Ipswich Town are into the fourth round of the Carabao Cup following last night’s 3-2 home win against Wolves. Stuart Watson reflects on the action.
Kieran McKenna and the Ipswich Town players acknowledge the crowd following a 3-2 comeback win against Wolves.
With so much physical and mental energy having been expended in the wins against Sheffield Wednesday, Southampton and Blackburn, Kieran McKenna changed his entire outfield 10 for this midweek cup match.
Normally, you fear that these sort of line-ups will look rusty and disjointed (we’ve seen plenty of that over recent years). Not so with this current Ipswich group.
Back in January, there were wholesale changes for FA Cup ties against Burnley. Ipswich, in League One at the time, took the tie to a replay and then pushed the Championship winners elect all the way at Turf Moor.
Now the ‘reserves’ – an unfair term really given how much everyone contributes to this squad on and off the field – have beaten a Premier League side as a second-tier club.
Players being able to step in, en masse, and replicate the same tactical, technical and mental skills of the regular starters speaks volumes of the quality of man management and coaching that goes on behind the scenes. Everyone knows their roles and can slot into the well-drilled system seamlessly.
Such strength in depth bodes really well for the relentless Championship winter slog that’s ahead.
GOALS, GOALS, GOALS!
August 26: Ipswich 3 Leeds 4
September 2: Ipswich 3 Cardiff 2
September 23: Ipswich 4 Blackburn 3
September 26: Ipswich 3 Wolves 2
A total of 24 goals have now been scored in the last four games at Portman Road. Ipswich 13 Opposition 11.
Since drawing 0-0 with Burnley in that aforementioned FA Cup third round tie back on January 28, Town have scored at least two goals in every home game (15 matches).
This was the 20th time under McKenna’s management that three or more goals have been scored on Suffolk soil.
No wonder this tie – which didn’t include season tickets – attracted a crowd of 20,236.
East Anglian Daily Times: Hee-Chan Hwang celebrates after giving Wolves an early lead at Portman Road.
Hee-Chan Hwang celebrates after giving Wolves an early lead at Portman Road. (Image: Steve Waller)
KEEP CALM AND CARRY ON
Whoever plays, this Ipswich team is a reflection of its calm and collected manager. Set-backs in games just don’t seem to rock them.
Town didn’t crumble when conceding three quick goals against Leeds. They held their nerve to win the penalty shootout at Reading after conceding a late leveller.
They recovered superbly from going 2-0 down to Cardiff early in the second half. And they went again when Blackburn got it back to 3-3 last weekend.
Three times this calendar year – Sheffield Wednesday, Cardiff and Wolves – a two-goal deficit has been recovered from at Portman Road. There was the comeback 2-1 win against Port Vale in April too.
The more you do it, the more confidence you have the next time that scenario comes around. It becomes self-perpetuating.
Ipswich are building a nice bank of positive memories to call upon for ‘running towards adversity’ moments.
East Anglian Daily Times: Toti Gomes celebrates after putting Wolves 2-0 up.
Toti Gomes celebrates after putting Wolves 2-0 up. (Image: Steve Waller)
THINGS TO WORK ON
Dominic Ball was unfortunate that his stretched interception went straight to a Wolves player. A quick pass and sharp finish from South Korean international Hee-Chan Hwang saw that small error ruthlessly punished in the fourth minute. That’s what Premier League players can do to you.
The visitors’ second came from a corner. The marking was slack, both for the original header and subsequent rebound finish from Toti Gomes.
Ipswich looked vulnerable at set-pieces all night. They arguably got away with one when a tight offside call denied Rayan Ait-Nouri equalising. That’s something they’ll go away and analyse.
“That’s one area you can suffer a little bit from when you make a lot of changes to the team,” said McKenna afterwards.
Another area to look at was the passing out from the back. In a continuing theme from Saturday, Vaclav Hladky had some nervy moments with the ball at his feet. That risk-v-reward strategy felt like it brought more of the former than the latter in this one. The Czech custodian also had one major lapse in concentration when picking up a back pass.
Read into Hladky starting over previous cup keeper Cieran Slicker what you will. Did McKenna simply want a more senior man between the sticks against a high level of opposition? Was it seen as an opportunity for Hladky to quickly get some of his jittery moments against Blackburn out the system? Or is the plan to bring Christian Walton back into the team as soon as he’s fit? For what it’s worth, I think it was more the former.
East Anglian Daily Times: Omaro Hutchinson fires home against Wolves.
Omaro Hutchinson fires home against Wolves. (Image: Steve Waller)
TAKING THEIR CHANCE
Every single player in this team showed the manager they are ready when needed in the league (and they will be).
I’ll highlight a few contributions.
Marcus Harness provided a hat-trick of assists – the first of which was a perfectly-weighted through ball.
Teenage Chelsea Omari Hutchinson was, once again, a livewire on and off the ball. His thumping finish inside the near post helped turn the tide.
East Anglian Daily Times: Freddie Ladapo jumps for joy after equalising against Wolves.
Freddie Ladapo jumps for joy after equalising against Wolves. (Image: Steve Waller)
Freddie Ladapo produced some strong centre-forward’s play and took his goal on the turn well (even if keeper Daniel Bentley should have got more behind it). He’s now bagged 15 goals in 2023 – not bad at all given he’s only started 12 games in that period.
George Edmundson and Elkan Baggott were both solid at the heart of the defence. Edmundson’s strong play tight to the byline and crunching tackle at the end were among the highlights. He looked like he’d got his mojo back.
I’m liking the look of Manchester United loanee Brandon Williams more and more with each appearance. He’s a player who relishes physical contact.
East Anglian Daily Times: Jack Taylor celebrates his his super strike sealed Ipswich’s victory against Wolves.
Jack Taylor celebrates his his super strike sealed Ipswich’s victory against Wolves. (Image: Steve Waller)
Praise too for midfield duo Lee Evans and Jack Taylor. Both are less tenacious than Sam Morsy and Massimo Luongo, but both bring different qualities to the team. Evans’ passing makes Town tick, while Taylor – a more natural No.10 – gives an added attacking threat from deep.
The latter’s match-winning strike, a powerful dipping effort from 25 yards out at the end of a lengthy passing move, was evidence of that. It was a goal worthy of winning any game.
It will be interesting to see which one of them gets the nod to replace the suspended Morsy at Huddersfield on Saturday.
This is the first time Ipswich have taken a Premier League scalp since Tamas Priskin’s winner against Arsenal in the first leg of the Carabao Cup semi-final back in 2011.
It is a scalp by the way. Wolves may have made a poor start to the season, and they may also have made 10 changes, but their team did include a 26-cap Spain international (Pablo Sarabia) and 55-cap South Korean international (Hee-Chan Hwang), while nearly £80m of strikers (Matheus Cunha and Fabio Silva) stepped off the bench.
This is the first time the Blues have reached the fourth round of this competition since that run to the semis. How deep into the tournament can they go this time? Well, a maximum of 10 Premier League teams will be in the last 16 draw (which takes place after tonight’s game between Newcastle and Man City).
Exeter, Mansfield and Port Vale are all through. Facing any of them would present a golden opportunity to reach the quarter-finals. What we really want though is a big away day isn’t it? It feels like fate that Town will run into McKenna’s old club, Manchester United, at some point.
Fourth round ties are scheduled for the week beginning October 30 (between a home game against Plymouth and away trip to Birmingham).