All good things come to those who wait. Us Town fans have been waiting all window for the Blues to bolster their attacking ranks ahead of what looks to be a hectic race for Automatic Promotion to the Premier League, especially given the recall of Dane Scarlett, the long-term injury of George Hirst and the loan departure of Freddie Ladapo to Charlton Athletic.
As the days continued to pass by, with different names mentioned, such as Blackburn Rovers' Sam Gallagher, Watford’s Mileta Rajovic and Eintracht Frankfurt’s Jessic Ngankam, it felt as if Ipswich might fall short in getting a couple of strikers through the door, that felt so desperately needed.
But persistence has paid off. Not only have Town managed to get strikers through the door, but they’ve managed to get two really quality ones at that.
I’ve already wrote up a piece on Monday’s addition, Ali Al-Hamadi, which you can read here.
Whilst the 21-year-old’s signing provided relief that we managed to get a striker in, his inexperience and rawness has came as a cause of concern for some.
So the signing of Kieffer Moore should calm those fans down, as the 31-year-old has always been a reliable goalscorer in the Championship, and is also a key player for his International side, Wales.
This is a fantastic signing for Town. A nice, big statement signing, just hours before the Transfer Window closes. So let’s take a look at Ipswich’s newest recruit, and assess how the Welsh International can fit into the jigsaw.
General Information
Name: Kieffer Moore (Full Name being Kieffer Roberto Francisco Moore, which I thought was a meme before looking up)
Age: 31 (DoB: 08.08.2023)
Position(s): Striker
Nationality: Welsh
Height: 6'5"
Weight: 83kg
Proffered Foot: Right
Market Value: €2.50m
Playing Style
Moore is a classic centre-forward. So simple, yet so effective. His absolutely monstrous physical profile makes him a target at set-pieces, and encourages his team-mates to get the ball into the box as many times as possible.
He’s scored countless goals from balls into the box, in which he’s either evaded his marker via clever moment or he’s simply outmuscled them, to provide himself with a free header. His aerial dominance is the most talked about part of his game, and for good reason.
Last season, Moore scored 5 goals in all competitions. 4 of these goals were headers. Not only does his height help in this aspect of his game, but so does his sheer commitment to get to the ball. His two headers against Tottenham and Everton last season showcase this.
That’s just scratching the surface of Moore’s mental game. Not only is he prepared to put his head where it hurts, but his striker’s instinct allows him to ‘feed off the scraps’, in terms of being in the right place at the right time to score into an empty net, or find a tiny pocket of space in the penalty box to exploit. Many of his goals involve him stretching a foot out to ensure a goal bound chance does indeed result in a goal.
So far, my description of Moore paints the picture of a one-trick pony. But there’s a lot more to Moore (no pun intended) than just a poacher that hangs around the six-hard area, waiting for balls to be whipped in from wide, or to get on the end of a goal-line scramble. He’s also brilliant off the ball, making well-timed runs beyond the defence and being able to convert regularly in 1v1s against the goalkeeper. This was on show a lot more during his time at Cardiff as opposed to at Bournemouth.
Statistical Overview
I’m not going to look at Moore’s statistics from this season, due to how little he’s featured for The Cherries. Instead I’ll be looking at his 2022/23 season. Remember, Moore logged these statistics in the Premier League, so any low rankings in terms of percentile are nothing to worry about considering the players he’s being compared to are some of the best on the planet. He made 27 appearances for Bournemouth in the Premier League, starting 12. He scored 4 goals despite only playing 1273 minutes. He was fairly close to matching his xG, only underperforming it but 0.41. Not bad considering he only took 9 shots on target, nearly a goal every other effort on target. That clinical edge will be vital for us.
If we look at his passing stats, they are unsurprisingly low, boasting a pass accuracy % of just 59.5%, demonstrating that his link up with the midfield isn’t his strongest asset. But as already established, Moore is a target man. Strikers of his profile are renowned for what they offer in the 18-yard-box, not how involved they are in build-up, how frequently they drop deep etc.
He only managed 2 successful dribbles all season, again not to the shock of anyone, but won 30 fouls, which has him in the top 18% of forwards in the Premier League. This is a result of Moore’s hold-up play, in which, like Ladapo, he receives the ball with his back to goal, shielding it, and waiting for onrushing attackers to arrive on the scene. This style attracts fouls, and the Welshman is especially successful due to his build, meaning when a defender is coming in from behind him, the only way they’ll be able to win possession is by way of fouling him. The position that Moore takes up on the pitch means that he wins lots of fouls high up the pitch, which is always helpful, especially when you have players such as Leif Davis.
His defensive statistics are high compared to other Premier League Forwards. Last season, he won 11 tackles (78.6%), 68 aerial duels (top 8%) and made 26 recoveries.
Even more encouragingly, he only got booked once last season in the Premier League, despite his physical approach. So it’s unlikely we’ll have to worry about any disciplinary issues for our new striker. Touch wood.
What can Kieffer offer for Kieran McKenna’s Ipswich Town?
Moore goals. Sorry.
Jokes aside though, that is what he can offer us. Moore has been a reliable source of goals in the Championship since his move to Wigan Athletic in the summer of 2019. In his 3 full seasons in the second tier, he’s scored 39 goals in 104 appearances, which is a brilliant return. He feels like what Freddie Ladapo is viewed as in League One. Both are guaranteed to score at their respected levels, and both have similar styles of play. Brilliant hold-up play and similar physical profiles.
His aforementioned aerial presence will be of delight to our creative players. We may now be the most feared side from set pieces, with Leif Davis delivering to a box containing Kieffer Moore. On paper, that sounds like a cheat code.
Even if the two don’t directly combine, which is entirely possible, Moore’s presence will have defences focusing on him as the main danger, allowing other players to flourish. That space for Chaplin, that was so apparent last season, may be about to reopen again.
Conclusion
This is such a great signing for all parties. For Town, they’ve secured their №1 Striker target, who undeniably fills the void temporarily left by George Hirst’s injury. He’s proven goals at this level, he makes us more dangerous if we opt to go more direct, and adds uncertainty to the oppositions mindset from dead ball situations.
For the player, Moore, he’s returning to Portman Road a completely transformed player from the one that had a forgetabble spell at the club in 2017 under Mick McCarthy. Since then, he’s been a reliable source of goals at every club (Rotherham, Barnsley, Wigan, Cardiff, Bournemouth) he’s gone on to play for, and has became a regular for his Country, Wales, at International Level, playing at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
He will be delighted to get regular gametime again, in a league he always scores in, for a club that have been exciting the league all season. He also has a point to prove to those who are still doubting him, assuming he’s the same player we saw here 7 years ago. To anyone who has watched him recently, they’ll know how much he’s improved since then, but to those who live in ignorance, and seemingly under a rock, Moore will be highly keen to silence their doubt once and for all.
