Sean Dyche’s formula for Premier League survival is different to that of Kieran McKenna. It also has a kitemark of being tried and trusted. If midfield muscle, set-piece expertise and hard-bitten, deep defending flies in the face of Ipswich’s sense of adventure, here was a hard lesson that playing the right way will not always land the right result.
A surprise? Five points from the last three matches had followed Everton’s desperate start, signs of revival. Part of Dycheian deja vu is his teams rarely beginning seasons well, eventually finding their gears as autumn browns. McKenna’s Ipswich entered their ninth league match of the season searching for a first win. It will have to be lucky 10 at Brentford next week, where they will need to defend far better and take their chances, too.
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After a kick-off delayed by 15 minutes due to turnstile technology problems, and some early Everton hustle, Ipswich blew their golden chance to open the scoring; Wes Burns burst to the byline, and laid up Jack Clarke, only for the shot to skew wide.
That was the Ipswich that wins hearts. The bit that turns up noses arrived soon after; so much risk rewards opponents. Sam Morsy and Luke Woolfenden got in a terrible mess trying to play the ball out. In stole Dominic Calvert-Lewin, only for Arijanet Muric to save. And when Iliman Ndiaye stole in after more dallying, Clarke redeemed himself by robbing an expectant Dwight McNeil.
Where Muric always played out from goal, Jordan Pickford repeatedly launched the ball forwards, Ipswich becoming jumpy in possession. Their nerves coughed up Everton’s opener. Burns dithered in his own box, the excellent Ndiaye pounced and this time Muric had no answer. Dyche may refuse to use the term but his team were employing a high press to give their opponent plenty to think about.
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Redemption might have come when Clarke appeared to be fouled in the box by McNeil, only for the VAR to overrule. Ipswich began to push on, Dyche’s sub-bass growl relaying concerns from the touchline before his team took advantage of more Suffolk slackness. After a corner was cleared, McNeil made himself space, and put in Michael Keane on an angle from which central defenders are not known for scoring. Keane, though, has a reputation for being one of the best finishers at Everton. McNeil’s turn and pass showed it is not just Ipswich who could play the champagne stuff; he and Ndiaye decorated Portman Road with their flair.
McKenna is not so idealistic to ignore the need for points but made no half-time changes. This week saw his club’s American owners espouse “a different brand of football” to build “something special” while acknowledging the risk of relegation. If the home crowd kept the encouragement up, Everton remained more dangerous. Ipswich’s execution never met their creative ambitions.
Had Calvert-Lewin’s finishing – three fine second-half chances were blown – matched the rest of his game, Everton might have been out of sight. Another Morsy mistake let in Ndiaye for another chance, saved by Muric. Everton’s muscle had by now taken control, Ipswich unable to offer anything similar once the local heavyweight boxer, Fabio Wardley, had finished his half-time meet and greet.
As the game closed out, Ipswich’s first meeting with Everton since 2002 drew audible frustrations. Losing adds little novelty value to the Premier League experience. Everton retrenched and began play for time; another central tenet of the Dyche doctrine is to slow games down when leading. Liam Delap, too often forced to drop deep, whizzed a shot and then a header wide as Ipswich pushed on, and substitute Conor Chaplin shot straight at Pickford.
A series of late Ipswich set-pieces proved meat and drink to Dyche’s drills, his team forever ready to knock clear and retain their shape as he growled instructions. All part of a formula executed to near perfection.
