Newcastle are plotting a move for Ipswich Town forward Liam Delap, 22, as the Englishman wants to stay in the Premier League amid his current club's struggles. (Football Insider), external
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Richard Woodward
Fan writer
Image source, Getty ImagesIpswich Town's defeat by Crystal Palace on Saturday was a microcosm of how the 2024-25 Premier League season has played out so far.
From my perspective (albeit restricted by the gantry affixed to the roof of Selhurst Park's Arthur Wait Stand) Kieran McKenna's side were highly competitive throughout. There was some concern that 120 hard-fought minutes against Nottingham Forest in the FA Cup on Monday might have taken a toll, but Town attacked the game with vigour.
McKenna's Blues certainly do not lack courage in taking on their opponents. What they are missing, though, is that bit of quality to take complete control of matches they are in - something that once again surfaced at Palace.
Dean Henderson leapt to the rescue several times, not least from Julio Enciso and Liam Delap's fiercely struck efforts, but a late home winner (admittedly a classy dink over Alex Palmer by Ismaila Sarr) once again extinguished the hopes of the Town faithful of a point or three.
Despite showing promise and competitiveness in most matches this campaign, Ipswich have been plagued by narrow losses and missed opportunities. McKenna described Saturday's defeat as "sickening", but it is not the first time that his side has been competing in matches only to drop points either late on or to a "fine margin" scoreline.
Once again, it highlights that promoted sides without recent Premier League experience need to undertake a steep learning curve or "bet the farm" and risk PSR compliance to recruit a new XI of seasoned top-flight players.
The compounding cruelty of the present situation for the Portman Road hierarchy is not only do the Blues look to be on that learning curve (despite the gap to safety increasing), but if the season does time out on their survival bid, the increasing top flight know-how of players such as Omari Hutchinson risks them being poached by others in the summer.
Find more from Richard Woodward at the Blue Monday Podcast, external
Image source, Getty ImagesIsmaila Sarr's 82nd minute goal proved the difference between Crystal Palace and Ipswich on Saturday.
Conceding late goals has been a topic of concern for many Ipswich fans this season.
We recently asked fans to tell us about one thing no-one was talking about at Ipswich but should be. Several of you told us late goals was an issue that needed some discussion.
And - as Sarr's goal proves - it is indeed a costly issue.
Kieran McKenna's side have dropped nine points after the 75th minute in 2024-25 - the joint most in the Premier League.
2 Nov: Ipswich v Leicester 1-0 (75'), 1-1 (FT)
8 Dec: Ipswich v Bournemouth 1-0 (75'), 1-2 (FT)
5 Jan: Fulham v Ipswich 1-2 (75'), 2-2 (FT)
1 Feb: Ipswich v Southampton 1-1 (75'), 1-2 (FT)
8 March: Crystal Palace v Ipswich 0-0 (75'), 1-0 (FT)
Just imagine if McKenna's side had kept hold of four of those nine points. They'd be in striking distance of 17th place.
It's not just about late slips either. There's a lack of resistance when holding on to points generally.
Across all of this season and the whole 90 minutes, only the Premier League's bottom club Southampton have dropped more points from winning positions (23) than Ipswich (22) in the top flight.
Image source, Getty ImagesWe asked for your views on Crystal Palace's Premier League game against Ipswich.
Here are some of your comments:
Palace fans
Craig: Hard fought Palace win. Ipswich were good, organised, showed strength and fought well. Palace must remember the intensity they can play with and win more second balls like they did against Villa. If they do, Wembley and an FA Cup semi awaits them. Keep up the hunger Palace. We missed Hughes and Mateta.
Jerry: An ugly win. We never got into any sort of rhythm today. Far too many loose passes. Ipswich probably deserved a share of the spoils, but there have been quite a few games this season where we have got less than we deserved. We'll take it.
Dave: We didn't match our three previous performances, but a win is a win. Ipswich performed quite well and in honesty deserved something from this game, which lacked much quality (Sarr's goal being the exception). Chris Richards was our MOTM.
