Become a Creator today!Start creating today - Share your story with the world!
Start for free
00:00:00
00:00:01
Episode 93 - Transfer window updates & league review
0 Playsin 4 hours
On this week's Wildcard Wednesday Rob, Tom & Richard react to a bumper day of ITFC transfer news. Ali Al-Hamadi is going, Julio Enciso is coming in and George Edmundson is back but for how long? The lads share their thoughts and also round up some talking points from around the league.
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: Tom Crack & Richard Popple
Zencastr
Built for quality - Designed for growth
A new era for creation is here.
The only complete audio + video platform to get best-in-class recording, intuitive editing, AI-powered growth features, and top-tier distribution tools — all in one place.
Get started for free!
We highly recommend it!
Global Sports Podcast Network
Creating the world’s first network of 30-minute daily podcasts for the world’s biggest sporting export, the English Premier League.
For advertising and sponsorship details or to learn more about the scale and demographics of our audience – email Ken Davies, VP Business & Development at:
ken.davies@globalsportspodcastnetwork.com
www.globalsportspodcastnetwork.com
Copyright | 2024 | Global Sports Podcast Network | All Rights Reserved
Recommended
Transcript
Introduction to The Daily Ipswich Podcast
00:00:10
Global Sports Podcast Network
Hello and welcome back to The Daily Ipswich, brought to you by the Global Sports Podcast Network.
Challenges in Episode Planning
00:00:16
Global Sports Podcast Network
It is Wild Card Wednesday, and we have some big updates for you on today's episode. So something that, earlier so when we were trying to plan this episode, la and i like last night, only and earlier into today, something we were struggling to come up with stuff, unfortunately. Tuesday
Transfer Market Buzz at Ipswich
00:00:33
Global Sports Podcast Network
proved a very fruitful day in transfer market news at Ipswich, and we're going to take you through ah ah but an incoming that's been almost all nailed on confirmed and that was recall of a loan and another loan potentially going out as well.
League News: Wolves and Relegation
00:00:47
Global Sports Podcast Network
I'm also doing a bit of a league round up as we like to do on these Wednesday wednesday episodes and whenever we get a chance, including some big news over at Wolves that could potentially have some big ramifications in the relegation race. And
Guest Introduction: Tom Crack and Richard Poppel
00:01:01
Global Sports Podcast Network
joining me, Rob Bins, to go through this firstly is Tom Crack. How are you, mate?
00:01:06
Tom Crack - Ipswich
Yeah, I'm very good. As you said, it seemed like it was panic station in terms of stuff to cover for you guys for this episode, but the transfer gods have definitely shone on us today.
00:01:17
Global Sports Podcast Network
It's been a productive day out of nowhere, hasn't it? Which is absolutely ideal for us. And joining me and Tom on today's episode, returning from a week in the dark of knowing and he has returned, Richard Poppel. How are you doing, mate?
00:01:31
Richard
I'm all right, man. Yeah, I finally do have internet. It's mad, isn't it? How life just stops when you don't have internet or your phone hotspotting just doesn't do the job. Anyway, back and very excited to talk talk transfer news, which yeah, as you say, has has has gone up a notch today.
00:01:51
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, so it has done, hasn't it? So we'll go straight into it then. The big one
Potential Loan Moves to Ipswich
00:01:55
Global Sports Podcast Network
the big news in terms of incoming is that reports from Paraguay start to stir initially about a loan move that brightens, I want to call him a number 10. I think he can, he can go through the middle as well. I think he did play number nine a couple ah couple of times this year, but Yulio and Siso, the reports came out from Paraguay initially that a loan deal was close so close, in fact, that he might be ready to be in the squad.
00:02:20
Global Sports Podcast Network
for the Liverpool game this weekend and now as say after dwelling from Paraguay then got to TWTD, Phil Ham said move on and then we've jumped up to the global scale again as Fabrizio Romano gave it his famous here we go medical due to take place today and then apparently rejected three other clubs in favour of coming to Ipswich and like well me and Tom were just saying him before we came on there that ah so time and a South American player on loan from Brighton in January served as well last year, didn't it?
Premier League Experience Impact
00:02:51
Global Sports Podcast Network
So do you see the same same sort of impact happening again, Tom?
00:02:56
Tom Crack - Ipswich
Fingers crossed, eh? Yeah, it's it's a good move, I think. You know, he he's he's definitely a player in need of minutes, that's for sure. Like, I think he maybe came off the bench against us recently at Portland Road. And maybe the spark has kind of fizzled out from him. He definitely was one of those Brighton players that kind of came out of nowhere a couple of years ago. I think he scored like an absolute rocket at Stamford Bridge to kind of put his name on the map in the Premier League a couple of years back. But since then, it's kind of fizzled out a little bit. So, you know, this with a loan move, obviously, I think and we're really we'll see how it goes anyway, but I don't think we're clamoring to sign a play like this. But if he can sort of just put in a great shift and, you know, potentially for him, bag a move later and at least in the last every year, like hopefully he's motivated to do it for us and it both helps him out and helps
Ipswich's Premier League Experience Deficit
00:03:38
Tom Crack - Ipswich
us out. But it's a good move. Premier league experience. You know, we've, we've had none of that really off the bench all season. It's one of the things we think is really kind of hindered us getting results is that lack of quality off the bench and wherever he starts or is on the bench, he certainly is going to offer something.
Player Versatility at Ipswich
00:03:50
Tom Crack - Ipswich
so it's So it's a good move for sure.
00:03:53
Global Sports Podcast Network
Did you share that sentiment, Richard?
