Ipswich Town 23/24 Fantasy Flashback
- Joe Williams
- Jul 14, 2024
- 6 min read
Before we look ahead to this season's prospects, let's first digest Ipswich Town's takeaways from the previous season in our 23/24 Fantasy Flashback series. In this year's 24/25 Draft Kit, we are featuring both a Fantasy Flashback and a Fantasy Forecast for every single Premier League team. The flashbacks will be available on Draft Kit launch day, while the forecasts will drop closer to draft day. Check the 24/25 Draft Kit main page often, as it's updated constantly!
In addition to reviewing top Draft PL fantasy contributors, Ipswich's Fantasy Flashback will highlight a breakout player and a fantasy flop, analyze the impact of any injuries suffered by The Tractor Boys, and review the team's performance as a whole. Then, be sure to check out the Ipswich Town 24/25 Fantasy Forecast to find out whether last season was a fluke or if we predict more of the same.
Check out our 24/25 Draft Kit for all the pre-season information you could ever need: Draft Rankings, Team Previews, Mock Drafts, Strategy, Draft 101. We've got it all!
Ipswich Town 23/24 Fantasy Flashback
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23/24 Ipswich Town Player Performance
Note: The following table (courtesy of FBRef.com) shows Ipswich Town 23/24 season-long stats, sorted by non-penalty expected goals + expected assists, as those two stats carry the most weight in the Draft game.
Ipswich Town have enjoyed a miraculous last few seasons, capped by their promotion to the top flight after a 22 year absence and an absolute coup in the re-signing of their prolific young manager, Kieran McKenna. Rest assured, we will delve into all of this below in the overall team performance section. However, first, let's look at player stats from this side and ask ourselves how these might have stacked up to known fantasy assets in the Premier League. Obviously, keep in mind that moving from the Championship to the Prem will mean that these stats are unlikely to be replicated in 24/25. However, they are a great starting point for establishing an understanding of the Tractor Boys' capabilities.
First, some team stats to whet your palate. When compared to the rest of their competition in the Championship, Ipswich Town had the most shots on target in the league, the joint-most goals (88 with Leicester) from the fourth highest xG, and the most assists from the fourth-highest xA. They were clinical. They were well-drilled. They were relentless... as evidenced by the fact that Town were also top in ball recoveries last season. Expect the high-pressing, high-intensity play to continue in the PL in 24/25.
As individual performances are concerned (with one glaring omission), there's not much to write home about in the defensive third for this squad. Fret not; we'll talk plenty about Leif Davis below. The rest of the defence, however, were not relevant to the Draft game given their middling to below-average numbers in stat categories like aerials, blocked shots, interceptions, and tackles. And we definitely expect goals conceded to be an issue in the Premier League in 24/25 for Town.
In the attacking third, the most promising player was probably Omari Hutchinson, whom Ipswich have just signed on a club record deal from Chelsea. He grew into the season as he gained the trust of McKenna, ending with 10 goals and four assists in only 20 starts. In those limited minutes, Hutchinson also ended the season with the most successful dribbles and progressive carries on his team. Safe to say he'll be nailed in the XI in 24/25. Other players of note are joint-top goalscorers (with 13) in Nathan Broadhead and Connor Chaplin. The former chipped in with three assists and the latter with eight. Broadhead vastly overperformed his xG of 9.0 from only 23 shots on target, though he does contribute some successful dribbles to pad his stats. Chaplin looks to be the more reliable Draft asset, as he'll chip in with assists, more shots on target (40), key passes (53), and shot-creating actions.
Several other Tractor Boys could be described as more box-to-box, contributing in one area or another but failing to accumulate enough combined value to have much impact in the Draft game. But stay tuned, as Ipswich Town are hoping to strengthen in some key areas this summer such as RB, CM, and potentially even at FWD.
