We get the inside track on the Tractor Boys and their dangermen ahead of Saturday’s visit to Hillsborough from Stuart Watson of the East Anglian Daily Times
Q: What’s the mood like around the club after promotion and the strong start in the Championship?
SW: As you can imagine, there’s a major feelgood factor at present. Following years of miserable, drawn-out stagnation, the club has been reinvigorated by ambitious new American owners and intelligent young manager Kieran McKenna.
A team that hasn’t changed much from the previous season has taken steam train momentum into the new one after leaving League One after four years. Ipswich has managed to maintain winning despite each of its five Championship games thus far being decided by razor-thin margins. A prime illustration of that was recovering from a 2-0 deficit to defeat Cardiff 3-2 in front of a raucous crowd at Portman Road before the international break. Ipswich has participated in 21 league games since rallying from a 2-0 deficit to draw 2-2 with Sheffield Wednesday on February 11.
Their record in those matches reads: W17 D3 L1 F56 A11. The one defeat in there was 4-3 at home to a Leeds side that included a £70m front four just prior to Luis Sinisterra’s departure.
Q: How are Town likely to line-up and who are the dangermen to look out for?
SW: It’s largely the same team that secured promotion in style, with Vaclav Hladky having stepped in well for the injured Christian Walton in goal. The tireless Leif Davis is an assist machine from left-back, Sam Morsy is a Championship-hardened leader in midfield, Nathan Broadhead provides some X-factor in attack, while the lethal Conor Chaplin has already netted twice after bagging 29 times last season
There are a couple of injury question marks going into the weekend – striker George Hirst limped off against Cardiff with a recurrence of an adductor problem, while winger Wes Burns wasn’t able to travel with Wales due to a hamstring issue.
Q: How have the new signings fared since arrival?
SW: We haven’t seen loads of them yet due to McKenna sticking with his tried-and-trusted team. Young trio Omari Hutchinson (Chelsea), Brandon Williams (Man United) and Dane Scarlett (Tottenham) are all on loan from Premier League clubs, while Jack Taylor was a £1.5m recruit from Peterborough. Centre-back Axel Tuanzebe has just been signed on a free, following his release by Manchester United, but he won’t be fit to feature just yet.
Q: George Hirst has moved on a full-time basis to Town. He’ll always divide opinion among Wednesdayites but how’s he fared since turning the loan spell permanent?
SW: Hirst scored seven goals during his loan spell from Leicester in the second half of last season, including important ones in away wins against Bolton, Derby and Barnsley. Fans were concerned that the Foxes’ relegation to the Championship might rule out a return, but Hirst pushed hard for a permanent switch and a £1.5m fee was eventually thrashed out. He subsequently scored his first-ever Championship goal in the opening weekend win at Sunderland.
McKenna said: “He’s obviously got height and presence and good movement in the box, but he’s also really good at running on the last line, and that’s quite unusual for a big striker to enjoy running behind and being on the last line as much as he does. We’ve got a lot of faith in him and we think there’s a lot more to come.”