00:03:56
Richard
Yeah, I do. Sorry. I think when he first when he first kind of like broke into the Bryant side a couple of years ago, he had a really good first season, really. I mean, he's still really, really young. I think he he's about, is he 20 still? I think he's he's about to turn 21. So he's really, really young. He's been around already. I think this is his third season in England. Like I say, that first season when he would have been 18, he was really effective and he sort of announced himself with a bit of a bang.
00:04:22
Richard
and I think since then he had a bad injury, I think at the start of the last season, which kind of like knocked him out for half a year basically. And I think it's been a bit slow to get back. Brighton obviously invested very heavily last summer. You think, you know, Matoma is not always a starter for them now. So that shows how much they've invested and and how much how difficult it is to get their wing positions. So he's become available. And I think like, as you guys both said, we obviously had a decent relationship with Brighton because of the Sarmiento deal last year.
00:04:53
Richard
Although saying that, you know McKenna, by all reports, did turn them down. So there could have been and an excuse for them to sort of not help us out. But you know maybe maybe they are bigger bigger men than most. So they've kind of let bygones be bygones. it looks as if he's going to come our way. So yeah I think it's a good signing. What I would say is, though, we are getting a lot of players who are kind of the same height in the same position. So that confuses me slightly.
00:05:22
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, I suppose the argument, the counter argument for that is that it's the sort of height and build you want for this sort of position at the same time, I suppose, that it'll say low, low center of gravity, good on the ball, that sort of player. You currently never have too many of them, I suppose, but I see what you mean. We haven't got much variety there, have we now? It doesn't
Speculating Ipswich's Transfer Strategy
00:05:43
Global Sports Podcast Network
add to that fact that when we say about making changes to switch the game up a bit, if we're bringing on the same builds of players every time, it wasn't apart from energy levels, it won't have that much of a threat.
00:05:55
Global Sports Podcast Network
So, he's a top player. There's a top player there, as we saw, like, Rich. So, when he broke, I think it was the back end of that two seasons ago, that he's called a couple of worldies, didn't he? One against Man City, maybe, that a couple of, like, really burst on.
00:06:05
Richard
Hmm.
00:06:07
Tom Crack - Ipswich
Hmm, yeah.
00:06:09
Global Sports Podcast Network
And then he looked, he sort of looked like the heir apparent to Alexis McAllister when he moved to Liverpool, didn't he? And, like you said, that injury just sort of struck, so. Fair to say the best hasn't been seen of him since that since our sort of injury, but do you think this will sort of...
New Signings Finding Form
00:06:25
Global Sports Podcast Network
bit this one I'll follow you from the player point of view, Rich. Do you think this offers him a good opportunity to strike stuff again? Because he's struggling to get minutes at Brighton at the moment.
00:06:35
Richard
Yeah, definitely. I mean, I think, you you know, like you just said that you that there is a lot of players in the squad that he's got to get past, but I suppose because of the Premier League experience and maybe because of his quality, he maybe jumps to to the top of the queue. and You know, it's interesting, like how we've how we've been kind of like setting up recently and like who's playing the 10 and all the rest of it. I mean, I think he could play the 10, I think, he could play out wide, obviously.
00:07:02
Richard
But if you think we've now got Schmodix, Jack Clark, potentially in CSO, Broadhead, Phila Jean, Amari Hutchinson, they're all kind of like vying for the same sort of spots really. And I probably missed a couple of others there to be perfectly honest. so
Integrating New Attackers
00:07:17
Richard
yeah, we've had a lot of change in that position and it will be, or a lot of personnel kind of like changing that position. So it's about finding the right balance, but I'm sure he can, if he's at his best, as we saw a couple of years ago, he would he would probably walk into the team to be perfectly honest.
00:07:33
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, so he certainly adds another element to the attack. doesn't Doesn't he, Tom? Do you sort of go down the same lines as that? did Do you see him? so the deal The way the deal's moving, he should be there, available in the matchday squad for the trip to Anfield. Do you expect to see him straight in there, or do you think he'll be sort of eased in with giving him a week of training first, and then maybe we'll see him at Southampton?
00:07:57
Tom Crack - Ipswich
Yeah, that's a good question. I think we're most likely, we'll see what happened with Philogene against City, where we'll probably see a cameo off the bench. I can't imagine imagine him being a starter straight away, or as Richard said, the the the quality he does possess, he very much could get into the starting 11, no problem, when he's on his day. But yeah, I think just given the amount of time, what, if he comes through the door later today or on Thursday, you know, it's it's a quick turnaround. his birthday on Thursday so he was going to have a little celebration or just get straight into it I'm not sure but it would be a lot to ask. I think we'll ill not to jump too ahead to our level for preview but you know I think this would be Philaging's time to start after I thought was the only one of the few bright spots we had at Portland Road.
00:08:37
Tom Crack - Ipswich
on the weekend so maybe if you can come on the latter stage and do the exact same thing we've got our pair in there as well but it's most crazy isn't it as richard you named all those players there we've got a lot of players in a similar position now which i guess is a good thing competition can pretty like prove like sort of hunger and desire to play and prove it on the pitch all that kind of stuff but it can also make a disgruntled change in room for too many players wanting to play and not getting minutes so it's going to be a difficult thing to manage i'm sure mckenna's up for it but It's this can go one or two ways, bringing all these players in and hopefully it's the one that keeps us up and there's good results to come from it. But yeah, I don't see him starting this weekend, but should make a cameo off the bench if he's ready to go.
00:09:14
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, I think the key with this with him coming in, as as you say, and also the key to balance and that sort of that dilemma of having that many players in the same position is that the vast majority of those players, if not all of them, can play multiple positions, which gives them a lot more opportunity for rotation, say, and see.
00:09:29
Tom Crack - Ipswich
Yeah.
