16-08-2015, 10:41
Disappointing result but plenty of good signs.
Surprised that he started Joao. That was a mistake. He needs to be eased in gradually in the way Wilko did with Hirsty. He is going to be a great player but starting him now in tough away matches does him no favours & gives us no Plan B when we go behind.
We started ok and nearly scored when Matias hit the post. Matias was our main threat and he jinked into the box and Wallace forced it home after the keeper could only tip it away.
Within a minute, Ipswich equalised. A long ball was allowed to bounce & while Loovens & Helan looked at each other, Sears nipped in to score from an acute angle. Westwood should have stopped it. If Loovens had headed it clear, there would have been no danger.
Ipswich put us under pressure with long balls & we always look vulnerable at free kicks & corners. We struggled to create much except when Lopez got on the ball. McGugan was pretty anonymous. Once the second goal went in (again Westwood at fault), we struggled and the introduction of Nuhiu didn't help.
In the final ten minutes, we started to put on some pressure with Lopez getting a bit of ball and Hunt finding space on the right. The only chance fell to Joao and their keeper made a great save to keep it out.
Westwood - 4 - at fault for both goals but struggling with a back injury
Hunt - 7 - forced to defend until final quarter when more of a threat
Lees - 6 - struggled with aerial threat
Loovens - 5 - also struggled & partly at fault for first goal
Helan - 6 - regularly faced two on one situations with little support, not great but not as bad as some have suggested
McGugan - 4 - was he there?
Hutchinson - 6 - had to work hard to cover, still too reckless in the challenge
Lopez - 7 - quality on the ball, we need to get him on the ball more
Wallace - 6 - neat finish but not involved enough
Matias - 8 - our greatest threat, made one & hit the post
Joao - 5 - kind of bullied out of it, one good effort at the death
.......................................................................................
Wildsmith - 6 - dealt adequately with what was thrown at him
Nuhiu - 4 - no use as a sub
Lee - 6 - not given enough time to influence
Presumably from the comments on here, Helan was criticised on the commentary because he wasn't as bad yesterday as some suggest. Matias doesn't track back much so Helan was left exposed. Loovens isn't quick enough to help out so someone like Hutch has to help out the LB. Ipswich's main threat was long balls in the air and we didn't deal with them well enough. Will need to see the first goal on TV but my initial thought was that Westwood should have saved it.
This is one of the tougher away matches & although Ipswich aren't as strong as last season, they are a good benchmark for us. It might also reduce expectation & pressure. Overall, it wasn't a good performance but it wasn't a bad performance either.
I still think our back four is vulnerable in the air.
We still have a striker problem. Nuhiu isn't good enough & Joao needs a bit of time. If CC doesn't see Bus or May as capable of leading the line then we need someone else as a temporary measure until Joao is fully up to speed.
The next two matches are against two of the weaker teams (I hope) so hopefully we pick up some points to establish ourselves in the top half.
Surprised that he started Joao. That was a mistake. He needs to be eased in gradually in the way Wilko did with Hirsty. He is going to be a great player but starting him now in tough away matches does him no favours & gives us no Plan B when we go behind.
We started ok and nearly scored when Matias hit the post. Matias was our main threat and he jinked into the box and Wallace forced it home after the keeper could only tip it away.
Within a minute, Ipswich equalised. A long ball was allowed to bounce & while Loovens & Helan looked at each other, Sears nipped in to score from an acute angle. Westwood should have stopped it. If Loovens had headed it clear, there would have been no danger.
Ipswich put us under pressure with long balls & we always look vulnerable at free kicks & corners. We struggled to create much except when Lopez got on the ball. McGugan was pretty anonymous. Once the second goal went in (again Westwood at fault), we struggled and the introduction of Nuhiu didn't help.
In the final ten minutes, we started to put on some pressure with Lopez getting a bit of ball and Hunt finding space on the right. The only chance fell to Joao and their keeper made a great save to keep it out.
Westwood - 4 - at fault for both goals but struggling with a back injury
Hunt - 7 - forced to defend until final quarter when more of a threat
Lees - 6 - struggled with aerial threat
Loovens - 5 - also struggled & partly at fault for first goal
Helan - 6 - regularly faced two on one situations with little support, not great but not as bad as some have suggested
McGugan - 4 - was he there?
Hutchinson - 6 - had to work hard to cover, still too reckless in the challenge
Lopez - 7 - quality on the ball, we need to get him on the ball more
Wallace - 6 - neat finish but not involved enough
Matias - 8 - our greatest threat, made one & hit the post
Joao - 5 - kind of bullied out of it, one good effort at the death
.......................................................................................
Wildsmith - 6 - dealt adequately with what was thrown at him
Nuhiu - 4 - no use as a sub
Lee - 6 - not given enough time to influence
Presumably from the comments on here, Helan was criticised on the commentary because he wasn't as bad yesterday as some suggest. Matias doesn't track back much so Helan was left exposed. Loovens isn't quick enough to help out so someone like Hutch has to help out the LB. Ipswich's main threat was long balls in the air and we didn't deal with them well enough. Will need to see the first goal on TV but my initial thought was that Westwood should have saved it.
This is one of the tougher away matches & although Ipswich aren't as strong as last season, they are a good benchmark for us. It might also reduce expectation & pressure. Overall, it wasn't a good performance but it wasn't a bad performance either.
I still think our back four is vulnerable in the air.
We still have a striker problem. Nuhiu isn't good enough & Joao needs a bit of time. If CC doesn't see Bus or May as capable of leading the line then we need someone else as a temporary measure until Joao is fully up to speed.
The next two matches are against two of the weaker teams (I hope) so hopefully we pick up some points to establish ourselves in the top half.
The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.