Ipswich must finally ditch the flop McKenna was “very happy” to sign

Ipswich Townunlike both Southampton and Wolverhampton Wanderers, they will stand by their manager for the foreseeable as Kieran McKenna he continues to make a tune out of his players in the midst of a relegation battle.

The Tractor Boys would put the final nail in the coffin of Gary O’Neil’s tenure at Molineux last time out as Jack Taylor’s last-gasp header sealed a victory at the death for the away side, resulting in to the expected dismissal of the 44-year-old player. .

Taylor wasn’t the only player in the middle of the park to stand out during this dramatic win either, with the likes of Jens Cajuste shining in the midfield positions amongst other faces.

Impressive Ipswich midfield against Wolves

The aforementioned Cajuste would only be gifted to him seventh exit of the season in the Premier League against Wolves, with this showing his best performance so far since joining in the summer.

The loanee from Napoli would only be wrong two of his 32 passes on the day, although he also showed the necessary degree McKenna will want from a player tasked with protecting the defence, having successfully won eight tackles as well as completing three tackles.

Away from the Scandinavian impressing in a deep role, both Conor Chaplin and Omari Hutchinson also received plenty of plaudits at the full-time whistle for their attacking performances, with Hutchinson in particular giving Wolves defenders headaches by racking up four dribbles with success

Of course, there was also Jack Clarke’s key contribution from the bench at the end as the left winger’s inch perfect shot from a corner thankfully found the head of Taylor.

While all these players will be delighted with their displays at Molineux, Kalvin Phillips remained rooted to the substitutes’ bench throughout as his loan spell with the newly promoted side appears to have hit a wall.

The Ipswich star who needs to leave

Indeed, the ex-Leeds United star has not featured for one just one minute in his side’s last five Premier League games, after picking up a dubious double booking against Leicester City at the start of November and after struggling with a number of injury problems outside of that suspension.

His absence has not really been felt, with Cajuste and Morsy battling well in this win against Wolves. This will leave some to ponder whether the deal to get the 29-year-old, which data analyst Ben Mattinson claimed has been “.fighting mentally and physically“in recent times – it was a worthwhile venture.

McKenna was delighted to capture the out-of-favour midfielder on loan in August, hoping he could be the manager to bring him back to his Elland Road peak, claiming he was “very happy” to welcome the former England international through the door.

After all, while still on the Whites’ books, Phillips would earn this opportunity to play for the Three Lions, amassing an impressive 234 appearances at his boyhood club before Manchester City moved away £45 million to gain his signature.

Unfortunately, Ipswich’s new number four has yet to blow anyone away with his on-loan performances, with previous numbers somewhat underwhelming as he managed zero goals and assists in seven top-flight competitions.

Those ball recovery and tackle won numbers are encouraging, but McKenna will want more from the fighter who was once so tenacious and elegant on the ball under Marcelo Bielsa’s expert tutelage.

Pretend an excessive Salary £150,000 per week – some of which will be paid for by Ipswich – Phillips will need to re-enter his manager’s first-team plans soon and show the levels he can reach, otherwise his spell at Suffolk could be cut short.

Claiming he lost the “fire in his belly” following a recent controversial move to Man City, the 29-year-old’s best playing days could now be behind him, prompting him to return to the Etihad in January after another move unforgettable

With also abundant reports on a potential return to former club Leeds in the new year, the winter window could provide a perfect opportunity to part ways.

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