00:09:31
Global Sports Podcast Network
So now that say from what from very limited research of throwing together upon seeing the stories primarily attend, but has played either side on the wing and I know he played at least one game up front for Brighton this year because he broke the record for most shots in one half of football when he
George Edubinson's Loan Recall
00:09:48
Global Sports Podcast Network
played. I can't remember who it was again. I might have been to Brentford again. They drew 0-0. I think he had eight shots in 45 minutes when he was playing up front.
00:09:54
Global Sports Podcast Network
that
00:09:55
Richard
That's what we need to come up from.
00:09:57
Global Sports Podcast Network
exactly say Someone to actually just, he seems to not be bothered, not trying to pass it in, just have have a dig sometimes.
00:10:03
Richard
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
00:10:03
Global Sports Podcast Network
We know there's a strike on him because like I say, you remember those worldies he scored when he first broke through a couple of seasons ago. but that's That's an incoming that ah ah say well hopefully we'll get an official announcement announcement of by the end of the week. But I suppose technically an incoming, it's probably soon going to turn to an outgoing with the other news that broke and last last night, is that George Edubinson has been recalled from his loan at Middlesbrough. So I think it's fair to say it's something we didn't really see coming, that asked you first, Rich, do you think this is a sign that he's come back to be sold on, similar to what Lester had just done with Tom Cannon?
Edubinson's Future: Sale or Tactics?
00:10:42
Richard
I guess so. i mean i yeah it would be i mean I know he's been having a pretty good year, but it would be a bit of a stretch to think that he's being brought back because we think he's going to be a better option than what we have. I presume, yeah, I think you're absolutely right that they're maybe trying to raise a little bit of money and trying to you know get some obviously squad squad numbers out there so that we can kind of maybe bring in another one at some point as well, even though I'm sure it's you know it's not affecting things because obviously he was on loan. But maybe they weren't that satisfied with what Middlesbrough were offering. Maybe somebody else has come in with a bigger bid. I mean, if he is coming back to play, I don't know. I mean, it would be a bit of a long shot, as I said. but
00:11:24
Richard
We have considered eight goals in the last two games. I know six of them are against Man City, but we haven't looked brilliant at the back. We're about to go to Liverpool, so I don't know. I don't know whether he's bringing in another body because we've got some injuries or, you know, players are out of form. and Yeah, it's it's an interesting one, but I presume, yes, you are right. The the most likely thing is he'll be he'll be shipped off somewhere because they've had a better bid from somewhere else.
00:11:49
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, Tom, where do you where are you sort of leaning? Is it probably the end of his Ipswich career? Will he go permanently? Or is he going to go flying? Is he going to sort of get some minutes, sir surprisingly? Because he has made 21 appearances at Middlesbrough. It's hardly due to lack of game time he's come back. So but do you think what do you think the reason is?
00:12:07
Tom Crack - Ipswich
Yeah, looking at his game time, as you said, 21 appearances, like since he signed for us in 2021, and he's only made about just over 60 or 70 in that period. So he's already like, got a good fraction of that already at Millers Press. It's been a great season for him, which is always what you want from a lone player to do, isn't it? Yeah, I mean,
00:12:24
Tom Crack - Ipswich
you know, we we never really know injuries wise that much really, which is a bit of an annoying thing, which it sounds good for our opponents not knowing who's fit. But maybe as Richard said, maybe there are some players who aren't 100% and we're just recalling this as a sort of insurance policy to have someone there at the back who needs to be off the bench, which is a shame for him if that is the case, because, you know, I'm sure he was enjoying his season. It was going really well for him. But I think, yeah, as all all all all signs do kind of point towards him being sold on.
00:12:49
Tom Crack - Ipswich
I bet burrow fans, are gut if it is a case of a hybrid coming through, I bet burrow fans are gutted. It's not them because they, they I think there were talks
Financial Strategy of Ipswich
00:12:55
Tom Crack - Ipswich
over the season that they wanted to get in permanently already. Shows how great he was doing there as well. I think he even netted in a few goals for them as well, which was something he didn't really do for us at all. So really finding his feet there. So that's a shame, but it's different to be honest. But yeah, I think this, this recording can only lead to a transfer. I think we need, need some names at the door and maybe some money. And I
Ali Al Hamadi's Loan Development
00:13:14
Tom Crack - Ipswich
know it'd be a big fee we're going to get from it, of course, but every little helps on it.
00:13:19
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, so ah agree with you guys. Like I say, we've just seen Lester do it with recalling Tom Cannon from his loan at Stoke to, I think it's Sheffield United or somebody like that who bought him for as a fairly a decent fee, which say that it's effectively free money in that case for them. Because if you if he's only out on loan anyway, he's not part of the plans. So we'll see how this one plays out. We'll say that's a potential outgoing then. But Well, a quick word from one of our sponsors here. And then we will when we come back, we'll be talking about what looks to be a confirmed outgoing.
00:14:24
Global Sports Podcast Network
and we are back for the second part of today's Wild Card Wednesday episode. So as I say we've just spoke about George Edmondson coming back to the club so whether that then leads to another departure or not we will see but a departure that it's not quite confirmed yet but it's certainly it's been very widely reported and looks like it's nearly deal done is Ali Al Hamadi joining West Brom on loan for the second half of the season. Again something
Evaluating Al Hamadi's Impact
00:14:50
Global Sports Podcast Network
we've all sort of seen coming ah The question mark really with Al Hamadi was, is it a sell or is it a loan job? He expected him to be out with the door in January with then, I'd say, a bigger striker coming in, someone who's going to compete for more minutes. But, say, it's sort of caught me by a bit of a surprise by, in terms of it being Wes Brom, who are still in and around the playoff picture. I did wonder if he might go a bit lower down, maybe, until they have got some, the likes of Josh Madger at Wes Brom, who's having a good season. so
00:15:22
Global Sports Podcast Network
Maybe some question marks on the minutes there, but how do you think the move sets up for him, Tom? It felt like a move that needed to happen, really, didn't it?
