Two Weeks To Go… What Do Ipswich Still Need? | Sunday Debrief

speaker-0: What we've got at the moment is is not enough. So ⁓ tell us what we need in the comments. What else do they need to get in inside Portland Road?
speaker-1: Well, this is it. Absolutely. And and I don't think as a fan you'll ever be content. As a fan, I think you're always gonna want more. It's that it's that ⁓ you can call it greed if you like, but as a fan, we're never sort of satisfied. I think we we always could could do with wanting more. But I don't want this to become like the the the Sunday version of the briefing because you've been watching Talking Town across the week. You already know what's happened. We're gonna really add some meat to you know to those bones because we've spoken to Turf cast who have told us exactly the type of player we we can anticipate to see in Luis. And we saw a little bit of him yesterday. We've covered ⁓ UADA and we spoke to Michael from Football Aranya. Obviously that's a that's a transfer that could or could not happen, but it's always good to get that, you know, get that insight. We covered Lukage, spoke to the cottage, Tactico. So all of that is is on the channel. So rather than repeat repeat all of that, I want to ask you, Matt, has this week changed how you feel about Ipswich Town compared to where perhaps we were two weeks ago when we last sat down and and and you know did and did a live show together?
speaker-0: Yeah, I think so. I mean the fact that ⁓ I mean it's changed in the last twenty-four hours. The fact that Emerson's now scored a goal for us. Because I've got well we'll touch on this. I've got concerns about that signing. Well maybe we'll come to that. but s but certainly I think there's more optimism around the squad coming together at the moment because Sunderland feels l more like a winnable game for us. I mean, maybe we're just basing that on history. I mean, 'cause we're not starting with Liverpool, Manchester City back to back. I mean, we have got United and Liverpool, haven't we? Back to back in the first three. But it feels like we've got a game where we could get something out of it. That that that's probably a better way of saying it to start with at Bournemouth Road. Yeah. And that would be such a huge thing, wouldn't it? To come out with a point, three points, whatever it might be. Three points would be wonderful, wouldn't it? Because that's what stopped us last time around, really. It put the brakes on our season was we couldn't win at home for whatever reason.
speaker-1: We won once all year, man. Yeah. We won't so i I was talking to somebody today and they said anything we'll I said, Well we can't do too much worse than last time we were here because you won once at home, you had twenty two points. Like to you know, to go worse than than the last time would take some real doing, like a real wheels off moment. So it can't be too much worse.
speaker-0: Exactly, exactly. And I'm desperate for Gary O'Neill to do well and his signings to do well because I think we've got a great opportunity for town because spending another shed load of money here. We don't want to become a yo yo club, do we? ⁓ well, we've done 200 million, down they went again. Or they need to come back stronger next time. Probably 300. Yeah. So we need to be in a position to be able to stay in the division this time, to build, to follow in the footsteps of other clubs that have gone from the championship and stayed up there, Brighton, Brentford, etcetera, etc. So I'm desperate for Gary O'Neills to be successful and his signings to hit the ground running.
speaker-1: Yeah, as as we are all on it, you obviously a week ago i i i well a lot happened in a week in football. You a week ago midfield was a pretty major concern. Matasiwa is missing preseason, Taylor's missing preseason, and suddenly you've got Florentino Luis, you've got Saka Lu ⁓ Saksa Lukich coming in. The whole complexion of that area now feels really different. And obviously it'd be interesting to see where else we go. But in terms of the squad Overall, if you know, if if the window slammed sharp suddenly right here, right now, how do you feel about this squad? You know, you feel nervous, you feel you feel anxious, all those different things, yes. But overall, how's that squad now developed for you? Where where are you on the actual squad as it stands today?
speaker-0: I mean certainly it's looking more certainly it's looking more ⁓ physical in the midfield. I think that you'll get that from ⁓ Tino and you'll get that from Lukic. We were lacking that last time, weren't we? The physicality. We're a very small team in the pre take the lap out of the the equation. I th I think anyone from the from the ⁓ from the midfield and the strikers onwards, last time in the Premier League, we was a very small side. I remember thinking that when I was watching this play of Goodison, the two two. I was like, We seem very tiny. Like you had in CISO, Amari, Connor Chaplin, I think, plays in that game. We just seemed like a very small side back then. And now it feels like we've recruited to bring in some physicality, which is of course what we said when we went down back into the championship, wasn't it? Well, where did it go along for us? We weren't particularly physical. I feel like we're probably getting that with these signings. Certainly they've bought Emerson in, haven't they, on the back of him being having a fit Well, Stuart Watson called it in the East Anglian on their new app, the KOA app. They've brought someone in with a physical profile, but this this huge qu I what does everyone think in the comments here? There's huge question marks on this signing for me. I mean it's the weirdest signing ever. I mean, we've broken our club record fee. 25 mil to bring someone in who's ugly pulled up trees ⁓ to lose in France.
speaker-1: You're not happy with Yeah, he played really well though yesterday. I'm gonna we're gonna we're gonna get to him in a second, but he played really well yesterday. ⁓
speaker-0: Yeah, well, he scores the header, doesn't he? He scores the header. I'm sure another Portuguese speaker in ⁓ Florentino is going help him hugely, I think. I mean, ⁓ can't be anything worse than not being able to speak the language properly and no one's bounced off at a brand new country, brand new club. So that's going to help him enormously. I it's the fact that the irony, of course, is Tino puts the ball in for his header, doesn't he? So I they're linking up already. But it just seems a very odd signing to me. I think it's weird that he's a He's been termed by the East Anglians as a project. What do you mean? I wouldn't I would not determine us breaking our club transfer record of 20 now the 25 mil for a project. I would want breaking the club record for someone who's gonna hit the ground running and has got a little bit of a history, a bit of a portfolio behind him. He has none of those things. He has none of those things. I mean, he's not gonna be the number nine star in the games, is he? I at the moment I feel like it's probably gonna be Bizarrely, he's gonna be Akpom, who everyone kinda balks on the fact we'd paid seven million for him, given he got two goals or whatever it was in the championship. But I think he's had a very good pre season. I saw him score against Osasuna at Colchester. Then he got the goal against La Havre, didn't he? And he came on yesterday for what twenty odd minutes? I think he it would work. so ⁓ with the absence of some another striker coming in, I th I think it would be Akpom starting the season. But I mean who knows? Who knows? We don't really know at the moment, do we? But I don't like the fact that Emerson is being called a project. We're not in the space for project. Manchester City can bring someone in for big money. Got and big money, ⁓ 25 mil is big money for town. I know it's not for a lot of clubs, but for us it is. I mean, two years ago our record transfer fee was four, four and a half million for Sereni, dating back to 2001 or where whatever it was. So I think the bigger clubs can afford projects. I don't think if Citra the position to to have a project, given they got 22 points last time, and we need to build on that in order to stay in the division. To cement ourselves in the top flight. That's my take on it.
