Prior to the Sheffield Wednesday match on Saturday, Ipswich manager Mick McCarthy claimed that striker David McGoldrick was back to his best.
The Irish international had previously been struggling with poor form last season, missing a great deal of the last two seasons with Freddie Sears taking his place in the starting line-up following a long-term thigh injury last season and a knee injury the season before. The claim that he was back at his best, supported by his impressive performance against Stevenage in the first round of the Capital One Cup, will please all Ipswich fans.
After impressing on loan, David McGoldrick signed permanently for Ipswich Town as a free agent having been released by Nottingham Forest. He had struggled to find form and score goals at Forest, gaining the nickname amongst some fans as ‘McGoalDrought’.
The striker has, however, impressed since joining the Suffolk club, becoming a crucial member of their side scoring a total of 25 goals in 70 games, and becoming Ipswich’s top scorer with 16 in his first full season. Importantly, McGoldrick provides not just goals, but a wealth of creativity and plays an important role within the side, particularly in the development of attacks.
This led to a rumoured £6,500,000 bid from Premier League Leicester City for McGoldrick in the summer of 2014, which was rejected by Ipswich who didn’t want to lose the striker. He also forced his way into the Republic of Ireland squad, making his debut against the United States in November 2014, alongside fellow Ipswich Town striker, Daryl Murphy, having turned down the opportunity to play for Scotland.
His time at Ipswich Town, however, has been plagued by injury. He was out for 10 weeks following a partial tear of the medial knee ligament in February 2014. McGoldrick returned to training and playing football just before the start of the following season, but failed to rediscover the form that had excited Ipswich fans the previous season. Still far from his best form, and with many fans calling for him to be dropped from this starting line-up, David McGoldrick was out injured again with a recurring thigh injury in February 2015. He missed the rest of the season and was replaced by the new signing from Colchester: Freddie Sears.
David McGoldrick’s performance against Stevenage was one of the best on the pitch, which saw the striker create many attacking chances and assist the winning goal, and substantiates his manger’s claims this weekend that he is back to his best. These claims will inspire Ipswich fans hoping for another top six finish with promotion to the Premier League the aim for all at the club.
McGoldrick won’t, however, replace either of Ipswich Town’s current striking pair, Freddie Sears and Daryl Murphy, which has been confirmed by McCarthy. The former of the two scored nine in fourteen last season, and the latter was the Championship’s top goalscorer with 27 goals, six goals clear of runners up Troy Deeney and Jordan Rhodes. It will be hard to force his way back into the side, but that will be his aim and he certainly has the ability to do so.
Also hoping to force his way into the starting line-up will be Brett Pitman, who signed for Ipswich Town this season on a free deal from Premier League newcomers, Bournemouth. Another proven goalscorer in the second tier of English football, he has added further competition to the strikeforce. Between the four strikers, especially if they all find their best form, there should not be a lack of goals for Ipswich Town this season.
Whether David McGoldrick is indeed back to the form which saw him named Championship Player of the Month for September 2013, meaning that he became a quick fan favourite, is yet to be seen. It will also be harder to force his way into the starting line-up with the current pairing finding great success together, but fans will be revelling in the promising news that one of their best players is back at their best.
