Ipswich v Watford Preview

It would be fair to say that neither of these teams has anything to play for, with both sat in comfortable mid-table positions. Ipswich approach the fixture sat in 16th place although Paul Jewell will be the first to admit that he’ll want just a couple more wins to guarantee the club’s safety. Watford meanwhile have bypassed the 50-point barrier and with the Hornets positioned in 11th, Malky Mackay is probably already preparing for next season.

There’s no doubt that there is something of a breath of new life around Portman Road these days, with Paul Jewell preparing to rebuild the club following a dismal two years under the leadership of Roy Keane. The Tractor Boys are still recovering and their position of 16th emphasizes that, but under Jewell there has certainly been an improvement of performances and that has encouraged the Portman Road faithful. However, they are on something of a bad run and having won just one out of their last six, they need a victory to regain some confidence. What’s more, having accumulated forty six points already they appear safe for now, but Jewell will know how important it is to get past that 50-point safety barrier and guarantee their status.

Watford on the other hand are just recovering from a slump in form and the Hornets have now risen to 11th in the table. With ten games remaining, it appears highly unlikely that they’ll be able to close the seven point gap that keeps them from the top six. However, with the Vicarage Road outfit not on the best financial footing, they know how important it is to finish in a lofty position and reap the monetary rewards. Malky Mackay’s men certainly look to be finishing the campaign strongly as well, with the club losing just one out of their last seven and collecting seven points from their last three games.

As for team news, Ipswich will be without David Norris who sits this one out through suspension, while Mark Kennedy will continue to sit out due to a hamstring problem. However, Paul Jewell will be able to select Jimmy Bullard who showed no ill-effects following a hamstring injury. There’s just the one piece of information to report for the visitors meanwhile as Lee Hodson struggles with an ankle problem. Despite early fears he had suffered a fracture, test results have shown that is not the case but the full back will still not be available for this one.

Despite Ipswich’s poor form of late, they did manage to grind out a good point against Leeds at the weekend and they are certainly no pushovers. Bearing that in mind we think they will be good value for a point

Millwall v Ipswich Preview

At the start of the season Milwall were seen as the potential strugglers, while Ipswich were viewed as potential promotion contenders. However, those predictions have been completely turned on their head as Millwall enter this game in 9th spot, while Ipswich, set to play their first game under Paul Jewell, are struggling down in 19th position.

Like nearly every club in the division, Millwall’s season has been one big rollercoaster and the Lions must just not know what to expect next. Kenny Jackett’s men have been up and down the league on good runs and bad, but fortunately they are now experiencing one of their better periods. The Lions enter this clash unbeaten in eight outings and having won two out of three of their recent league games, they’ll certainly possess at least some confidence. One thing that the New Den outfit have been renowned for has been a sturdy defence and having kept three consecutive league clean sheets, they’ll certainly prove difficult to break down. However, they approach this game on the back of a 4-1 drubbing to Birmingham in the Cup and it’ll be interesting to see how Jackett’s man respond to that blip.

Ipswich on the other hand are in a real mess, although their supporters will be hoping that they’re about to turn a corner now Paul Jewell has taken over. This will be the former Wigan manager’s first game in charge and having overseen a superb 1-0 victory against Arsenal midweek, Jewell will at least inherit a squad on a high. In the league they are anything but high though and are actually looking over their shoulder, with just three points separating the Tractor Boys from the bottom three places. Before their victory against Arsenal their form was hardly inspiring either, with a 7-0 defeat to Chelsea and a 1-0 loss to Nottingham Forest occurring prior to that.

There’s plenty of team news to report for this one and Millwall could be without several players. After injuring his ankle, Josh McQuoid has been ruled out while Tamika Mkandawire, Paul Robinson and Liam Trotter also won’t be featuring. One positive for Kenny Jackett is that following suspension, Alan Dunne is now available again. It’s a little quieter for Ipswich who will be without striker Jason Scotland who is struggling with a calf problem. Elsewhere, Troy Brown will also miss out as he is hindered by a hamstring complaint.

Ipswich may approach this game following a superb result midweek and with the boost of a new manager taking charge. However, Millwall’s record over recent weeks has been superb and with the New Den being such a tough place to go to, we expect a narrow victory for the Lions

Chelsea v Ipswich Preview

This is yet another game which has completely changed complexion over the weekend, following the news that Roy Keane has been relieved from his duties as Ipswich manager. It’s news that has certainly pleased the Tractor Boys faithful although opposition manager Carlo Ancelotti is another man feeling the strain, with his job under threat following some dreadful form over the past few weeks.

