Ipswich Town, unlike fellow promoted side Southampton, have managed to secure some early Premier League points. While Southampton have lost all four of their matches, Ipswich earned two hard-fought draws against Fulham and Brighton, despite tough losses to Liverpool and Manchester City.
Goals haven’t come easily for Kieran McKenna’s team, but new signings Liam Delap and Sammie Szmodics have each scored, with Szmodics even finding the net against Man City. Ipswich’s two goals give them an edge over Southampton, who have only scored once so far this season.
💥 Liam Delap has been nominated for the @premierleague Goal of the Month award for August, following his superb strike against Fulham.
Supporters can vote for Liam now. ⤵️
— IPSWICH TOWN (@IpswichTown) September 5, 2024
Despite a goalless draw against Brighton in their last match, McKenna is hoping the goals will start flowing soon.
Szmodics and Delap struggled during that game, barely touching the ball and failing to trouble Brighton’s goalkeeper, which has left McKenna wondering if he should have signed more attacking players before the transfer window closed.
🔥 𝑷𝒂𝒓𝒓𝒐𝒕𝒕 𝒐𝒏 𝑭𝑰𝑹𝑬
🤩 Troy Parrott is Man of the Match with four goals!#AZ #azhee #TheFutureIsOurs | Powered by Kansino pic.twitter.com/Z3hxbAwZ7u
— AZ (@AZAlkmaar) September 14, 2024
One player McKenna might miss is Troy Parrott, who had a disappointing loan spell at Ipswich in 2021. However, Parrott is now thriving at AZ Alkmaar, scoring four goals in five matches this season, including a stunning four-goal performance against SC Heerenveen. His red-hot form in the Netherlands makes Ipswich’s version of Parrott seem like a distant memory.
With George Hirst back as an attacking option, McKenna hopes his team’s offensive output will improve. Next up, Ipswich faces Southampton in a crucial match that could significantly impact the bottom of the table.