Ipswich 3-0 Coventry

Better going forward, same problems at the back. Don't let the scoreline flatter you on this game, had Coventry taken a couple of their chances this could have been a very different game. There were a number of positives in this game, mainly the amount of chances we were able to create and the fact that we took a few of them, but I didn't leave the game thinking this was a vintage performance. Apologies for negativeity of this blog, I just am concerned about how bad Coventry were!


First half
We again lined up with 4 central midfielders, this time the diamond was more evident than in previous weeks, with Bullard at the base, Bowyer on the left, Andrews on the right and Leadbitter at the top. We played 2 out and out strikers for the first time since Southampton with Scotland deservedly starting alongside Chopra.


Danny Collins and Ibrahima Sonko where the centre backs with Cresswell and Edwards at full back.

We relied totally on our full backs for width, and this led to 2 early goals, with Cresswell crossing for an own goal from Cranie in the 4th minute and a cross from Edwards eventually finding it's way to Andrews who exchanged passes with Chopra before slamming home in the 13th minute.

Our two full backs remained valuable outlets all through the half and were basically playing as wing backs. Some intricate passing between the midfield 4, who lest we forget are all quality players at this level, led to frequent chances being created and Coventry really were on the back foot. I think the main reason for this is just that we played similar systems but we just had better players.

The few times that they did get the ball out wide, they easily got crosses in the box as Cresswell and Edwards were left with a 1v2 situation. Against a team with full backs with more crossing ability, or a good player in the air I think we would have struggled.

In the first half, Sonko got injured - this left us again in the situation where we ended up with 2 left footed/sided centre halves, I'm not sure if this led to the horrendous marking at corners that happened twice in succession but Cranie and McDonald both had free headers before half time and we should have been punished for this.

Second half

At the start of the second half McDonald again should have punished us with a free header tha he outrageously headed into the ground and over. This again looked like poor marking.

We carried on playing the way we had in the first half, with Leadbitter having a large amount of influence on the game and relishing receiving the ball between the lines and playing telling passes that led to chances being created. Our formation with the ball looked something like the below:

 

This formation shows a lot of players in attacking positions, which is good at home - to an extent. It allows us to bombard Coventry and showing the desire we did allowed us to create chances when going forward. My only concern is how open we are at the back. A better side than Coventry would have put at lest one winger in place which would either have pinned back a full back or acted as a dangerous out ball for them and dragged a centre back over leaving space to exploit through the middle.

Fortunately Coventry were poor and Scotland showed pace and ability to score a third afer swapping passes with Chopra, however as the game wore on we still had to clear a chance of the line and it must be a huge concern that a side as poor as Coventry (lowest scorers in division) managed to create 4 or 5 clear cut chances.

The game petered out into a 3-0 win, and while 3 points was deserved I think the game could easily have gone another way had Coventry taken one of their chances at 2-0 as it could have panicked us.

Positives

Goals, chances and a bit of excitement, that I have been crying out for. Over the pitch there were a few impressive performances - Cresswell looks a great signing, Collins is a class act at this level, Andrews has drive that brings the team on with him, Bullard looks fitter, Leadbitter had his best game for a long time in a town shirt and Chopra and Scotland looked very sharp - although the former could do with a goal.

Negatives

We still look shaky at the back, this will be worsened if one of Sonko or Ingimarsson doesn't make it back for Saturday's game. If Jewell is going to persist with this formation then one of the midfielders needs to take more defensive responsibilities. Barcelona rely on their full backs for width, but Sergio busquets drops in as a 3rd CB when they attack so they basically go from a back 4 without the ball to a back 3 with it. On a more similar level, last year our friends from up the road used Crofts as a very deep lying midfielder when their full backs marauded forward. Against a good side we can't afford to give up as many chances as we did, and allow as much room for a counter attack - our defending of set pieces needs to improve also.

Up next

Middlesborough (a) - top of the table away from home and a game that will be very difficult. Boro's home form hasn't been as good as their away form but we know what to expect from a Mowbray side - passing, passing, passing and attacking play. I think if we play the same way we did v Coventry there is a risk our full backs will be pinned back and this could lead to a Southampton style game. No out ball for our midfielders, strikers isolated and no width.

It will be interesting to see if Lee Martin comes back into the team after his suspension but my hunch is that Jewell will stick to nearly the same team. The slight change in formation i would make is that Keith Andrews would sit, in the same way he does for Ireland and can act as a 3rd CB when we look to go forward and other support to our back 4. It will be a shame to lose his attacking abilit, but he can rekindle the role Matty Holland first played when joining from Bournemouth, i.e. 3CB's with wing backs when we don't have the ball, but a 4-Diamond-2 when we do have the ball.

Prediction - can't make this until I see the team and they system, if same as Coventry then unfortunately I predict a loss.

