607: Kings of Anglia: A good weekend for Ipswich Town

20:30Ross Halls:It's like a lot of players when they go over that white line they just switch don't they and he's one of those but I always sort of see him because when he does the throw-ins he's always pacing himself I'm going to take this whenever I want to opposition fans do not enjoy that but I do like it

20:47Stuart Watson:Takes a couple of yards over every throw as well just to get people going, all those little tricks he's got a lot

20:53Ross Halls:I like it, good old Darnell and he also was leading the celebrations at full time he was the first one out there and I got a really nice picture of him going yeah and I was like yeah love that so yeah just someone who goes a bit under the radar because once again he's a full back I know Leif Davis will get on to very shortly but he definitely deserves to get a bit of praise good old Darnell so that is great AJ 1-0 up happy days but yeah I wanted some more though I wanted more goals but they didn't come no they didn't and they did have chances uh chances for getting that that second goal in the first half um good opportunities actually before they took the lead and also afterwards as well um it just felt again like everything was was starting to click i was really impressed with the way that at the start of the second half they kind of had this five minute period of finding their feet.

21:49They still managed to keep Derby at arm's length. And then as soon as you get to kind of 50 minutes, it was right, we're back up to speed again. Chance creation, good opportunities. I think it was actually the second half with that Burns chance I mentioned after the break. I think that was the 51st minute. And four minutes after that one, even Azon had a good opportunity to make it 2-0 as well, kind of heads into the ground. Another game where probably he did a lot of good stuff, even as on but didn't really fall for him at the same time um he had yeah good good space manipulation if that makes sense the way they were able to spread them the back line around because i thought especially in the first half matt clark was just getting in front of everything and the way that they then managed to kind of ease him out of the way a little bit more to open that space i thought was really really good um but you have to take your chances you have to be clinical um especially with that little burst after the break if wes burns puts that into the net it's probably game over if um even as on heads down into the net it's probably game over um but they weren't able to do that and then it ends up being kind of a another situation where as soon as mattesiva commits the foul i think it was quite clear at the time but replays made it clearer there was a foul i i think it was here here we go again we've seen this story before and that was kind of the gutting feeling.

23:15Ross Halls:Yeah, where were you at, Stu, then, when, of course, Derby scores that penalty at Brewster? Real and Brewster are getting that goal, and you're like, oh, no, here we go again. It's 1-1. Still had plenty of minutes left on the clock to get a goal, but what were you thinking at that point?

23:30Stuart Watson:Exactly that. How many games have we said this season where Ipswich have had tons of chances, not taken enough of them, and it's come back to bite them? The Burns chance is the biggest one. Tries to take it first time. Smart save from the goalkeeper, but it's a really big chance. AJ's mentioned the Azon header. There was one where Jack Taylor fired wide after some good work before that. Leif Davis had a corner come back off the face of the bar, albeit there was a foul on the goalkeeper. Ipswich had started the second half on top, and then out of nowhere, Derby get the penalty. I'm just so pleased that that didn't prove to be decisive because that would have been so harsh on Azor Matasiwa, who once again was immense in midfield, wasn't he?

24:19Stuart Watson:But it was a penalty. There's no doubt about it. He doesn't get the ball. Penalties tucked away. And all of a sudden, the crowd is alive again. Hometails are up. And as Alex said, it's a game that sort of ebbed and flowed. Derby did have spells on top, periods of pressure, There are periods where the home crowd were vociferous, but the way Ipswich handled those moments in the game was exceptional. And the way they got themselves back in front in this game was exceptional also.

24:54Ross Halls:Yes, it was indeed. And a really good goal. I think you've got to appreciate it. We've got to give it a lot of appreciation with the Leaf Davis goal, AJ, because I enjoyed it. Watching it back, I watched it many times. And it's a lovely moment as well for Casey McIntyre. We can have a nice little segment on him as well, it shortly but um yeah talk us through this goal and what what you enjoyed from it first thing i'll say as well is that those tricky moments that ipswich managed i think they managed them better than i probably appreciated on the day thinking back at it where i think kind of being in the car back i was thinking you know what that's really tough moments in that game where it felt that derby had them on the ropes happened a bit in the first half but also that kind of five ten minute spell after um they were not 10 because they scored after 10 but that the spell in between the penalty and davis scoring the winner i was thinking oh wow actually that was that was really tough and then when you look back at it they didn't actually create that much and and ipswich even though they had players like adjurbang running at them and there were a couple of bits maybe that they would like to improve upon in that spell didn't allow derby to really lay that much of a glove on them, which again, I didn't really appreciate until having a few hours to think back on this game.

26:07Then yeah, they go and get the winning goal. It's Anis Mometti, the orchestrator of this again. My God, he's good. And we're going to talk, I think, quite a lot about that in a few minutes. He creates what probably the best open play chance of the first half. And then it's another very similar kind of ball where he just, it's defence splitting, opens up Derby County, plays the ball up to Casey McIntyre, who, first time I watched it, I thought, oh God, he's overhit this cross. He's got a lot of power behind it, but he's actually placed it perfectly. He's got a real whip onto it. Davis has positioned himself well.

