We look at a few of the talking points emerging from Ipswich Town’s 3-0 loss to Manchester United last night.
Town’s fringe players were not overawed
There are sure to have been a few raised eyebrows when Mick McCarthy’s team was revealed at 7pm last night, but those fringe players the Town boss put his faith in didn’t let him down. We’ll never know whether a ‘full-strength’ Town would have pushed United any closer, but the likes of Jay Tabb, Josh Yorwerth and Piotr Malarczyk certainly didn’t disgrace themselves. In particular, Josh Emmanuel should be pleased with the way he marshalled the likes of Wayne Rooney, Andreas Pereira and Juan Mata, considering he was removed after 45 minutes of his last outing after being given a torrid time by Brighton’s Kazenga LuaLua. The young full-back was strong, good in the tackle and confident on the ball as he reminded McCarthy he’s a viable option on the right side of his defence.
The first sighting of Tommy Oar was a positive one
It’s early days of course, but Tommy Oar’s first outing in a Blue shirt was an encouraging one. The Aussie wants the ball, is keen to run at his man and looks for space at every opportunity. He’s hard working too and looked to support young full-back Emmanuel at every opportunity. He’ll surely be pushing for a place in McCarthy’s league side soon.
Wayne Rooney could have bought the entire Ipswich side after just five hours work
By our maths, the Manchester United side which started last night’s game cost a staggering £203million, with near enough another £100million coming off the bench. In contrast, the only Ipswich player in the starting side to have commanded a transfer fee is Pole Piotr Malarczyk. Rooney earns the £8,500 he cost every five hours regardless if he’s asleep or not.
The Ipswich fans were a credit to their club
They may have been tucked away up in the gods, in the top tier of the East Stand, but the 5,500 Blues supporters never stopped singing despite their side heading to defeat. When Andreas Pereira’s second goal hit the net cries of ‘we’re going to win 3-2’ echoed out from the travelling supporters, who stayed until the bitter end despite the home areas of Old Trafford emptying during the final 10 minutes.
Old Trafford is a very different place in the League Cup
The Theatre of Dreams wasn’t full last night and those home fans who were there created a very different atmosphere to the one you would surely hear for an important Premier League or Champions League game. The shouts of young fans, many of whom wouldn’t be able to get tickets to attend the higher profile games, could be heard echoing around the stadium. While the League cup clearly isn’t too big of a deal for the United fans, it’s nice for the next generation of football fans to be able to watch their team play.
Some players make it look easy
In Bastian Schweinsteiger, Ipswich faced one of the greats of the modern era. He’s won 113 international caps, eight German league titles, a Champions League and a World Cup, and bossed the midfield seemingly without breaking sweat. He had a hand in two of United’s goals and still had three more gears to find. A real pleasure to watch.
What got you talking last night? Let us know in the comment box below.
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