Why Kieran McKenna and Jack Clarke will have mixed feelings on Jaden Philogene, Ipswich Town exploits | OneFootball

Jaden Philogene has been on fire so far for Ipswich Town this season

Ipswich Town recorded their second win of the 2025/26 campaign in their latest outing against Portsmouth.

The Tractor Boys endured a hectic last week after their match against Blackburn Rovers was abandoned due to a waterlogged pitch with just 10 minutes left to play.

After much debate, the EFL decided that the match would be played once again in full, a decision which sparked debate due to the fact that the East Lancashire outfit had such little time left to hold on to their lead and were facing an Ipswich side with 10 men following Jacob Greaves' red card.

Ipswich Town finally look to be gaining some momentum after a poor start to the season, which saw them fail to win in their first four Championship outings, whilst simultaneously being knocked out of the EFL Cup by League Two outfit Bromley.

However, a 5-0 battering of Sheffield United looked to be a point to kick on from for Kieran McKenna’s side and following their win against Portsmouth, that certainly looks to be the case.

One player who has emerged as a focal point in the Tractor Boys’ side has been Jaden Philogene, who signed for the club from Aston Villa for £20 million in January.

The 23-year-old has established himself as the Suffolk outfit’s main attacking force so far this season, with five goals in six appearances.

Included in that tally is a magnificent hat-trick the forward achieved against Sheffield United, which highlighted the level of skill and technique he possesses.

McKenna will be relieved to see Philogene performing at such a consistent level after suffering somewhat of a slow start to his time at Portman Road.

Town’s No.11 has previously proven to be an excellent offensive tool to have in the Championship, after impressing during the 2023/24 campaign with Hull City.

Whilst this upturn in form will come as good news to Ipswich Town supporters, it certainly won’t delight Jack Clarke.

Clarke, like Philogene, has previously shown that he can operate as one of the second-tier’s best creative forces, doing so with Sunderland before Ipswich Town acquired his services following their promotion to the Premier League.

However, the 24-year-old has been resigned to the bench in the Tractor Boys’ last four outings, losing his place in the side to Philogene, who doesn’t look like letting up from his brilliant performances anytime soon.

Clarke has proven to be effective even whilst being introduced from the bench, scoring against Derby County and Sheffield United.

That said, a player of his quality should be starting regularly in the Championship. If he continues to be omitted from the starting 11, there could soon be questions over whether his future lies at Portman Road.

Kieran McKenna will relish Jaden Philogene and Jack Clarke competition

Although McKenna won’t want any players in his camp growing restless, healthy competition throughout the squad is something every manager would love to have.

If Philogene and Clarke can push each other on to perform at their highest possible level, that will only result in good things for Ipswich Town.

McKenna will have to manage the situation wisely and make sure that he shares out game time; otherwise the competition could begin to have a negative effect on the team’s performances.

However, the prospect of having two of the division’s best attackers eager to show what they can do is a tantalising one for the Ipswich Town faithful.