It’s been an extraordinarily tough start to Premier League life for Ipswich Town this season, with games against Liverpool, Manchester City, Aston Villa and Brighton & Hove Albion all before November.
However, despite this challenging schedule, the Tractor Boys sit above the relegation zone with four draws to their name, suggesting that survival is well and truly on the cards.
That said, with two losses in their last two games, Kieran McKenna has to make some changes ahead of the clash with Brentford this afternoon if he wants to pick up the club’s first win of the campaign, notably out on the right.
Why Wes Burns should be dropped
Yes, ahead of the game this afternoon, McKenna has to make an attacking change, and based on his performance against Everton and the form of his teammates, Wes Burns should make way.
To his credit, the Welsh international has been an effective outlet for the Tractor Boys in the seasons following his move from Fleetwood, but he has been underwhelming so far this year, failing to score or assist a single goal in his six appearances thus far.
Moreover, he was particularly poor against the Toffees, offering little going forward and giving the ball away for their opening goal, which helps to explain the paltry 4/10 rating he received from the East Anglian Daily Times’ Alex Jones after the game.
That may sound like a harsh rating, but it’s one justified by his statistics, as in his 63 minutes of action the 29-year-old didn’t take a single shot, failed in 100% of his crosses and long balls, didn’t attempt a single dribble, lost 100% of his duels, lost the ball eight times and was dribbled past once.
In all, it was a shocking display, and McKenna must take him out of the lineup, especially as he has a far more talented attacker who could come in for him and add that little bit more to the team going forward.
Why Sammie Szmodics should start
So, the player who should come in for Burns on the right is none other than summer signing Sammie Szmodics.
Now, the first thing to recognise is that yes, the 29-year-old has rarely played on the right-hand side in his career, but he has also rarely played off the left before this season, and if he can play there as a right-footed player, why couldn’t he adapt to life on the right?
Moreover, while the Irishman hasn’t had the most explosive start to life in Suffolk, scoring once in eight games, he showed last season that when settled and given a run of starts, he can be a game-changer for his team.
For example, in just 48 games for Blackburn Rovers last year, the “ridiculous” talent, as dubbed by journalist Josh Bunting, found the back of the net on 33 occasions and provided four assists for good measure.
This meant that he averaged a goal involvement every 1.29 games for a team that didn’t even get promoted, and unsurprisingly, he was also the Championship’s top goalscorer.
Appearances
48
Goals
33
Assists
4
Goal Involvements per Match
0.77
Ultimately, while fans can’t expect that same level of output in the Premier League, Szmodics’ talents are undeniable, and while the right of midfield might not be his natural position, McKenna has to start him ahead of Burns this afternoon as he will surely be able to add that extra spark to Ipswich’s attack.
£8m profit: Ipswich hit gold selling goalscorer once compared to Shearer
Ipswich sold the young striker at the perfect time.
ByJack Salveson HolmesOct 25, 2024