speaker-1: We welcome your taking it on the ⁓ take on it rather in the live chat. Do let us know. I'm gonna ⁓ obviously we'll we're gonna talk about Emerson a bit later on, but we'll bring him to the conversation. Now, I d agree and I disagree somewhat. He is a project, and you can be a project but still be somebody who leads the line a a and as it has expectation. He has expectation. As fans, we have to expect he's going to score goals. Whether he's alone in that, I I just I don't think he will be. I think we'll bring a striker in. But as of right now, he is the only striker outside of Aquaman Hearst that we've got. So he is it i i we are gonna have to expect him to score at least at least what the Lap scored last time. But we know in we need more. Not just from him, but from a whole range of different people. But De Lap's goals last time weren't enough. And to s to say, ⁓ well, I hope he gets what DeLap got last time, i isn't gonna be enough. He he played really well yesterday. He was really, really on it. His hold-up play was good. His movement was good. He took his goal excellently well. Luis was a great ball into the box. I'm a I'm a bigger fan of his, I feel, at this point in time than perhaps you are. I feel like you've you've gone for the 25 million. It needs to be somebody who can fire the fire us up the, you know, in terms of survival, as opposed to where I'm at, where I'm thinking actually, you know, tactic, I think he's been brought in and look. I'm not going to say our strikers don't score goals because that absolutely has to change. If you are to survive in the Premier League, your strikers have to score goals. However, Asterix, because he has also been brought in for a lot more to his game than just the goals. He'll need to do both, Matt. You can't be a one or the other in the Premier League, I feel. You've got to be able to do both.
speaker-0: Well, yes, but I don't think that's gonna be him. It's gonna be someone who's not in the building yet. But I think Well, yeah, I mean, absolutely. I mean, I'll be delighted if he proves me wrong. I mean, fantastic. I want him to do well. I mean, I was excited when he came in, but there's no there's nothing to look back on, is there? With Toulouse particularly. I mean, it wasn't that long ago he came out the I think it was the Turkish League to Toulouse for about one and a half, two million, and then suddenly Ipswich are paying twenty five million. To bring this guy in and is you're not like going, well, you know, he got twenty goals in the French league. I'm pretty certain that O'Neill would have tried to have gone back to Strasbourg for that Panicelli, who was his main striker there, had sixteen goals, I think, by end of February going into March and then got injured and he's out till Christmas. That's someone who would have come in, you pay twenty-five million, you go, Well, he's i in in the top flight in France, League Un, as they call it, looks good. But Emerson hasn't got that. I mean he's had a handful of appearances and a handful of goals. I would still love to know whether or not that's a Mick Court recruitment team signing or one that Gary O'Neill's, you know, there's whispers about him in the f in the in French teams and no one had quite pulled the trigger in in in bringing him in. But I mean, Town have. But I mean someone shared a an article in the Discord ⁓ earlier in the week where Scokloft had scouted him for Palace and said, Well, I'm not sure about him. Ain't got very got hasn't got a good touch, hasn't scored a lot of goals. He's just very physical, as Stuart Watson said, he's got a physical profile. But I certainly w As Ipsage Town, I wouldn't be spending twenty-five mil on ⁓ someone who's just got a physical profile in the future. But they have. But I'd love for that to be explained. I mean, please explain to the to the supporters why that is. Maybe that's why they want to get in C sowing. Because he plays the nine at par for Paraguay. They I'm not saying that would be would work in the Premier League, but he does play in that position. Well, Dyson can as well, but I would suggest maybe he's too small for that position.
speaker-1: Motherfucker. It wouldn't.
speaker-0: in the pre-am or ditto i in it in CISO really. But ⁓ I mean everyone keeps telling me it's very difficult to get strikers in. I mean look at the lad he's come in to replace Dyson at Celtic, Casper Hogue from Bodo Glimpse. Obviously you liked their manager, didn't you, when we were looking for managers. A lot. I think he got hat trick today against Kilmarnock. He could have been someone we could have brought in. He's got a good physical profile. He's still got scoring goals behind him in the championship.
speaker-1: But bear in mind. Bear in mind the level. Bear in mind the level though, I mean, does Corey and Darber still play for Kilmarlock?
speaker-0: He went to Italy, didn't he? Of course. ⁓
speaker-1: Of course he did. Yes of course he did. He did. But but what was getting at is, you in the sense of Corey and Darbu, who a player who was, you know, deemed not not good enough for our first team. You you've got to bear in mind the levels. Yes, you've got a hat trick, etc. ⁓ but you've got to keep in mind that level. I'm gonna come to the comments and we'll come back to what we were where we're going. Paul, judging by yesterday's game, things look more promising. Still a couple of areas of concern, one of which was that we caught we were caught napping by a couple of long balls. George Ack Palms no Hey, AD, one thing I find a bit strange, and Neil said he hasn't decided who was going to have and got. Yeah, I'm gonna just circle back to that, AD. It's a great comment. ⁓ Emily, welcome in. Hope you are well. Dean, Dino Wills. What a great username, Dino Wills. Does it show the actual picture as well? It does kind of. So it's a bit a bit like a is that a wacky racer? I don't know. We have to be very lucky to find us. We have to be very lucky to find a 20 plus goal scorer this season. If there is if there is one out there, someone will beat us to it. ⁓ Higgy Emerson was possible for all three goals yesterday. Yes, Higgy, come with a positivity. Come. With the positivity, because I'm with you. I'm fully behind Emerson. Do I want him as my out and out striker week in, week out? Well, no, but we'll come to that in a moment because you know, there's moments earlier in the summer where Matt where supporters were understandably looking at the squad and thinking, ⁓ there's still an awful lot to do here. There's still an awful lot to do. But whereas now, goalkeeper feels addressed, albeit we'll come back to A comment in a second. The centre half position feels addressed. You know Do you feel like the plan is now able to enter perhaps the second phase of its rebuild? And it is a rebuild, let's be brutally honest, where we can now start to really pinpoint on certain positions and and actually that plan, how do you rate that plan so far out of ten? You know, if the window slams shut again, like I said earlier, tomorrow, how would you sort of give us as a rating so far in terms of our transfer business?
speaker-0: Well, I think it's difficult, isn't it? Because you're still missing key players in the positions we've just been talking about. ⁓ but I'm I'm I would say it's probably a seven or eight to be honest. I'm really excited by Dyson Weda. Fatabu's look very good in the games I've seen. Tino and Lukic are gonna be a really formidable ⁓ duo for town in in midfield. I mean, what did Joe at Turf cast tell us? They called him the octopus, don't they?
speaker-1: Yeah, yeah.
speaker-0: I mean, it wasn't long ago. If you go back, probably, I don't know, eight, eight, nine years ago, everyone was talking about Florentino Luis as like being the next like a Rodri character. Yeah. I at Ben Figuey had 120 million release clause. But he's never touched he's got never got I mean, they're very difficult to get into Portugal with Phil, isn't it, given the the abundance of superstars that got in there. But he's never been anywhere close to it, which is maybe why he found himself at Burnley, ⁓ and Hatafe, I think is another one he went to. He did go to Monaco. doesn't seem to have pushed on a little bit. I mean, and now he finds himself at Ipswich, ⁓ a team similar to Burnley, relegation favourites with with bookies. So for whatever reason he's not quite reached the Rodri levels. But there's no doubt that I mean you score snapshot yesterday. He is a very good player. I think probably his interceptions and recoveries is better than maybe some of his passing game. But you saw yesterday he can put a ball in the sixpence 'cause Emerson scored the header from it. So that so that's encouraging. I but you know But the same like if such fans aren't particularly patient with some of these players, ⁓ it won't take much for Florentino, I don't know, to give the ball away like he did for Bernie and someone scores from it, and people will turn on him. Emerson doesn't hit the standards that people are expecting, people will turn on him. Like Casey McAteer, for example. He went season last season being criticised because he wasn't living up to the twelve million pound fee that we paid. So if Emerson doesn't hit the twenty five he's he's twenty five million quid.
