Ipswich Town are eyeing an instant return to the Premier League this season, and Kieran McKenna will have a few selection headaches to contend with.
Ipswich Town suffered relegation from the Premier League last season. Despite a string of promising additions last summer, Kieran McKenna was unable to lead his ITFC side to safety.
Regardless of their best efforts, the Tractor Boys ended 16 points from survival with a 19th place finish in the top flight.
ITFC - Ipswich Town fans
Image courtesy of: MAJA SMIEJKOWSKA/REUTERS.
McKenna already has two promotions to his name during his Ipswich reign, and adding a third will undoubtedly be the target this term.
There are changes to contend with, however, following the £30m departure of star striker Liam Delap and the exit of club captain Sam Morsy amongst others this summer.
Solid additions such as Azor Matusiwa and Ashley Young will have softened the blow, meanwhile ITFC are locked in a transfer saga over the potential signing of Ajax ace Chuba Akpom.
As it stands, however, McKenna can only plan ahead with the tools currently at hand. So, who currently makes his strongest starting XI? We take a look here…
The current Ipswich Town squad
Before fine-tuning the squad down to its best XI, it is important to assess its current standpoint.
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It is fair to say that Ipswich Town are pretty well set in terms of depth, each position has multiple candidates for the role and McKenna is bound to enjoy the headache that it brings.
The only area that possibly needs bolstering is the midfield with limited defensive options available at present.
ipswich town, Young, Matusiwa in: Kieran McKenna’s strongest Ipswich Town starting XI as new campaign nears
Image courtesy of: DAVID KLEIN/REUTERS.
New man Matusiwa stands out as the only natural holding midfielder, whilst Jack Taylor and Cameron Humphreys are better suited centrally. Boasting more of an attacking threat, Sam Szmodics and Omari Hutchinson are also options in the middle of the park as things stand.
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There is not another area of the pitch that faces the same dilemma. Multiple goalkeepers, centre-backs, full-backs, wingers and strikers are at hand for the Tractor Boys’ boss to pick from barring an unlikely mass of departures before the window draws to a close.
Kieran McKenna’s strongest Ipswich Town starting XI
(4-2-3-1)
Palmer; Young, Greaves, O’Shea, Davis; Matusiwa, Taylor; Ogbene, Hutchinson, Philogene; Chaplin
The starting shot-stopper towards the end of their Premier League campaign, Alex Palmer gets the nod in between the sticks. His impressive performances in the second tier earned him a move from West Brom to Portman Road last season and he will be hoping to repeat those showings again this term.
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ITFC - Ipswich Town captain Dara O'Shea
Image courtesy of: ANDREW BOYERS/REUTERS.
Veteran right-back Young is unlikely to have dropped down to the Championship if he was not expecting to play, he slots in at right-back alongside Jacob Greaves, Dara O’Shea and Leif Davis who complete the back four.
Matusiwa is joined by Taylor in the heart of midfield, whilst Hutchinson is the clear candidate ahead of them in the more attacking role.
Out wide, Chiedozie Ogbene and Jaden Philogene are the standout wingers. Up front, Conor Chaplin will be hopeful of getting back to goalscoring ways in the Championship.
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