Ipswich Town v Nottingham Forest preview and matchday thread

[phily bon bon]

Oh dear! How will MM explain this one!
I'm sure Evans will have a word in his ear on Monday morning!!

Evans doesn't give a toss about the club moving forward, it's a delicious tax break for his companys nothing more. The club stagnating in the championship is of little consequence. I'm sure he would not have us go down, but promotion is a pipe dream under him.

[marko69]

So, Berra totally at fault for the first goal, Chambers did his best to gift them a third, Skuse ran around like a great bearded numpty and contributed absolutely nothing. Our 3 undropables according to MM. God help us!!!

That arsehole Knudsen was at fault for the first goal. Watch him the knob, he heads it then does the inexcusable of BACKING UP towards the area rather than following the damn ball out(worse than schoolboy defending) while Berra obviously thinks the tw*t has moved up with the play. Only to be left appealing for a non offside. No confidence no leaders no passion no drive no ideas no movement no invention no energy the list goes on.

100% spot on, PBB.

If Mick now does what the majority of Ipswich fans want, hopefully he takes Knudsen with him. I'd say one of the worst championship footballers I've ever witnessed.

[Shed on tour]

So, Berra totally at fault for the first goal, Chambers did his best to gift them a third, Skuse ran around like a great bearded numpty and contributed absolutely nothing. Our 3 undropables according to MM. God help us!!!

That arsehole Knudsen was at fault for the first goal. Watch him the knob, he heads it then does the inexcusable of BACKING UP towards the area rather than following the damn ball out(worse than schoolboy defending) while Berra obviously thinks the tw*t has moved up with the play. Only to be left appealing for a non offside. No confidence no leaders no passion no drive no ideas no movement no invention no energy the list goes on.

100% spot on, PBB.

If Mick now does what the majority of Ipswich fans want, hopefully he takes Knudsen with him. I'd say one of the worst championship footballers I've ever witnessed.

I thought his first half performance at Newcastle was bad but today took it to a new level.

[The Odious Mr Rossi]

So, Berra totally at fault for the first goal, Chambers did his best to gift them a third, Skuse ran around like a great bearded numpty and contributed absolutely nothing. Our 3 undropables according to MM. God help us!!!

That arsehole Knudsen was at fault for the first goal. Watch him the knob, he heads it then does the inexcusable of BACKING UP towards the area rather than following the damn ball out(worse than schoolboy defending) while Berra obviously thinks the tw*t has moved up with the play. Only to be left appealing for a non offside. No confidence no leaders no passion no drive no ideas no movement no invention no energy the list goes on.

100% spot on, PBB.

If Mick now does what the majority of Ipswich fans want, hopefully he takes Knudsen with him. I'd say one of the worst championship footballers I've ever witnessed.

I agree that it was Knudsen's initial mistake, but Berra - as the senior undroppable defender - should have covered when Knudsen failed to follow the forward. Instead of putting himself out by running a few yards to close the player down, all the lazy b*stard did was to stick his hand in the air (shades of Naarwich a la playoffs). It's high time he and Skuse and Chambers were dropped for a few games, we can't do any worse without them that we have done with them.

[Bluemike]

No need for long reports after that inept sh*te as everyone watched it anyway but man WTF was that first half performance ? Just when you think you have seen it all we turn in a 45 minutes that even made the Rotherham game look quite good. How the f*ck do you concede a goal in 17 seconds when kicking off FFS !!! Well the answer to that is you have Jonas Knudsen in your team, I thought he was p*ss poor at Newcastle but today he excelled himself, he is absoulte f**king sh*te and has been for much of his time here. In truth the whole defence was poor today, oh how we miss Webster.

I couldn't believe how bad our passing and movement(or lack of) were in the first half, we showed no desire to attack them, nobody was making runs or looking for the ball, too many players (Bishop, Sears, Ward) are hiding and that is not acceptable, all Three of them were p*ss poor, apart from Didsy's effort we created sod all.

The second half was a massive improvement but that more down to the fact that we were so bad, at least we gave it a bit of a go but still we failed to break down an abject Nottingham Forest defence, Jonny Williams made a big difference and Tom Lawrence finally came to life but still the final ball was too often the wrong ball and their keeper had hardly any saves to make.

I am asking myself how the hell we managed to win at Hillsborough, I disagree with Tom Lawrence, I think the players are now finding very hard to play at home and are filled with fear and thta is only going to get worse with performances like todays. We had a great chance to get to within Three points of the top six and once again we blew it.

We pretty much played the team that nearly all Town fans would have gone with and still it didn't happen, Jonny Williams just has to start next week, Bishop is not doing it right now while Grant Ward has been crap 9 times out of 10 and should maybe be dropped, hopefully Webster will be fit to return and I just hope to god Knudsen gets dropped too as he is just not up to it. Totally fed up tonight.