speaker-1: I didn't
speaker-0: If he doesn't hit the expectation a lot of our sports have got, they'll get on his back.
speaker-1: And you'll be leading that line by the sound of it. So you're talking about both sides of your mouth there, aren't you, really? Because if you're saying we're not very patient, ⁓ I'm not sure about this, Emerson. I'm not sure about this, Emerson, you says.
speaker-0: Well well. Well it's not his it's not his fault we've paid it's like Casey. It's not his fault we've paid big ⁓ money for him.
speaker-1: It's not my fault either, is it?
speaker-0: Ipswich have identified him and thought, right, we're going to bring him in. And again, he's got no say in the transfer fee. Whether or not he's ready for the Premier League, there's a huge question mark there. There really is a huge question mark there. But I mean, if we can get another striker in, that may give us some answers. If it's someone who's on par with Emerson, because they were linked with that Espy, weren't they? Who's gone to Real Madrid now from the Van Sea? Well, he would have been another 20, 21 year old, wherever it is, 22 year old. ⁓ we're gonna need someone a little bit more seasoned, I feel, to come into the nine.
speaker-1: You waiter.
speaker-0: ⁓ like a UADA. Yeah, exactly. I mean he looks a good player, but is that a good move for him career-wise, to go from Fire Nord to play in Europe year in, year out, sometimes Champions League, sometimes Europa League, plays for Japan, played in the World Cup, scored goals at the World Cup, to come to town and find himself in the championship in twelve months. I mean that's a realistic that's a realistic thing that could happen, isn't it?
speaker-1: But it's not though, is it? Because, you know, DeLaps proved it, other players have proved it. You come in, you do well, you do your job, and you play the to to you know to the standard you can play at. And if things don't work out as a team, as an individual, people will still look at your stats, look at your return, look at your all these different things they look at these days. No, more and more teams are stat driven than it used to be. You know, one man, go and watch, have a look. ⁓ yeah, I like him. Right, let's go in for him. So yeah, yes and no, it would be a good career move. For any player to come play in the Premier League, the World's Elite League, the the world's league that's got the most amount of eyeballs on it, you've then just got to do your job. And and I think in terms of you ate up very exciting prospect, obviously a long way off. Brighton are were linked, I I think I read somewhere. In terms of Luis, I think why what's probably held him back just from the outside looking in, is that ability on the ball. You saw it yesterday, great ball in the box. When he gets time, he can find a pass. But as Turfcast told us, you've not seen this no you've not seen the Seen that show by the way, I know I'm biased, but go and check it out. It really is a good insight. As have all our videos been on the new signings. You know, go back to Emerson, Nathan. Yes, he was surprised at the fee, but did also link him in the same sort of profile as Olivier Giroux. I tell you what, if he comes out to be any, you know, just one one bit of a player of of of Olivier Giroux, that would have been a great signing, because Olivier Giroux is a fantastic striker. But in terms of Luis, when you press him, and you saw a little bit yesterday, when you press him, it can get a little bit Little bit, you know, you e you you're you're on the edge of your seat, thinking, Ooh, this could go either way.
speaker-0: Where Lucich will probably compliment him, I think. That's what I'm would envisage. Let me just clarify: I'm not Emerson out or I'm knocking Emerson particularly. I would love to know, as someone from a journalistic background, why Ips you should have signed him, though. That seems a natural thing. We've broken our transfer record.
speaker-1: Because those physical because brother look at your team though, Matt, and I'm sorry to cry across you, but if you look at your team, and I said this to somebody the other day, how many games do you think Its town are going to be favoured in realistically? Coventry home and away, Hull home and away, right? And then you and then you start to get into the weeds of well, you know, Sunderland struggle, Sunderland at home could be a fixture. You look back on and say, ⁓ we that was one we we were favored in, etc. etc. So for the majority of the season, you are gonna be back to the wall. Having to fight tooth and mouth for everything you get. So I can see the I can see the plan being, and I might be wrong. You're building a squad that's really difficult to beat, difficult to break down. You can spring a transition really quickly. But even when you transition, you're still going to have a back three, two holding midfield players. So if you lose the ball high up the field, you're not wide open, you aren't saying come and score against us for fun, you're going to be a real hard team to beat. But that only works if the outlook ball Is somebody who can make it stick. If it's somebody who, let's go back to NCISO for example, why I say that wouldn't work particularly away from home or against those other teams. That ball will come back again and again and again. And you saw it in the World Cup map for England. When you sit back, when you have that many defensive players and there's no outlook ball, you can't breathe as a team. You can't get out, you can't organize. And in the end, the overwide the overriding pressure gets to you. So I can see Emerson, those physical traits, brings the ball to his feet, holds up. Physical presence, centre-halves hate plan against him. And you're hoping you can bring him along to score goals like he did yesterday, ⁓ over time. That's why I think he's been brought in.
speaker-0: No one's actually explained it though, have they? I mean, I'd love someone just to explain what they've seen in Emerson in order to break our club transfer record. I mean, I'm not seeing anything other than that he's got a good physical profile. And then you take someone who's been around the block a bit, like Brian Brobey, right? ⁓ from IAX, went to Sunderland. I mean, he took a long while to get going in the Premier League to the fact that they kept bringing him on as a sub. I mean, maybe that's that's going to be the Emerson pathway. But he only scored, I think, seven goals for Sumden last season. Remember, this is Sunderland side that reached Europe. And I think Wilson Isidore got five. So they had a lot of goals spread across the team, which historically McKenna sides had done. That now then puts the onus a little bit on Dyson and Fatawu and whoever might play in ⁓ the ten role or however that's g going to look. Because there's not going to be goals coming from Matasiwa, Lukic. No. or or f or Al Tino, is there? I mean if you combine them all together over the last five years, I think they've scored about four goals between them. So the emphasis is going to be on in the attacking positions and I don't know. I mean Frank they're saying Frank's saying is Emerson any better than Al Al Hamidi? Would he well I mean
speaker-1: Yeah. Absolutely, of course he is. Of course he is. And yeah, he is. He is. And we saw it yesterday. Yeah. How many chances did he get yesterday, Matt? One. How many goals did he get yesterday? One. And it's that type of return he'll need next season because next season you aren't getting five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten chances to score one. That was our problem the last time we were here. That's the problem for a lot of promoted sides. Your centre forwards need to be clinical. Leeds had it ⁓ at times last year, Sun had it at times last year. Your centre forwards have to be clinical. I'm looking to my right here, in case you're wondering at home.
speaker-0: But it's
speaker-1: I've got my whiteboard and I've got all of my tactical scribbles. It is like that gif you see with the you know with the with the guy that sort of got scribbles everywhere and he's like talking about these. So I keep looking to my right to try and see exactly what I've scribbled down and how I think this plan is coming along and how I think Gary O'Neill, Mick Court, and Mark Ashon are building the squad. in terms of the goalkeeper, obviously Aiden mentioned earlier that Gary O'Neill said yesterday after the game he's not quite sure yet if he's got a number one or if he's decided on who his number one is, or whatever. I'm trying to paraphrase and remember what he said word for word. But either way, it it didn't say, yes, Kel Sherper is my number one, or Kane Van Hoven is my number one or Water's my number one. It was it very simple it was made to feel like a very much an open competition still. Now, could that be a man just trying to keep all his plans on his toes? Yeah, absolutely. But Kel Sherpa came in for his first taste of Ipsurch Town football at Portman Road. ⁓ I I want to be very careful with this one, okay, because I'm very aware of a certain ex-goalkeeper whose name may get attached very quickly and unfairly to Kel Sherpa. So I'm not going to go there. And I hope other fans at home don't go there either. But how did you see his performance, Mr. Phillips? Because you know, at times it was loose on the ball. At times it was you know, it was no, I'm not gonna say the name. I've said I won't and I won't. How did you see his performance?
