After a difficult start to their first Premier League season in 22 years, Ipswich Town appear to be a squad capable of staying up.
Kieran McKenna’s squad has already played Manchester City, Liverpool, Aston Villa, Brighton & Hove Albion, Tottenham Hotspur, and Manchester United, and they are only one point away from safety.
However, today brings another stern test as the Suffolk side face the high-flying Nottingham Forest at the City Ground, and if he is fit, they will have to find a method to deal with the outstanding Morgan Gibbs-White.
Fortunately, the Tractor Boys should be upbeat after their draw with United on Sunday, and they even have a solution for the Forest ace in one of their own exciting attacking players.
Ipswich’s recent form
Ipswich have gone unbeaten in their previous three league games, drawing away to Leicester City, beating Spurs, and, of course, collecting a legendary point at home against the Red Devils this weekend.
Ipswich’s Premier League record
Match
Opponent
Result
1
Liverpool (H)
2-0 Loss
2
Manchester City (A)
4-1 Loss
3
Fulham (H)
1-1 Draw
4
Brighton and Hove Albion (A)
0-0 Draw
5
Southampton (A)
1-1 Draw
6
Aston Villa(H)
2-2 Draw
7
West Ham United(A)
4-1 Loss
8
Everton (H
2-0 Loss
9
Brentford (A)
4-3 Loss
10
Leicester City (Home)
1-1 Draw
11
Tottenham Hotspur (A).
2-1 Win
12
Manchester United (H.)
1-1 Draw
All stats from the Premier League.
On Sunday, the Tractor Boys had excellent performances all over the pitch, including summer signing Dara O’Shea, who appeared to be a brick wall at moments.
Alex Jones of the East Anglian Daily Times gave the Irishman an 8/10 grade for his full-time performance, which was well merited based on his game statistics.
In just 94 minutes, he made four tackles, five clearances, two interceptions, won 10 out of ten duels, and even blocked a shot.
Along with the Irishman, Jones gave captain Sam Morsy an 8/10 for his efforts, which is difficult to argue with because, in addition to making two interceptions and one clearance, the Egyptian international kept things moving in the middle of the park, taking 84 touches and completing 67 of 71 passes.
However, while both starts performed admirably, Jones’ man of the match was someone else entirely, someone who could be McKenna’s Gibbs-White.
Ipswich’s answer to Gibbs-White
To get directly to the point, the Ipswich man who stood out on Sunday and could be the team’s answer to Gibbs-White is none other than Omari Hutchinson.
The former Chelsea great scored the Tractor Boys’ sole goal against United, received a 9/10 from Jones, and looked dangerous throughout the game, but why is he the club’s Gibbs-White?
Well, the first reason is his positional adaptability.
Like the Forest ace, the “superb” 21-year-old gem, as named by talent scout Jacek Kulig, can play off the right or in attacking midfield, depending on what the club need at the time.
This ability to play in two distinct sections of the pitch and do so well is an extremely valuable quality to have since it gives the manager greater freedom in how he lines up his team or reacts to the opposition.
Hutchinson’s Ipswich record
Season
23/24
24/25
Appearances
50
12
Goals
11
1
Assists
6
1
Goal involvement per match.
0.34
0.16
All stats via Transfermarkt.
The second reason is similar to what we seen on Sunday: the capacity to simply make things happen for their team.
True, the Redhill-born powerhouse has battled for production this season, but this is his first season in the Premier League, and in 50 games for the Blues last season, he scored 11 goals and assisted six times.
Furthermore, he scored important goals, including two in the season’s last game away to Hull City, and then scored the team’s second goal against Huddersfield Town on the final day of the season, securing promotion.
Ultimately, Hutchinson is an extremely exciting talent in his own right, but it is his positional flexibility and capacity to make things happen that distinguishes him as Ipswich’s own Gibbs-White, and McKenna must play him tonight.
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