One of the big downsides of being in charge of one of the top clubs is that victories are expected every week, and if not pressure arrives. That has certainly been the case with Carlo Ancelotti as not so long ago his Chelsea side could do no wrong as they topped the Premier League. Recent form has been dire though and having won just one out of their last eight, they have slipped down the table and now sit in 5th. That leaves them nine points behind league leaders Manchester United and having also played a game more, it already looks as though their title ambitions are over. That perhaps means that they’ll put more emphasis on this fixture as Ancelotti bids to at least add some silverware to the Stamford Bridge trophy cabinet. What’s more, the Blues also know that should they win the competition this year, they will be the first club since 1886 to win three consecutive FA Cups.

Ipswich’s poor form has stretched back a little further than their opponents and the only question their supporters are posing is why Roy Keane wasn’t removed from his position earlier. The former Sunderland manager hasn’t been popular at Portman Road for a while, yet it was only on Friday that the board acted and supporters will be hoping for a fresh start now. As it stands, they sit in 19th spot in the Championship and looking back at recent form, they certainly won’t carry much confidence into this encounter. The Tractor Boys have lost seven games from their last ten and with their away record absolutely dismal, it’s certainly not looking promising as they travel to the current holders of the competition.

On the team news front, Chelsea have several worries ahead of this game and Carlo Ancelotti is preparing to put three players through late fitness tests. Michael Essien, Ashley Cole and Didier Drogba are all struggling with minor knocks and Ancelotti will leave it until late before making a decision. The visitors have a few definite absentees though, with Rory Fallon ineligible and Grant Leadbitter suspended. The Tractor Boys also won’t be relying on the services of Jack Colback, who returned to his parent club Sunderland earlier in the week.

Both of these sides are in poor form but we just can’t see past Chelsea here. Ipswich are in all sorts of turmoil and we just don’t think they’ve got what it takes to get anything out of this fixture

Norwich v Ipswich Preview

It’s more than local pride at stake in this encounter as both of these teams aim to fine tune their play off challenge. It would be fair to say that Norwich’s campaign has been a little more successful than their opponents, with the Canaries in 8th position with goal difference being the only obstacle to the playoffs. Ipswich meanwhile have suffered some poor form in recent weeks and are a few points lower in 13th.

There was never any doubt that Norwich would be in for a successful season under Paul Lambert and the former Celtic midfielder is proving his managerial credentials by the week. The Canaries have collected twenty seven points from their opening eighteen games and that puts them in 8th position, along with a whole host of other teams. Should they conjure a victory here there is a good chance they’ll find themselves in the top six by Sunday evening and that should provide extra motivation ahead of this local derby. Form for Lambert’s men has been a little dry recently though and having drawn their last four, they really need to start turning those games into three points.

Ipswich on the other hand have struggled in recent weeks and Roy Keane is another manager feeling the pressure. The former Sunderland manager hasn’t exactly set the world alight during his time at Portman Road and having spent millions in the transfer market over the past two years, the Tractor Boys faithful will have been expecting more than their current position of 13th. The main reason behind their poor position is their recent form and having lost their last three games, it’s no surprise that they have tumbled down the table. What’s more, two of their recent opponents, Barnsley and Hull, were struggling at the bottom so it’s not as though Town were facing a gruelling schedule either.

It’s mixed news on the team news front for the home side who will be without Adam Drury, while Korey Smith is also a doubt through injury. However, the Canaries will be looking to hand a debut to Henri Lansbury after the youngster joined on loan from Arsenal earlier in the week. Ipswich meanwhile have been handed some bad news ahead of this fixture with injury ruling Gareth McAuley out until the New Year. Connor Wickham is another player kept out due to injury, but Roy Keane could hand starts to new loan signings Rory Fallon and Gianni Zuiverloon.

As for a prediction, we think Norwich will just about edge this one. Ipswich are in poor form at the moment and while Norwich are without a win in recent weeks, they have proved hard to beat. With that, we’ll predict a narrow 1-0 victory for the home side.

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English Carling Cup Soccer – Ipswich Town v. West Bromwich Albion

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Ipswich v Barnsley Preview

This is a fixture involving two highly inconsistent sides although despite that, one of them have still managed to be up there pushing for a playoff place. They may never be able to string together long bouts of results but Ipswich sit in 7th place, with goal difference being the only obstacle from the playoffs. Barnsley meanwhile are not faring so well and despite managing three points on Tuesday, the Tykes are down in 18th place.

