Ipswich Town progressed to the second round of the Carabao Cup after beating League One outfit Bristol Rovers 2-0 on Wednesday evening. Alex Jones reflects on the action from Portman Road.
Two from two to start the season
While Wednesday's win will likely be swept under the carpet in the coming weeks and months, it feels pretty significant at the moment.
There's a lot of pressure on Ipswich, who're expected to challenge at the top end of the Championship fresh off the back of securing promotion from League One. Very few teams have been able to do that, and it'll be a huge challenge this season considering how strong the division looks to be.
But regardless of that, the Blues have gotten off to the best possible start, winning their opening league match and progressing in the Carabao Cup, putting them in a fantastic position to tackle the rest of the campaign.
Of course, there's no guarantee that these two games will provide the springboard for the next nine months, but they're an indication that the players are up for the challenge, which is what they've all claimed since making the step up from the third tier. While actions are louder than words, they've certainly backed up what they've said so far.
Confidence is clearly high, which is exactly what's needed ahead of Saturday's clash with Stoke City.
McKenna's rotation works wonders
Town were never going to start with a full-strength lineup against Bristol Rovers, with 11 changes always going to be the most likely outcome.
That's exactly what Kieran McKenna went for, changing the entire team that started against Sunderland at the Stadium of Light. But with that, there was a significant risk.
As we often see in cup games, making too many tweaks can be dangerous, especially against sides like Bristol Rovers, who made just three changes from their 1-1 draw against Portsmouth over the weekend.
Yet the Blues played as a cohesive unit, dominating their League One opponents without ever needing to get out of third gear. They didn't just look comfortable, but also confident, and the performance was a sign that any one of the starters could step into the first-choice lineup without it facing any significant repercussions in terms of quality.
That's a sign of how strong their squad is.
Taylor gets his dream debut
Some supporters were surprised that Massimo Luongo was brought straight in to start against Sunderland on Sunday, but the bigger shock was that Jack Taylor didn't get a single second on the pitch after being named as a substitute.
As a result, it was clear that he'd start against Bristol Rovers, which he did, partnering Lee Evans in midfield. His impact was almost immediate.
He found the back of the net with a confident finish from close range within the first 15 minutes of the game. The goal capped off a free-flowing attack that carved the Gas open, allowing Kayden Jackson enough space to fire a low cross into the box.
From there, Omari Hutchinson flicked it on to the former Peterborough United midfielder, who dispatched it into the net to give Town the lead.
The goal wasn't his only highlight. He demonstrated a wide range of passing as well as an impressive understanding of his teammates' movement out of possession. It felt like he'd been part of this team for years.
Slicker shows confidence
It's not easy to be a goalkeeper for Ipswich, especially given the way that McKenna wants his teams to play.
Christian Walton, his first-choice shot-stopper, is fantastic at distributing the ball. He sits high when Town push up the pitch and is known for moving up to the halfway line during corners. He's also confident when it comes to playing out from the back, which is the team's preferred option during goal kicks.
Cieran Slicker is just 20 years old and is yet to play a senior league match at any level, yet he showed that he has all the core skills to be a goalkeeper in this Ipswich team, which is an incredibly positive sign.
The Manchester City academy graduate moved into the back line when playing out from the back, making accurate passes while resisting Bristol Rovers' press. When the visitors pushed forward, he was quick to rush off his line and clear the danger, even if he didn't look to be the favourite for the ball.
On top of that, he made two fantastic saves and kept a clean sheet on his debut for the club, picking up the Man of the Match award as a result.
A Royal test awaits
Town haven't got a wonderful record when it comes to the Carabao Cup, which is why there was a lot of excitement ahead of the second-round draw on Wednesday night.
Both Chelsea and Spurs were in the hat after missing out on European football, as well as the likes of Brentford, Bournemouth, Crystal Palace and even arch-rivals Norwich City, who play QPR next week.
Alas, the prospect of a mouth-watering tie soon faded as the Blues were drawn against Reading, who were relegated from the Championship last season. They'll travel to the Select Car Leasing Stadium at the end of the month, with the fixture taking place in between home games against Leeds United and Cardiff City.
While the fixture isn't as glamorous as many would've hoped, it does give Ipswich a strong chance of reaching the third round of the Carabao Cup for the first time since 2015/16. They'll certainly head into the match as favourites.
At the same time, anyone underestimating the Royals does so at their peril. In their first-round tie, they fielded an incredibly young and rotated side against a near full-strength Millwall team at The Den. They won the game 4-0, handing the Lions' their heaviest home defeat in eight years.
It'll be fascinating to see how the Blues approach the challenge.
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