00:15:31
Tom Crack - Ipswich
Yeah, absolutely. I think for the club and for the player, more importantly, like, you know, he wasn't really, he wasn't there to be our secondary striker in Premier League. He only really got minutes when Hurst was out injured predominantly. And you could see the lack of quality we had going forward. And, you know, we've we've said, unfortunately, on the podcast a few times in games, when Dilap's gone off for him, and it's no offence to Al Hamadi.
00:15:53
Tom Crack - Ipswich
I can't really see anything happening. Nothing ever really did. Unfortunately. So I think it was really, really key for him to go out on loan. I'm sure, I'm sure he was very grateful for being signed by Upstate town, but I'm sure he's even more grateful for getting minutes. So it should be good for him. And you know what? Yeah, I get what he said by going to West Brom who are pushing promotion and they've already got some good players at the top. They're having a decent season, but, and obviously he wasn't our main guy ah really ah really when he came in for us last season as well.
00:16:18
Tom Crack - Ipswich
But he netted a few important goals, you know, coming off the bench can, and as a impact striker in a league where he can at least prove a bit more quality. I think whether that's the sort of role he has as a player throughout his whole career or whether it could be a good move for him. I mean, the last memory had we we've had of him in a talent shirt recently was that penalty against Bristol. So I feel like i just after seeing that the right was on the wall, wasn't it? But no, I think it's it's a good move for him and good move for the
Rebuilding Al Hamadi's Confidence?
00:16:43
Tom Crack - Ipswich
club. And I really hope he can help West Brom.
00:16:46
Tom Crack - Ipswich
I have nothing against the best problems, so hopefully you can have a really good season and personally and get him back up the league. But sad to see him go, but it needed to happen, didn't it?
00:16:55
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yes, you mentioned the penalty there. so clear That was sort of the clearest sign that he is low on confidence and Rich, do you think this move sort of helped him with that? Which then, obviously, since he's only alone, he might come back. If he comes back and renews full of confidence as a good pre-season, maybe we'll see more of him next year.
00:17:14
Richard
Yeah, maybe. I mean, I think that's always the goal, isn't it, with the with the lone kind of like system or, or you know, trying to but bolster a player's value. But I think, did you hear, by the way, did you hear Brenner Woolley's commentary on his penalty in the Bristol Rovers game on Radio Suffering was just like, that's the worst penalty I think I've ever seen. And i you know i'm not I'm not having a ah dig dig at Al Hamadi. I think this is this is exactly what he needs. But I think that was the that moment summed up you know the type of season that he was having and clearly how he was feeling as a as a as a player at that point. you know He was really, really struggling. He's really struggling for confidence. and you know i think
00:17:54
Richard
That was one of the things about him that when he first came to the club this time last year, he showed in spades, he came in with this really confident borderline cocky sort of attitude, which was great actually. And it was a bit of a bit of a breath of fresh air really, because he'd obviously not even played at league one level, let alone championship before he came to Ipswich. So it was good to see him come in and do that. And hopefully this move will, you know, reignite that for him. But like
Urgency for a New Striker
00:18:20
Richard
ah ah you you said, like West Brom might be an odd fit in terms of,
00:18:23
Richard
you know, they're obviously doing reasonably well in the league, but they've only scored 33 goals in 27 games.
00:18:29
Tom Crack - Ipswich
Do you wanna lie, haven't they?
00:18:31
Richard
They've drawn a lot. Yeah. They've drawn 14 games out of 27. So that it does look like they're having problems, you know, winning games and maybe scoring enough goals. But the championship in general, you look at the top, it's mad.
00:18:42
Richard
Leads have scored, I know this isn't a championship podcast, but leads have scored 51.
00:18:46
Tom Crack - Ipswich
Not yet.
00:18:47
Richard
Yeah, not yet. And everybody else is way down in the 30s, you know, after 27 games. So it's not, it doesn't seem to be a particularly free scoring league. So, I mean, you know, people are obviously looking for strikers and looking for, for ways to be a bit more clinical. The Al Hamadi we've seen in Ipswich doesn't necessarily look like that player at the moment, but hopefully it's an opportunity for him to, to freshen up his mind, be in a different space and, you know, go again.
00:19:12
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, I think, so he's not had, a A bad spell, say considering only been a year, isn't it? It was last January. in last januaryly and for say He jumped two divisions at the time and then got forced to jump another division a few months later following the promotion.
00:19:20
Richard
Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.
00:19:21
Tom Crack - Ipswich
Yeah.
00:19:26
Richard
Exactly.
00:19:27
Global Sports Podcast Network
so I think 27 appearances he got in total, pretty much all from the bench. He scored five goals, which is not not bad going. and say he's he He's off the mark this season.
00:19:38
Global Sports Podcast Network
He scored in that Wimbledon Cup tie, which we prefer not to mention, given how the penalty shootout went at the end of it. but It's a struggle for minutes and what this does do now, we've spoke about Stryker as arguably the number one position in this January window.
