Ipswich Town v Wolverhampton Wanderers preview & thread

[marko69]

It is all just good banter at the end of the day.

It becomes irritating when (I'll use an example appropriate to Hibs) ex Jambos in a Hibernian shirt get nonsense from the fans. That really annoys me. One of the Hibees best players this season played for the Jambofkers last season.

Must admit, I did enjoy giving stick to Mikey Stewart who went from Hibs ----> JFkrs. Good fun, and Mikey saw the funny side of it.

[goldandblack]

Our take on the game..



Match preview - Ipswich v Wolves
Our full match preview as Wolves make the long trip to face Ipswich Town at Portman Road.

Another reunion with Mick McCarthy, who is unbeaten against Wolves in three matches against his old club.

More importantly, though, Wolves need to get their season on track before their promotion hopes dissipate.

With games against four teams below them in the table to follow the Portman Road trip Jackett will be desperate to start turning things round sooner rather than later, as they’re already nine points off the play-offs.

As usual against a McCarthy team, expect a tough, physical battle, but the Tractor Boys are in good attacking form after winning their last two matches 2-0 (at home to Bolton) and 5-2 (away at Rotherham).

TEAM NEWS

Ipswich Town

McCarthy may name an unchanged line-up after that Rotherham win.

Daryl Murphy picked up a calf injury while on international duty with Ireland but is expected to be fit.

On-loan Arsenal midfielder Ainsley Maitland-Niles is pushing for a start after being benched last time around.

Wolves

Carl Ikeme - in line for his first league start since August.
Emiliano Martinez misses out with a thigh injury so Carl Ikeme will deputise in goal, while Ethan Ebanks-Landell and Kortney Hause are still missing.

Nathan Byrne is a decent bet to replace Sheyi Ojo. Adam Le Fondre may be in Jackett’s thoughts after scoring twice in a behind-closed-doors friendly against Liverpool last week.

Former Ipswich loanee Jordan Graham is in first team contention after Jackett blocked a loan return to Oxford.

The Wolves boss has 20 first team players to choose from, meaning the likes of Jed Wallace and Rajiv van La Parra may not even make the subs’ bench.

LIKELY LINE UPS

Ipswich (4-3-3): Gerken; Chambers (c), Smith, Berra, Knudsen; Skuse, Douglas, Maitland-Niles; Sears, Murphy, Pitman. Subs: Bialkowski (gk), Malarczyk, Parr, Oar, Toure, Bru, Coke.

Wolves (4-2-3-1): Ikeme; Iorfa, Batth (c), Williamson, Golbourne; McDonald, Price; Henry, Edwards, Byrne; Afobe. Subs: McCarey, Doherty, Coady, Graham, Ojo, Le Fondre, Holt.

FORM GUIDE

For both clubs, wildly contrasting over recent weeks.

Ipswich plummeted down the table after going seven without a win, before winning their last two (albeit against the league’s two worst sides).

A long-awaited victory against Bolton was followed up with a 5-2 thrashing of Rotherham in Yorkshire two weeks ago.


Daryl Murphy, the Championship’s top scorer with 27 goals in 2014/15, had been scoreless in 13 matches this season. But the Irishman smashed a hat-trick at the New York Stadium to end his drought in style.

As for Wolves, well they picked up seven points from nine to suggest their season was back on track last month. Since then? One win in six, and four defeats.

MATCH ODDS

The bookies make the Tractor Boys favourites for this one at 5/4, with Wolves 5/2.

Christophe Berra’s goalscoring record since swapping Molineux for Portman Road is fast becoming the natural sequel to The Greatest Story Ever Told.

In 154 games for Wolves the big Scot scored precisely no goals.

For Ipswich, with poetic symmetry, 11 in 111. And especially for you binary fans out there he’s 100/1 to score in a 1-0 win tomorrow.

Wolves have won two of their last three trips to Portman Road 2-0 and there are odds of 50/1 for Benik Afobe to end his goalscoring drought and Wolves to repeat that scoreline.

Norwich legend Grant Holt is 13/5 to score anytime against the Canaries’ great rivals, while Wolves are 16/1 to come from behind to win.

LAST FIVE AT PORTMAN ROAD

David Edwards and Matt Jarvis celebrate the former's goal in 2008.
November 4, 2014 (Championship), Ipswich 2 Wolves 1. Daryl Murphy scored twice either side of a James Henry goal as Ipswich leapfrogged Kenny Jackett’s team into fifth place.

September 12, 2012 (Championship), Ipswich 0 Wolves 2. A first away victory for Stale Solbakken in the midst of a four-game winning run. Tommy Smith turned Bakary Sako’s free kick into his own net and then Tongo Doumbia sealed the points with a result that edged Ipswich boss Paul Jewell closer to the sack.

August 23, 2008 (Championship), Ipswich 0 Wolves 2. Sylvan Ebanks-Blake and David Edwards were on target as Mick McCarthy’s Wolves headed towards the top of the table.

October 27, 2007 (Championship), Ipswich 3 Wolves 0. Freddy Eastwood saw his fifth minute penalty saved and Ipswich duly punished him and Wolves, scoring three times without reply through Alan Lee, Pablo Counago and Danny Haynes.

