from the town fans when we scored.
00:12:27
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:12:29
Richard
It was just joy, unashamed of joy and right and rightly so. But yeah, and I agree with you. I mean, you're not going to win games of football doing that. It doesn't matter whether you're playing Southampton or playing Liverpool, you have to offer more of a threat. So I think he has to, I think his hands are tied a little bit with that. And yeah, we'll be going back to the tried and tested, I think. And hopefully with the players that we've brought in, we go for it a little bit more. But it is worrying because we've shipped 10 goals and you don't know what that's going to do to confidence levels and all that kind of stuff.
00:12:58
Richard
but you know, this is where it comes into it. And he has to remind them that, you know, a month ago we beat Chelsea to nil and kept a clean sheet. So, yeah, we need to try and get back to that formula, I think.
00:13:05
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, exactly.
00:13:09
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, definitely. And obviously I think the other benefit, I suppose, of switching to a four, we say we'll touch on how we go ahead, but obviously we lost burns to an injury as well, which means were that's now two of the potential right wing back options out for obviously, in this case, the season burns looks really bad, given that we're having to leave on a stretcher that
00:13:26
Richard
Yeah.
00:13:28
Global Sports Podcast Network
we can't We don't want to overwork Johnson if he's now the only one who can play that role. So I would be expecting a switch to a four as well. But like I say, we'll talk about injuries and who was missing and who and for what reasons and everything later on in the show. But for now, we're going to have a quick word from one of our sponsors.
00:14:16
Global Sports Podcast Network
And we are back for the second part of today's daily Ipswich. So let's we'll go run through sort of the key moments of the game. We'll touch on this quickly as obviously we've mentioned it in a fair bit of detail in part one, but say the first real, the first real site of goal in the game resulted in the first goal of the game from Dominic Shobber's lie that was disappointing from outside of things as we've touched on already. But they certainly say a decent or good enough strike to beat Christian Walton from there, really. But we I think the one thing we just said, like I said, going into the weekend is these sort
Injuries and Midfield Challenges
00:14:53
Global Sports Podcast Network
of games, you got to stay in as long as possible. And you sort of, did you sort of already feel that was game over going 1-0 down in the 10th minute?
00:15:03
Richard
Yeah, it's difficult to think otherwise, isn't it? I mean, we we talked about it on the preview pod. Both me and Louis from the Daily Liverpool were saying that we thought it should go ahead. I did, but you know obviously when i when we saw that go in, it was, yeah, difficult to see a way back given our struggles in front of goal, I suppose. But yeah, we've touched on it already. It was a good finish, but it was far too easy for him to get the shot away. and and players of that quality, they're going to, they're going to, you know, he gave Walter no chance. So it was right in the bottom corner. So it was a good strike.
00:15:34
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, and I say, we'd sort of lost Burns midway through the half, didn't we, which say I think we were hopefully it's not as bad as it looked on the day.
00:15:45
Global Sports Podcast Network
we Obviously, we'll wait to see what updates come out as the week plays out on that, but it certainly didn't look good, and we wish him all the best.
00:15:52
Richard
No.
00:15:52
Global Sports Podcast Network
But then there's only five minutes after that, but it became two, you know, and then he felt there really was no way back. And we said really top quality cross from Gackpo and finished from Salah, He was allowed in on the back post, maybe slightly too easy. We know Davis had a really tough half of the game, didn't he? Looking after it was obviously we've then later found out because he was on well, we certainly would have been, would not, would have been a contributing factor to that as well as obviously most others, not exactly the easiest winger to try mark and mark Davis's position. But again, a sort of goal where there's almost a struggle to defend against really when the quality's there with the cross and the finish, isn't it?
00:16:33
Richard
Yeah, no, he took it really, really well, didn't he? And like you said, it was great cross. Gackpo had a really good game in general. He's somebody that's like has benefited, it feels like more than most from Arne Slott coming in. i felt He, I thought he was extremely average when he first went to Liverpool, but he really seems to have found himself this season and is really effective for them. And we found him a handful all game. Salah was actually quite quiet. I thought for the most part, but yeah he obviously did what he did. I mean, he was, you know, he's a threat constantly, but he did what he did at that point and finished it really well.
