With their current second-place standing in the division, Ipswich Town has performed better than expected this season.
Despite their success, the club made only six new signings in the summer, with some being loans.
Dane Scarlett, on loan from Tottenham, has struggled for playing time at Ipswich, and it’s unclear where his opportunity will come from given the competition in the squad.
Having won promotion from League One to the Championship last season, Ipswich Town were a side fancied to do well this campaign.
Indeed, with a young, forward-thinking manager in Kieran McKenna, not many expected the club to struggle in terms of relegation this season.
However, not many would have predicted just how good Ipswich have been so far, and how well they would have taken to life in the second tier.
Indeed, ahead of tonight’s Championship clash versus Bristol City, the Tractor Boys currently sit second in the division, six points clear of third-placed Leeds, with a game in hand over them.
It wasn’t as though Ipswich spent wildly in the summer to get to this stage, either.
| Signings for 2023–2024 in Ipswich Town | ||
|---|---|---|
| Player Name | Signed From | Loan/Permanent |
| Jack Taylor | Peterborough United | Permanent |
| George Hirst | Leicester City | Permanent |
| Cieran Slicker | Man City | Permanent |
| Brandon Williams | Man United | Loan |
| Dane Scarlett | Tottenham | Loan |
| Omari Hutchinson | Chelsea | Loan |
| Axel Tuanzebe | Man United | Permanent |
As you can see from the list above, there were just six new arrivals at Portman Road during the summer transfer window, some of which were loanees.
It is not like all of those have hit the ground running, either.
How has Dane Scarlett performed at Ipswich so far?
Indeed, one player that things have perhaps not panned out as expected for is Dane Scarlett.
Scarlett joined the Tractor Boys on loan from Tottenham Hotspur during the summer months with the aim of getting more first team minutes under his belt.
However, so far, it has been difficult to do so for the 19-year-old.
So far, for example, even with the five substitutions now allowed, Scarlett has appeared just four times for the club so far, all of which have come from the bench.
Spurs may already be regretting Dane Scarlett’s loan deal
Now, just because things have not worked out for Scarlett yet in terms of playing time, it does not mean that they will not eventually. However, given how well Ipswich are doing presently, you do wonder where the incentive is for Kieran McKenna to put the 19-year-old in.
The case for Scarlett’s involvement is even harder to make when you look at some of the options ahead of him and how they are performing at present, too.
in terms of natural centre-forwards, for example, Scarlett has George Hirst, Freddie Ladapo and Kayden Jackson to compete with, and that is before you even get to the other attacking options Ipswich have in their side in slightly different positions in behind the striker or out wide such as Conor Chaplin or Nathan Broadhead.
Honestly, with those names above him, it really is difficult to see where he gets his chance. For example, even if George Hirst suddenly loses form, which seems unlikely in itself, McKenna would then likely turn to Ladapo or Broadhead up front, rather than an unproven 19-year-old.
Indeed, it appears Spurs have really misjudged the level Scarlett is at, and it should come as no surprise that he is struggling to make an impact at Championship level given how the second half of his loan spell at Portsmouth went.
Perhaps a January re-call could be on the cards, with a more suitable development loan found for the youngster.