Nobody knew quite what to expect from Ipswich this term, with the Tractor Boys spending very little money in comparison to the previous season. There’s no doubt that after promising promotion within two years after arriving at the club, the pressure is certainly on Roy Keane to deliver this term. There’s already been speculation regarding his contract renewal and you’d have to think that the Ipswich owners will wait until late before making a decision on his future. It appears to be very little things that are stopping Ipswich from making a serious promotion push though as they have proved time after time this season that they are capable of grinding out results. However, they are simply not consistent enough and this was proven yet again in their last outing where they were soundly beaten at home to Derby. The fact that Keane has never masterminded three straight victories says plenty about the Tractor Boys and while they do sit right on the edge of the top six, there is still plenty of work to do if they are to break into that cluster of teams.

Barnsley on the other hand could only wish that they had Ipswich’s

Ipswich v Derby Preview

Nobody knew what to quite expect from these two clubs at the start of the season following indifferent 09/10 campaigns. However, both are performing well and with home side Ipswich sat in 6th and Derby a couple of places higher in 4th, this promises to be one of the more exciting fixtures of the evening.

It’s been a strange season for Ipswich who have been plagued with inconsistency. The Tractor Boys have had spells where they’ve put together some fantastic results, only to then fall foul of some poor form. However, with the division being so tight this year, that inconsistency doesn’t matter so much now and it’s very easy to jump from a mid-table spot right into the playoffs. They come into this game on the back of consecutive victories against Millwall and Sheffield United although interestingly, the stats are against the Tractor Boys who have never recorded three straight wins under the management of Roy Keane. Should they achieve that feat, they will strengthen their position in the top six as they are only up there due to superior goal difference at the moment.

Derby meanwhile are in stunning form and Nigel Clough seems to be finally experiencing success at Pride Park. The Rams’ supporters have been far too used to struggles at the wrong end of the table yet this campaign seems different and the club are right up there in 4th spot

Ipswich v Cardiff Preview

Posted on September 18th, 2010 in English Championship

This is Ipswich’s second huge game in the last few days after the Tractor Boys faced table topping QPR on Tuesday night. They were soundly beaten 3-0 in that outing and it’ll be interesting to see how they respond as they face a Cardiff City side who are sat in 2nd place. The Bluebirds are also looking to bounce back having unexpectedly lost their last game 2-1 to struggling Leicester.

Not much was expected of Ipswich in this campaign after last season’s disaster. Despite huge expectations with Roy Keane at the helm and bucket loads of money being thrown at the team, things just didn’t click and the Tractor Boys had to be satisfied with a mid-table position. That meant that when this summer came and there was such little transfer activity, supporters feared the worst. However, as it turns out Town have made an extremely good start to the season and they currently sit in 5th position. Their 3-0 defeat to QPR on Tuesday happened to be their first loss of the season and other than that, they have three wins and two draws to their name.

Cardiff are also flying and the Bluebirds sit in 2nd place, with thirteen points to their name. They may have lost their last game, but before that they were absolutely flying having recorded four straight wins. While a lot of focus has been on the signing of Craig Bellamy, the Welshman hasn’t featured for the past few weeks due to injury so their success can’t be attributed to his influence. It appears as though other players are stepping up to the mark instead, with the likes of Jay Bothroyd and Chris Burke already bagging six league goals between them this term. The fact that Bellamy isn’t contributing makes the Bluebirds appear even more daunting and you can only imagine that they’ll strengthen their position as the season progresses.

As for team news, Ipswich look set to be without Shane O’Connor and Darren O’Dea who are struggling with hamstring and knee injuries respectively. Roy Keane also has the dilemma of handing Connor Wickham a start, after the youngster impressed on various substitute appearances. Cardiff on the other hand have plenty of injury worries and Danny Drinkwater and Michael Chopra look almost certain to miss out through injury. Elsewhere, Dave Jones is sweating on the fitness of Craig Bellamy, Jay Bothroyd and Seyi Olofinjana who are all penned in for late fitness tests.

While Ipswich have performed well this term, a lot of that success is due to their form on the road. Cardiff on the other hand have picked up quite a few points away from home and we think they’ll bounce back from Tuesday’s defeat with victory at Portman Road. 2-1 Bluebirds.

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