26:42He's got Akpom in front of him. Davis has said, leave it. He's positioned himself well there as well. And then the header, it's not quite a bullet header, but it's like a really powerful looping one. There's someone on the line for Derby He tries to overhead kick it off, which I thought was quite fun. Doesn't make the contact with it and really goes into the back of the net with some force, leaving Vickers with no real chance to stop it. His second-headed goal for Ipswich after his first Ipswich goal full stop, which was at Oxford, where he could hardly see the ball in League 1. And there you go.

27:17He's managed to get another one here. I've not seen loads of them, but that's up there with one of my favourite Leif Davis goals. That was really good.

27:27Ross Halls:Yes, and let's hear from Leif Davis and I'll get your thoughts, Stu, afterwards. He's also going to be discussing his celebration, which is a nice touching celebration because he's going to become a dad soon. So here's Leif Davis on his goal and celebration. I'm going to ask you in terms of the quality and the build-up to the winning goal, the work between Anis, and it was a lovely moment for Casey with the quality of the ball in.

27:46Stuart Watson:Yeah, 100%. Casey's worked his arse off, sorry for the language, but he's worked so hard. and he knows his qualities, we know his qualities, that's why he's here. The stuff that he brings is what we need as well from coming off the bench or even starting a game. He's a quick, powerful lad, he's very direct and he's a good athlete, and that's what the team needs for people to come off the bench like him to get that moment, and he took it. In the last game at home he came on, he worked his socks off as well, he looked like himself in that game, pressing the ball, being with everyone in position.

28:26Stuart Watson:And yeah, I'm buzzing for him because he's worked hard and trained and got his head down and he knows what he's got to do to try and get into the team.

28:32Ross Halls:When you score a goal, they tend to be memorable. Had many headers down the years?

28:36Stuart Watson:Well, I don't even think I've scored a goal off the floor, I don't think. All my goals have been off the ball off the floor. So I think I need to keep chipping it up maybe to myself and then hitting it. But nah, nah. It was a perfect delivery. I said to Chuba Chuba, I was about to try and jump for it. But I was like, nah, nah. Like, try and leave it. and then I just tried to place it, which I did. I've seen the gap where the Keeba stepped across quite early in his net, so I just tried to glance it in and it went in, so I was buzzing. Anything in the celebration?

29:06Ross Halls:The ball was tucked up the shirt?

29:08Stuart Watson:Yeah, obviously I'm expecting a little girl in April time, so I'm buzzing with that, next chapter of my life as well. So yeah, I had to do that for my little one. but yeah I was buzzing especially when my miss has been getting on to us the next time you score you've got to do it so I was like I promise you I'll do it and then I scored obviously well the Swansea one went down as an own goal but it was a goal to get back in level of the game or go into lead so I couldn't really do it there but that was a perfect moment to do it

29:38Ross Halls:Just finally what can this win do for belief heading into of course three more away games two of them in the league

29:43Stuart Watson:Yeah definitely I think we've just got to we've got to keep that belief in the team the humility as well is key for us it's always been a bit a key factor for her and that's what we thrive off big belief in the team togetherness stuff like that and we showed that today and I think that's what it's got to take every game not just at home but away games as well

30:04Ross Halls:What a lovely lad isn't he Leif Davis what a lad and yeah he's gone under a bit of criticism this season a little bit as well I felt like from some town fans but yeah really good moment for him and I love that celebration Stu I'm sure you enjoyed that one and yeah, he just guided that head of in

30:22Stuart Watson:Yeah, really wholesome interview that isn't it? Even apologising for the language, for using the word arse I enjoyed that Leif, he's really grown as a person I would say at Ipswich Town, he's not someone that I'd have necessarily thought of as captain material in the early days but he's certainly he's talked about that being something that he's motivated to do in the future and I can see why I think he's you know he's really grown as a as a person in terms of the criticism this season yes the assists haven't quite been there as they were in the last championship season I think a part of that is down to the slight sort of change in in the system at Ipswich with sort of a different type of winger in front of him and he's been playing this more inverted role that he's been trying to get to grips with I do think he's improved defensively um was a couple of moments where Brereton Diaz sort of got him in behind him in this game but in general you know his ability to to win defensive headers and do that sort of nitty-gritty side of things have improved and what what a header that was I mean that is you can't understate that technique you've got to watch the ball the whole way out of the air it's going like he says it's going over the top of people he's got to tell people to leave it he's then got to you know keep an eye on what the goalkeeper is doing and then execute it as well uh it's a really good goal and when you chuck in all the build-up to it as well uh and the pressure situation very

31:55Ross Halls:very good goal indeed yeah big moment and aj i haven't got the audio to play if you can bring up you asked about about those sort of set pieces in training or just how can you sort of bring that to a proper match when you're in training because yeah they're not i know they play on like big pitches and train them but yeah talk us through what he said about that yeah i think that the main part of it was like left backs don't get up the pitch to score open play headers i think is the the main part of it um i don't think that if you go through football as a whole you usually see a fullback bombing up and then getting on the end of a cross to score a header i don't think it's a common thing certainly hasn't been for leaf davis i don't think it's been ips which will stop and I don't think you see it that much in football across the board.

