Ipswich Town column: It’s time Kieran McKenna changed system in bid to preserve Premier League status
I was so disappointed with Saturday.
Ipswich Town were always going to lose games in this division, and perhaps I was foolish to underestimate the quality of Everton, but I really didn’t like what I saw from us.
We’ll be on the wrong side of results this season, of course we will, but I am surprised at how bad our performances have been in the last two.
With this group, we’re always in the game no matter the score. We fight to the end and scrap for everything . Even the defeats to Manchester City and Liverpool showed that.
However, the last two have been the complete opposite; no energy, no urgency, and, in some players, a real lack of belief.
I wouldn’t say that I’m ready for a meltdown at this point, that would be ridiculous, but I do feel confused at the nature of these performances, more than the results necessarily.
So what next? I think it’s time to look at the system.
Kieran McKenna’s style has without doubt been one of the main reasons we’ve jumped from League One to the Premier League. But it isn’t working at this level yet.
We had two destroyers in the middle of the park in the Championship; Sam Morsy and Massimo Luongo were incredible. Not just what they were able to do on the ball, but their ability to win it back for us.
I appreciate there’s an increase in the quality of opposition now, but that velocity and passion that we’re all about, hasn’t been there.
With teams able to run right through us, could we benefit from having an extra body in there? I think so.
Let Kalvin Phillips sit and do what he does best in front of the back four and let’s see Sam Morsy and Jack Taylor try and bring that aggression back.
One man who will have a plan is Kieran McKenna. He won’t be worried at this stage, he’ll know what to do and I’m fully expecting to see a different and much better version of his team this weekend at Brentford.