Striker Recruitment Challenges
00:19:55
Global Sports Podcast Network
Near enough radio silence for the first twenty the first three weeks or so of the window, but we've now we're now having the near confirmed out and say we've heard this recent injury record and the fact that how hard the lap works means you quite regularly can't get past sort of 75, 80 minutes. This might be the sort of
00:20:16
Global Sports Podcast Network
boost we needed to make sure we go and get a deal for a striker over the line, but like I said, I love to then follow that up with some sort of link that's been around, but say, everything has died from the first week of the window. i When we sat down and done that two-part special and spoke about potential striker options where there was rumored links and everything, they have all just completely died over the coming weeks. But let's say, fingers crossed that that how works out. Because surely, the Tom, do you think this is and the emphasis like I say on getting a striker through now with we are back down to two strikers again after briefly being free and so we might end up losing Hurst again for injury based on recent history.
00:20:57
Tom Crack - Ipswich
Yeah, it has to be, doesn't it? like Even if Hurst stays fit, you need that insurance policy. Whether this player is of better quality than Hurst or not, you need it, don't you? Because his injury record is isn't the best. And you know I'd like to see him maintain his fitness throughout the season and make make a difference, as he did in that brief cameo against Brentford. But we we need someone in. the difference I think the difficult thing to look at, though, is Is it quality wise? Is it someone who's going to be maybe equal to Hearst or better? Because if you go slightly less, we may have, well, was just we may as well just kept our Hamady in the team. not Maybe not saying like we could get someone better than him as well, but it's it's a weird position to be in because I like George Hearst as a number two. I think he's a really good striker. Similar sort of playing style to lap, albeit maybe not as strong as quick, but he'd like to so hold onto the ball and use his pace when he can. Similar stature as well. They're definitely
00:21:44
Tom Crack - Ipswich
the same sort of player in that regard so you'd like to think if we were to get someone else it'd be a similar sort of player as well don't know how many are out there as you said most of those rumors we wanted i think has you right would have been a fantastic move i'm a big fan of his but that seems to have fizzled out doesn't it as well i don't know about let's just throw her name out there but latte of effort burrow the quality player but is that stretching a bit too far of the players having a great season with the very few goals that burrow scored he's scored 11 of them in the league so they'll be very very hesitant to let anyone like that go unfortunately no matter how tempting the Premier League is.
Mid-Season Signings and Strategy
00:22:14
Tom Crack - Ipswich
It's a difficult one. i really I really can't think of of a player to be honest, or whether it's so it's um it's a right move to get a third in or a second in. Because if Hurst stays fit, we don't need a step. We don't need a third. but If he does, we definitely do. It's it's it's a difficult, what, nine days, 10 days left of the window? Something needs to happen, I think.
00:22:31
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, so it's an interesting point you made there about you're almost struggling for options when you say about who can you pry away, who's in good form in general.
00:22:37
Tom Crack - Ipswich
Yeah.
00:22:39
Global Sports Podcast Network
It's always a dilemma for January, but Rich, do you sort of think, mate, is that why we're seeing things die down? Is it now that it's becoming too much of a struggle? And then say, we brought in CSO now who can't play through the middle if needed.
00:22:51
Global Sports Podcast Network
Obviously we know Smodix can play through the middle if needed as well, but is it? I'll be more going down versatility route now because no one's gonna let you come and sign there high performance striker halfway through a season.
00:23:03
Richard
Well, yeah, definitely not a high performance striker, but I mean, well, I mean, maybe a championship level, but you're you're right. It's going to be difficult to get them out of there at this stage. I mean, and seea as you say, you can play there and maybe that gives you a different profile of forwards that can play there because I think he's got more pace and trickery and Premier League experience than Samish Modix. So that could be an option.
00:23:24
Richard
And maybe that's why he has been brought in and he's not just another you know variant of a winger that we've we've kind of like slightly already got. and But we will see about that. I think the thing is you're asking somebody to come in and play second string to to lap, presuming that we're keeping him for the next 10 days.
00:23:39
Tom Crack - Ipswich
Mm.
00:23:41
Richard
So you're basically saying to somebody that it's a balance of like you're trying to bring in somebody of high quality who's probably close to an equal to Liam Delappe, but you're going to be second string. So it's quite difficult, isn't it? I mean, you know, the the name that jumps off the page for me is Evan Ferguson. I know that's kind of like ambitious and probably very unlikely, but the guy hasn't played really all year. Very, well, very, very very little. So surely he's looking for a move in January, even for six months. But they just can't guarantee him that he's going to start necessarily, which seems mad.
00:24:18
Richard
that he would be perfect, right? But yeah, it's really difficult.
00:24:21
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, the yeah. The issue with Ed and Ferguson now as well, like you say, that it seems the likelihood is he would be going a six month loan within CSO coming in.
00:24:33
Global Sports Podcast Network
we've now We've now used our two loan loans that were allowed from other Premier League clubs because we've had Calvin Phillips through the door already, obviously.
00:24:39
Richard
Right, okay, well, that's
00:24:42
Global Sports Podcast Network
So we're we're now at the point where we had that one slot left because that was when I throwing the roach out of could we now do to recall from Chelsea because there's a slot there that could have been filled but that's been filled now by Yulia and CSO coming in subject so unless that someone capitulates in that move.
00:24:52
Richard
Yeah.
00:24:58
Richard
Yeah, I mean, look, the the Ferguson thing was never going to happen. But I guess what I'm saying with that is that's the type of striker that I guess you're looking for is as somebody who's not necessarily playing a bigger club that that needs the playing time and stuff. But the tricky thing is, is because it's so good, you can't necessarily guarantee that someone's going to be starting. So it's It's a tricky situation, and but you would expect the club are trying to do something. I think people would be pretty worried going into February if we if we have the kind of like forward options that we've got.
00:25:34
Richard
given that we're not really scoring many goals anyway, um um and that, you know, in CSO isn't necessarily an out and out and out striker. But I presume they're doing something. I mean, to be perfectly honest, I'm more concerned about the midfield because the midfield to me looks, we've discussed this loads of times, but it's being overrun constantly. So I don't, but you know, that to me seems like the problem area. And at the moment, we seem to be focusing on the winger situation.