32:43So for him, the big question was, how do you almost go and practice that? What is the side of things that, given that you're not into those positions that often, how do you get to a point where you can put that good a header into the back of the net? And it was quite interesting he was talking about. He and Kieran McKenna had both spoken about how it's an area of his game they want to improve. is getting headed goals and being able to do that side from open play too. I think he referenced that McKenna and the coaching staff have been getting some crosses in for him to practice. And Darnell Furlong, I think, has been doing the same to get headers into the back of the net.

33:22And you could see that the training's worked really well there. So, yeah, I mean, that's another weapon to the Arsenal that Davis can add because obviously we know what he does from open play. He does the inverted role where he comes narrow. He goes wide as well. But if he can add, well, we want to see a bit more creativity from him, of course, from open play. But if he can also be a threat in the box at times as well, then he's going to have a lot of strengths, isn't he?

33:49Ross Halls:Yes, indeed. And Stu, I want to talk about Casey McIntyre because what a cross it was for Lee Davis' goal. A big opportunity for him to hopefully now kick on. He's become a bit of a scapegoat this season because of the transfer fee and some performances. I've always felt he's going to be fine you know I think a lot of people sort of really just went no he's not good enough but for me I always felt no give him some time still a young lad and a big moment for him and hopefully he can kick on

34:16Stuart Watson:Yeah huge moment for him as you say he has been I think plenty of evidence that there's a player there in him had some really lively cameos off the bench and could easily have had three or four assists to his name by this point had his teammates been more clinical with chances that he's produced away from home he started games and put a lot of work ethic in Millwall on Boxing Day springs to mind someone that's really helped with the defensive side of things as well but with the price tag the longer he went without having a goal contribution to his name the more it kind of grows into a bit of a psychological block and he was one of the first that would get mentioned when it's talking about sort of, well, the recruitment's starting to look a little bit patchy now and Leicester fans were saying that's a lot of money for him.

35:11Stuart Watson:So this was a really big moment for him, I think, and you could see it in the sort of celebration that he had. If you watch back the celebration after Leaf, he sort of arrives late on the scene and it's a real passionate guttural roar towards that away end I think born out of sheer relief that that sort of weight is off his shoulders now and yeah hopefully he can kick on because he's been brought in to be to share some of the attributes that Wes Burns has that Ipswich work this system works best with a quick direct right winger and Casey McAteer can hopefully be that. Yeah, he came on and made a real difference, as all the subs did in this game.

35:59Ross Halls:Yeah, he seems like another lovey lad as well, AJ. And yeah, I think he'll put his hand up and say, yeah, he's missed some big chances as well this season. But, you know, when you see this, it's a massive confidence boost for him. Yeah, absolutely. I mean, we've spoken before about how difficult it's been for him adapting to leaving his boyhood club for the first time on a permanent basis, at least, despite the loans. Coming to a team where probably, I know Leicester were probably hopeful of mixing it to get back into the Premier League, but the expectations are much higher and the expectations of him as well were going to be higher.

36:36I think if he was going to stay at Leicester, it was very clear that his minutes were going to be limited behind Abdul Fatahou. But in this one, it became clear with Burns out and Sindra adapting to English football, that he would have to play a fair share of minutes. And that's a very difficult environment to come into when he hasn't even, let's be honest, for a 24-year-old, hasn't played loads of minutes and games in his career. To that point, he'd been brought into it based on the attributes that we've seen from him over a short period of time. And McKenna's very specific in mentioning about not just the pace, but the physical side of things as well and how he's still growing at his age and there's still more physical development to come from him.

37:20So I think that the criticism to an extent is fair. I would have wanted to have seen more from Casey McAteer. We all would. He would. McKenna would. Probably would have expected some more from him as well. But within that, at the same time, you have to look at what he has done. And I know that's not translated into loads of goals and assists, but a lot of the work that he's been putting in has been good and the effort, it's not for wanted trying, is it as well? The effort is very clearly there. I'm hoping this can be the start for him. I'm hoping that he can click. Got some real competition on that side, of course, with a couple of other wingers but I really hope that he can start really pushing them to get some more minutes on this team.

38:04Ross Halls:Defo. Stu, we're going to talk about some more individuals in a minute but let's just round up the game because Town hold on to the 2-1 lead. Derby didn't really show much, to be honest. I was a bit disappointed by them in the end, in a way. But yeah, did you like how Townsville ended that game?

