Ipswich Town, unlike their fellow promoted side Southampton, have at least managed to accumulate some early-season points in the Premier League.
Russell Martin’s Saints have disastrously lost all four of their top-flight games so far, whilst the Tractor Boys have picked up two draws against Fulham and Brighton and Hove Albion recently, having been shoved in at the deep-end with back-to-back losses against Liverpool and Manchester City.
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The goals haven’t exactly been free-flowing for Kieran McKenna’s side so far either, but at least new recruits Liam Delap and Sammie Szmodics have managed to break their top-flight ducks, with Szmodics even netting away at Man City.
Ipswich’s attacking performances this season
Again, the Tractor Boys do have an upper hand over Southampton when it comes to goals scored during the early stages of this Premier League season, with the Saints only managing a meagre one strike next to Ipswich’s two.
Both of those strikes came from Delap and Szmodics, with the former’s sublime strike against Marco Silva’s Cottagers really sticking out, having been his side’s stylish first goal back in the top division.
There will be an expectation in games to follow that the goals will start flowing after a frustrating goalless draw versus Brighton last time out saw Szmodics and Delap really struggle to get going.
Only mustering up 24 touches between them during the game on the South Coast, neither player would test Seagulls shot-stopper Bart Verbruggen with a shot on target, with McKenna left wondering now whether he should have prioritised adding more firepower to his team as the clock ticked down on transfer deadline day.
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The former Manchester United coach turned beloved Ipswich boss would love to have Troy Parrott back at his disposal, specifically when you consider his red-hot numbers currently playing in the Netherlands, with the former loanee once just a forgettable flop in Suffolk.
Troy Parrott’s numbers this season
Back in 2021, Parrott was loaned to Ipswich from his now ex-employers Tottenham Hotspur in the hope that EFL football would toughen him up and further sharpen his goalscoring tools.
The loan move would unfortunately not go to plan for the Dublin-born attacker, with only two goals registered from 18 appearances donning Ipswich blue, before he moved back to North London.
Parrott’s league numbers this season for AZ Alkm
Parrott has been an absolute menace for his new side in AZ Alkmaar however, away from his uninspiring stay in Suffolk, with four goals registered from five clashes meaning he has outscored both Delap and Szmodics whilst playing in the Eredivisie this season.
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Amazingly, all four of those strikes came in just one game versus SC Heerenveen last time out, as Parrott’s side humiliated Robin Van Persie’s away outfit 9-1, which would have made the emphatic victory even sweeter for the Irishman considering his past Spurs loyalties.
Helping himself to plenty of goals when on the books of Excelsior Rotterdam on loan in the Netherlands last term, with 17 strikes from 32 contests, Ipswich would love to have this goal machine in their camp now, over the goal-shy version they obtained three years ago.
McKenna will hope that gaining George Hirst back as another striker option can boost his side’s attacking output moving forward, with the Tractor Boys number 27 coming on against Brighton in place of Delap after an injury-disrupted pre-season.
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The popular Ipswich boss will also be aware that his side can be an entertaining watch when at the top of their game, but it was always going to be a difficult transition period acclimatising to the Premier League.
Yet, there is winnable game up next, as Ipswich face off against Southampton in a clash that will already impact the foot of the league.