Ipswich Town will win promotion if they sort one thing out - only Southampton are worse right now | OneFootball

Ipswich Town have missed 69 big chances this season, with Southampton the only Championship team worse than that so far this season.

As we approach the final month of the Championship season, the race for promotion is shaping up to be a memorable one.

Coventry City appear nailed on to win the league, but there are three clubs fighting for second place, with Middlesbrough currently two points ahead of Ipswich and Millwall for that second automatic spot.

However, Ipswich have a game in hand on their two rivals, and with the Lions travelling to Teesside on Good Friday, they know that at least one will drop points, so Kieran McKenna’s side will fancy their chances.

Ipswich Town’s wastefulness in front of goal could be costly

So, there is little margin for error if Ipswich are to seal an immediate return to the Premier League, and they will have to deal with the pressure that comes during the run-in.

One concern for McKenna will be Ipswich’s recent form, as three draws in four games shows they have been stuttering somewhat prior to the international break, even if it’s not cause for major concern.

Those games against Leicester, Stoke and Millwall have followed a theme, with Ipswich taking the lead at different points and not ramming home that advantage, which has ultimately cost them points.

With Coventry the only team to have outscored Ipswich this season, it’s difficult to be too critical of the attack, but the reality is that they are capable of much more, and they’re not displaying the ruthless edge that McKenna will demand.

That’s backed up by the stats, as FotMob shows Ipswich have missed 69 big chances this season, which is the second worst tally in the entire division behind Southampton. In comparison, Millwall have squandered 59 big chances, and Boro have missed 47.

Clearly, that is a trend that the Suffolk outfit need to address, and it’s something that could prove decisive in this promotion run.

Ipswich Town need attacking players to step up in final eight games

Obviously, scoring goals is the responsibility of the collective, but it’s hard not to think that the Ipswich strikers should be doing more.

So far this season, only Jack Clarke has hit double figures, which simply isn’t good enough, so McKenna will be looking at the likes of Ivan Azon, George Hirst and Chuba Akpom to step up.

Hirst has scored three in his last seven, which is encouraging, but the Scotland international is only on nine for the season.

This is a very busy period in terms of fixture congestion, and even more so for Ipswich considering they have an extra game to play, which means that the boss will have to rotate and use his squad.

That shouldn’t be a problem, because the Ipswich squad is stacked full of quality, but it’s about finding the right XI to get results in this demanding schedule.

On paper, Ipswich have a squad that many observers would see as the best in the Championship in terms of strength in depth and individual talent.

So, it’s no real surprise that they’re competing for automatic promotion, and the fact many players have been there and done it previously offers reason for optimism as they try to do it again.

But, unless they develop a ruthless streak in front of goal, there is a very real possibility that Ipswich could have to settle for the unpredictability of the play-offs.