00:17:03
Richard
And the Davis thing, yeah, it's interesting. I mean, one, you you could say one of the high, you know, positive things to come out of the game was Connor Townsend's performance in the second half.
00:17:10
Global Sports Podcast Network
no
00:17:11
Richard
I actually thought he played really, really well. He's probably, he's not, he's not a better defender than Leif Davis. Cause I don't think he's anywhere near the player that Leif Davis is, but he's really solid.
00:17:24
Richard
And maybe if we do switch to a back four, Maybe that is what we, what we might need. I mean, two hands AB potentially coming back in at right back helps. Cause you solidify the right hand side, obviously. So, maybe Davis can keep, keep going with his marauding form. Even if we do, if we do switch to a back four, but yeah, turns out I thought was brilliant considering he's not played, I think McKenna said after it, he's played like four minutes of Premier League football all season.
00:17:50
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, so certainly not much. I was trying to think that before the game. I was trying to work out if it was, I was debating whether it was his Premier League debut or not. So he did have, he's had a sub appearance here and there.
00:18:00
Richard
yeah Yeah, he came on somewhere.
00:18:01
Global Sports Podcast Network
But so he, yeah, so I thought I was very impressed with what we saw from him really.
00:18:01
Richard
I can't i can't remember where I was. was
00:18:07
Global Sports Podcast Network
Cause he was someone that we knew as soon as he saw him, we weren't going to get many minutes for him. And so we'll see how Leif gets on this week. So it seems to be illness rather than an injury, which would imply be back with Southampton.
00:18:20
Global Sports Podcast Network
certainly seem like we have a capable deputy in Townsend like you say one of the few positives to take from the game and really and then say that was so he sort of here at the fray in the second half after in place of Davis who was feeling unwell alert unfortunately that it wasn't we just you wondered could we could we get in at two and then maybe sort of pull something out of the hat in the second half but then a couple minutes to go no you never know you never know you never know but then yeah say the third
00:18:43
Richard
I didn't wonder that. I didn't wonder that at all. No, you never know. yeah
00:18:51
Global Sports Podcast Network
I felt like I've said every goal felt like a killer, but the third one you knew at that point, the third one was panic stations then have said that that killed any sort of potential of a slight glimmer of hope there was.
00:19:02
Global Sports Podcast Network
And you said then it became God, how many how many is this going to end up being that says the one you said you could maybe look, it's probably the it's the worst of the bounce of the bunch in terms of quality, really.
00:19:05
Richard
Yeah. Yeah.
00:19:13
Global Sports Podcast Network
But so it was it's not tracking the runners again, wasn't it? Shobberslide being able to break into the box and Walton makes a superb save, which he doesn't get any benefit from because it falls to Gackpo to turn it home.
00:19:24
Global Sports Podcast Network
But we spoke about this again, and we it's the midfield.
00:19:25
Richard
yeah
00:19:27
Global Sports Podcast Network
at The midfield run wasn't tracked and he should have scored himself again.
00:19:32
Richard
Yeah.
00:19:32
Global Sports Podcast Network
Shob was like that. So just as you thought we get away with it, Gackpo turned it in. But it's been a big problem, hasn't it? And this reared his head again that those midfield runners.
00:19:42
Richard
Yeah, I'm not sure what it is. and i'm you know I'm sure McKenna and his coaching staff are are struggling to put their finger on it as well because it does seem to happen quite a lot.
00:19:54
Richard
obviously the quality of players are better but I think those those players in between the lines and stuff just seem to be picking up switch off really easily and yeah mauzy and and philip phillips phillips was actually okay I thought in the game but mauzy I don't the game seemed to pass him by for the most part if I'm to be to be brutally honest about it but we don't have any other options and you know I guess we can talk about it over the week because this is the last week of the transfer window and stuff but I personally am still quite surprised that the club haven't bought in a midfielder at this point, but maybe mcnna McKenna's happy with his options. But anyway, we'll see if something happens this week. But it feels to me like we we are missing quite clearly something in there. But yeah, I don't, you know, because Morsy and Phillips really are kind of very similar players. and Phillips is a better quality of player than and Sam Morsy, but the the attributes that they have are kind of similar.
Second-Half Performance and Discipline
00:20:51
Richard
and it's not really cutting the mustard because they're just not, you know, that're that with they're performing the way they are, I'm afraid. So, and yeah, it was another it was another one of those moments where you were like, where's the midfield ultimately?