38:24Stuart Watson:Yeah, very much so. It might even be my favourite part of the game, actually, the game management side of things after going 2-1 up. What was it? 77 minutes. Derby have then got nothing to lose. they threw a lot at ipswich but ipswich you know dealt with it took the sting out of it and it was rolls reverse boot on the other foot from the uh from the reverse fixture where derby sort of deployed the dark arts and the time wasting um not not quite on the same scale because that started much earlier in the previous game and i would imagine the ball in playtime um stats are certainly not comparable.

39:10Stuart Watson:But Ipswich, yeah, was streetwise in the way they saw this game out, whether it be taking the ball into the corner, kicking the ball away, slowing up free kicks being taken.

39:24Stuart Watson:Yeah, it's different ways of looking at that, isn't there? But it has to be a part of the game, like it or not. And I thought Ipswich did really well to get this one over the line and frustrate the home crowd.

39:38Ross Halls:yes indeed yeah big big three points on the road aj let's talk then about some individuals we're going to start with anis memetti because what a player i'm calling him it's my nickname you know i'm not doing a heathy thing he if you know he gives nicknames and he curses the player but i'm he's a pitbull in my eyes he's just everywhere he just i just love it um your thoughts on anis memetti because um yeah he came off the bench at cheville united he's always struggled to make an impact. Preston game, did really well in that one. This one, he's involved in both the goals and he was just everywhere.

40:13Yeah, I called him star in East on last week's pod. Nobody cared, apart from Mark, who messaged in and said that he liked it. Thanks, Mark. That was great. At least someone listens and likes my food-related player-named jokes. But yeah, he's been exceptional and it's continued to build over time now, which is obviously going to happen as a new signing. I thought we saw some good glimpses, to be honest in difficult circumstances you mentioned against sheffield united um then with the preston game i thought over the course of his time on the pitch he was the most lively attacker he was the one where if something was going to happen from open play it felt like it was going to be from him uh even though his corners in that game dearie me he's a bit of work uh and then this game wow up another notch again um it felt like everything went through him the ball kind of sticks to him there were times when you'd have two or three derby defenders trying to get it off him and he was able to wiggle away um he's able to he seems to have this real connection with the team as well it doesn't feel like he's a january signing at all it doesn't feel like there's an adaptation period his relationship when he drifted because he kind of has this half winger number 10 role he ends up drifting left and right and his relationship with both of the fullbacks is really really strong um and also with the wingers as well where um the way that he's spotting the runs that they're making and being able to play those balls through was excellent.

41:38And there was the chance for Burns, we mentioned, and obviously playing a part in the goal and setting up McAteer for the cross. It felt like Derby didn't quite have the answers for stopping him in this game. No matter how many bodies they put on trying to prevent him from getting into the final third, it didn't happen. And when he was there, it felt like he had the X factor to be the difference. So hugely impressed by him. If this is the start of things to come for Anis Mometi, then good laws. They've got a real player on their hands at Ipswich Town, and Marcelino Nunez will be watching with intrigue from the sidelines as well.

42:16Ross Halls:Yeah, McKenna's going to have a bit of a headache on his hands in the 10-roll. Of course, he's got left-wing headache already, although the philagene injury sort of clerks there at the moment. But, Stu, what have you liked then from Mometi so far? We've got some audio to play from McKenna shortly, but yeah, what have you liked?

42:33Stuart Watson:I was kind of aware that Anis Mometti was a very talented dribbler when he came to Ipswich. And that was my kind of external view of him, just from watching highlights and reading bits about him over recent years. He had quick footwork and could take people on. I didn't quite have an appreciation for how good his kind of vision and passing was. some of the through balls that he's played, not just in this game, but in the three times he's been on the pitch for Ups, which have been outstanding. The one for Burns we mentioned was an incredible defence splitting pass. And the other part of the game, again, that I probably didn't have the full appreciation for is the bit that your moniker, your nickname alludes to, Ross, is his kind of his aggression, his edge.

43:28Stuart Watson:He's got that eye of the tiger about him, that nice bit of sort of arrogance about him as well. He reminds me of a bit, sometimes certain players come along and they carry themselves a certain way, a young Wayne Rooney or a Steven Gerrard or someone that just, and I say arrogance in the most sort of respectful way, in a good way. It's got that, you know, I don't care who you are. You know, I back myself and I'm going to get in your face and I'm going to work hard. and from minute one when he came on the pitch in difficult circumstances at Sheffield United, he was organising teammates, cajoling teammates, trying to whip people up and there's an infectiousness about the way he goes about things.

44:16Stuart Watson:Yeah, he's hit the ground running. I thought he was a good signing and I think we all knew he was a snip for the price they got him but he's exceeded my expectations and probably even Kieran McKenna's in his own so far. It's been a really, really good start for him. And as you say, big decision to make once Nunez is fit again.

