Kieran McKenna may have double Ipswich Town concern - it involves George Hirst and Ivan Azon | OneFootball

Both strikers have missed eight big chances each, which must also leave Chuba Akpom scratching his head

Ipswich Town strikers George Hirst and Iván Azón rank in the top five for one key attacking stat that may concern manager Kieran McKenna, even though he's publicly backed the pair.

With the Tractor Boys on a four-game unbeaten run, there’s no denying that they’re beginning to find form - yet the numbers show they’re still being let down up top.

Despite the Suffolk outfit scoring the joint-second most goals in the league so far, with 26, both Hirst and Azón have missed eight big chances each, as per FotMob data.

Yes, the Spaniard has only started two league games compared to the Scotsman's 13, but McKenna would surely want his strikers to be more consistent when the chances arrive - and it's not like they aren't creating any.

In their 3-0 loss against Charlton Athletic - where the team managed a staggering 31 attempts - Azón missed two big chances himself out of four shots.

Stats show George Hirst and Iván Azón are failing to be clinical at Ipswich Town

Given that Town's current top scorers are both wide players - Jaden Philogene and Jack Clarke - who have six each, in McKenna's ideal world, either Hirst or Azón should be up there.

While the club have climbed back towards the play-off conversation in seventh place with 23 points, both of their strikers' ability to convert opportunities into goals remains so inconsistent.

Hirst has managed five goals in 14 Championship matches so far this season, which still puts him on course to smash his Ipswich league record of seven, but he perhaps should've done that already.

His shot conversion rate stands at a disappointing 18.5%, with 28 attempts resulting in just 12 on target. With an expected goals (xG) of 6.14, it shows the former Leicester City man should be performing a lot better in front of goal.

For Azón, the picture is similarly concerning despite his more limited opportunities on the pitch.

The Como loanee's shot conversion rate is 5.6%, and six out of his 18 shots on goal have found the target. Albeit he did score his first goal for Town with his only shot of the game away at Swansea City, which will definitely boost his confidence.

Kieran McKenna backs both George Hirst and Iván Azón to score more goals

Azón's first goal as a Tractor Boy was definitely a relief for everyone at the club, perhaps none more so than McKenna, who was quick to praise the Spain youth international afterwards.

Speaking to the East Anglian Daily Times, McKenna said on Azón's goal: "You can see how happy everyone is for him - he's been waiting for a while."

McKenna also hinted at those big chances missed, as he continued to say: "He's had chances every time he's been on the pitch, really, which I always say is the main thing.

"He's an outstanding character, I have to say. A brilliant human being, a really good addition to the group. A real team player, really humble, wants to do well for himself and others.

"As a striker, it's important to get your first goal. That'll help his confidence. We're going to need him," the manager concluded on the 22-year-old.

These words suggest that McKenna fully believes in Azón's ability to start scoring more often, something the 39-year-old has also done with Hirst.

Before scoring a brace against QPR, the Scotsman had failed to find the back of the net in his previous five games, and McKenna told The National it was a "good boost" for the forward.

Like in his words about Azón, the Town boss also alluded to the big chances the Scotsman has failed to put away.

"Of course, some days you can be a little bit better in your execution and some days a little bit worse, but when he’s giving what he can give to the team he’s a hell of a focal point.

"We spoke about just sticking at it, getting in the right positions, giving everything to the team and trusting that the goals will come," McKenna revealed.

Chuba Akpom is certainly lying in wait for Ipswich Town striker opportunity

Although McKenna has publicly backed both Hirst and Azón for now, if the rate at which they're missing big opportunities continues, it may cost the Tractor Boys valuable points in the future.

This could ultimately lead to McKenna deciding to use Ajax loanee Chuba Akpom as a striker, instead of in a deeper role, which has often been the case this season - but that spot is now given to Marcelino Nunez.

When Akpom signed for the club, he was announced as a striker, and being a previous golden boot winner for Middlesbrough after scoring 28 goals in a season (22/23), it's probably been a surprise to all that he's rarely had a chance as the sole striker. In comparison to the other two, he's missed three big chances - ranking him 49th in the league for that metric.

Having no goal contributions in eleven games won't exactly help his case, but Akpom is surely waiting to pounce on the one chance he may be given to start up front - none of the five league games he's started have been in his preferred position yet, and he's probably been scratching his head at some of the chances Hirst and Azón have missed.