What can Kieran McKenna’s Ipswich Town do to improve their chances of Premier League survival? | OneFootball

Ipswich Town secured their place back in the English Premier League for the first time in 22 years after back-to-back promotions from League One to the top flight last May.

The Tractor Boys have invested heavily to try and improve the quality and depth of their squad, while retaining many of the stars which led Town all the way from the third tier of English football to the top table.

Having made such a seismic jump in status, it was always going to be difficult for Ipswich to tread water in the Premier League. The gulf between the EFL Championship and the Premier League is becoming more like a chasm with every season that passes. However, Kieran McKenna’s men have been largely competitive in most of their games and, with 11 league games remaining, they are just three points adrift of safety.

Areas for improvement to bolster Ipswich’s survival hopes

Scoring more goals is the first, essential step for Ipswich to take. One of the best measures of a team’s attacking threat is expected goals, which gauges the quality of goalscoring chances created. This doesn’t paint a pretty picture for the Tractor Boys. In fact, they are at the foot of the table for xG, even lower than bottom of the league club Southampton.

Ipswich’s top scorer is England U21 international ace, Liam Delap, who has caught the eye of prestigious clubs like Chelsea and Manchester United with his performances during his first full season in the Premier League.

Delap was influential in Town’s fine home win over Chelsea in December, giving the likes of Axel Disasi a torrid time in defence.

Delap has scored eight goals so far this campaign, but only three other Ipswich Town players have scored more than once – Sammie Szmodics (4), Omari Hutchinson (3) and Jaden Philogene (2).

Ipswich need to try and turn more of their draws into victories. At the start of the season, they secured several creditable draws against the likes of Fulham, Brighton, Aston Villa and Manchester United.

However, the reality is that Town should’ve won at least two of those games and failed to convert their chances. An extra four points added to their current tally would lift them out of the relegation zone.

Town also need to try and stop conceding early goals, especially away from Portman Road. The average time of their first conceded goal sits at 18 minutes for away games, well below the 25-minute Premier League average.

Reasons for optimism in the Ipswich camp

Ipswich’s fate remains in their own hands. Despite a desperate recent 2-1 home defeat to bottom club Southampton, they still have a home game with Wolves and an away game at Leicester to come. Winning both of these would go some way to giving them a points total sufficient for survival.

Ipswich supporters will have breathed a collective sigh of relief following the announcement of Alex Palmer’s deadline-day signing from West Bromwich Albion. The £2 million deal gives Town another senior keeper, which is much-needed considering the recent groin injury sustained by Christian Walton.

The form of Aro Muric has been worrying to say the least. The former Burnley keeper has been directly at fault for five goals this season and his indecisiveness has caused his defence to lose complete confidence in the Kosovan.

If Palmer can come in between now and May and provide an unflappable, consistent presence between the sticks, Ipswich could have a more stable base to build from.

There’s also the potential for Town’s stronger players to grow into the league and terrorise defences. Omari Hutchinson, Jaden Philogene and Jack Clarke all have star qualities and may start blowing more hot than cold. The January loan signing of Brighton’s Paraguayan forward, Julio Enciso, is another inspired move which gives Ipswich a potential match-winner.

Whichever way Ipswich’s second half of the season turns out, the Suffolk side have future-proofed themselves impressively with their recruitment. By signing the cream of the Championship crop, Town know they have the core of a side which is effectively too good for the second tier, giving them the best possible chance to bounce back at the next attempt.