00:26:00
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, so we mentioned the midfield, haven't we, a few times that as an area we like to see some activity, but like I said, I was saying, was it nine days left of the window now? I think something like that. There's not much time to, you're getting in panic by territory now, which is where the concern is. You want the business to be done as early as possible because you don't want it to be, we get to the 28th of January and And then we're sat there and still no striker. And then suddenly someone who doesn't, who doesn't look that great, but ticks a box becomes available. And then yeah you sign on the dotted line and you regret it a month later. it So hopefully we don't let it get to that stage, but we will see. And obviously we will, any news that comes through over the remaining days of the window, we will bring to you on the podcast as soon as we possibly can. The perk of being a daily podcast is we'd like, we can tend to get to stuff fairly quickly apart from
00:26:57
Global Sports Podcast Network
when Ipswich would like to announce stuff on Fridays, which they have a really annoying habit of doing, particularly during the summer transfer window. But we'll call transfer news there for now, I'm sure. Well, I hope we'll have more to talk about in what remains of the window. But we're going to have a quick review on the goings on around the rest of the league once we've had another word from one of our sponsors.
00:27:42
Global Sports Podcast Network
and we are back for the final part of today's edition of the daily Ipswich. So let's have a little the run through of some of the talking points around the rest of the league. We like to do that every now and again on these Wednesday episodes. And we're going to stay fairly close to home really and in a story that could have potentially big ramifications on Ipswich as a result of a change to the relegation race. Obviously, we made a few references on Monday's episode to not earned the rules result and hoping there was still a chance they might get battered and we could climb back out at the bottom of the table but and finished 3-1 in the end.
00:28:17
Global Sports Podcast Network
I shouldve just really should have checked that before I started making that point.
00:28:18
Tom Crack - Ipswich
Yep.
00:28:20
Global Sports Podcast Network
the So when we are but talk about walls following that result, they remain one position above us, four goal difference ahead but so the rumblings going on off the pitch are probably causing more worried than the performance on the pitch on Monday night for the Wolves fans because two weeks ago there was the news broker Kunya's been off of the new contract and it looked all seemed hunky-dory he was going to sign that meant they were going to guarantee to keep him this year and then they'll get loads of money if he went in the summer but we're now here two weeks later
Wolves' Key Player Loss and Relegation Battle
00:28:55
Global Sports Podcast Network
that contract has not been signed yet and a point that's being reported and repeated at every given moment by
00:29:01
Global Sports Podcast Network
every journalist report on the story. There's teams like Arsenal interested and now Vital Pereira has called him out for his body language in the game and as some an a sentiment has been echoed by a few fans online that I've seen following the game that he's starting to... Look, they've seen it with Lamina already who obviously was club captain, lost the armband after the scrap following the West Ham game is now basically forcing his way out to go to Saudi and and now seems to be He seems to be disillusioned a bit, couldn't he? So, his potential of a move there, but how does that set the relegation race time if Wolves were to lose Cunha in the next 10 days?
00:29:43
Tom Crack - Ipswich
It's massive, isn't it? like you know you like Obviously, you can only but the argument is you can only really control what you can control, but this is something like something external that really could control how our season fares. because he he is but but That game we had against Wolves over the season, I said it during the game to you guys in the chat, and like I still stand by it. That's the worst thing we've played all season.
00:30:01
Tom Crack - Ipswich
The only bright spark for them was Konya. He looks fantastic. And it's really been the only case in my whole year, 10 goals, four assists. You know, if you take away his 10 goals, we're only two goals ahead of us in goals scored. I imagine goal difference wise, we'd be ahead of him in terms of conceded. He's a really key player and it it looks like this is going to be the big sort of. Transfer story of the of the window, isn't it? Whether he stays or goes, I think when that contract was announced or partially announced, I should say it it was a big, it was quite demotivating to be honest, because it it seemed like.
00:30:31
Tom Crack - Ipswich
if he's there they've got a chance to stay up but with him gone it it's such a such a big loss for him if he does go because he's been so integral to him this season he could play for a top six side in my opinion i think he's really really top player and you know you get a few players who are like that around bottom teams who do get that big move eventually and he will get it obviously i'm really hoping it does happen in the next 10 days because it's going to help town out a lot
00:30:50
Global Sports Podcast Network
Hm.
00:30:53
Tom Crack - Ipswich
But yeah, we we'll see. I think Lamina leaving as well. It does show them as a club where they are, I think, getting a new manager in and all that sort of stuff. And obviously not being a promoter side, you haven't got that morale that, you know, I know Southampton haven't had a great season, but I imagine the guys in the changing are still fairly close. But of all, it's so fractious at the moment that their big players want to leave and kind of escape before maybe the relegation happens whereas you know with us it's completely different players want to join you know and see so rejected three of the clubs to join a club who's 18th and is below wolves so it shows maybe the project we have is slightly more ambitious so yeah i really hope the guy leaves and
00:31:27
Tom Crack - Ipswich
don't really care where he goes to be honest because it's going to help down a lot isn't it unless we play Arsenal at Portland Road and he scores like a hat trick against us and that kills us goal different wise and he still managed to get one on us but i doubt what's going to happen but yeah it's it's going to be a big story isn't it over the next few days
00:31:44
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, definitely. Like we say, you we know the quality has. and so Following that game at Stamford Bridge i'm on Monday, Wolves now have officially the worst defence in the league, yeah even even worse in Southampton. Now Wolves consider one more goal following that game. But the thing they have is they score a lot more goals than every other team down the bottom. But as she mentioned, Tom, he's got further than himself. So it would certainly be a big departure, but sort of From our outside view, looking in, Rich, how do you say, obviously, you all sorts seems to be going on behind the scenes at Walls. Has been for years with, between the fans and the owners, and clearly by the looks of it, staff and the owners. as Gary O'Neill called the owner out too, going before being sacked. We're seeing fights on the pitch. Is is that going to sort of something is that all sort of going to come together, do you think? And Walls just drop off a cliff, which present an opportunity for us? Or should we just be ignoring all of that and focusing on ourselves?