00:21:07
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, it was a bit disappointing that one, wasn't it? And actually, on the balance of things, like we said, we spoke about Townsend already. On the second half, we played quite a lot better. Maybe there was an element of lo so Liverpool being off, for get and taking the foot off the gas, maybe, like we said, that Barcelona goal was giving them work, effectively taking their Wednesday off back from when they're under pressure to get a result again.
00:21:15
Richard
Played well.
00:21:27
Global Sports Podcast Network
So maybe there was an element of that.
00:21:29
Richard
what So why is that?
00:21:29
Global Sports Podcast Network
But I thought we Well, it's just to get the top spot, isn't it, on the Champions League, the new format? though It's all seeded. still haven't quite wrapped my head around how it all works, but I know it's seeded that that's the whole reason they've done it, basically.
00:21:45
Global Sports Podcast Network
It's to stop teams having won the group with one or two games to spare and not taking it seriously. And then so they they almost got completely ruined by Liverpool winning the whole thing that Barcelona scored to close the gap.
00:21:51
Richard
right this
00:21:57
Richard
But it's interesting, isn't it? Because like there's some teams, I haven't looked at the Champions League table to- today, but like there are some teams down there, Real Madrid, Man City, potentially could still qualify, that if they come in in last place or thing, then Liverpool would draw them, which is surely some...
00:22:12
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, i don' that's the bit, i don't know how it yeah and I don't know how it works with these playoff rounds as well.
00:22:14
Richard
I mean, obviously you don't... Yeah, it's interesting.
00:22:18
Global Sports Podcast Network
I don't know how that ends up with like, if Man City get a result and scrape into 24th, but then do they then play ninth? Who could then, at the moment it's like breast or somebody like that. the I don't really understand how it works.
00:22:30
Richard
Yeah.
00:22:30
Global Sports Podcast Network
I guess we'll sort of figure it out out as as we watch the games from afar this year. And then say, well, we'll figure it out in a couple of years when we're playing in there ourselves.
00:22:36
Richard
Yeah, yeah.
00:22:38
Global Sports Podcast Network
or so We'll have to learn it by then.
00:22:40
Richard
I like it, Rob. I like it.
00:22:43
Global Sports Podcast Network
Where was I getting to in running through the second half? Yeah, so we played a lot better, didn't we? But without any real threat on goal, apart from that one Amari shot, which was held fairly comfortably. But then again, there's just the difference in quality, really. That that cross from Alexander Raunel to pick Gackpo. There's not many players in the league who would stick that on a plate as perfectly as that. And to be fair, you can argue that maybe Davis is one of them who has the potential to do it. but Yeah, that was sort of, even though Liverpool didn't do too much second half, that was about of the one moment really, wasn't it?
00:23:16
Global Sports Podcast Network
Walton didn't have too many saves to make and that sort of finished this off.
00:23:17
Richard
Mm hmm.
00:23:20
Global Sports Podcast Network
And then we'll sort of brush over that and towards the end. So the first chance, I said he should have scored. Are you in agreement with me?
00:23:30
Richard
Yeah, yeah, definitely. I mean, it's it's a it's a high habits finish, isn't it? It's kind of it lacks it lacks a bit of a conviction, I would say, which is fair enough because he's not really been playing very much, but he kind of just let the let the ball hit him really, rather than kind of like really attacking it and anywhere else. It probably would have been a goal because it really wasn't far out. but yeah Second half performance in general, I thought you know Liverpool, as you say, definitely took their fourth gas, which is always helpful, but I thought they they've got to take something from that. I'm sure McKenna will be pressing that on them, but you know they they did equip themselves well. They could have easily folded
00:24:08
Richard
And even if Liverpool take their foot off the gash, you know, they've still got players coming on who are hungry to try and get on the score sheet and everything could have easily been five or six nil, you know, and then you really are like tail between your legs going back home. So I think like they can hopefully take quite a lot out of it. And then obviously the goal at the end was a nice moment. And finally we scored from a corner.
00:24:29
Global Sports Podcast Network
I know, I didn't think that was the time it would come, did you? When you fall and kneel down in stoppage time, but that's another one to get off the back.
00:24:33
Richard
No.