speaker-0: I'll say it for you. People started likening him to Murich, didn't they? Because he had a few little dalliances on the ball and things of that nature. I mean, look, first, you know, first game nerves maybe at Portman Road, potentially. I mean, if you look at his stats for Union Saint-Jois, I they're pretty good. They're good. I mean, he had, I think, maybe two errors for goals. I mean, that's I I think we can excuse that, right? but people have been burnt with Murich. Overseas keeper comes in, big profile, like Sherpa. And you know, first impressions lasted unfortunately for Murich and he never got over that. I really like the look of Caden Van Overland, to be honest with you. I mean he's his passing, he's fantastic. I would have rather he kept was kept around because the rumour is that he'll be loaned out, isn't it? And then maybe Walton is not too far away from fitness and he would be the backup keeper to Kiel Sherpa. But from what I've seen so far, I would probably be starting Van Overland. I he has played top flight in in the Netherlands over the last 12 months. with Vollendam and eventually he was injured, I think, and eventually they get relegated in their playoff. but he looks a good keeper to me. Too good to be learning out, quite frankly.
speaker-1: Yes, I agree. And yes, when we spoke to footballer and you told us look, Kane Van Overlin will be your number one goalkeeper in a year or two's time. He's he's probably the right fruit shirt. And I agree. On the ball, on the ball, he looks like he he could play in midfield. He looks sensational, right? Yeah. He looks like he looks better than some of the midfield players we've watched on the under Mitt McCarthy, etcetera, etcetera, right? Yeah. But we've not actually seen him really face a shot. Yeah. Or I certainly haven't, ⁓ having returned for my holidays.
speaker-0: Yeah. He got beaten by that screamer against us as soon as he couldn't do much about that particularly.
speaker-1: Hence why I I certainly haven't 'cause obviously I I didn't see the see that game you're referencing. And the same for Kel Sherber yesterday, he didn't really face too much. And and what I did like about Kel Sherber, yes, he you know, he he didn't look comfortable at times with the ball at his feet, but command of area was there. You could see that, and you'd expect that from a six foot nine keeper. I mean he is huge. He I couldn't get over how just just how big he looked. You know, we we're we're a we are a team of giants now, and he still looked like a giant. It was
speaker-0: It's a coup yeah, he's NBA. I mean, Joe Roy's who used to call Tony Pudis' stoke that, didn't it? We're playing the land of giants. Yeah. Physicality, you see. Comes with the height.
speaker-1: It matters. It it it really does matter. But if you had to name a name a number one right now, ⁓ obviously you you know if you were pressed, Gary O'Neill ⁓ doesn't have to be pressed right now, but if you were Mr. Phillips, who would be your number one right now? And you at home, let us know at home. Who's number one right now?
speaker-0: I would probably go with Kane's Merciview, just because I've seen more of him play. I mean, when he's what what did Sherpin get yesterday? How many minutes did he get yesterday? Well about seventy, was it? Am I right saying that? It was something like that, wasn't it? Seven, seven, something like that. I just like the look. I just like the I like the look of Van Ivan. I like how he distributes the ball. He distributes the like Murich did actually. ⁓
speaker-1: Yeah, about that.
speaker-0: So I mean that that's you need that. I I the distribution and getting the the the move started is so key, isn't it, in the Premier League. ⁓ so I kinda like that. I kinda like what I've seen there a little bit. And look, I don't want to I don't want to sort of do Walton down either. I know he's been injured, but I he was our mainstay keeper last season. He's still around. Rumours of Palmer going to Wrexham, isn't there? Been floating around social media and various outlets. So it seems the free keepers are gonna be Sherpa, Van Overland, Christian Waltermove, one of those three. Going out on loan and it seems to be that the the consensus seems to be that became Van Overland. But for me, I would be keeping him around at the moment. I'd be keeping him
speaker-1: Yeah. All right. And that brings me on to sort of the the formation, if you like, which is arguably one of the most more interesting things from yesterday's game, not an individual, but the formation. What did you think of our formation yesterday? How would you see that translating into actual Premier League games? Are you starting to see a ⁓ see what Gary O'Neill is starting to try and really put together and build?
speaker-0: Yeah, yeah. I mean, you've always said like it would be a back three. You saw that bit yet. Well, O'Shea was actually right back, wasn't he? Yesterday. And I think when they dropped to the three, you were seeing T Tino come into the middle, weren't you? That that three ⁓ between Diop and Greaves, I think it was. so that's that was interesting to me. I they were certainly trying things, weren't they? And I certainly think they're gonna see some kind of if they get someone of of an equivalent to Leaf coming in, you're gonna see win you're gonna see the wing back play. I Leif's so good at isn't Well, scores two goals what, five minutes? What was it, the 17th, 22nd, something like that, just by pushing ahead. I mean, you don't get that from the right-hand side fullback, do you, in a chair or or furlong, or when Twanzabi was here. We've we've never really had that. I wonder if they can replicate just maybe that attacking prowess that Leaf brings on the left to the to the right hand side a little bit.
speaker-1: They won't. It won't happen. It won't happen. It won't happen. ⁓
speaker-0: If you look at sort of if you look at some of the the the the the articles were written about O'Neill's tactics with Wolves, certainly when they had the ball they would play like a three, two, five. So you are pushing the win backs up to make it the five with the three up top, aren't you? I do I would do the wolves.
speaker-1: Formation, yeah. I I don't think you'll see it too much. Am I wrong? Too much with this formation because
speaker-0: Be predictable though, would it not, just to have a left sided flank attack with with Leaf?
speaker-1: I you've got Fatawu out on the right, who who is your outlook ball if if if you need it. And I just think I I I personally think you'll see a you know, Maida when we have possession coming inside to player ten, which w which which which which allows Leif Davis that freedom down the left. I think I think we've got a player like Leif Davis who is so good going forward. And we saw it yesterday. You how many how many left backs do you see in preseason friendly try n Nin on a hat trick? Not many. There's not many. And he is really good going forward. Defensively, you've always got question marks about him. Yeah, absolutely.
speaker-0: Yeah.
speaker-1: So I think you've got to view him as a secret weapon and you've got to try and spring him as many times as you can, but you can't leave yourself too f too wide open. And I just think with the ball, what you'll see is a back three of the up, O'Shea and Greaves. Davis will go on, Maida comes inside, Fatawi is your right hand side. If you commit O'Shea, for example, forward, you know, in in the sense of try can we replicate Leif Davis? Which obviously you won't. But if you try and commit somebody in that position forward, you're leaving yourself very short if you lose that ball in the transition. You're you're suddenly chasing back, your numbers aren't there.