Ipswich fans
Xavier: Such a good performance, so it's a shame we didn't get the win.
Tim: Great effort, but today actually sums up the whole season. It's a microcosm of 'so close, yet so far'. We don't have that killer instinct and can't defend for 90 minutes. We're simply not good enough yet.
Will: Ipswich Town will always struggle if they continue to rely heavily on Liam Delap, upfront. I really do not understand why Kieran McKenna does not use George Hirst more often – especially around the 70-minute mark.
Laura Kenyon
BBC Final Score commentator
Image source, Getty ImagesTo use a footballing cliché, Ipswich's narrow defeat at Selhurst Park is a stark reminder of the 'fine margins' at play in the Premier League.
It was their seventh loss by a one-goal margin this season. It's an ongoing story of just one solitary goal, often late sucker punches against top quality opposition. In accumulation those individual goals could seal the fate of Kieran McKenna's side.
Somehow it feels even more cruel when those narrowest of measures could prove the downfall of an injury-ravaged Ipswich; newly promoted and playing a methodical yet entertaining brand of football.
Ten games remain for them to pull off a great escape. Ipswich's home game against Wolves next month is pivotal. The reverse fixture proved fruitful for them… all three points secured but the scoreline? Of course, 2-1… another one-goal margin.
Former Premier League striker Clinton Morrison, speaking to BBC Radio 5 Live's Football Daily podcast about the battle to avoid relegation from the top flight:
"I did think Wolves might struggle without Matheus Cunha but they got a good draw against Everton.
"Ipswich are losing matches - I covered the game against Palace, they had chances and they were probably just not ruthless enough. They rely a lot on Liam Delap to score goals.
"It's not a good look on the Championship because it's the three teams that have come up that are going down. That's the gap between the Championship and the Premier League now.
"I still give Ipswich a fighting chance but it looks like it might stay like that."
Highlights and analysis from Saturday's six Premier League fixtures.
If you missed Match of the Day, you can catch up now on BBC iPlayer.
Listen back to full match commentaries on BBC Sounds:
Image source, Getty ImagesIpswich boss Kieran McKenna spoke to Premier League productions after Saturday's defeat to Crystal Palace: "It was a really hard-fought game. We had plenty of chances to score. Luck hasn't been on our side. The margins are really fine and level of the division is really high. We were really close to taking the points today but it's frustrating for the club that we haven't.
"We deserved something from the game. I can't ask for anything more from the players who have been fantastic. We came here with a depleted squad and competed really, really well. We can still improve and I think we are improving. That's a path we need to stick on.
"We have missed big players all season and that is still continuing. Kalvin Phillips played really well today. He is starting to get to the levels that he is capable of and has shown previously. There's less games as the season goes on, so we have to win points right now but at the same time, continue working the same way.
"The only thing that will make us feel better is get some points from Nottingham Forest. The group knows we are getting closer to winning points. We know that one result will change the feel of things."
Were you at the game or following from elsewhere?
Have your say on Palace's performance
What did you make of Ipswich's display?
Come back to this page on Monday to find a selection of your replies
Six matches make up Saturday's Premier League action and BBC Sport will bring you every kick.
Nottingham Forest v Manchester City (12:30)
Liverpool v Southampton - full commentary on BBC Radio 5 Live
Crystal Palace v Ipswich Town
Brighton v Fulham
Brentford v Aston Villa (17:30) full commentary on BBC Radio 5 Live
Wolves v Everton (20:00)
All kick-off times 15:00 GMT unless stated
The question is how Crystal Palace are going to cope without Jean-Philippe Mateta, who was injured in their FA Cup win over Millwall.
Mateta scored the winner when Palace beat Ipswich at Portman Road in December, but it is not just his goals that the Eagles will miss - it's his presence up front that has been so important for them too.
I am guessing Eddie Nketiah will lead their attack in his absence, and this is a big chance for him to shine.