44:39Ross Halls:Indeed, yeah. I hate to say this, boys, but I think he's going to be one of my new boys. He's one of my new favourites, Mimetti. So I don't think that curses players. I think most of the time when I go, he's my boy. They normally do pretty well. So continue that. But let's hear from McKenna on Mimetti. because he gave him a lot of praise. Yeah, I think he's an outstanding player. And as a person, his hunger to improve, to come in, to soak up absolutely everything that he can coming into a new club, a club in a different sort of dimension to where he's been over his last, you know, since his career started.

45:19Ross Halls:And he's just soaking it all up and wanting to learn and wanting to show what he can do, but help everyone else. and it's a really, really good impact to come into the team and play like he has and give what he's given. We're enjoying working with him. Yes, indeed. AJ, Stu, good old Heafy. Didn't do a... What does he normally do again? Knee-jerk poll. Knee-jerk poll. He's done a snap, Sunday snap poll. He's done two. One of them was, when fit, who should start at the 10? Marcelino Nunes or Anas Mometti? Nunes has got 53.4 % of the vote while Anas Mameti's got 46.6 % now he's 328 people voting on X AJ where are you going with it when they're both fit I know it's hard to decide but yeah I'll put you on the spot here what do you reckon?

46:14Yeah I'll use this as a bit of a teaser for the 6am I've got going up tomorrow where I've looked at five positions, I'll tell you what they are why not, left-sided centre mid where you've got Daniel Kuyusta Nunez you could have in there as well and Jack Taylor right wing where you've got Wes Casey McIntyre and Syndra number 10 where you've got well I'm about to discuss then left wing the obvious one Philogene and Clark and also the striker battle with Hurst, Azon and Tuba Akpom so I've looked through all of those and who I think will get maybe the lion's share of minutes between now and the end of the season and this is kind of the whole piece is based off this argument about the number 10 more than anything where we've had the debate about left wing for a lot of the season and now it's starting to creep into other positions as well, which speaks volumes about the depth.

46:59And this is really, really tricky. The kind of cop-out answer that I'll have for you here is I think they're really going to share a lot of minutes in that Marcelino Nunez, I think, has played more than Ipswich would have liked in the first half of the season, given the fact that Smoddix has had injuries and hadn't really kicked on in that kind of second striker role. before leaving on loan in January. And Chubratpom hasn't fit that role either and has been kind of moved into the number nine profile instead. And that left Marcelino Nunez, basically, to carry a lot of the burden by himself. And now he's got that injury.

47:37They will want to be careful with it because he's got a history of injuries as well. So when he comes back, hopefully for the Wrexham League game, they're not going to be playing him Saturday, Tuesday, I don't think. They're not going to be trying to get loads of 90 minutes out of him. So they will be spreading that out. and I think you will see lots of times where Nunez will start on a Saturday and you'll have Mehmeti come in and start the Tuesday and the following Saturday and then Nunez comes in the following weekend. It will be spread out like that. I think you'll see a lot of rotation. Who do I think will get the majority of the minutes?

48:08Really, really difficult this one. I'd probably say Nunez would be the more likely, but I think it will be quite even. I think you'll almost end up with a Clark and Filagene situation where you look at the appearances that they've had and the minutes that they share, and it's going to look very, very similar. Come the end of the season, my doorbell goes off. Sorry. But yeah, that's how I see it with that number 10 role, I think.

48:33Ross Halls:Someone's at AJ's door. Is that potentially Nunes going, hello, I'm coming back? Because obviously Nunes does take three kicks. He scored a few good ones. I don't know if he's got that in his locker. Has he got that in his locker? I haven't seen him step up. I'm not too... He did take a free kick in the game against Derby because there was one where he and Davis were stood over it and it was Mometti's cross instead of Davis's shot. I don't know if he's had too many set-piece free kick opportunities, but he likes to score from range. Could he be good on dead balls? I need to double-check and see what his record is, but plenty of times I've seen him bend on top bins for Bristol City.

49:18that Oxford goal just keeps standing out to me. It's so, so good.

49:22Ross Halls:Very good indeed. Stu, get you involved in this. What do you think? It's just great to have that option, you know, that depth there.

49:30Stuart Watson:Yeah, I think what is very clear is that Ipswich's attempts to have a sort of a second striker in that number 10 role haven't worked, be it Schmodix or Akpom this season. they need more of a creator in there in the 10 role they've now got two in Nunez and Mometi I'm still not convinced that 10 is Nunez's best position I know his numbers have been good in terms of assists Ipswich signed him to to play a deeper role and kind of fell upon him as being the solution to 10 by chance. I think I'd be leaning more towards Mometi at the moment. It might be a little bit of recency bias, given what we've just seen at the weekend.

50:21Stuart Watson:But I think that's where I'm at, yeah.

