Kieran McKenna’s side came into the season riding the crest of a wave after going undefeated from January 21st in a 2-1 defeat at Oxford United, right up until a thrilling contest against Leeds United on August 26th where they were defeated 4-3.
However, they were able to bounce back last weekend with an incredible comeback in a 3-2 home success over Cardiff City.
Whilst a major factor in their continued momentum in the infancy of this campaign is down to their attacking outlets such as Conor Chaplin, Freddie Ladapo and Nathan Broadhead, the Northern Irishman added further firepower to his squad in the late stages of the window.
Scarlett joins on loan
Having made fellow forward George Hirst’s spell in Suffolk for £1.5m earlier on in the window, McKenna made Tottenham Hotspur prospect Dane Scarlett his sixth and final signing before last Friday’s Deadline Day.
Scarlett will spend the remainder of the season at Portman Road, in what will be his first experience of Championship football , having spent last season in League One with Portsmouth after making ten appearances so far for Spurs in all competitions.
Last season at Fratton Park, Scarlett made 40 appearances in total for Portsmouth, scoring 4 times in the league and a further two in the EFL Trophy.
He has also featured for England at Youth level, most recently featuring in the U20’s squad in their World Cup campaign, and scoring in their opening fixture against Tunisia before crashing out in the Round of 16.
What has our Ipswich fan pundit made of this signing?
FLW quizzed our Tractor Boys fan pundit Henry on the loan capture of the 19-year-old, and he was rather content with the deal to bring him to Portman Road, having full belief in McKenna after his previous comments on the youngster.
“Yes I’m happy with the signing of Dane Scarlett.
“I think McKenna said last season after playing against Portsmouth that he was the best young striker in Europe in terms of his physical and mental attributes, so I think getting him in on loan was a possibility because of McKenna’s rave reviews.” he added.
“One of the only players they have that doesn’t have Championship experience is one of the best young strikers in world football, in my opinion, in Dane Scarlett. – McKenna said via the East Anglian Daily Times after Town’s 3-2 win against Pompey on 1st October 2022
Will Dane Scarlett get regular game time at Ipswich Town?
With the number of centre-forward options McKenna has at his disposal, it may seem that Scarlett could find his game time initially limited, but at the same time he provides a different dimension. This is something which our Town fan pundit hopes the Blues’ boss can utilise moving forward, although he feels it may be difficult for the youngster to begin with.
🕹️ Time to play.
Welcome to #itfc, @DScarlett09. pic.twitter.com/j33qtPh8zG
— Ipswich Town (@IpswichTown) August 31, 2023
Henry continued: “I really do hope he gets game time.
“He’s more of a Hirst mould of player, but better technically with the ball at his feet. He may be a bit inexperienced, so having the chance to start for a team where every game is really important may prove difficult.
“I think after this international break where he’s away with England, after having a couple of weeks to see how Ipswich train and how McKenna coaches them is where we could see a breakout season for Dane Scarlett.”