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It’s been a challenging month for Ipswich Town.
Since their victory over Coventry City in the FA Cup, Kieran McKenna’s team has struggled to secure another win, with five games without a victory, four of those in the Premier League.
If the Tractor Boys are to climb out of the relegation zone in the coming weeks, they will need to significantly improve their performances.
Today’s match against Nottingham Forest could offer them the perfect opportunity to do so.
However, McKenna will need to make several changes to the starting lineup, one of which should involve Jaden Philogene being dropped to the bench.
Why Philogene Should Be Dropped
In truth, you could argue that several of Ipswich’s starting players against Crystal Palace deserve to be dropped.
But when it comes to the attack, Liam Delap has been the team’s most dangerous player, and Jack Clarke is gradually settling into his role.
This leaves Philogene as the most likely candidate to be benched. After his disappointing performance against Palace, it seems the right decision to leave him out of the lineup.
The former Aston Villa player had little impact against the South London side. On the rare occasions he did have an opportunity to make a difference, he came up short.
Alex Jones of the East Anglian Daily Times was also critical of the winger, calling him “ridiculous,” a term used by ex-Hull City manager Liam Rosenior.
He gave Philogene a 5/10 rating and noted that it felt like the winger “hardly had any time in possession.”
Philogene’s stats from the game aren’t much better: in 67 minutes, he failed to score despite an expected goal figure of 0.65, took just 22 touches, completed only 57% of his passes, failed every dribble attempt, missed two clear chances, lost four out of six ground duels, and lost possession six times.
It was a forgettable performance from a talented player, one that should lead to his exclusion from today’s lineup.
Who Should Replace Philogene
With several attacking players out of form and McKenna dealing with injuries, Omari Hutchinson seems like the best choice to replace Philogene for today’s match.
The former Chelsea player made a brief appearance against Palace after recovering from a knee injury that kept him out of the FA Cup defeat to Forest.
He is expected to be fit enough to start today, which would be a welcome boost for Ipswich.
Though Hutchinson has mainly played as a central forward this season, he has also appeared on the right wing five times, so he should have no trouble stepping into Philogene’s role.
While he hasn’t been prolific this season, Hutchinson has been steady, with three goals and two assists in 26 league appearances, two of those goal contributions coming in the last four matches.
The 21-year-old has shown he can rise to the occasion, such as when he scored a stunning long-range goal against Manchester United last year.
Ultimately, there’s no guaranteed way to get Ipswich back on track against Forest this afternoon. However, with Philogene’s missed opportunities last week, replacing him with Hutchinson seems like a smart move.