23/24 Breakout Player
Leif Davis
Position: Defender
23/24 Points: N/A
23/24 Points Per Start: N/A
Leif Davis (LB) was an absolute revelation in the Championship in 23/24. If somehow Ipswich can keep their goals conceded to a reasonable number in 24/25, Davis could be an absolute stud. When compared to other fullbacks in the Championship, Davis ranks in the 90th percentile or better in the following categories:
Assists
Goals + Assists
Progressive Passes
Shots from Free Kicks
Key Passes
Shot-Creating Actions
Long Passes Attempted
Passes into the Penalty Area
Dead Ball Passes
Passes from Free Kicks
Crosses
Corner Kicks Taken
Fouls Drawn
Touches in the Attacking Third
To say that Town rely on Davis as their main source of attacking threat is stating the obvious. Yes, there will be a Premier League "tax" when comparing his numbers to top flight players, but here are just a few of his stats in comparison to the top Premier League player in that same stat category in 23/24: 19 assists (vs Watkins' 18), 125 key passes (vs Bruno's 114), and 73 interceptions (vs Robinson's 80). To add to those tasty numbers, a cross completion rate of nearly 30% and Davis being tasked with corners and free kicks is a recipe for fantasy points and we're hoping that he continues to cook in 24/25.
23/24 Fantasy Flop
George Hirst
Position: Forward
23/24 Points: N/A
23/24 Points Per Start: N/A
It's always awkward territory to call a Championship player a "bust," but had George Hirst been an EPL Draft fantasy asset last season, you'd have been underwhelmed at best. An injury spell that kept him out from gameweeks 25 to 43 played a large role in that. However, the above graphic demonstrates that even in the minutes he played, he underperformed expectations. He contributes more assists than the average striker, but that's about where the good news ends. It's likely that Town look to strengthen in the striker department anyway, but in the event Hirst is still leading the line in 24/25, we need to see more from him to be interested from a Draft standpoint.
Injury Impact
Amazingly, this section will remain almost blank for the Tractor Boys. McKenna enjoyed an incredibly fit and firing team for almost the entirety of the 23/24 season. Though, Janoi Donacien (RB) missed about half of the season and both Lee Evans (CM) and George Hirst (ST) missed a third of the season on the treatment table. Aside from brief injuries to Jack Taylor (CM) and Christian Walton (GK), that's all to report on the injury front for Ipswich Town last season.
Ipswich Town's Overall Team Performance
Kieran McKenna's tactics have truly breathed a new life into this team and its fan base alike. Scrappy, well-disciplined, and with a clear identity, this team impose their will on their opponents. McKenna's trademark 4-2-3-1 employs a lot of the same tactics we see from possession-oriented sides like City, Arsenal, and Maresca's Leicester. However, McKenna's side are not ones to possess the ball for the fun of it. Building from the back with the goalkeeper slipping in between the CBs to become an outfield player, this side move the ball through the lines quickly and purposefully. Along the way, they will often overload one side, luring the opposition to one flank only to switch play with a sweeping cross to the wide-open opposite flank.
Off the ball, Ipswich Town employ a dizzying press which led to their league-high ball recovery rate. Once recovered, their double-pivot CDMs are well-drilled to quickly slide balls through to the attacking lines or out wide for a dangerous cross (of which Leif Davis had 341 last season). McKenna will expect his players to be at top fitness levels and I predict that they'll be a handful for many Premier League clubs who underestimate them. If I were to make a prediction, I can see them nicking late goals against many an opponent, ruining clean sheets galore.
This manager is clearly a student of the game and a teacher of tactics, uniquely gifted at explaining his strategy to his players. On field, the players are clear on their duties and roles and the whole thing runs like a well-oiled machine. McKenna is destined for bigger and better things, but for now, he had made believers out of the Ipswich faithful and implemented an amazingly attractive style of football along the way. For our purposes here, the high-energy, high-press, vertical tactics he employs should also be a source for dependable fantasy points for shrewd managers not afraid to take a chance on promoted players.
More 23/24 Fantasy Flashbacks: Arsenal | Aston Villa | Bournemouth | Brentford | Brighton | Chelsea | Crystal Palace | Everton | Fulham | Ipswich Town | Leicester City | Liverpool | Man City | Man United | Newcastle | Nottingham Forest | Southampton | Tottenham | West Ham | Wolves
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