00:24:36
Global Sports Podcast Network
You know, maybe we'll have a bit more confidence there. I would say you certainly had a few chances that you should have done better with. So maybe we just start aiming for grieves now. Maybe that's been the solution the whole time, but we'll talk about Yulia and Ciso quickly before we have another break, because he had a lively cameo, to say the least, didn't he?
00:24:53
Global Sports Podcast Network
He came on with 10 minutes.
00:24:55
Richard
did yeah
00:24:56
Global Sports Podcast Network
He said, obviously, he whipped the corner in, so he's off the mark for assists in terms of for part of the element he's been brought in for. So he got an assist, and like we said, a good header from Greaves and an even better reaction from the travel and support.
00:25:08
Global Sports Podcast Network
But we're going to take you back to that challenge. Do you think we are lucky to have NCSO available for su for selection against Southampton next week for that challenge? Or do you think he'd done
Future Fixtures and Tactical Expectations
00:25:18
Global Sports Podcast Network
enough to tone it down?
00:25:19
Richard
Not really, no.
00:25:22
Richard
Just about, yeah, because his foots, his studs aren't up, are they?
00:25:24
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:25:25
Richard
So I think he it's all the momentum that's going into him.
00:25:25
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:25:29
Richard
If you go back two weeks to the Gil Pedro challenge on Walton, I think they're basically the same thing, but I think Gil Pedro's is probably worse, to be honest, because he's really going at full tilt and he he just clatters into him.
00:25:45
Richard
And I think that's, I think that is serious foul play. I mean, if you go back to some of the stuff that's been going on this weekend with the Michael Oliver decision and stuff, and what the PG, MLL are classing a serious foul play, and if it's for a trip like that, well, I think both of those fouls, both the NCSO and the Arpeggios are worse, but I think the Arpeggios was worse than the NCSO. So no, I think Yellow's just about right. I'm glad that they didn't go further than that because the the studs aren't up, I don't think, but it was really clumsy, you know,
00:26:17
Richard
Without VAR back in the day, that could have easily been a red card straight away, I would have thought.
00:26:22
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, I will say he done very well to save himself because he started his chest high before he pulled his foot away. So he's knead him in the face in the end, but he's only knead him in the face because he stopped it.
00:26:29
Richard
Yeah.
00:26:32
Global Sports Podcast Network
He's pulling his leg away to stop doing a count and I'll kick into his chest, which would have obviously seen him sent off.
00:26:37
Richard
Yeah.
00:26:38
Global Sports Podcast Network
And that would have been three games rather than one as well, which means. that have been needed. Come on for 10 minutes on his debut and been sent off five minutes in a mystery games, which obviously then would have either wouldn't have taken the corner later on as well to give the traveling fans that moment with grooves, not at home.
00:26:52
Richard
Mm.
00:26:53
Global Sports Podcast Network
But he's done well, I think, to assess the situation while moving quickly enough to know to get his leg out of the way. And I think he got away because of that. He saved himself a ban and takes the booking instead.
00:27:05
Global Sports Podcast Network
Let's say that asked someone. So I'm not asked someone shopping in and I'm normally someone that sees or Seasoning the arsenal not moaning about the treatment they get. I normally that i've normally be will first to say, just get on with it.
00:27:17
Global Sports Podcast Network
I can't moan about refs every week, but say im I'm with them on that one. I don't know what happened there.
00:27:21
Richard
But I mean, that that that's tough it's just ridiculous because it's like if that if they're calling that serious foul play and they're saying that his studs you know raking down, is it's they're not raking down.
00:27:33
Richard
It's like he's literally tripped him and then his foot is obviously in at the time of the the collision or whatever has just gone up.
00:27:33
Global Sports Podcast Network
No.
00:27:39
Richard
So if that serious foul play, then the game is in real trouble because you'd be having red cards every single game.
00:27:46
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, exactly. Oh, so that's what we've run through the game there, haven't we?
00:27:49
Richard
Crazy.
00:27:51
Global Sports Podcast Network
So certainly in the same weekend we've seen that given we're lucky that maybe we are a bit lucky that and see so stayed on the pitch. But I think yellow, yellow was fair, I thought, but that's it for we've run through the game.
00:27:57
Richard
Yeah, maybe.