February 20, 2007 (Championship), Ipswich 0 Wolves 1. New signed Stephen Ward scored his second goal in two games as Wolves continued their play-off charge.



Wolves managers past and present, Mick McCarthy and Kenny Jackett
Kenny Jackett: “In our last three games we’ve won one, lost one and drawn one, and that is about where we are and typical of a mid-table side.

“We want to be doing better than that and getting towards a seven points out of nine type of return if we can.

“We have to put on a really good performance and we’ll need to against an Ipswich side that are in good form.

“Mick is a very successful manager who’s done well at Ipswich and made them genuine contenders and built a good squad of players for the Championship.”

FOR THE FANS

Wolves fan Russ Cockburn says: “It’s not the best away end, a cramped concourse and the fact you’re penned into one corner of a side stand makes you feel very detached from the action at the other end.

“Pub-wise, the Isaacs on the Quay is a decent place for ale and food, about a 10-15 minute walk from Portman Road.

“The Lord Nelson and Dove Street Inn are real ale options in the town centre, and the Station Hotel is opposite the train station but is pretty average in my experience.”

[goldandblack]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/34872634 Forgot this tw*t was playing Saturday. Not so confident now.

he's not exactly flavour of the month with us either mate, really cant see why he's here, our plan of playing the accadamy kids for the future went out of the window signing him and Alf. but what do us fans know aye, i think i would be very confident if he walks on the pitch if i was a town fan.

[goldandblack]

Blue and Hallam, not going to make it there now, hope you have a great day and just put this home defeat down to experiance

[marko69]

Nice one, Wolfie. And Berra with the 1-0 win @ 100/1???? That's worth a wee £5 that is!

[marko69]

Caption for your photo, Wolfie:

McCarthy: Look. Kenny. If you call me Sam the.......
Jackett: Shut it, Sam the FKING EAGLE!

(I'll thank Bluemike for that!)

[goldandblack]

Caption for your photo, Wolfie:

McCarthy: Look. Kenny. If you call me Sam the.......
Jackett: Shut it, Sam the FKING EAGLE!

(I'll thank Bluemike for that!)

that bloke behind them looks like he thinks its Mick shaking hands with Ror Keane's Neck,, opps i mean hand..

[Bluemike]

Blue and Hallam, not going to make it there now, hope you have a great day and just put this home defeat down to experiance

That's a real shame buddy, maybe next time. I suspect you are saving yourself much pain though.

[hallamblue]

Blue and Hallam, not going to make it there now, hope you have a great day and just put this home defeat down to experiance

Awh! Shame that, as would havd been nice to see you again. Lol, yoh might ge right about the result, as we rarely win a game just after the International breaks!

Speak soon G&B xx

[Kerry Blue]

Town unchanged against Wolves COYB

[lucy]

Town: Gerken, Chambers (c), Smith, Berra, Knudsen, Skuse, Bru, Douglas, Sears, Murphy. Pitman. Suns: Bialkowski, Malarczyk, Parr, Mairland-Niles, Coke, Oar, Touré.

Wolves: Ikeme, Iorfa, Batth (c), Williamson, Golbourne, McDonald, Price, Henry, Edwards, Graham, Afobe. Subs: Flatt, Doherty, Coady, Ojo, Byrne, Holt, Le Fondre.

[Quasar]

Booooom. One nil to town


J.douglas

[lucy]

1-0 to Ipswich Douglas

[TODD66]

Get in there!!

1-0 COYB

[lucy]

1-1 damn it

[shamm]

Such a pity.
We are playing great.
Need a Murphy double now.

[lucy]

I wouldn't say we are playing great. Wolves had 2 or chances before we scored.

[lucy]

2-1 Murphy low header into the net

[Quasar]

Whoop woop

Nice one murphs

[TODD66]

Lovely, back on top.

[arana peligrosa]

Only just caught hold of the score. Still early second half but concern once again that our leading attackers are once again proving inefficient.

1 point won't be of much use if we are to close back on the play-off scene but still ample time to get ahead once again.

What the f*ck - missed that through typing, Murphy has put us ahead.

Unbelievable, second time now in recent weeks I've berated our forwards for lack of goals during match time and lo and behold one of them goes and does it (again)

Let's keep this lead and get these three points today

[Quasar]

Oh lord....come on lads

[lucy]

2-2 grr

[lucy]

Wolves on top at the minute

[shamm]

Just cannot keep a clean sheet.

[TODD66]

Sigh

[lucy]

Still time to get a 3rd

[arana peligrosa]

What an opposition equalizer ? We're not in the final minute of the game yet ?

That's two leads wiped out so let's gets ahead one more time and keep them out for the remainder of play.

[shamm]

Disappointed.
Needed a win today to keep the momentum.

[arana peligrosa]

Feels like two points dropped. Seems the past lessons of not being able to keep hold of a lead have not yet been sufficiently rectified.

Still it's two wins and a point from the last three games, so progress is being made after the awful run from before.

Doubtless played throughout in difficult weather conditions so we'll take away the point from today but obviously wanted the home team victory. Still in contention for the play-off places but these two points lost today could prove crucial by end of season.