speaker-0: Leaf has that engine to get back. He's such a I mean his stamina is unbelievable. I mean, that's what I'm saying. Can we replicate that on the right hand side? Well, they've been looking at that Senegal defender, haven't they? He was at Monaco, Crep and Diata. ⁓ but I mean he's getting suitors from across Europe. I mean, one Basak has been mentioned in the comments. I think he's going Everton. I think he's agreed personal terms at ⁓ Everton. So I think he's gonna go there. I mean I mean that's as difficult as getting a striker in for me, really, to be able to because Leaf is such a unique player. Attacking wise. to be able to replicate on the right hand side, I think it's probably quite difficult. Well, we'll just have to work we'll just have to wait and see what happens. But ⁓ I d we don't want to become one dimensional because that's very easy to defend against. ⁓ well, the Ipsy's are gonna attack down the left with Davis and my Ada, and that could probably be negated quite easily if you know what's coming. To be able to vary up that attack either flank, I think you've got to be able to show that in the Premier League for me.
speaker-1: Which but the the problem you've got ⁓ though is is is how you how you do that. You know, obviously if you there's not many times you can you you're got a real big question mark, you know, and I and I know which way the club's gonna go with it. And it's it's interesting to see because obviously you've got ⁓ Issa Diop who you've brought in, who is by by far your best defender. By far. No question marks, no conversation to be had for me. He's your best defender. The problem is th you got Jacob Greaves who's who's who's your left footed player, right? You ain't got many of those with within the back line. Other player to the right is your captain. So you're not going to see your captain too many times on the bench. But equally, I don't ever want to see the up if he's fit on the bench. So when with with your with your question there about how can we spring that right hand side, obviously you've got Fatawi who you don't want to see too many times not in the you not in the pitch, particularly at home, particularly at Portman Road, where you want to be on the front foot potentially. What do you do? Because surely Dara Roche going to play and Shrey Diup's going to play, and then of course that's two right footed centre halves. So talk me through how you expect that to play out if you want to try and spring that right hand side.
speaker-0: Well, I I I think it will be a right wing back. That's what I'm thinking. I I I think we will play a right. So you're gonna have s so moving in so you'll have the two so Leaf will be the left wing back. Yeah. To be determined will be your right wing back. And then you'll have your three centred defenders. It's gonna be Greece to the left, the
speaker-1: Who drops So you're dropping Fatawi. So it'd be Fatawi making way then?
speaker-0: And a an O'Shea. Well, I mean but I think it depends on who the number nine is going who the number nine is gonna be. Well I d yeah, that's a good point. See look Fataru has played win back for Leicester before. I would suggest that's probably not his most best his best position. But I think you've got to double up on that side. I don't know, it's gonna be that's gonna be I think we need more bodies in the building to be able to work out what that's gonna
speaker-1: But I think that's why you're primarily looking at two holding midfield players. Now that brings on to obviously on to Lukic, who's also come in this week from Fulham. Two holding midfield players, it allows O'Shea to drift to the right. It allows for Tawi to come back when he's able to, but it just gives you numbers in the centre of the field and you're trying to funnel oppositions out wide, which is where the where where traditionally, yes, they can put a ball in the box, but they can't hurt you as much as if that ball centrally and they can play straight through you. It's just an interesting concept because You've brought in Luis and you've brought in Lukic. You're looking today, report suggest, at Palacios as well, who's a holding midfield player, albeit a quality holding midfield player, but a holding midfield player. not perhaps in the sense of
speaker-0: Now we've got now we've got Matasiwa in. We've got three now, haven't we? With that plasio somewhere, I don't see that to be honest with you.
speaker-1: Yes, we have. So i I'm I I'm very intrigued to see where they go with it because you know, as I said, you you you want to get perhaps a right wing back, but then where does Fatawu go? Is that to the bench? Are you gonna try and play as I know it it there's only all these question marks at the moment about our about our club? We're starting to see it though, you know, the the the formation, the press, we're starting to see these little things, but there's still so much to answer. And being frank says I'm still still of the view that Jacob Greaves is a bit of a liability at Premier League level. He lacks pace. Does Jacob Greaves? That's that that that's the issue with with Greaves. He lacks that that half a yard of pace for me. He saw it a little bit yesterday as well.
speaker-0: saw it a couple of years ago, didn't you? The the the palace game where he slips against Meteta to allow them to score. Yeah. I mean, is there is there an argument to bring another defender in? I don't think Kipro would be the answer on that side.
speaker-1: All right, before we go any further, a quick word about Oxford Natural, who is one of our partners today and their Optimum Day and Night range. But listen, first, I want to be clear and real. No supplement does the hard work for you. Real results still come from making healthier lifestyle choices. But people have asked, so what's different about Optimum Day and Night? Well, Optimum Day combines seven carefully selective active ingredients into one formula. Ingredients such as Hitchcholine to help support focus and mental clarity. Lion's mane to help support cognitive health. Natural caffeine and guana to help support energy and alertness. And because the night is just as important as the day, their night range combines six carefully selected active ingredients. Ingredients such as magnesium to help support restful sleep. Ascavana to help your body deal with everyday stress. So during the day, you've got seven active ingredients and at night another six active ingredients, working together as one complete 24 hour day and night system. And just look at some of the results. Robbie from AFTV and DR Sports and arguably the podfather of all fan platforms like this one has lost over £100. Michael Owen, a former Balland d'or winner and England International, has lost around £40. So if you've been thinking, it's time I started looking after myself just a bit better, why not take a look for yourself? Scan the QR code or click the link below and take a look to see just what optimum day and night is all about. And if you think it's right for you, use the code TT70. To receive 70% off your first order. Right. Back to the content. So, right now, let's go to what's needed still. Because we've discussed the midfield options there, Mr. Phillips. But we're still, for me, don't know about you, we're still missing someone who can unlock that lock, someone who can make us go, somebody who can create. Is that fair to say? Because Lucas came in, Luisa's come in, you know, Palacios being links. Where's the creativity?
speaker-0: Well, this is N Ciso, right? This is why they want to get NCISO in the building, I would imagine. ⁓ he gives you the kind of Clark Philogene X factor in the Premier League, doesn't he? You know, he gives you that kind of the weldy goals, like he scored we mentioned it earlier. He scores done the ⁓ Goodison against Everton that time. Yeah. He gives he gives you that and he's done it before for Brighton at Chelsea was what I think one of the the goals of the season or something. So he brings that to table. played with O'Neill. Well been managed by O'Neill in Strasbourg and he is keen on the move. But he I mean he's still playing pre-season for Strasbourg, so he's not in the country or having a medical as we sp well maybe he is now. Who knows? Who knows? But I would imagine that's a deal which you can get done, I would have thought, but it would seem like it was going to be well this would make sense really from their ownership point of view, doesn't it? It looks like if he was to come it would be a loan. Because I think really the long term objective is that he plays for Chelsea. That's a much easier deal to do, isn't it? If he's on loan from Strasbourg to Ipswich Whatever happens with Ipswich will wait to be seen, but he goes back to Strasbourg and then Chelsea can do business with their sister club in order to bring him to Stanford Bridge, it'd be much difficult to broker a deal with us, I would suggest, than that. So I think that's why it probably B would be alone. But that would suit town, to be honest with you. ⁓
speaker-1: It does feel like we've got a good relationship at boardroom level, but perhaps with with with the Chelsea ownership and our ownership. I mean, I obviously I don't know if if there's any sort of connection there or if they know each other or anything like that, but it does feel like there's a good working relationship. Certainly can obviously Delap went to Chelsea. Obviously, Amari Hutchinson arrived online on loan, then we signed him. ⁓ and C, you there's there's always different players that just have that Chelsea connection. So it feels like there's a good working relationship. So maybe not as difficult as as it would be, but certainly more difficult than your own sister company. I that that obviously that's a lot more a lot more difficult ⁓ than than than than announcement.