50:23Ross Halls:I'm the same. As you say, he's very recent because the last two games he's played. But for the Norwich game, I think you've got to start Nunes just for that game, especially for that return at Carrow Road. But I want to also mention a player, because I think I'm in love, boys. Azor Matasiwa, just incredible. And he conceded a penalty in this game, but we forgot about that because full 90 minutes, he was just fantastic, wasn't he, Stu? Just less praise, Azor Matasiwa. I think we've spoken about him a lot this season, but he just gets better and better. How good is he?

50:59Stuart Watson:Yeah, exceptional. What did Ipswich pay for him, did we say, in the end? Just shy of£8 million. last summer. What an incredible bit of business. A lot of talk about whether it was the right time to let Sam Morsi move on, but lots of qualities that they've missed, of course, with Sam Morsi not in the dressing room, but on the pitch as Omata Siwa has taken on that role brilliantly, hasn't he? Baptism of fire at Birmingham on the opening day, but has just got better and better and better ever since. We talk about the adaptation of players coming to England for the first time. This is a guy that hadn't been speaking English as his main language for a long time.

51:50Stuart Watson:He rocks up and he's doing what he's doing this season, doing it with a smile on his face way out in front in terms of interceptions, just reads danger so well and has got all the attributes to be a Premier League player. We talked about some of the things that maybe Ipswich missed in the Premier League last season in terms of athleticism and physical profile of players. He certainly looks like someone that will be in the Premier League this season, dare I say, with or without Ipswich. He would be one that if Hipswich weren't able to get over the line, I think he'd be someone that would be having interest from Premier League clubs because he's been that good.

52:33Ross Halls:Oh, yes, so good. And I just love this picture. Just look at it. Just smart. This is before he was doing his fist pumps. He's now 10 out of 10, Azor. He's learned how to do a proper fist pump now. And, yeah, just incredible, AJ. You know, just have your say on it as well because, yeah, I loved Sam Moore's as well. I thought he was fantastic. but Azor Matasiwa has just been fantastic. Yeah, he has been. I mean, the defensive work that he does is incredible and it can so easily go under the radar like this. This, for me, this weekend was a standard Azor Matasiwa performance and that's the bar that he's setting with the performances he's putting in.

53:13He makes the defensive side of his game look effortless. He comes off without very rarely having to kind of put in a sliding tackle, getting muddy, dirty, whatever. should we also mention as well the fact that he's gone a hell of a long time without picking up a yellow card because we keep talking about how he's one booking away from that two match ban when was that last yellow card I'm just about to have a look the last card he picked up was against Stoke on December 10th so that's 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 it's about 10 or 11 games roughly that he's gone without picking up a yellow card and he's played the full 90 in all but the Leicester game.

53:54Every single other one he's played 90 minutes and the performance levels have been exceptional. So deserves real credit. The on-ball stuff I think is improving. That was probably an element where I thought Morsi was quite clearly, I'd say, better than him at the start of the season. And now you're starting to see more of the dropping deep, picking it up. The way he's picking the pass is really, really good and that's developing week on week. at 27, especially knowing that midfielders, defensive midfielders can play for ages. At 27, he's got a lot of years left in him as well to play at, I'd say, whatever level he wants to reach.

54:33He's really exciting.

54:34Ross Halls:Yeah, I know it's not his game, but maybe just one goal, just please. I think you've got to add at least a goal a season. A big screamer. A big moment. Maybe just like Sam Orsey did against Watford. scores an absolute late winner. That would be love. That's my hot take for that game. It's all I'm going to see when I do that, hopefully. But no, brilliant praise for him. Any other business then, boys? Any other players you want to mention? I want to mention Dan Neal because, of course, he made his debut. First impressions of him then, Stu? On loan from Sunderland, we know he's obviously got quality for the championship, but he hasn't played much football.

55:10Ross Halls:But he came off the bench, I think in the 75th minute for Jack Taylor. And yeah, encouraging start for him.

55:15Stuart Watson:Yeah, I had a couple of other notes and one of them was Dan Neal, who comes on for his debut and in amongst all the love for Mameti, maybe gets a little bit lost that Ipswich have made another very good January signing, seemingly, and Dan Neal, who came on and was another one that was straight in the thick of it in terms of leadership and organisation. someone who obviously wore the captain's armband for Sunderland another one who played a brilliant through ball from deep to set up a counter-attack as well someone who always wants to play forwards so Alex has mentioned some of the battles for different starting spots in there if and when Azor picks up that booking I'm far more relaxed about that than I was before because Dan Neal could slot into that position no problem and there's every chance he could get in as Azor's midfield partner sooner rather than later as well.

