When Omari Hutchinson made his Ipswich debut away at Cambridge United, we saw some glimpses of what he’d go on to be.
The attacker gave U's left-back Harrison Dunk nightmares in the early stages of that game. He helped set up the Blues’ opener just seconds into the match, providing an assist for Leif Davis after finding space down the right.
However, he quickly faded out of the action at The Abbey, which was expected. He’d only signed for Town a few days earlier and had little in the way of match exposure at senior level.
This was a running theme in pre-season ahead of the 2023/24 campaign. He was able to showcase his dazzling skills but would often lack the killer touch to create or score. That was down to his decision making more than anything else. Supporters who travelled to Austria for the Innsbruck Cup may remember him scuppering a one-v-one opportunity against RB Leipzig by overplaying in front of goal.
There was certainly a level of naivety in his performances. He looked raw and perhaps a little bit too self-centred at times. That was okay – it was normal for a young player who worked his way through the academies of Arsenal and Chelsea, having had the opportunity to show off his tricks in front of Pele. At that age, if you’re not the best, you’re not good enough.
What we see far too often these days is talented youngsters like Hutchinson get the wrong guidance. As a result, they struggle to become well-rounded players. They don’t score or get assists, they’re flashy and fun to watch, but little else. There was always a risk that he could fall into that category.
But a Championship loan at the age of 19 was the perfect decision. It was also a very wise move to have him work under Kieran McKenna.
Whether this was an active consideration for Chelsea when they agreed to the move remains to be seen. The Northern Irishman obviously has a strong record of developing young talent, particularly at Manchester United, but nobody could’ve expected Hutchinson to grow in the way that he did.
In the first half of the season, he made just six starts. He could’ve voiced his frustration that he wasn’t getting enough minutes, gone back to his parent club and asked to be recalled. Instead, he worked hard. He upped his performance levels, scored goals, registered assists and made it so McKenna couldn’t ignore him. He was undroppable.
In the second half of the campaign, he made 15 starts. Without looking at his performances, that’s already an indication to show how he improved.
There’s no denying that Hutchinson’s ability was well above Championship level at that time. His stunning performance against Hull City was enough evidence for that, but he was able to do it consistently. His decision making became better too – just look at his stunning assist for Ali Al-Hamadi's second goal against Sheffield Wednesday. If he was in that position six months earlier, he wouldn’t have played the pass he did after dribbling through the Owls' defence.
McKenna and Mark Ashton saw more than enough to make a permanent move for him. He was, and remains, the club’s record signing at more than £18 million plus add-ons.
It shows a lot about who he is as a person that he was willing to leave Chelsea and join a club who were in League One just 12 months earlier, who were fresh into the Premier League after 22 years away and among the favourites for relegation. He had interest from abroad and could’ve been temped by the bright lights of the Champions League.
Instead, Hutchinson opted to reunite with McKenna, who’s been tasked with turning him into a top-level Premier League footballer. There’s more to that than meets the eye.
There are some aspects that he’s already mastered. He’s an excellent dribbler with a low centre of gravity. He’s not a one-trick pony, which it looked like he might be in pre-season when he first joined Ipswich. He’s unpredictable and entertaining.
He’s a good finisher but not clinical. That’ll come with more top-level match experience. Although some will argue otherwise, it can be taught and we’ve seen that with a lot of talented youngsters who've gone on to become world class.
How does he become a quality Premier League footballer? It's so hard to be a skilful attacker in a side that will rarely dominate a game and create loads of chances, so you can rarely show off the stuff you do best. You have to show off other sides of your game instead.
This all comes back to the word I used before – naivety. The best players at this level are really, really clever. They can manage the game, drop into unexpected areas and do the hard yards. We’re starting to see that from Hutchinson.
In fact, the first flashes of it were in last year’s FA Cup win against Wimbledon at the start of the calendar year. Yes, he struggled going forward against Jack Currie, but he tracked back and did defensive work that we never saw him do before. He doubled up to support Axel Tuanzebe behind him and came into more central positions despite being a right winger.
He obviously has to do that a lot in the Premier League, and he’s been getting better week on week. He frustrates opponents, he can run down the clock and he can draw fouls. Opposition fans hate him – you only have to look at what Tottenham Hotspur supporters said about him social media after they were beaten by Ipswich. That was Hutchinson’s best performance in the top flight.
What do the stats say about him? Compared to other players in his position, he doesn’t stand out with his attacking numbers, ranking in the bottom third for things like expected goals (0.67), expected assists (0.97) and chances created (10). That’s not a huge surprise, as Ipswich are statistically among the poorer attacking sides in the league. They don’t get him into good areas on a regular basis as a result, which is understandable for a newly-promoted side.
On top of that, he's found it hard to influence games through the middle of the pitch. Up against towering defenders, he's given much less space. He looks much better driving at full-backs, cutting inside and getting balls into the box when he's on the right. It looks like that'll be his position for the time being, so it'll be fascinating to see his attacking numbers in a few weeks' time.
There are a number of areas where he does stand out above his competition, however. Few have won more duels (52) or made more interceptions (5) and blocks (6) than Hutchinson. He’s equally as strong when it comes to recoveries (31) and winning possession in the final third (6).
Simply put, if you’re not able to show off your attacking qualities, do the other things well. Work harder, defend well and cover every blade of grass. Stand out in ways that people don’t expect. When Hutchinson first joined Ipswich, did anyone believe he’d turn into this type of player?
The rest will come in time and that first Premier League goal will come soon. He already has an assist to his name, picking out Liam Delap with a lovely pass from deep in the 2-2 draw against Aston Villa. He’ll get more of those in the next few weeks and months.
But he’s also only 21. The fact he’s showing such maturity and developing at such a fast rate is a sign that he’s on the right path. Most youngsters will overlook the skills he’s picked up under McKenna, and that’s why he’s got every chance to make it right to the top – hopefully with Ipswich.
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