00:32:40
Richard
Well, we should definitely be ignoring it and focusing on ourselves, but like ah ah the the team should. But as fans, I think they're the obvious one, aren't they? I mean, I very much predicted that they would ah ah struggle this season.
00:32:52
Richard
So I'm looking good for that.
00:32:52
Tom Crack - Ipswich
sure And the rest of your predictions are rich at all.
00:32:54
Richard
Well, well, Tom, come on now. I was saying that Ipswich would stay up a little more comfortably.
00:33:00
Tom Crack - Ipswich
yeah yeah yeah think
00:33:02
Richard
But I mean, if you look at the league, I think David Moyes will get Everton playing and make them difficult to beat and I think Everton will basically be safe because of that um appointment. appointment. I think that's a very smart appointment from then that he'll he'll he'll make them comfortably safe so I basically think it's three from four. Now Southampton look doomed already so you would say it's two from three so Leicester, Ipswich and Wolves and I think Wolves, i like you say, have been in kind of like turmoil for a while and they were, they were on a slide way before this season started. That's why I predicted that they would go down because I just didn't see it happening. Gary O'Neill had a good initial kind of start to his career there, but they're, the last half of last season, they were dropping a lot of points and I could kind of like see that coming. And unfortunately he wasn't able able to arrest it, but from our point of view, it clearly looks like they're a club in a bit of a crisis.
00:33:56
Richard
I mean, if I was a big club, I wouldn't go anywhere near Cunha based on how he's behaving at the moment necessarily. But he's a good player, but you know the attitude and everything at the moment doesn't look brilliant. you know He had that incident against Ipswich where he pulled the security guard's glasses off and all those kinds of things. you know He needs to tidy himself up, even even if he stays at war, it all gets a move. I don't think players should be behaving the way he has been.
00:34:21
Richard
but I guess this is what happens in January sometimes. Players want to move. He's not going to sign the contract by the looks of things, so wolves probably have to sell up or give them away on loan and then try and sell them in the summer or something like that. But yeah, from our point of view, it's obviously going to help because they look as if they are rebelling against the manager and rebelling against the club potentially, and that can help us out.
00:34:46
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, they say oh it's he's far and away the best player in terms of quality when you look at that, the sort of bottom five of the league.
00:34:51
Richard
Yeah, for sure.
00:34:54
Global Sports Podcast Network
is's big It's big loss for any team. if So like as i you always felt that when you talk about teams getting being one big injury away from the form dropping off, you've always sort of felt that with a couldn't your injury and Wolves wouldn't win until he was back.
00:34:58
Richard
Yeah.
00:35:10
Global Sports Podcast Network
And says so to lose him completely, say on a permanent basis or on a loan would
00:35:11
Tom Crack - Ipswich
Yeah.
00:35:16
Global Sports Podcast Network
say if it would certainly be an opportunity for us to go and get it. And like I could say, it's only goal difference separating us at the moment. And he's the man who scores most of their goals. And if he's not scoring, he's probably at somewhere at the heart of the play that some of the other players can't replicate. But
Tottenham's Relegation Threat
00:35:32
Global Sports Podcast Network
one last thing to touch on before we call it a day is that maybe slightly less serious point than going on at Wolves is following the this weekend's results.
00:35:42
Global Sports Podcast Network
The gap from Tottenham to Everton is now only four points. So are we a fit are we officially now starting to chase Tottenham as one of these teams in a relegation fight? There are only eight points ahead of us.
00:35:53
Global Sports Podcast Network
We've beaten once. We've got one point from the last five games. what Is there a conversation that they're suddenly getting dragged into the scrap?
00:35:57
Richard
Yeah.
00:36:04
Richard
Tom, do you want to fill up that one?
00:36:07
Tom Crack - Ipswich
I mean, you look the way they've played all season and you know, I think people have sort of, I'm not going to say I've let out and just kind of like just sail through. Cause I think, you know, he seems like a, it's always, I think he seems like a nice, he seems like a nice bloke, Danny. Um, and maybe that charm has kind of maintained him in the job, but you know, they played some good football at the start of last season and it's obviously what spurs the way they wanted to play. And you know, the sort of.
00:37:03
Tom Crack - Ipswich
ah
00:37:04
Tom Crack - Ipswich
brave thing to say, but also going to be a bit foolish because you're just going to keep losing the change room. it It's a tough fan base. I know we yeah they are always seem to be the butt of the joke. I mean, just before we played them on every season on the crossover episode, we said it'd be very spurs if they lost to us and it's exactly what they did because it is very spurs. Like there's so many scenarios and it's used in other forms of like popular culture to describe someone losing something is very spurs. So it's it's difficult for them. But You'd like to think there's enough quality there to where they will write the ship, but I don't know whether it's Anja or not. But the thing is that it's as a club, like who do they expect to get? Like they're not, you know, I know Man United are struggling as well, but they still have that pool because it's Man United. Spurs are a, I guess, you know, it's location wise, they have that pool, but there's not the sort of history to go there in comparison. And it's just, it can be seem like a difficult job, but I like Anja, don't like Spurs. So I'm a kind of a difficult place out. I hope you can turn it around, but yeah, it it seems like they're
00:37:59
Tom Crack - Ipswich
put themselves in a difficult situation as to what they can even expect to get this season 10th at best at the moment, I don't know.