00:28:02
Global Sports Podcast Network
So we'll have a quick break now. And we're going to hear from another one of our sponsors. And then we'll be talking about how this sets us up for the big week ahead leading up to that Southampton game.
00:28:37
Global Sports Podcast Network
And we are back for the final part of today's show. So we spoke about the game. We've picked the bones out of it. We'll go in more in depth on tomorrow's Tactics Tuesday episode. But they sort how does this set us up from here? Because obviously we've taken the goal difference has taken a very big hit in the last couple of weeks, which has seen us.
00:28:59
Global Sports Podcast Network
sort of seemed Leicester get the better at the wrong side of us on that front. Obviously the gap to Wolves who were still level on points where it was growing. So it's almost at the point of and might they might as well be a point ahead. Now the time it would take us to overturn six goals on that front, really, or seven, even because they've scored more than us as well. So that point and obviously Leicester picking up that result at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Sunday afternoon is a big hit to both us and Wolves in the kind as it was on top of Everton's win.
00:29:29
Global Sports Podcast Network
on the saturday so we've dropped down to 19th a point away from safety obviously still 15 games to go but quite a bad weekend or bad couple of weeks overall it's been for us really hasn't it
00:29:42
Richard
Yeah, you're right. it's the you know the gold I'm having a look at the league table now. yeah The goal difference is not looking good. And the goal's conceded up until, as you say, this last week. It wasn't that bad, really. You look at the sides around, as it in comparison to them, it really wasn't that bad. and But it's the goal scoring. We've scored the third least in the league, and we will get relegated if we have that statistic at the end of the season. so that's where the change has to come. Really? We need to start attacking and trying to get on the front foot a little bit more. I mean, you know, we say that the fixture list is getting easier. with that comes the pressure of expecting to take points and win games. And we saw earlier in the season that we really failed at a couple of, a couple of points of, of, of doing that in the season where I think I can't remember who it was specifically, but there was a four game run where it was like, we have to get some points at this period.
00:30:38
Richard
And I think we got one out of 12.
00:30:41
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, we did. That was, that was Evan and Lester at home with the Brentford away game as well, which we obviously lost in the last minute as well.
00:30:48
Richard
yeah and Yeah.
00:30:48
Global Sports Podcast Network
And I can't remember what the fourth one was, but yeah, that was that little run there that especially the two home games, we really felt we should have been winning and to get one point from was really underwhelming.
00:31:00
Richard
Yeah, absolutely. But yeah, I mean, look, that you could argue the season starts here. 15 games left to go. We've got some very difficult fixtures out of the way, which is great. Um, Um, and we'll obviously be previewing it heavily later in the week and talking to our colleagues and stuff, but you know, the Southampton game is absolutely massive, but we have to start scoring goals. And I think even that 10 minute cameo, which as you rightly say, could have resulted in a three game ban, um, see, so showed that kind of vibrancy.
00:31:32
Richard
that needs to be brought to our frontline. We've talked about it a lot. Hutchinson to me looks absolutely knackered and he looks a bit bereft of confidence at the moment. I wouldn't be playing him at the moment. I would have him on the bench. And I think Philogene played pretty well in this game for, you know, given we had to have some nice moments anyway. And CSO I think needs to play in that 10 because I think he's got the experience of the Premier League and he's got that kind of like swagger about him. hopefully those two can inject a bit of life into our frontline if we go back to a to a front four up there, and I i would play broadhead on the left behind Dilap and stuff. And i I think that could be a four that could really give some fresh impetus. And it's not the end for Hutchinson. I'm not discarding him at all. I just think maybe coming out of the team for a game might help.
00:32:19
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, I think that's the same three I'd like to see in behind the lap against Southampton. as So I'd like to say swap to a four so we get an extra attacker to start with. And then I think that'd be my three as well.
00:32:28
Richard
Yeah.
00:32:30
Global Sports Podcast Network
saying What sort of down the other end of the pitch that we're talking about personnel wise, obviously we know we've lost Burns. We wait to see how long four, but it certainly doesn't look good we for the immediate future.
