Ipswich Town were once again held to a goalless draw in League One on Tuesday with the Tractor Boys unable to find a way past Shrewsbury Town and having to settle for a point.

Paul Cook’s side have now drawn six of their last ten games 0-0, and it was another frustrating evening for them where they were unable to make enough of some chances that fell their way. It rounds off what has been a poor period for them in the end-of-season run-in that has seen them fall well adrift of the play-off places.

There is now just one game left for them to play in League One this season and then they can start to look towards what is going to be a massive summer for the Tractor Boys. Cook will likely have been turning his attentions towards that for a while now, but there will still be things he will have taken from the Shrewsbury game and things he will have to consider following the match.

With that in mind, we take a look at some of the dilemmas that Cook will be facing after the Shrewsbury draw…

Whether Ipswich can rely on James Norwood to be their main man

One major dilemma that Cook has to consider following the Tractor Boys’ latest goalless draw is whether he can rely upon James Norwood to lead the line and be their main source of goals next term in League One. Against Shrewsbury, the forward struggled and was wasteful with the two or three half chances he was able to get, and he had just the one shot on target.

The 30-year-old’s performance against Swindon Town on Saturday was very encouraging and he managed to score both goals as they secured a much-needed win. That would have given Cook some belief that the forward could be the man for them upfront next season if he can stay fully fit. However, this performance against Shrewsbury will have put that in doubt again.

Ipswich are going to be very busy in the transfer market you would imagine in the summer. There will be plenty of other names thrown into the mix in the next few weeks in terms of potential incomings. Cook will need to decide whether a new forward coming in will do so to replace Norwood as their go-to player for goals.

 

 

Has Armando Dobra done enough to justify prominent role

Another major dilemma that Cook will need to consider in the summer following this goalless draw at Shrewsbury is whether Armando Dobra’s performance demonstrates that he needs to be handed a prominent role in the side next term. The attacker was once again given the chance to impress from the start and he delivered an encouraging performance.

Dobra managed to make one key pass and also completed five out of the six dribbles that he attempted (Sofascore). It was a performance that saw the attacker look to take on the responsibility and try and make things happen for the Tractor Boys in the final third. That is something that Cook will have been wanting to see and it may well place him further into his thoughts for next term.

The 20-year-old has potential, but it is now going to be about whether he can maintain this level of performances and whether he is ready to be a consistent performer week in week out.

Whether to rely on Vincent-Young’s fitness or look to replace him

The final major dilemma to emerge for Cook following their goalless draw with Shrewsbury is whether they need to potentially look at bringing in a more reliable option at right-back this summer. Kane Vincent-Young was a good performer for the Tractor Boys and looks a very promising player that could have a major impact if he can stay fit for a full campaign.

However, late on the defender suffered another injury blow this time to his shoulder. Speaking to the media after the game Kieron Dyer confirmed that he will have to now be assessed to see what the extent of the damage is. While he also suggested he hopes he will be fit enough to return for pre-season and try and have a positive impact on the team.

Cook might need to weigh up his options in the transfer market in the summer following this latest blow, with Vincent-Young constantly suffering setback after setback. Promotion will very much be the target and to get close to that they will need to have a quality option available to them at right-back throughout next term.