00:38:05
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, but so I'm a bit tongue-in-cheek when I'm suggesting being a relegation five, but they've lost the same amount of games this season as we have in the league.
00:38:09
Tom Crack - Ipswich
Yeah, yeah.
00:38:13
Tom Crack - Ipswich
yeah
00:38:14
Global Sports Podcast Network
I'll tell you, 12 a pick, I mean, one-sixth of Everton's Premier League goals this season were in the first half on Saturday against Spurs.
00:38:23
Tom Crack - Ipswich
but
00:38:23
Global Sports Podcast Network
that's there there's some there's some worrying There's certainly some worrying statistics there, isn't there, Rich?
00:38:25
Richard
I mean, yeah.
00:38:29
Richard
they There is, but they have got a hell of a lot of injuries. i mean I mean, I know that's an excuse that's kind of like, or, you know, a reason that's put out there quite a lot and lots of clubs have lots of injuries and, you know, Bournemouth had a load of injuries and look at how they're performing.
00:38:34
Tom Crack - Ipswich
Mm.
00:38:43
Richard
I think there's a real disconnect at the moment, it seems, between the players and PosterKoglu to a certain extent. And I'm not saying that's all the time, but they are so Jekyll and Hyde within games. They will literally not play. And he'll come out and say, you know, they they didn't do what I asked them to do, basically. So, you know, if you've got a manager saying that and then at halftime, they'll all of a sudden switch it on for 45 minutes. But I suppose I've kind of always been like that a little bit, but it's to an extreme level at the moment.
00:39:11
Richard
I don't think they're in a relegation scrap particularly, but I think it's it's kind of remarkable to think that Man United and Tottenham are 13th and 15th after 22 games. Like, you know, Amarin saying the other day, that's the worst Man United team in history. It's not true because they've been relegated several times in their history, but at the same time, in in my living memory, you know, Man United being 12, 13 times winners of the Premier League, or whatever it's been.
00:39:39
Global Sports Podcast Network
Hmm.
00:39:39
Richard
It's fantastic to see because it's brilliant, but you know to see them struggling in the way that they are.
00:39:40
Global Sports Podcast Network
Mm hmm.
00:39:44
Richard
But at the same time, it's kind of mad that it's going on for as long as it is. And this decline is sort of, it's going to take them ages to get out of. And it's the same with Tottenham. Who wants to go to Tottenham or Man United now?
00:39:56
Richard
I mean, Tom says Man United have a pull and like and I guess they do to a certain degree. But if you're a top, top player, you're not going to be going to Man United. You're going to go to Chelsea. You're going to go to Arsenal. You're going to go to Liverpool.
00:40:06
Richard
You're going to go to Man City. You might even go to Brighton. All of these places that you would choose potentially before them at the moment, because that project is not clear. And Amherim was supposed to be this guy who had a clear kind of like vision.
00:40:18
Richard
And it's going to take him a really long time to turn it around. And unfortunately, football clubs don't give managers time. So it's you get in this cycle. And ah spurs are in that, right? If they if they sack post to Cogloo, where do they go?
00:40:31
Richard
its Yeah, it's tricky.
00:40:31
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah. Be the Ryan Mason interim for the third time in five years, whatever it is, probably. But there you have it then.
00:40:38
Richard
Yeah, yeah.
00:40:39
Tom Crack - Ipswich
Here we go again.
00:40:39
Global Sports Podcast Network
So it was just staying up. with one up but At least one of Spurs and Man United is going down. There we go.
00:40:45
Richard
Fantastic.
00:40:46
Global Sports Podcast Network
Well, so you say that the worst man in our team in history croaked from the manager and apparently the report coming from the athletic. ah Well, yesterday now is apparently he smashed a TV. He was that angry after the game.
00:40:56
Global Sports Podcast Network
He was showing some clips and got so angry about that he cracked the TV. Apparently the report was coming around.
00:41:02
Tom Crack - Ipswich
well
00:41:02
Global Sports Podcast Network
So, you know, maybe one of those two will drop off and get pulled into the fight. So Spurs is particularly there. Only only eight points off and we've still got to play them again and we beat them once. That could be another three games.
00:41:13
Tom Crack - Ipswich
When is that early time again?
00:41:14
Global Sports Podcast Network
You never know. You never know. Before we make a fun episode, talk about stuff like that.
00:41:18
Richard
Yeah.
00:41:21
Global Sports Podcast Network
written We skip tactics Tuesday because it would have been too depressing to go through how we can see the six goals in detail.
00:41:27
Tom Crack - Ipswich
Hmm.
00:41:28
Global Sports Podcast Network
I have a fun episode today.
00:41:29
Richard
yeah
00:41:30
Global Sports Podcast Network
Restore the mood back before we go to Anfield at the weekend, which has potential to settlers and yeah so potential to set the mood for the rest of the season, regardless of the other results.
00:41:35
Richard
And win.
00:41:40
Global Sports Podcast Network
or to be just as bad as last weekend. We'll see how that one plays out. and i'll say And that's what we'll be covering the rest of this week. We will have a crossover for you tomorrow and our own preview on Friday to round off the week before we head back to Anfield for the first time in 22 years.
00:41:59
Global Sports Podcast Network
So thank you Richard and Tom for joining me for today's Wildcards Wednesday. Thank you to you guys for listening.
00:42:03
Tom Crack - Ipswich
Thank you. nick
00:42:05
Global Sports Podcast Network
Find us on all of our socials at GSBN Ipswich and we will see you for the crossover with Daily Liverpool tomorrow.