56:12Stuart Watson:I would imagine he will start the FA Cup game at Wrexham on Friday and if he does well, maybe he stays in the team. We'll have to wait and see. So he was great and that through ball that I just mentioned was for a certain Tuba Akpom who ended up coming on as a left winger in this game. We've seen him play as a, well he was signed as a 10. we've seen him then sort of got you know transitioned into a number nine for a little period and in this game with Jadon Filagene still out injured and McKenna wanted to keep Mehmeti in the number 10 slot because he'd been playing so well he chucked Chubarak as an inside left forward and he looked quite good in it to be honest didn't he he had a couple of chances from there and seemed to suit him and says it's something that they might have another look at going forwards at certain moments as well.

57:02Stuart Watson:So that was interesting.

57:04Ross Halls:Yeah, that pass from Daniel, I think he had too much time, didn't he, Tuba? He had too much of the pitch left to go. I don't think he was ever going to be able to finish that goal because it was just a big, big, you know, he had too much time. But AJ, yeah, you want to have your say on both of that? Because, yeah, I thought Tuba did well left. And, yeah, Daniel, you know, good encouraging first start game. Yeah, really good start. for Daniel in a brief glimpse off the bench like what we've seen there. He's going to bring real quality to this team, I think. Adds a bit of competition into midfield.

57:40Obviously, he can do the cover role for Matosira, as we've discussed. Just looking at what he's done for Sunderland in the Championship before, I feel like I'm a bit of a broken record saying I think he's the halfway house between Taylor and Jenski Uster, being able to do the off-ball work that Taylor does and the silky on-ball play and passing of Jens. But I think that is what he'll be able to bring. Tew Brackpom, intrigued by him playing on the left. I don't know how many minutes he'll get there. With Villa Jean out, my hot take is I'd start him on the left against Wrexham. Why not? Give it a go.

58:16And give Jack Clark a bit of a rest as well, going into that midweek, not midweek, Friday night cup game. I think I mentioned, we've spoken about Darnell Furlong, the shithouse. I also want to mention Darnell Furlong, the football player, and what he was able to do on the pitch because he had a real tough task where Brewster on the left wants to bomb forward. And he's also got Ajamang, who's a left-sided kind of striker, wants to kind of drift to that side. That was a really difficult afternoon for him. And I thought he handled it really well. Drew loads of fouls, won the most duels in the game, handled that side really well.

58:51So really impressed with him.

58:52Stuart Watson:Who was that slide tackle on in the second half, AJ? He came racing across. That was a proper full-backs. Yeah. Ball, man, everything, didn't he? I enjoyed that. I think it might have been Rhian Brewster. There were some excellent tackles in this game. Big credit, to be fair, to Matt Clark at Derby. He had some proper hairy-ass defender tackles in the first half. And the other thing I'll mention as well is good luck, Derby County, because your new signing, Sam Smoddix, is a dead ringer for your number 10, who's currently playing, Bobby Clark, and you're not going to be able to tell the difference based on what we saw.

59:25They look identical. They do.

59:29Ross Halls:They do indeed. I don't want to dampen the mood, but is there anything you didn't like at Pride Park, Stu? Anything that, you know, okay. We're praising things, which is great. We don't want to get too carried away because it's just one big result. But anything to let the viewers, listeners know, oh, maybe we need to work on that and, yeah, things you didn't like.

59:52Stuart Watson:Two things I didn't like from this game.

59:58Stuart Watson:Neither of them are related to Ipswich. One was the Derby County free kick routine just before half-time, which was hilarious. Two players standing over the ball, and they produced three dummy runs. So the original guy ran up, then the second guy, then the third guy, and then eventually the fourth guy went to deliver and failed to beat the first man. ridiculous you didn't like that that was one of the funniest parts of the afternoon it was excellent yeah i i enjoyed it um but also it was yeah it was ridiculous um it was just just a way to get these two bits in to be honest and another bit that i did enjoy really was the steward um completely messing up an attempt to kick the ball back into play midway up the half he was where was he was up in sort of the corner part of the stand, wasn't he?

1:00:49Stuart Watson:The ball ended up with him. So you've got the away fans on one corner, and then you've got the main cluster of noisy Derby fans, and then you've got the other corner to the other side where you've got some stairs. The ball came out to the steward, and he went to throw it back onto the pitch and just launched it into the back of a fan's head about 10 rows down, full on. The fan had no clue what was going on. Yeah, that was an excellent moment as well. That didn't really answer your question, Ross. I just wanted to use that as a way to get those in. In terms of, from an Ipswich perspective, probably there's not a lot that I can nip pick in this game, really.

1:01:27Stuart Watson:It was quite complete in terms of played some good stuff, were resilient when needed to, game management at the end, subs made a difference. Away fans were great. It was a pretty good day at the office, I have to say.

1:01:42Ross Halls:Yeah, I don't know why I've input that as a note, you know, is there anything you didn't like? because yeah I'll do it I'll do it why not come on then I'll do it I'll be the one and it's really really critical but take your chances because they could have been they could have been in a much more comfortable position they did not need to be pegged back to 1-1 they had enough opportunities to go and make this one more comfortable they could have won by two or three goals and it's kind of a little bit of the story of the season that we've had where Ipswich's chance creation puts them quite comfortably towards the top funnily enough with Southampton, who have been rubbish all season.