speaker-0: I think he'd be your creativity.
speaker-1: But do you not want the creativity in the centre of midfield? Because I've said Rob Hansert says, ⁓ I don't feel Nunez or Memeti at Premier League level. I completely agree with you, Rob, as the level has risen, what I saw yesterday of Nunez and Memeti didn't fill me with a whole lot of confidence. But do you not want for the you know, for those games, those very few games you are perhaps on the front foot, maybe favoured, maybe certainly in the game, you know, with with a real shout, Coventry, hole, etcetera. I keep saying those two names, because until we know more about league, those are the two names that you'll you'll forever say, well, you know. We need to get six points from there, et cetera. But for those games, do you not want a more a more creative midfield player next to your holder? You know, so perhaps Luke comes in and holds and then you want a more creative player. 'Cause you know, yeah, the ten, great. But where's my central midfielder that's gonna really be busy around the field and be that player that spots a pass and plays, you know, fatar we win or or or what or whatever?
speaker-0: I think Lucich can do that. I mean, Kish said, didn't he, in the the the show you did with him, really good interview with him. The problem he's got is he's neither a six or an eight. He sort of he treads between both, doesn't he? I think what people will see of Luki is probably what we've seen under Kahoose to be able to break up the play, to bring the ball forward, to pass it on to either a Dyson or Fataru or Alif Davis, and the the attack will go from there. I think you're seeing what you're seeing from Lucich is is gonna be the Kahooste two point zero. That that that's what I'm expecting. Yeah. Yeah. Someone who's actually a Premier League level. Well, he's done sixty-two caps for Serbia and played in tournaments. I mean, this is the level we're talking about now. What it's that's what I'm expecting really. But I d yeah, I mean, are we offering too much protection to the defence with just having a Tino, Luis and Lukic in there as your your your your midfield? It does feel like there's a space for someone else to to come in there. I mean
speaker-1: Just a lot better, hopefully.
speaker-0: I don't know. I mean but I mean I still think it boils down to who the nine's gonna be. Yeah, and you and you sort of play it back from there a little bit. yeah, interesting. I mean, when we boil it down here, I mean we're saying like what's the kind of the window like at the moment? ⁓ it's been pretty good. It's probably a seven in or bordering an eight out of ten. But when we start discussing it here, and I'm sure people watching at home or listening at home are thinking, well, actually we need someone in that position, we need someone, but it still feels like we're about five players short, doesn't it? When you're having this discussion.
speaker-1: Well it does and it di it just genuinely feels to me like phase one was about getting us really solid, really hard to be, a real you know and I don't mean this any disrespect, a real ugly team. Just someone you don't want to play against, someone you you you face and it's really difficult if you take three points off ⁓ you know it was a real battle and they're gonna turn up and spoil the day and take a point and and nickel win when they kn ⁓ when they shouldn't. All those different things. I what I expect now is phase two to be your the cherry on the top. To be the players that you w when you are playing those games. And there might be many, let's be honest. It'd be like 10 out of 10, 10 games this year where you think town really have a a solid, favored shout. You can put your own teams in there who you think they may be. But now I expect them to be those players coming in that are really going to unlock teams, be that central midfield, be that your 10, a center forward maybe in a in a different profile to Emerson. So somebody perhaps you can play off the last shoulder, a real fox in the box, somebody who's got proven goals throughout his career. That's where I think we're heading now. That's where I think this this phase of I'm gonna call it phase two. Phase two has to go, Matt. You have to now go and get players that are gonna hurt teams. Not not not with yellow cards, not with tackles, but we're gonna hurt teams with the with with the ball and and win you games at a moment you say, How did he just do that? I've no idea.
speaker-0: But that's Dyson, isn't it, for Celtec, the overhead kick against Rangers in the old firm and all that kind of thing. I mean, he he he brings that to the table. For Taru, we've seen first hand experience what he can bring. Scores from his own half against us, didn't he? So they they bring that a little bit. But yeah, I th I I I think you need that in the striker position. But as we were saying earlier, that's very that's very difficult to bring in. That's an interesting point there. Where does B where does I mean Ben Johnson has played right wing back for West Ham in the Premier League? I mean are we so
speaker-1: He's new as a left back.
speaker-0: He'd be a left back for you.
speaker-1: I think he's viewed as a left back. I don't he wouldn't be my left back.
speaker-0: He played but he played predominantly sp all his Premier League appearances, wasn't it? Sixty on the right, wasn't it? And he played that pretty well for West Ham to be honest with you. I mean when he when he left, I mean if we'd bought him, he left for a free didn't he? If we'd bought him, he'd probably be between eight and ten million, I would say. I mean he's in the building. he'd done a lot in the Premier League last time, I think back to No, well, yeah. I mean I think
speaker-1: So much. Ten million quiz worth though, Matt. That's that there's there's some inflation on that for sure. I mean you should be chancell you should you should be Chancellor with that type of with that type of figure.
speaker-0: I think back to ⁓ well I think that's what he would have cost you if you were gonna buy him from West Dam. I think that I think that was his that was his would have been his fee. As it is, we picked him up for nothing. But I mean he had some good performances in the in in the Prem last time, didn't they? I think Leicester at home is one that sticks out. ⁓ Fulham away. Didn't lose either of those games, did we? I mean we should have won the full month, shouldn't we? but yeah, maybe he I mean someone of Johnson it well, I mean I think Johnson's good, but he's He's a steady eddie, isn't he? He's a safe pair of hands. He doesn't do anything spectacularly well, which makes you think, like a Leaf Davis, which makes him almost undroppable. Leaf going forward. Well, you think if you take Leif out of the equation, you're going to lose a lot of attacking threat on the left. Because to take Johnson out of, if say he was right back, right wing back, for example, you think to yourself, well, actually, he's probably replaceable. That's the issue, isn't it? He doesn't he he he's a six out of ten. He's not a seven or an eight out of ten. That's his issue.
speaker-1: And the only reason why I say I think he's viewed as a left back is because I think obviously after the game, Gary O'Neill spoke to the press or spoke to some reporters, and he mentioned Harry Clark and he spoke about his right backs and he didn't mention Ben Johnson's name. Or if he did, I haven't seen it printed. And of course he can play left back, Ben Johnson. He's got there. He's got Yeah, absolutely. So I just wonder if he's you know, when you're discussing your right backs as Gary O'Neill was with Harry Clark, whether that was ⁓ just an accident and he obviously missed that name off when he should have included it. Or whether the thinking there is they're my right backs, Clark is obviously last on that list, Furlong, et cetera, et cetera. And actually I view Ben Johnson as my cover for left back. And that's why I'm not going to be bringing in a left back as as some as many fans are saying with always thinks to do. Because he can do You know, for me, Forrest in the Cup, for example, he had one of his best games in Grove's town, Forest in the Cup at left back when he came on ⁓ at left back. And ⁓ I've always liked watching Ben Johnson. I've always felt there's a good player in there and I wish I saw him more. Yeah. I wish I saw him more. But you know, obviously Kim McKenna didn't rate him in in the sense of a starter. And I just I'm perhaps I'm reading far too much into that that admission than I than I need to, or whether actually he is a left back in the sense of Gary O'Neill views him as somebody who who could stand in for Leif Davis should you know should we need him to. ⁓ eight to ten million though, I don't I'll I'll let I'll let the chat decide whether you've ⁓ overrated Ben Johnson there or whether you've valued him
speaker-0: I'm not saying that's his fee now, I'm saying that was his fee when he was at West Ham and had he left West Ham and we'd paid a fee for him, I think he would have been eight to ten million when he was a Premier League player with West Ham. But I don't know. I don't I've I think we've discussed this before. I don't know what you get for him now. Not great. But well having said that Harry Clark was gonna be three point five million to
speaker-1: ⁓ Yeah, that's very true, that that's I mean, you can you if you if you took fourteen million up fourteen million off Stoke for George Hurst and Harry Clark, that's a great piece of business. Like that fourteen million for the two of them. ⁓
speaker-0: Yeah. We've got people on our We've got people in our WhatsApp, haven't we? Saying if we need 14 million for them to, I'll drive ⁓ there myself. That we've always said that would make great content, wouldn't it? Fans actually driving for us to new clubs. We want that 14 mil, I'll take you myself. Yeah. Be ready at eleven. Yeah.
