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“Why Are Ipswich Struggling as the Season Progresses?” – Skysport pundit Candid Opinion amid Blues’ Heartbreaking Decline will leave you speechless
When we were promoted to the Premier League, a friend shared some wise words: “The journey will be a lot more enjoyable than the destination.” Unfortunately, he couldn’t have been more accurate.
Because right now, it’s hard to deny how miserable it’s all become. Every match feels like a repeat of the last. We play reasonably well, but when it matters most, we lack the quality to get over the line, and we end up on the losing side. Again and again.
The sad truth is, we’re going down. We’re just not quite good enough. It’s as simple as that. We’re not far off, but we continually fall short in the crucial moments that decide games.
Take Saturday, for example. There wasn’t much between the teams, a few chances at either end, but Palace found that one moment of Premier League quality to win the match. Just like they did at Portman Road. Just like so many others have done against us.
Kieran McKenna and the players always talk about “learning” from these experiences, but the reality is, we’ve actually regressed.
You can split the season into two parts. The first half was full of optimism, and that brilliant win over Chelsea at home gave us all hope. I honestly thought we could survive and prove the national pundits wrong.
But since that high point, it’s been downhill. Our league record since then? Nine games played, no wins, two draws, and seven losses. We’ve scored eight, conceded 25, and earned just two points.
It’s been nothing short of a disaster. Why have we gotten worse when we should be improving?
A big factor has been the injury crisis. Last week, McKenna’s press conference was more about our injured players than anything else. He listed no fewer than ten players on the treatment table. Our squad can’t handle that.
And why are we getting so many injuries? There’s plenty of talk about training methods, but I think the real issue is that our players are pushing themselves to their absolute limits just to compete at Premier League quality, which puts them at a much higher risk of injury.
This has meant we’ve never been able to settle on our best starting XI. There are so few nailed-on starters. Liam Delap, our new goalkeeper Alex Palmer, Dara O’Shea, Jens Cajuste—after that, it’s a bit of a guessing game. And that’s not ideal when you’re already up against it.
Another huge issue is our loss of confidence. The fight and courage we had early on have completely disappeared. Our attackers, with the exception of Delap, don’t even try to take on defenders anymore. The final ball, the decision-making—it’s all so hesitant, so passive. Everyone’s too scared to make a mistake. It’s frustrating to watch.
We can no longer rely on others to help us. Wolves are pulling away, and with another vital point on Saturday, they’re steadily getting further out of reach, even without Matheus Cunha. His possible ban for the rest of the season won’t change a thing for them.
So, it’s time to face the reality of a return to the Championship. I’ve heard people suggest McKenna has been signing “good Championship players” for next season’s promotion push. While I hope that’s not the case, it’s clear that, even with a couple of departures, our squad would be strong enough to challenge in the Championship.
It’s a tough thought, but it’s time to be realistic.
With just ten games left, can we go down fighting? Of course, McKenna and the players will give their all. Our incredible supporters deserve nothing less.
Let’s end on a positive note. In Alex Palmer, we’ve found a really solid goalkeeper. He’s not just talented, but he brings positive energy to the squad, and that’s good for the morale of everyone around him.
If only we had signed Palmer in the summer instead of the error-prone Muric. That could’ve been a game-changer. So many “if onlys.” But it’s too late now…