There was heartbreak for Ipswich in the FA Cup, losing on penalties to Nottingham Forest, and now all they have to look forward to is a relegation fight.
The Tractor Boys have not won a league game this year, a run of eight games, so can they get something at Palace? I don't think so.
Sutton's prediction: 1-0
Image source, Getty ImagesEarlier, we asked how well you remembered Ipswich's opening Premier League game of the season. The match against Liverpool ended in a 2-0 defeat, with Diogo Jota and Mohamed Salah scoring for the Reds.
Ipswich boss Kieran McKenna says that the "processes and mindsets" inside the dressing room are still the same as when they were flying high in the Championship.
"Internally it's not that different - [but] externally there is certainly a different context around the team. At the bottom end of the table, the narrative can change even quicker than at the top of the table."
Ipswich played Liverpool in their opening Premier League game of this season - what was the final score and who found the net?
Answer will be revealed at 17:00 GMT
Image source, Getty ImagesDara O'Shea says maintaining the same mindset will put Ipswich in "good stead" as they approach the end of the 2024-25 season.
Town were knocked out of the FA Cup on penalties on Monday at Nottingham Forest and remain in deep trouble in the Premier League. However, the defender told BBC Radio Suffolk that spirits remain high at Portman Road.
"For me, this is quite strange because I'm in the same position as I have been before [battling relegation] but I don't feel like I'm in that position as such," O'Shea said. "I think the whole club and the belief around the group isn't really one of that we are in a relegation battle and that things are piling up on top of us.
"That's important for us to keep that same mindset throughout because there's going to be pressure put on us if we don't get points on the board. The easiest way to keep the pressure off is to get points on the board.
"It's not a nice place to be in. I've been there twice before and I'm trying to use all of the experience I've had in those situations and add them to the group. Lots of the other lads too have been in similar scenarios. It's tough - and things have to change.
"As long as we go into each week with the same mindset and mentality that we are pushing towards a positive result and keeping doing things right, I think that's important for us and it will put us in good stead."
Listen to full commentary of Crystal Palace v Ipswich Town on BBC Radio Suffolk from 15:00 GMT on Saturday
Image source, Getty ImagesAs Thomas Tuchel approaches his first England squad, I'm wondering who may make an appearance from the slightly less obvious candidates.
Liam Delap has shone in an Ipswich team that are potentially going to go back down and could be a real option for Tuchel.
In terms of his goals and his presence, he has an ugly, old-school type of approach to his game. I don't think any of the other English strikers have that.
He has that style of being willing to have a fight with a defender even as a lone striker and I don't think the others have that in their locker.
In terms of what he does with the ball in front of goal, he's a really calm finisher. He's somebody that given time is definitely an option for Tuchel and he could look at him in this squad as a back-up to Harry Kane, who cannot play forever.
To get those goals and have the season he has had in a very average Ipswich team in the Premier League, it has not been easy.
In terms of finishing in the box, he is similar to Kane but I don't think Kane has the physical side in the same way. Delap is better at that than him but he is not able to drop into pockets and find forward passes as well as Kane can.
Delap has some similar attributes to Kane but also offers something different and is definitely in with a shout for featuring in the upcoming international break.
Fara Williams was speaking to BBC Sport's Nat Hayward
Holly Bacon
BBC Sport journalist
Ipswich Town boss Kieran McKenna has been speaking to the media before Saturday's Premier League game against Crystal Palace (kick-off 15:00 GMT).
Here are the key lines from his news conference:
McKenna said Sammie Szmodics will have ankle surgery and will be out for "an extended period of time" and that if they see him this season it will be "in the last couple of fixtures".
He added that Axel Tuanzebe will miss this weekend with a "small muscle injury" and that he also needs an operation on his thumb. Cameron Burgess "is still being assessed" and one or two who weren't in the squad on Monday may be able to re-join for Saturday's game but also one or two from that squad won't be available.
Julio Enciso and Omari Hutchinson aren't too far away, Kalvin Phillips has trained and Conor Chaplin is still working his way back to fitness.