speaker-1: ⁓ Yeah, I'm out yeah, tech yeah. Start you start with the text, I'm outside, and then they come in with their bags, put them in the they got that long, silent, awkward journey. Imagine it would be good content. Yeah, yeah, it would be it would be it would be great. Great content good cont content. One of our new players, Florentino Luis, he's got some great content. Love it.
speaker-0: Yeah. Love it. Yeah, it was very impressive, wasn't it? Very dramatic it was. Yeah. Switching the you there's the Suffolk Punch horse and all that.
speaker-1: That's clear. But when I watched it twenty four hours before before the match video that he put out. Really? He obviously had his own driver. He sits in the back, those oxygen sort of tents round his legs. As you can tell Freddie doesn't do so I'm osteopaths. By the way, we are partnered with ⁓ osteopath, physiotherapy, counseling, other services. Ask him. He might have that service. I just don't know about it. Give him a call. I one four four nine six one three six three. That's I one four four nine six one three six three three. But yeah, I I have really enjoyed watching Florentino Luisa's content. I really have. It's been one of my one of my go to's the last couple of hours.
speaker-0: I lucky just gets sort of he's now away from training, isn't he? He just gets driven about. Interesting, you thought that was an oxygen tenant. I just thought that was a bit of a duvet, and he was trying to keep warm in the
speaker-1: It might well have been, but I thought it was one of you because I know that's quite big now, isn't Is it oxygen therapy where players go in? Yeah, I I could well be. And and ⁓ I could well be wrong. I don't know if I can look at the the video. ⁓ but I think we've done a great show this afternoon, considering we you know it was only a friendly yesterday. We've not read too much into it. We've had some great conversations.
speaker-0: It was a very good win, wasn't it, against the team that Palace obviously beat in the ⁓ Conference League final? I think they had six of their starters in that game, and they start their season next next weekend. so it was a very good, it was a very good performance from town. So yeah, ⁓ sort of similar to QPR at home money on the last day of the championship season. Out of the blocks quickly, scored quick goals. so that was pretty, I thought that was pretty impressive. Uni on Berlin next Saturday is going to be a really interesting one. 'cause they're on the customer starting their season as as are we. So I think we'll probably well, I mean, is are we going to have another striker in by then? Will Inciso be in by then? I I think that'll be as close as you can get to the starting eleven as possible without, you know, a surprise new face suddenly emerging from from somewhere. I think next Saturday. That'd be a real good test. And a good Bundesliga mid table side.
speaker-1: This is it. All right. I want some thoughts in our live chat. I want you to tell me your Premier League readiness score out of ten. How ready you think town are for the Premier League right now out of ten. And if If Twitch Town could make one more signing before opening day, what position would you be buying? I'll be going through those in a minute, so do get them in our live chat. Also, if you watching on catch up, people are in the comments. ⁓ but first you can get involved directly in our show by leaving us a voice message on Speakpipe nearly season time. Which means the speak pipe comes back. In fact, Matt, I have got one for you right now from the legend that is Mr. Bjorn. If it plays.
speaker-0: Everyone talking town. Be one here. ⁓ just wanted to drop one, probably quite an obvious one, what I'm dropping in tonight. I was a bit surprised when the story started breaking yesterday about Wes. I guess it makes sense now when you read the stuff about what he was saying about wanting a three year deal for cemented for him and his young family. Completely understand that. I think that's quite a noble reason to do it. From a personal point of view, I'm absolutely gotta just I know you can't live in the past, but I don't think Wes was in the past yet. I think he would have been we wouldn't get full to first first minutes, probably wouldn't even start. But twenty minutes in, Fatawu comes on, ra ravages him for seventy minutes, he comes on for the last twenty. There's no let up there. That's just pace, then pace. Going out and box crosses in, ability to score. I'm gutted. But it's happened, it's football, it's business, it's whatever happens. Personal note, my little man's gutted Archie, that was his favourite player he's ever known. So I'm gutted about that. But thank you, Wes. The goals, the celebrations, the smiles, the everything, the memories. Thank you. We'll always be a town legend. Always been one of my favourites. Always been my Archie's little favourite. Thank you very much. Good luck with the next bit of your career. I think you and Chappa's gonna rip link lead one for Leeds. ⁓ for Leicester, sorry. ⁓ yeah. Thank you, Wes. Up at Talking Town.
speaker-1: Excellent. Bjorn, if you want to get involved, you can follow Bjorn's excellent lead. Don't be shy. Get involved every single week. It's free, it's easy, and it's just like sending a WhatsApp voice message. Matt, Bjorn there with some real, real heartfelt words there in regards to Wes Burns' departure this week. Obviously, a story we have just gotten round to as how busy this week has been in regards to our football club. I think Bjorn said everything that we we feel there and said it much better than I certainly can. But just very quickly before we come to the the comments and what we've asked them. Your thoughts on on where's Burns departure?
speaker-0: Yeah, he's been brilliant for us, isn't he? It's quite emotional actually seeing him depart the club, especially after the carrot that was dangled they'd signed the new deal. We thought always gonna be around for another twelve months. But I I think the deal that he's been offered at Leicester is too good to turn down. His best friend Connor Chaplin is there. I it's such a blow for town fans, isn't it? To lose Connor Chaplin and Wes Burns in the same in the same summer. But those go Yeah, well I'm gonna watch Leicester with great interest next season 'cause I Connor, I love Wes and I really like Russell Martin as well. ⁓ so that's gonna be really interesting watching League One next season. But what I mean, look, beyond hit the nail on the head there. I mean, Wednesday's been fantastic for us. The first signing of the game change era. I can remember you you and Crunch texting me to say Wes Burns is signing for town. I was in Covent Garden in London, ⁓ when that when that came through. I can still remember that now. And he's been brilliant and he scored the best goal probably I've ever seen at Portland Road in the ⁓ in a town shirt, certainly, against Coventry. Yeah. Just fantastic. I mean, I've always loved the Fanidi George against Sunderland on that that kind of I think it was New Year's Day maybe, or them years back. But that goal was scored that day, the movement of that goal, the the the cross ball from from Connor to the left, I think, probably to Leaf. And then the the finish from Wes. Just just brilliant. Probably a question mark whether or not he is Premier League standard. I think he did probably struggle a little bit ⁓ when we were la we were last there. And then he seemed to be finding his feet, didn't he, when he tragically got that injury at Enfield. Done the eight he's ACL. So there was some unanswered questions there, sadly. But he has been brilliant for It's Ustown. Brilliant. I mean, look, l legends are your Paul Mariners, your Johnny Walks, your Mickey Mills. But I think within the modern era of ⁓ of of someone who would hit the Hall of Fame, certainly I think Wes ticks that box. He's been a brilliant he's been he's been him and Connor and and Leif ⁓ have been the the poster boys really of that kind of League One through to the Premier League to the champ back to the Premier League again. I mean, who's left now? Leaf, Bolton, Jules Hurst. Maybe Jules Hurst won't be around for much longer. So here we are going into a new era, but where's embodied that era, I think? And just brilliant. Yeah, I would say what Bjorn said. Thanks very much. Fantastic. Love what love watching him. Been brilliant.