00:32:43
Global Sports Podcast Network
At least we're going to have to make do without having him as an option. of to select from. And then, like I say, we have with Davis has been so so unwell that he couldn't he couldn't continue the game on Saturday. I think I
Communication and Team Consistency Challenges
00:32:57
Global Sports Podcast Network
think McKenna said he might have actually thrown up that half time he was that unwell, but he gave it a go for as long as he could have done that. So illness rather than injury we're hoping to, we'd hope we still have him available for the Southampton game. But but then Townes ends up my confidence that if we get an injury or anything to Davis after that performance in fairness to him, which has always been my worry this year. But the other interesting note to look into this week is that someone who was not part of the matchday squad at Anfield was Causte. And we spoke about in the midfield already, haven't we, with Morsy and Phillips being the comparison there. so
00:33:37
Global Sports Podcast Network
That's a, I don't know if any, I don't remember seeing any official word on that, but say to have him not travel at all is a bit concerning really when you use by far and away the top former midfielder this year. And like I say, in terms of the ability to carry the ball and help us get out and ah ah alleviate some pressure, that is, that's a big miss if he, if there is an injury there, which was the reason behind that, especially like we say about the need for
00:34:03
Richard
Yeah.
00:34:04
Global Sports Podcast Network
and midfielder and the rest of the window, because if we were to lose him, that would go up a level, certainly.
00:34:10
Richard
what What do you think about the club basically not announcing stuff to do with injuries? Because they kind of don't until they've sort of happened and then a player isn't there and they basically get asked the question, where is this player?
00:34:16
Global Sports Podcast Network
No.
00:34:24
Richard
It seems a bit, I know some clubs don't some clubs do, some clubs don't.
00:34:24
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, I don't know, you'd you'd like a bit, yeah. I think you the the problem is is that,
00:34:29
Richard
Go on, sorry.
00:34:32
Global Sports Podcast Network
You don't want to give your opposition information too early, but you want to be able to let your fans know. Well, you can't do, you can't do, but have it both ways, can you?
00:34:42
Global Sports Podcast Network
If you're going to say something publicly, so keep the fans updated, then you know, the opposition are going to see that.
00:34:44
Richard
No.
00:34:48
Global Sports Podcast Network
But then, so sort of which way you go, I'd always say just, I ah don't think you gain as much as you think, unless it was a really big curve ball, like somebody being back fit.
00:34:59
Global Sports Podcast Network
rather than somebody being out injured, maybe, I don't think there's enough that you wouldn't need to say it publicly to, I think I'd rather, I'd like to know from a fan's point of view, obviously, that I'm not speaking in terms of potential for what the opposition could and couldn't know, but it's something that frustrates me a lot, really, when you find, you often find out, like I say, you see the team, like the Fulham game, you see the team and go, when you see Hutchinson's not on there, and then you get told, oh, yeah, he's had a knock, he'll miss a couple of weeks, like, I'd like to have known that,
00:35:29
Global Sports Podcast Network
leading into the week, really. I don't know. that It's frustrating at times, but then say if it's a so if it's a good surprise, like, as if somebody's been injured and then suddenly you see them back in the start and line up that you weren't expecting, then I like it in that sense.
00:35:34
Richard
yeah
00:35:42
Global Sports Podcast Network
But in situations like this, I'm now sort of fretting at what's happening now with Kaius Day, unless I've missed something. I've not seen an update on that as far as I'll be.
00:35:53
Global Sports Podcast Network
I may well have missed something, like I will say. but If that isn't, if that's going to turn around and be, we'll find out this week, that's a month long injury. Then I'm going to be worrying about that. Now, as we go into sort of a more winnable one runner games, cause I think he'd be a key player in that, in the next runner games, obviously, especially the Tottenham one stands out.
00:36:09
Richard
Yeah.
00:36:11
Global Sports Podcast Network
Cause that's, that's the first game he really shown in when we went and won there, wasn't that. I don't know. I'd like to know a bit more, of but so they certainly be a miss if he is out for a while, hopefully he's not.
00:36:18
Richard
yeah Yeah, it's interesting. I'm not sure if I have an opinion on it one way or the other. It just feels like it it definitely feels like a policy of theirs that they this is how they communicate around injuries and stuff now team news and things. and And maybe you're right. Maybe there's a variety of reasons for it. but and it does seem to be that information happens kind of five days, four or five days after we've seen the thing. Do you know what I mean? Like the player missing or the player coming back or whatever. The information comes out afterwards, but you know, whatever. That's the way they've chosen to do it. Yeah. I mean, look, we've got, it's tricky, isn't it? Like I said, we've come through a difficult set of fixtures. How are you feeling at this point of the season in terms of confidence around
00:37:08
Richard
What's to come?
