3 things we clearly learnt about Ipswich Town after their 3-2 win v Cardiff
FLW dives into three notable takeaways from the Tractor Boys’ triumph this weekend.
Saturday afternoon’s Portman Road encounter between Ipswich Town and Cardiff City encapsulated just that.
The visitors came out of the blocks with a spring in their steps from two consecutive victories prior to the affair and went toe-to-toe with Ipswich in the early stages, refusing to retreat from their own newfound emphasis on keeping hold of the ball.
This unnerved Ipswich, and few could have argued for injustice when Aaron Ramsey’s close-range conversion from a delivery into the area from Karlan Grant put them in the back seat after half an hour.
Shortly after the break, the Tractor Boys were unable to prevent Cardiff from doubling their lead through Joe Ralls, who capitalised upon Ipswich failing to clear their lines and dispatched a composed finish into the far right corner.
But then, Ipswich finally responded in emphatic fashion, blitzing the Bluebirds across a dramatic 20-minute period.
Welsh international Nathan Broadhead halved the deficit on the cusp of the hour mark with a rocketing finish from outside the area, before Freddie Ladapo appeared from the bench to exploit sloppy defending on Cardiff’s behalf to score a brace and complete the comeback in an eventual 3-2 victory.
Three points are three points, of course, and Ipswich supporters will take no issue with basking in the euphoria of watching their side complete such a thrilling comeback from two goals down on home soil- but arguably, that should not have been the case to begin with.
Ipswich are now situated in second place ahead of the international break, which will afford them plenty of time to analyse and dissect their latest encounter before their trip to strugglers Sheffield Wednesday.
It is a particularly good time to reflect in the immediate aftermath, though, and that is what we have done here by summarising three things that have been learned from their victory over Cardiff on Saturday.
Freddie Ladapo could have a big part to play for Ipswich Town
The first crucial talking point naturally focuses on Freddie Ladapo, who emerged as his side’s match-winner and may just have provided boss Kieran McKenna with some serious food for thought.
Ladapo proved instrumental in promotion from League One with seventeen strikes, but the step-up in class alongside the additional competition for places at Portman Road has meant that he has found minutes harder to come by thus far.
As you would expect, George Hirst – who replaced Ladapo in the team upon his January arrival – will require some shifting after joining on a permanent basis over the summer, and much will be expected of Tottenham Hotspur loanee Dane Scarlett, too.
But Ladapo has done his chances no harm whatsoever.
Sure, a sustained starting berth may become something of a premium for him this term, however, make no mistake about it, he has illustrated that he can have a much more important role than anticipated.
Kieran McKenna’s substitutions change games
Ipswich certainly have a strong starting core, but beyond that, they are blessed with strength in depth and crucially, McKenna knows just how to optimise it.
Though Ladapo’s introduction to proceedings from the bench came in place of the injured Hirst, McKenna nonetheless made the right call in summoning the striker into action.
But his in-game management properly came to the fore with the substitutions of Premier League loan duo Brandon Williams and Omari Hutchinson, where, in a physical, high-octane showdown, the pair instantly clicked and acclimatised to the rhythm of the match, even playing a key part in Ladapo’s winner 12 minutes from time.
Moving forward, this takeaway should only serve to excite Ipswich fans further.
Ipswich Town’s defensive frailties need amending
So much did go right for Ipswich on the day, although on the flip side, you cannot contest that a fair bit went wrong either.
In the past two league games, they have shipped six goals, with Ramsey’s opener particularly frustrating to concede from an Ipswich point of view.
Still, there is a school of thought that this can be attributed to individual errors as opposed to tactical failings, so McKenna may need to run the rule over his defensive options if their backline continues to be breached in the same manner.
