Ipswich Town lost 2-1 at Burton Albion on Saturday. Andy Warren looks picks out his winners and losers from the weekend.
WINNERS
The new boy
There’s no mistaking the biggest positive on a day the Blues left the Pirelli Stadium pointless.
Kyle Edwards, the latest attacking weapon added to Paul Cook’s armoury, was given a little over 20 minutes on his Ipswich debut and he wasted no time in introducing himself.
Initially deployed on the left, the former West Brom winger cut inside on his right foot whenever possible, immediately threatening the Burton box, before sending in a sublime shot from 30 yards which rattled the bar. Watching it back, it really was an audacious attempt.
He tested Burton right-back John Brayford before also teasing left-back Tom Hamer during trips to the right flank and was a constant threat.
Edwards looks like the real deal so, could he start at Cheltenham on Tuesday? The answer to that question is surely, yes.
Andy-and-Stu-react---Burton-Albion-2-1-Ipswich-Town
The young boy
On the face of it, Edwards’ impressive cameo from the bench could be seen as bad news for Armando Dobra, given the competition the youngster faces in attacking areas.
But the 20-year-old has had a good week and appears to have forced himself firmly into Cook’s thinking.
The end product isn’t always there but the attacking endeavour is, which we saw in both the Newport and Burton games.
He’s always been a tricky player but, over the summer, his ability to quickly turn his way out of tight situations and drive forwards has improved greatly and has become a real weapon. He still plays off the cuff, which is a strength in general, but he’s also more in control of what he’s doing.
First-team football is far from a given for the youngster this season, with Edwards, Wes Burns, Louie Barry, Conor Chaplin and Sone Aluko all in the mix. But, at this point at least, he appears to have forced his manager to involve him.
The old boy
Ipswich fans saw Trevoh Chalobah at his most raw.
But the youngster this weekend completed the most treacherous of journeys, which so many fail to navigate – working his way from being a member of Chelsea’s 40-strong loan army to becoming a first-team player with the London club.
Now 22, Chalobah started on the right of Chelsea’s back three in both the midweek Super Cup win in Belfast and again in the Premier League opener with Crystal Palace on Saturday, lashing home from 25-yards to put the gloss on a 3-0 win.
It’s been a long journey to reach the Chelsea first-team, with his year in Ipswich followed by seasons with Huddersfield and then Lorient in France, but he appears to have every chance of being firmly involved with Thomas Tuchel’s squad this term.
He’s also clearly rounded off the rough edges we saw during his time at Town, which saw plenty of ups and downs at a time when the Blues probably couldn’t afford to be giving a hugely talented teenager time to get mistakes out of his system.
But that horrible season in 2018/19 will have done Chalobah the world of good. He’s reaping the rewards now.
The Wham boys
Accrington Stanley boss John Coleman clearly didn't want to sell defender Cameron Burgess to Ipswich Town.
The long-time Stanley manager spoke openly about that after his side’s 2-1 victory over Cambridge on Saturday, insisting he would have held out for more money and stressing it was ultimately chairman Andy Holt’s decision to accept an offer from the Blues.
Coleman also acknowledged just how well Holt had done in the transfer market in recent years, achieving good prices for his top performers, with much of that money coming from Suffolk.
Paul Hurst paid the best part of £2.5million for Kayden Jackson and Janoi Donacien in the summer of 2018, which helped Stanley renovate their Wham Stadium home and grow a club which is run in a sensible, sustainable way.
They may have lost one of their star players to Suffolk once again, with another significant six-figure sum likely paid for 25-year-old Burgess, but Accrington continue to produce saleable assets and will surely use the money to improve their club once again. That makes them a winner in this.
And you just know, despite another key departure, they will still give Ipswich a thorough examination when Town go to Lancashire on October 2.
LOSERS
Pantomime villain
Scott Fraser made the perfect start to his Ipswich career when he swept home against Morecambe on opening day. And it looked as though things were going to get even better as he stood over the ball on the hour mark.
The Scot was perfect from the penalty spot for MK Dons last season, scoring all nine of those he took, so you had to feel like he was going to roll the ball home once again. He was delayed in taking the kick by Burton protests and stuttered in his run-up, before producing what was ultimately a hugely disappointing kick.
And the home crowd loved it, given sections of the crowd had spent much of their afternoon heckling a player who left their club in 2020 in search of better things. While there was applause for him from some areas of the home crowd when he was introduced before kick-off, it’s clear some believe he was simply chasing the money when he departed at the end of his contract.
Fraser will surely get another chance from the spot, the next time the Blues are awarded a penalty, but the way captain Lee Evans quickly grabbed the ball is maybe a reminder that Town have other takers available to them.
Ipswich have only a 50% record from penalties during their time in League One, scoring five out of their 10.
That needs to be better.
Under pressure
Toto Nsiala made this list last week after limping out of the opener with Morecambe, as a big chance to impress went up in smoke.
A week ago, with George Edmundson waiting in the wings, it felt as though Nsiala’s injury would make it tough for him to win his place back, given the new signing is surely a certain starter once fit.
Now, with Burgess arriving, Nsiala’s outlook is even more gloomy.
Luke Woolfenden is under real pressure, too. He hasn’t started the season in top form and, after his error against Morecambe, was part of a defence which switched off for the opening goal at Burton and had moments where Cook was left distressed by how casual he can be at times.
We know Woolfenden has real ability and he’s going to need to show it in the coming weeks if he is to hold off the two new boys and keep his place in the side.
Cook has said Burgess will start at Cheltenham tomorrow night, meaning either Woolfenden or Donacien will likely drop out of the side.
Central figures
Town are struggling to get their central attacking duo into games.
Conor Chaplin was quiet in the opener with Morecambe, lining up as the No.10, while Louie Barry touched the ball just nine times at Burton as he played in a slightly more advanced role alongside striker Joe Pigott.
For Pigott’s part, he had just 20 touches in both of the two games he’s played so far, as Town struggle to get him involved in dangerous areas.
He did well to force Tom O’Connor to head into his own net as Town equalised on Saturday but, had he managed to get his own head on the ball, getting off the mark in blue would have done him the world of good.
Hopefully that first goal isn’t too far away.
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