As bad as Muric: McKenna must now boldly drop 28-touch Ipswich star
Since their team has now suffered three straight Premier League losses, Ipswich Town fans will be worried about the future of their team’s ongoing fight against relegation.
Even their heartbreaking late-game loss to AFC Bournemouth on Sunday wasn’t the most disappointing of the lot; the Eagles’ 1-0 loss to Crystal Palace at the beginning of December gave them a commanding four-point lead over the Tractor Boys, who are currently in 18th place with just nine points.
Even so, it was a poor effort against the Cherries, particularly in light of the late collapse and Arijanet Muric’s subsequent poor goalkeeping performance, which intensified calls for his dismissal as Ipswich’s starting goalkeeper.
Muric’s performances this season
Only keeping one clean sheet to date in Premier League action, the Kosovan doesn’t exactly fill the Portman Road masses with confidence whenever he struts onto the field of play.
The former Manchester City custodian did put on a fantastic show when Ipswich surprised Tottenham Hotspur on the road last month, making five saves to keep the score at 2-1 in his team’s favour at the end of the match. However, the Ipswich number one appeared concerningly erratic in the closing minutes of their most recent match against Andoni Iraola’s visitors.
Due to Muric’s hasty departure to no man’s land, which gave Dango Ouattara the chance to cross into the box and allow fellow second-half substitute Enes Ünal to head home, Bournemouth scored their late equaliser of the day.
The Cherries number 11 remained vigilant and scored a goal after a rebound dropped to him, making Ouattara a hero right at the end as well.
Ipswich might have at least been able to rescue a tie if Muric had been able to get a more substantial glove on the first attempt to push it out of Ouattara’s path.
However, a Premier League victory in front of their home supporters continues to elude Kieran McKenna’s battered team, so it was not to be.
But Omari Hutchinson also had a poor game, so it wasn’t just the subpar ‘keeper who would be scolded at full time for their poor performance.
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