00:37:10
Global Sports Podcast Network
So I don't know, really, to be honest with you, because it' you don't know how we're going to. I can't guarantee how we're going to play. That's the thing that. I know we like it's so not quite Jekyll and Hyde, but there is a big difference in a lot of games that how and whether where things go well or turns up like.
00:37:31
Richard
there are There is. Yep.
00:37:34
Global Sports Podcast Network
Particularly, I sort of think that in this system currently, there's a lot of emphasis being put on Hutchinson. that It's almost like if he has a bad game, we have a bad game, which is never good to be relying on somebody to have to give someone as good as they are.
00:37:44
Richard
Hmm.
00:37:49
Global Sports Podcast Network
You'd never want someone to have that much of an important role that basically the team dictates around their performance. That's my to say that maybe we'll, that's the other reason I'd like to see a change really, but it's so hot and cold at the moment.
00:37:56
Richard
Yeah.
00:38:01
Global Sports Podcast Network
And as a serious lack of consistency, like all the way back, do you think that months ago when we got the point against Villa and you thought right can we kick on from here and then we lost 4-1 to West Ham the following week that there's no consistency there that I have to just sort of take it week by week look at that one game that's coming up and there's no point even looking as much as we keep referencing the runner fixtures there's no point looking further ahead than the next game because we haven't been able to put a consistent run together one way or the other this season it was just sort of Southampton that it feels like a
00:38:26
Richard
no
00:38:31
Richard
No.
00:38:33
Global Sports Podcast Network
say as as many games as there is left and you know the gap's only one point. A loss to Southampton on Saturday really would feel like season over.
00:38:44
Richard
Yeah.
00:38:46
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah I don't know but we'll we'll see how it plays out.
00:38:47
Richard
yeah no i thought well yeah it's It's just interesting the use of the squad. is It is interesting. It must be so difficult for them because like, there are just so many new players. There are just so many new players and like, uh, you know, is all this change just far too much, far too soon sort of thing and and McKenna clearly looking for the right combinations and all, you know, Jack, Jack Clark, he's not injured. Is he Jack Clark?
00:39:17
Global Sports Podcast Network
Don't think so, no. Nothing to see the rest of the day, I think.
00:39:20
Richard
No, I don't think so. So he wasn't even in the squad. He wasn't, he wasn't even the squad and he started again city, didn't he?
00:39:25
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:39:26
Richard
You know, yeah there's a lot of that been going on, I think recently where they're just lurching from Wolfendom was in the team for like three weeks and all of a sudden he's not in the squad either. There's been a fair bit of that throughout the season. And I guess that comes from having a
Transfer Strategies and Future Outlook
00:39:39
Richard
bigger squad and ah probably a better squad. I understand that that's part of it. But I think for the players, that must be quite difficult. And I guess maybe that's why some of them are not reaching you know consistent performance levels. You think Greaves has been in and out of the team.
00:39:55
Richard
kind of all season really from the first five or six games he was in. And then he's been in and out ever since. So yeah, it's it's been inconsistency. I think he's probably the word and that's why it's quite difficult to predict, you know, and and to go into it with any sort of confidence really, you know, the Southampton game is like, yeah, it's it's huge.
00:40:08
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah,
00:40:15
Richard
you you You basically have to win it. and And it's whether they can deal with that pressure of having to win the game.
00:40:23
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah definitely. I think the other thing with the players is there's such a high turnover on the, we've obviously had loads of people coming in, but on the squad that's been quite cool for the last couple of years, there's
00:40:35
Richard
Yeah.
00:40:35
Global Sports Podcast Network
got way Obviously we lost another one this week as we suspected when Edmondson came back on his loan that that's because a permanent move was going to happen and so that was the case in the end that in the end quite a good business for Mark Ashton really because Borough are offering about 350k at the end of the season so we've just gone don't take the mic we're having back then if you're not serious and then we've got 600k out then we've had on some decent bit of business from Ashton but that's another promotion squad member out the door and so you'd expect
00:40:41
Richard
Yeah.