speaker-1: Yeah, b absolutely. And of course with all the times you've mentioned Connor Chaplin over the past two years and the and and the pounds we've put in the c in the jar for you, you could probably go and see Lester play in you know in some type of suite, to be fair. So, you know. ⁓
speaker-0: To go and watch them to be honest with you. I mean, two of my favourite players, yeah, absolutely. I mean, look, Leicester should be getting 100 points next season, shouldn't they?
speaker-1: Hundred points, under goes?
speaker-0: Could happen. We've been there that road before.
speaker-1: We've all been on that right before, aren't
speaker-0: We need it. We didn't need it.
speaker-1: Yeah, well, nearly's not good enough though, is it? We didn't do it. ⁓ we've got s lots of sevens coming in. Liam DeLap says Bjorn, Bjorn the legend, Bjorn, who's got a contributor slot available to him anytime he wants it. So do get in touch, Bjorn. You know, you know my digits. Bradley, one more signing at right ⁓ wing back, Diata free tr free agent. Rob six and the striker, being Frank, who's also more than welcome to come on the show more than once next season. You know my digits. ⁓ seven. And we need a proven striker most of all. Andrew says striker. EJ says striker, in regards to the question, you know, the position we're which we're trying to focus in on next, etc. Jem, attacking midfield player. Emily, seven and a striker. It's not a want, it's a need for our striker.
speaker-0: I'm so I mean there doesn't seem to be much movement around Tati at West Ham, does there? Somebody signed from Lazio for about the same amount of day we've spent on Emerson, by the way. Scores two against Portsmouth yesterday. Rumors that he wants to go back into La Liga, which would make sense as a sp Argentinian Spanish speaker. Maybe he might go to Everton. Well, I'd suggest Everton would need someone of that caliber to replace that Barry and Beto. I mean they're bloody dreadful, those two.
speaker-1: Sorry, I'm laughing 'cause you call me earlier in the summer about Barry.
speaker-0: Yeah, yeah. Going back and watched the end of the shows, end of season shows last time, last time round. ⁓ I'd like to see Tan in that I'd like to see Tan in that mix, to be honest with you. I think he's a really good striker. I think he got what ⁓ six goals in eighteen appearances for West Ham coming in from that. I mean, that'd be fantastic for us.
speaker-1: Yeah. Ticks the box. Yeah, no, I don't know.
speaker-0: He's not gonna stay in the championship. He's far too good for that. Well, I mean Bowen's staying there, isn't But of course he's got ties to to family ties to West Ham and his father in law, right? So he's staying there. But I would like to s I I'm pretty certain Tati will end up back even in the Premier League or La Liga. I'd like to think Town would be in that conversation. Like I say, I mean he he would cost the same as what Emerson was.
speaker-1: I certainly wouldn't want to tell Danny Dora I'm leaving the club, would you?
speaker-0: God no. No, God. We stand for life. Yeah.
speaker-1: ⁓ he knew that the moment he married into the family as well. Like this is it, mate. This is it. ⁓ all right, we've got a question. We'll we're gonna end on a question from the chat. We love when it when the chat gets involved, leaves us questions, gets comments. We love it, we love it, we love it. Aiden says great to see after. Yes, of course, my son had his first game yesterday at Portman Road, which was a very big moment for me. Hence why there was no fan reaction or any sort of interviews after the game, because I very much was a dad yesterday. Very much. And squishums, Matt, are lifesavers. Life savers. Sweets, sweets, and sweets. So in the second half, when not a lot was happening. First half, buzzing. 3-0. Could we score a hundred, Dad? probably not likely. You know. Not that good. Absolutely. That don't worry, town will beat him out of that. Tan will beat it out of him. Don't worry. We've all been optimistic at one point. But no, as a dad, it was it was really great. But Simon says, question. Can this current squad get forty points? He says nowhere near. We need five or six in the door. But currently, as it stands, will this squad get anywhere near four T points? I'll make it easier for you. Will it will it get ten more points than twenty than we did than we got last time? So will we at least get thirty-two with the squad? Yes.
speaker-0: Yes. I think so. I think so. I think Gary Anne will be a much better manager in the Premier League than Kieran. He's more experienced in the Premier League for one thing. Very true. ⁓ you said there you can't do much worse. The key's the home form, isn't it? Our waveform was pretty good last time round, wasn't it? I mean we got the we we got the win at Bournemouth, we won at we won at Tottenham, we had good performances at Chelsea, we had a good performance at Villa, the nil-nil at Brighton. So in the Spanish there was good performances there. I our waveform was okay was okay. What let us down the course was the home form. We s we touched upon it at the start of the show, didn't we? One home game at the end of December. Yeah. I mean the t the the season's already nearly five months old at that at that point. That's not good enough. And Kieran got off lightly for that. Maybe not on this show, but I think certainly in certain in the met the medium with supporters because of the body of work he had as a legendary manager for us, he got off or he got away with that lightly. Gary O'Neill won't get away with that. Not in a million years will Gary O'Neill get away with one win between now and Christmas.
speaker-1: One wheel. And neither should he.
speaker-0: Well, given the wedge they're spending, no, exactly. But I but Kieran did. ⁓ so that's where we've got to that's where we've got to make up. So we twenty two points last time with one home win and a smattering of good performances away. So it suggests to me that we need at least another five home wins. And they were on the table, weren't they? I mean, we threw the game away against ⁓ Bournemouth. We probably should have beaten Manchester United. There's lots of results there. You can go back and think, well, the game swung in that second half, Liverpool won the opening day of the season. You speak to, you know, I'll speak to the Anfield rap a lot, they would have taken a draw after the first forty-five minutes opening day. And of course they come out, quality showed, they beat us 2-0. Somehow, this Gary O'Neill team, this squad of players, which I think is going to be a level above what we saw two years ago, is gonna have to turn a 1 1, ⁓ a 0-0 into three points for us. And that will be the difference maker. I think I think they can get to 40. And if you and I was today, if we were to get relegated on thirty eight, thirty nine, like what West Ham did, then we'll just have to swallow it. That's still a decent amount of points because generally that would keep you up most most years. I would suggest that we'll do this year as well, I think.
speaker-1: Yeah. And there we go. Two weeks. And I think we are getting there. I think this Ipswich Town Squad personally look looking considerably stronger than it certainly did seven days ago. ⁓ Luis and Lukic are through the door. And we've seen encouraging signs from some of the new boys. You have been absolutely excellent, Mr. Phillips. The people at home have been absolutely superb, absolutely superb comments. We love it. We appreciate you. We are back and we are heading in only two weeks to go, and we'll be there every step of the way. We've got more briefings, transfer deep dives. All of the content it will keep it coming. Hit the like button and subscribe and until next time here's been the Media Mogul, I've been the Gov and Steven says who's taking the penalties in this new lineup? That's a question we can ponder until next week.