Ipswich proving to be long range specialists

Now, according to Opta Joe who tweeted this gem, 38 per cent of the goals Ipswich have scored have come from shots outside the area, the highest proportion in the Championship.

So, why should the Blues be so reliant on those long range efforts from Jimmy Bullard or Wayne Andrews while the rest of the Championship are banging them in from close range?

First off we need to accept that Town are scoring almost two thirds of their goals from inside the box so they are doing something right in terms of getting the ball into the danger zone.

But it is apparent they are not putting enough balls of sufficient quality to allow the likes of poacher Michael Chopra to improve on his tally of just four goals, and given he has twice scored a brace then his return is not that good.

In the much-talked about diamond formation, something many cubs have been doing for much longer and to better effect, there is much reliance on full backs Aaron Cresswell and Carlos Edwards to get forward at pace and deliver into the box, or by allowing the midfielders to join in the play.

While it is fair to say Cresswell has a decent left peg at set plays, his accuracy in open play is not all that great, no doubt someone with ProZone or such like will correct or corroborate that assertion.

Edwards is no better, surprising for a former international midfielder, but his paucity of deadly deliveries is a big factor in why the ball is cleared from the box so often.

Paradoxically, those poor balls in often lead to chances outside the area for the midfield, and in the main Andrews and Bullard, although Grant Leadbitter likes a dig from range although more often than not, without success.

Of course with Edwards and Cresswell bombing forward the way they do in the diamond, it allows the opposition to get in behind and more often than not gives them the opportunity to get the ball into our box to score, as we saw for two of Doncaster`s three goals last week.

Of course we know stats can be all bunkum but a few more finishes from inside the box would be useful don`t you think?