00:41:05
Global Sports Podcast Network
way things are going that you probably would see maybe another turnover of that in the summer regardless of how this season plays out that sort of this year especially almost feels like a changing of the guard really as those players who've created history for the club are sort of being phased out in favor of a new batch to come in and try and compete at this level and so far that the transition period is always the most awkward.
00:41:06
Richard
yeah
00:41:30
Richard
Yeah.
00:41:31
Global Sports Podcast Network
And that's what it looks like now.
00:41:32
Richard
Hmm.
00:41:32
Global Sports Podcast Network
We we don't have a consistent 11 really do we, which I think is part of the problem. but I can't remember how many times have we gone into a game with no changes, so which is always going to be a thing who's going to be a factor as well.
00:41:44
Richard
no but i also think it's like you know we'll never know will we whether they would have been good enough to give it a go that team with yeah you know one or two tweaks or or or three or four tweaks or whatever you know we've the club have gone down this route of buying a lot of new players you can completely understand why i think everybody was kind of like all for it and stuff but you're right there's just been a huge turnover and and that was always going to be a massive gamble and one that they thought that they had to take and maybe it will pay off, maybe it will pay off, but I think, you know, you talk about changing of the guard.
00:42:18
Richard
I kind of think whatever happens, whether we stay up or whether we go back to the championship, there's going to be a huge turnover again in the summer players will players that came in last summer, I think we'll leave.
00:42:29
Richard
I think there'll be a couple that move on and stuff that, I mean, there definitely will be. So we're not through that this transitional period, even if we managed to stay up is is going to go on for another, I think that's Premier league football, unfortunately, that
00:42:33
Global Sports Podcast Network
Hmm.
00:42:42
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:42:42
Richard
you kind of keep having to evolve because you look at teams like Bournemouth, they're unbelievable.
00:42:48
Richard
I mean, it's insane that Bournemouth are this good now and that Brentford are that good and Brighton are that good. And like the money that they've all got to sort of invest is just ridiculous.
00:42:59
Richard
So you kind of have to keep evolving to sort of keep up with it really. So it's yeah, it's weird. It is weird when you see like players that you get used to and who have great success, all of a sudden that team has just been gutted. But and yeah, I guess that's the way that the the club thought they had to go to compete. And I hope they're right, obviously.
00:43:20
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, well, so the model's there, isn't it? Like we've seen a lot of teams come up and do this approach and it failed when you go back down.
00:43:27
Richard
Yeah.
00:43:28
Global Sports Podcast Network
But the model is there with Nottingham forest. I mean, how much stick did they get the first season they came up for changing the evolve in that squad. But they've only there' any it's only as easy to forget with this season.
00:43:40
Global Sports Podcast Network
They've only came up till three years ago, wasn't it? And at least you Ryan Yates is the only player still there from the squad that won the playoff final.
00:43:43
Richard
Yeah, yeah. Yeah.
00:43:49
Global Sports Podcast Network
But then we say it's all sad to say in a way that says a squad that made so many memories for the fans and everything. But they've turned over nearly everybody there and they now sit third in the league.
00:44:02
Global Sports Podcast Network
in the Premier League a couple of years later, that that's the model that I'm assuming that they're trying to follow really, but I don't know.
00:44:07
Richard
Hmm.
00:44:11
Global Sports Podcast Network
We'll have to see how it plays out, but certainly that we've thrown a biggest game of the season shout out maybe a couple of times. It's the biggest game of the season so far, but that is what this coming week is.
00:44:25
Global Sports Podcast Network
And obviously we will build up to that over the course of the week, as well as obviously the end of the January transfer window, we where we're hoping there's going to be some more news going in there.
00:44:25
Richard
Yeah, for sure.
00:44:32
Richard
Mm, busy week.
00:44:35
Global Sports Podcast Network
So there'll be a lot to cover this week. And that will call it to a day on today's episode. We will be back tomorrow for Tactics Tuesday, deeper dive into the game at Anfield.
00:44:45
Global Sports Podcast Network
Maybe draw a pick apart where we could have offered a bit more threat. well So we'll dive into that and obviously then how that sets us up for the Southampton game again. And until then, you can keep up to date with us on our socials at GSPN Ipswich. But for now, from me and Richard, thank you for listening and we will see you tomorrow.