Ipswich Town are all smiles but one star must be a little disgruntled: Opinion
Things haven’t quite happened for Freddie Ladapo this season
Ipswich Town’s impressive start to the season may be overshadowed by the frustration of striker Freddie Ladapo, who has struggled for game time.
Ladapo’s limited opportunities, despite his potential and previous contributions, at 30 years old, may leave him wanting to play at a higher level while he still can.
Ipswich should consider giving Ladapo more chances to showcase his abilities in order to keep him content and take advantage of his goal-scoring prowess as they aim for continued success.
Right now, it feels safe to say that things are looking good for those of an Ipswich Town persuasion.
After four years in League One, the Tractor Boys won promotion back to the Championship last season in convincing style, and they are now making their mark in the second-tier as well.
Since their return to the Championship, Kieran McKenna’s side have won ten of their 12 league games so far this season, and they currently sit second in the table, nine points clear of the play-offs with a game in hand.
As a result, many of those around Portman Road may already be starting to let themselves think about the possibility of a second consecutive promotion this season, that would take them back to the Premier League for the first time since the 2001/02 campaign.
But for all the positivity that will no doubt have brought to the club, you get the feeling that one Ipswich player who may not be entirely happy with his current situation at Portman Road, is Freddie Ladapo.
Why might Ladapo be frustrated with his Ipswich situation?
While Ipswich’s season as a whole has certainly got off to a strong start, it is probably fair to say that from an individual perspective, Ladapo’s has not.
The striker has so far struggled for game time with the Tractor Boys this season, and while he did admittedly miss the win at Bristol City last time out due to injury, he has otherwise featured in the matchday squad in all of the other 11 league games this season.
But despite that, Ladapo has just one Championship start to his name in the current campaign, while he has come off the bench on seven more occasions.
You feel though, that the striker will be desperate to get more opportunities than that, not least given that at 30-years-old, he is at a point in his career where he is going to want to play as much football at as high a level as possible, while he still can.
Indeed, Ladapo will no doubt feel that he is more than capable of making an impact at this level.
The striker previously scored nine goals in 42 Championship appearances for Rotherham during the 2020-21 season, a more than respectable tally given he was playing for a club who were relegated that season, while only scoring 44 goals in total that season.
Beyond that, Ladapo has also shown his potential for Ipswich at this level this season, with two goals in his eight league outings so far.
Both of those strikes came as the striker netted twice to help the Tractor Boys come from 2-0 down to beat Cardiff 3-2 at Portman Road last month.
Combine that with the fact that Ladapo played in every one of Ipswich’s 46 League One matches last season, scoring 17 goals in the process to make a major contribution to their promotion, and you do get the feeling that the 30-year-old may believe he has deservedly earned the chance to show what he can do for the club in the Championship, which is yet to really happen.
| Freddie Ladapo record for Ipswich Town (all competitions) – stats from Transfermarkt | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Division | Appearances | Goals | Assists |
| 2023/24 | Championship | 11 | 4 | 1 |
| 2022/23 | League One | 53 | 21 | 2 |
| As of 27th October 2023 | ||||
What could this mean for Ladapo at Ipswich?
Having signed a three-year contract with Ipswich when he joined the club back in the summer of 2022, Ladapo’s deal with the club is due to expire at the end of next season.
As a result, the January transfer window could be the Tractor Boys’ last chance to cash in on the striker to his full potential, before the pressure starts to build on them as he enters the final 12 months of his deal.
Consequently, the fact that Ladapo is a proven goalscorer in the Football League, who is going to want to be playing more than he currently is at Ipswich, you do wonder whether that could soon start to generate some speculation around his future.
So with that in mind, you get the feeling that Ipswich may want to think about giving Ladapo some more opportunities once he has overcome in his injury, in order to keep the striker happy, and get the best out of a player whose record certainly suggests he can play an important role for them again this season, as they chase yet more remarkable success.