1:02:18But Towns just haven't been good enough at taking their chances this season. Luckily, they do get the two moments to do it, and the other side of the game then makes up for it. So if you can do that side, if you can show your resilience, win your battles, scrap, fight, then it takes the pressure off it. But then if you don't, like they haven't done in the previous weeks, then if you miss your chances against Sheffield United and against Preston, that's where you drop your points. So they didn't take their chances that many in this one, but they managed to make up for that with the other side of things.

1:02:50So again, it's something I want to see improved. I do want them to be more clinical in the final third, but that is very nitpicking because I think that they were pretty much excellent in every other regard over the weekend.

1:03:00Stuart Watson:Minor notes then while we're on this topic. Even Azan, stay on your feet a little bit more, please. You're much better. look at the Bristol City game when he focuses more on sticking his falls and staying on his feet and battling, this was back to kind of being on the floor a bit too much for my liking but the work ethic was always there as it always is from even Cedric Kipre had a couple of slightly nervy moments up against Azjomang, he's not been in the same sort of height of his form from earlier in the season the last few games but we are nitpicking as I say it was a good performance all round

1:03:42Ross Halls:big three points for town alright then boys any other business as we wrap up a very happy KOA podcast I've had a few of those this season but this one just feels very significant especially after the result Stu anything else you want to mention my friend

1:04:01Stuart Watson:no I don't think so I've been spending this morning penning something on do Ipswich really want an FA Cup run this season ahead of Friday night's game at Wrexham we can debate that a little bit more later in the week I think

1:04:17Ross Halls:yes indeed AJ anything else from you no no further business excited to come back later in the week and discuss the Wrexham game I'm not going to be up fair enough my friend and yeah we'll find out spoiler we get would you like a cup run?

1:04:36Stuart Watson:Would I like a cup run?

1:04:37Ross Halls:Yeah

1:04:40Stuart Watson:I've written the way I've written this is I've basically argued both sides of it and I've convinced myself on both aspects to be honest so I don't think there'll be too many tears shed if it's which go out and I don't think there'll be too much gnashing of teeth if it's a kind of a fringy team that's put out, which I think it will be. But then on the other side of it, win games of football, build momentum, get the feel-good factor going. Sometimes you can overthink these things, can't you? We'll come back to this one anyway. I think we're going to preview that in a bit more detail, aren't we?

1:05:21Ross Halls:Yes, indeed. And we're only a few wins away to Wembley, so an opportunity to go there. But there we go. It's a sound in Europe again. Well, I wouldn't mind that. It's been, well, this next season, or this, I think, September time, it's going to be 15 years. No, 25 years, sorry, since we last were in Europe. We had the European tour. So I'd like to see that. But we'll get there first. Anyway, though, boys, thank you very much for joining me. Stu is looking at something. No, he's been handed a Kings of Anglia cup of tea. Of course, that's an opportunity to plug the merch. Get the badge in. Get the badge in indeed.

1:06:04Stuart Watson:Pass me a cup of tea.

1:06:06Ross Halls:Shout out to Claire. Good old Claire. Lovely. But yes, merch store, check out that. You get hoodies as well and t-shirts. But we've got to plug our sponsors, Stardust Spirits. Use the code KOA to get 20 % off your next order on some great spirits. Check them out. And also, Molecular, K-O-A-10, to get your cleaning products for your car. I had a wardrobe fitter who came in, and he said to me, where's your car, mate? And I was like, I went very sheepishly, I went, can't drive, mate. And he's like a proper lad. His name was Lee, and he was a proper Essex boy. And I was like, oh, how do I say this to him?

1:06:47Ross Halls:Oh, no, I don't drive, mate. I should have actually said to him, I don't drive, but we've got a great deal with K-O-A. Molecular, check that out. When he could have done his van, he could have cleaned his van out. He also had a really green van. It was just mad. Just so green. Not the Norwich green. It was just very neon green. But anyway, check out those great sponsors. Also, follow us on all our Kings of Anglia on socials. And also, K-O-A Live. Tickets are now on sale, ladies and gentlemen. Baths and Itchwich, the rearranged show, April 18th. Get your tickets now. They're now on sale. It's going to be a great night.

1:07:26Ross Halls:Cannot wait to see you all there after the Borough game. And as we said, hopefully that doesn't get rearranged for TV, but we shall see. Anywho, thanks very much for listening to the latest Kings of Anglia podcast. We'll be back later in the week to build up to Wrexham. I think that's going to be a mailbag special. So tune into that when that drops. But thanks again. We'll see you next time. Bye-bye for now.

1:07:54Thank you.

1:08:23Thank you.

1:08:59Thank you.

1:09:46Ross Halls:We'll be right back. America's Social Casino