"I think it would be unlikely..." - Ipswich Town fan pundit addresses Freddie Ladapo dilemma | OneFootball

"I think it would be unlikely..." - Ipswich Town fan pundit addresses Freddie Ladapo dilemma | OneFootball

Icon: Football League World

Football League World

·6 September 2023

"I think it would be unlikely..." - Ipswich Town fan pundit addresses Freddie Ladapo dilemma

Article image:"I think it would be unlikely..." - Ipswich Town fan pundit addresses Freddie Ladapo dilemma

Highlights

  1. Ipswich Town striker Freddie Ladapo was linked with a transfer away from the club but remained after the deadline passed.
  2. Ladapo made a significant impact in a match against Cardiff City, scoring two goals as a substitute.
  3. There is uncertainty about whether Ladapo will start in the next match, with fan opinions split depending on the fitness of George Hirst and the team's tactics.

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24 hours can be a long time in football, but for Freddie Ladapo it was potentially a whirlwind one.

On transfer deadline day last Friday, the Ipswich Town striker was being linked with a transfer move away from the Tractor Boys following their addition of Dane Scarlett on loan from Tottenham.

League One clubs were believed to be interested in Ladapo, according to the Sunday Mirror's Darren Witcoop, having scored 17 goals at the level last year, but the deadline came and went without the 30-year-old making a move.

He then went on to be a game-changer the following day as Ipswich, who were 2-0 down at Portman Road against Cardiff City, came from behind to win 3-2.

Nathan Broadhead got the first goal back, but it was Ladapo who won the contest, first equalising after turning the ball home at the near post following a bungled corner routine which somehow found its way to the striker, and then in the 78th minute the ball struck his face after cannoning off Bluebirds goalkeeper Runar Alex Runarsson.

It was an effective substitute appearance from Ladapo, who came off the bench in the first half to replace George Hirst, who hobbled off and is a doubt for next weekend's match with Sheffield Wednesday following the international break.

That could give head coach Kieran McKenna a decision to make for the clash at Hillsborough, with Ladapo's brace putting him very much in the forefront of the Northern Irishman's mind.

Should Freddie Ladapo start against Sheffield Wednesday?

FLW's Ipswich fan pundit Henry is not completely all-in on Ladapo being handed an opportunity by McKenna to start his first league match of the season, and still thinks that if fit, Hirst should lead the line against the Owls.

"I think it all depends on George Hirst and how fit he is, and seeing as though we've got this international break, I think it would be unlikely to see Ladapo starting in the next game," Henry said when speaking to Football League World.

"It also depends on the type of formation we go for - Kayden Jackson is great at harrying and pressing and running in behind, but if we are playing against a team who we have more possession against, then Freddie or more likely Hirst should and would start.

"So, I think fitness-wise, if Hirst is available he'll start, but if he's not available and we're looking to hold the ball and keep the ball longer, then I think Ladapo starts.

"If we're looking to counter attack, then I think it'll be Jackson."

What is Freddie Ladapo's current Ipswich situation?

Despite leading the line for Town last season for at least the first half of the campaign before taking more of a super-sub role in the second half, Ladapo is now playing second and third fiddle to both Hirst and Jackson, but he's still got something to offer from a goalscoring point of view.

The experienced striker still has two years remaining on his contract in Suffolk though, so if he were to leave in January for more game-time, then he wouldn't be going on the cheap.

Dane Scarlett's arrival however does complicate matters further - Tottenham won't have sent him to Ipswich to not get minutes, so it remains to be seen where Ladapo fits in when Scarlett is fully integrated into McKenna's setup.

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