Blackpool 2 - 0 Ipswich Town

After taking advantage of the free coach to Blackpool I was looking forward to a tough game against a side with recent Premiership experience. We had also added Danny Collins to our squad to shore up our leaking back line. Blackpool play a fluent brand of football and Paul Jewell had stated in his pre match press conferences that he wished for us to 'quieten' the crowd in the first half and slowly get on top.

First half
Again when I saw the team I was disappointed with the line up picked by Paul Jewell, he had started 4 central midfielders with Bullard, Bowyer, Leadbitter and Andrews playing, this had proven unsuccessful against both Southampton and Leeds and led to changes in formation during the first half which resulted in us looking more fluid.

This formation was even stranger, Edwards, was almost playing as a wing back of a back 4, Leadbitter was a nominal right midfielder, Murphy was playing pinned to the left hand touchline and Andrews was in an advanced role. Overall the formation was nearly a very good 433 which worked so well vs Bristol City, but was let down by the personnel, square pegs in round holes sums it up.

Leadbitter was the right winger, but as he is a natural central midfield player tended to drift inside very often. This meant Edwards overlapped and we actually had a bit of success down this right hand side with Edwards in support. However, with Edwards bombing forward at every opportunity, there was a big space that Brett Ormerod lingered in and almost made us pay with a good chance in the first half.

Murphy played very wide and this left Chopra isolated and there were still too many long balls sent in Chopra's direction which Evatt and Cathcart dealt with easily. Andrews did his best to support but isn't creative enough to make things happen in the hole, he also committed a few needless fouls which broke the game down.

However, that all said it was a very even first half with few clear cut chances for either team and 0-0 was a fair score at half time.

Second half

As has been the habit in recent weeks, sloppy defending allowed Blackpool to go in front. They ran the ball through Town's left hand side after a couple of half hearted tackles from Murphy and then the ball fell to Billy Clarke in the box who scuffed his shot, fortunately straight to Taylor-Fletcher who couldn't miss.

This goal really seemed to knock the stuffing out of Ipswich and all energy levels seemed zapped. This may be because of lack of match fitness of a number of players but Bullard and Murphy especially seemed to suffer. Bullard was not the same player as last year where he demanded the ball every time we were in possession and tried to make things happen; he looked disinterested and like he wanted one too many touches at all times. A tell tale sign he wasn't his usual self is that he was even let other players take free kicks and corners which surprised me.

A second Blackpool goal wasn't too long in coming, another scrappy goal following a run down our left resulted in Barry Ferguson/Grant Leadbitter beating Stockdale, and effectively winning the match.

Not long after this Jewell made 2 changes, JE-T and Scotland replacing Leadbitter and Bowyer. We then moved to an attacking 424 formation, with JET and Murphy as the widemen.

The game opened up at this point and there were a few chances at each end, with Ipswich creating 3 good chances. 2 of these were completely fluffed by Murphy. Twice he shanked the ball wide when he really should have tested the keeper, this was not good enough. Bullard also should have done better after Scotland set him away and we had men over and he opted to shoot and dragged his shot wide.

The final whistle came not long afterwards to end a disappointing second half, we allowed 2 sloppy goals and couldn't capitalise on any chances we created.

Positives

Collins made an assured debut and looks to be an astute signing. Scotland again looked sharp when he came on. Andrews looks to be the teams driving force and a good player.

Negatives
Bullard and Murphy don't look fit, perhaps not unsurprising but disappointing after an international break. We struggled to create chances until going to a 424 formation. Edwards was caught out of position a few times and needs to be playing behind an out and out winger so he isn't forced forward too often.

Overall
Paul Jewell needs to make some difficult decisions, he currently seems to be picking his 11 best players and trying to make a team out of them. We have no defined shape and by playing people out of position, especially Leadbitter, it is creating weaknesses across the pitch, i.e Edwards getting exploited. He needs to decide on a shape and get the team playing that way, if he opts to use Leadbitter as a right winger, he needs to shout and bawl at him to ensure he stays in that position.

While tactically analysing the last few games I am really disappointed in Jewell, nobody could argue that he hasn't improved the squad with some quality additions, but until he settles on a formation and drops some of the players that appear undroppable we are going nowhere fast. We need to have 2 genuine widemen and either play 424 or 451/433, until we start doing this we will not start picking up points consistently.

Up next
Our next game is at home on Monday against Coventry, we can't be any worse than when we were last on Sky and hopefully Jewell makes the tough decisions that face him next week. I hope we start with the same back 5, with Bullard (if fit) and Andrews (captain) anchoring the midfield. 2 from Murphy, JE-T and Carson on the flanks and Scotland has done enough in his last 2 cameo's to earn himself a start alongside Michael Chopra up front.