McKenna concluded on injuries: "It's certainly a bit of a tricky period for us at the moment. We're trying to make the right decisions and get a competitive squad available for Saturday."
Speaking about Ipswich's league standing and form McKenna said: "The boys have taken some positives from the game [against Forest], now we know there are 11 games left and everyone is determined to look forward to those games."
The boss was asked if his side can flip moments of adversity into something beneficial and said: "If you keep approaching them in the right way, finding the right response in your daily work, whether it goes well or against you. If you stay consistent in your behaviour, in our processes, driving the culture here, I think that builds a trust between the group."
On whether the balance between points and performance change at this stage of the season: "The feel does change a little bit. Of course the later you get towards the end of the season because there's less games ahead, the results feel more important but the best way we believe to get the points is to focus on performances and to try and perform as well as you can with whatever the game plan is in that particular game."
On Crystal Palace: "There's no game in the Premier League that is going to be anything less than competitive. If we can do a lot of things well then we'll make the games competitive and Crystal Palace are a very strong side, they have certainly improved as the season has gone on."
Follow all of Thursday's Premier League news conferences and the rest of the day's football news
Steve Mellen
Fan writer
Image source, Getty ImagesIn recent weeks, we asked you for something fans were not talking about enough at Ipswich but should be. You told us there was a reliance on Liam Delap and that more goal sources were needed so we put that to one of our Ipswich experts. Here's what Steve Mellen had to say:
Few stats illustrate the 'feast or famine' experience of fans of clubs promoted to the Premier League than Ipswich's 'goals for' tally.
Last season we scored 92 to secure promotion, 101 the year before in League One. So far this season – 26.
Kieran McKenna tends to play a lone striker, and for almost every game this season it has been Liam Delap, a man described by Danny Murphy as the natural successor to Harry Kane for England – not bad for a player who scored eight for Hull last season, and whose £20m transfer to us was written off by some as an expensive mistake.
But as much as it has been a delight to watch Delap, without him we don't have much of a goal threat. On paper.
His goals earned us home draws with Fulham and Villa. He scored the crucial second at Spurs and got us a point at Villa Park. He opened the scoring in the 2-0 win over Chelsea and scored in the 2-2 draw at Craven Cottage. Examine the games we've taken points from this season and you'll usually find Delap's influence.
Are we relying too much on one man? Maybe, but injuries have played as much a part.
Currently out: Sammie Szmodics, Conor Chaplin, Omari Hutchinson, Wes Burns and Chiedozie Ogbene (the last two out for the season). Julio Enciso looked to be a real handful but got crocked at Villa Park.
George Hirst has had his spells on the sidelines, as has Nathan Broadhead. Put simply, Delap has been the focal point of our attack as he's not only loving life in the Prem, but has managed to stay fit.
Even if we manage to defy the odds and stay up, chances are we'll need a plan without Delap as several big clubs are circling.
But for this season, it's as much about getting other players back on the pitch as it is keeping him fit.
Steve Mellen is the former editor of ITFC magazine Meet Me At Sir Alf, and also represented fanzine Those Were The Days
Image source, Getty ImagesFormer Ipswich striker Alex Mathie says Kieran McKenna's side "did themselves proud" against Nottingham Forest and put in an equally impressive attacking and defensive display.
A shootout defeat left Ipswich with no cup competitions left to contest, meaning all focus can be on the final 11 games of the season and Premier League survival.
"We played well and they created the most chances I've seen for a long time," Mathie told BBC Radio Suffolk. "They also defended well so they did themselves proud.
"The players, staff and fans have given it everything, but it was to be Forest's night.
"The players can take a lot from the game. This season they have been in every game but it's a case of not taking their chances before the teams with top quality put theirs away. That is what has killed us because we can't get back into games.
"There are still loads of points to play for, so I'm still not ruling us out [of staying up]. The job is obviously very difficult but because of the way we are playing, I can't rule us out."
Hear more from Mathie and all the post-match reaction on BBC Sounds
