Newly-promoted Ipswich Town earned their first point of the Premier League campaign by holding Fulham to a 1-1 draw at Portman Road this afternoon.
The Tractor Boys took the lead through a terrific individual goal from Liam Delap, who ran seventy yards unattended and smashed a superb shot beyond Bernd Leno. Fulham were caught flat footed after Leif Davis had intercepted a loose pass from Andreas Pereira and the Brazilian failed to halt Delap’s devastating run before the former Manchester City forward broke his Ipswich duck deliciously. The Londoners hit back before half-time when the lively Adama Traore tapped home a cross from Antonee Robinson. Both sides pushed for a winner in the closing twenty minutes and both managers could point to late chances that they failed to take.
In an absorbing start to the contest, Leno thwarted a header from Jacob Graves before Traore first showcased his ability to sprint beyond the home defence. The former Wolves winger tried to pick out Rodrigo Muniz rather than go for goal and the opening evaporated. The visitors began to take control, with Sasa Lukic an important influence again in the middle of the park, but an untimely slip from Kenny Tete gave Delap the ability to break his Ipswich duck in some style.
Delap might have had a second within three minutes the striker’s header from a Davis corner whistled wide of the far post. Fulham, penned back for the next ten minutes, levelled with a move of genuine quality. Emile Smith Rowe stroked a ball out to Alex Iwobi along the left wing and the overlapping Robinson rolled a cross to the back post – giving Traore a simple close range finish. Muniz might have turned the game on its head completely afterwards but he saw a header smartly saved by Arjanet Muric. Fulham were fortunate to remain level at the break when Sammie Szmodics smashed a shot over the bar after Leno had smothered a strike from Omari Hutchinson.
Kieran McKenna’s watchable outfit enjoyed the better spells of possession immediately after the interval, but it was the visitors who fashioned the clearer chances. A lovely ball from Lukic almost put the rampaging Robinson in the clear but Town’s back four were alert to the danger. Smith Rowe saw a shot deflected wide before dragging a shot off target from the following corner.
But Ipswich remained a threat through a mixture of their progressive passing and inventive football in the final third. Leno raced off his line to bravely throw himself at the feet of Chiedozie Ogbene when the former Luton winger looked favourite to put his new side ahead, whilst substitute Raul Jimenez was denied by Muric at his near post after latching onto a beautiful ball from Lukic.
It was Ipswich who looked the likelier to claim their first Premier League win in more than two decades with substitute Jack Clarke shooting wide from just outside the area and former Chelsea midfielder Hutchinson going close – but Fulham were able to take a point back to London after what proved to be an ultimately frustrating afternoon.
IPSWICH TOWN (4-2-3-1): Muric; Tuanzebe, Davis, Wolfenden, Greaves; Phillips (Cajuste 71), Morsy; Smozdics (Clarke 81), Ogbene (Chaplin 88), Hutchinson; Delap (Al-Hamadi 81). Subs (not used): Walton, Johnson, O’Shea, Townsend, Luongo.
BOOKED: Morsy, Al-Hamadi.
GOAL: Delap (15).
FULHAM (4-2-3-1): Leno; Tete, A. Robinson, Diop, Bassey; Lukic (Reed 87), Pereira (Cairney 87); Traore, Iwobi (Wilson 87), Smith Rowe (Berge 72); Muniz (Jimenez 79). Subs (not used): Benda, Castagne, Andersen, Cuenca.
BOOKED: Lukic, Robinson, Traore.
REFEREE: Lewis Smith (Sheffield).
ATTENDANCE: 29,517
The team still seems not to have gelled yet
That’s putting it mildly. No way that Silva is not going to play Smith-Rowe but he was very, very poor today. Alongside him, Pereira was another who puts in a sub par performance week after week yet never gets called out. His set pieces are an absolute waste of space and the ease with which he gives the ball away is scandalous. He it was who gifted Ipswich the ball for their breakaway goal.
Muniz is struggling on his own upfront but Silva would rather play with a square peg in the left wing position than support his striker. Go figure!
As for bringing on THREE subs in the 87th minute- what coaching manual taught him that genius strategy???
One other thing if somebody, anybody, could please explain:
Late in the game, we get a free kick out wide on the right, inside the Ipswich half.
Antonee Robinson (after someone reminded him) had to trot across the width of the pitch to PRETEND to take it, before Pereira actually DID take it and, yet again, couldn’t find a Fulham player. Which of our genius coaches devised that little piece of trickery that totally bamboozled the Ipswich defence -NOT!
It begs the question what do these players practice at Motspur Park whilst supposedly training. From videos released all they do is stroll around giving each other high fives, play pranks and act like silly little schoolboys. Football is a job and requires effort and dedication to succeed like any other profession. Perhaps they are jealous of others and would prefer to work from home instead of the tedious training they have to do each morning and to think they have to play each Saturday or whenever, what an inconvenience.
I believe we are missing Willian a lot, the left wing with Robinson continuously going on overlaps was our strongest side. Iwobi is not as effective out wide. Also, it is still very early in the season but the millions spent on Smith Rowe seem a tad too many. I expect better from him with the ball at his feet. On a positive note, Lukic has started the season really well, he was one of the best performers again yesterday, may he keep this form. As for Muniz, he desperately needs some support up front, is it not possible to have a different formation with two actual forwards as a plan B I ask?
Agree with the comments why does Perreira take all the corners and free kicks is there nobody else that can do this also do we have a plan B I somehow don’t think so how many more games will Muniz not score in there is no competition for places in his position so he knows he’s going to get picked every game play Adama as a Striker or Wilson at least give it a go certain players are not even in the game Smith Rowe was vertually non existent Iwobi seems to be a bit of a headless chicken at the moment we cannot rely on our midfield to score at the moment