[arana peligrosa]

Everybody did not see the game and reading through various reports seems it's just as well. Was fool enough to believe we could continue after the Sheffield score and take further points but appears the team reverted to previous performance and let everyone down with it.

Bottom line we're an average club side at best, picking up results here and there but more often than not coming short against all level of opposition and playing with an evident lack of desire and motivation. Asking for McCarthy's or Evans departure is ultimately futile as we realize no action will be undertaken regardless of what occurs out there.

[phily bon bon]

I hate picking individuals out to be scapegoats for a totally inept team performance. Glad I saw the match my first this season but it backs up all thats being said this season. I for one am beginning to fear Mick has lost or beginning to loose the dressing room. A performance of that degree has to be addressed at a higher level. I don't think it will cost Micks job as Evans doesn't mind stagnating with little progress on or off the field.

[Mach_Polish_Blue]

Beyond angry

Horrible bunch of overpaid primadonnas. Nice easy payday at Suffolk, eh? Mick always defends and pamper you lot so no pressure whatsoever, eh?

Blue tinted specs brigade has been waffling that the absence of injured attacking minded players had been a reason of poor form. What's an excuse tonight for failing to trouble the team who hadn't kept a clean sheet let alone score against them?

Some facts are just laughable:

1. Nottingham - their first clean sheet of the season today
2. Blackburn - their solitary clean sheet so far this season? Us.
3. Rotherham - their solitary away point this season? Us. Moreover today it's been a 7th (SEVENTH) time this season they have conceded 3 or more away goals. Only us have failed to beat them at home.

Bishop - regularly pampered by many. We badly missed him last season didn't we? What has he been producing this one? Sod all.

Skuse - always 'plays well' doesn't he? Second goal for Forest today. He allows Mills to head towards Assombalonga. He doesn't leap, doesn't do anything to prevent it. Had it been Douglas people WOULD HAVE BEEN FURIOUS ! But this is nice, cute Skusey, eh? Comfortable life, comfort zone, comfortable situation in which he knows he'll never be dropped. By far the most overrated Town player in recent years.

Knudsen - utter embarrassment !

Bru - amusement to say the least.

Mick McCarthy - does he know/realise that Murphy HAD BEEN SOLD? Pointless, senseless crosses from his team today, crosses into the box where there were hardly any players in Town shirts. His instructions, his tactics ! And his beloved Skusey will obviously be in the team next week.

The only players with a little bit of desire today (and quality) were LOANEES in Lawrence and Williams. Plus what is always the case Bialkowski. What about most of others? They will keep telling us in the interviews that top 6 is still possible to reach by them.

[derick_ipsw]

f*ck me how crap is this. Surely this must be the poorest Town team for a long time.

How glad am i to be in Spain, I don't think i could put up with watching this every week.

I can probably say that is the worst 45mins I can remember ever by a Town team.

[derick_ipsw]

Hmmm...... Mick appears to have avoided giving post match interview to Sky. Presumably lost for words

I have a couple for him. f*ck OFF.

[derick_ipsw]

Beyond angry

Horrible bunch of overpaid primadonnas. Nice easy payday at Suffolk, eh? Mick always defends and pamper you lot so no pressure whatsoever, eh?

Blue tinted specs brigade has been waffling that the absence of injured attacking minded players had been a reason of poor form. What's an excuse tonight for failing to trouble the team who hadn't kept a clean sheet let alone score against them?

Some facts are just laughable:

1. Nottingham - their first clean sheet of the season today
2. Blackburn - their solitary clean sheet so far this season? Us.
3. Rotherham - their solitary away point this season? Us. Moreover today it's been a 7th (SEVENTH) time this season they have conceded 3 or more away goals. Only us have failed to beat them at home.

Bishop - regularly pampered by many. We badly missed him last season didn't we? What has he been producing this one? Sod all.

Skuse - always 'plays well' doesn't he? Second goal for Forest today. He allows Mills to head towards Assombalonga. He doesn't leap, doesn't do anything to prevent it. Had it been Douglas people WOULD HAVE BEEN FURIOUS ! But this is nice, cute Skusey, eh? Comfortable life, comfort zone, comfortable situation in which he knows he'll never be dropped. By far the most overrated Town player in recent years.

Knudsen - utter embarrassment !

Bru - amusement to say the least.

Mick McCarthy - does he know/realise that Murphy HAD BEEN SOLD? Pointless, senseless crosses from his team today, crosses into the box where there were hardly any players in Town shirts. His instructions, his tactics ! And his beloved Skusey will obviously be in the team next week.

The only players with a little bit of desire today (and quality) were LOANEES in Lawrence and Williams. Plus what is always the case Bialkowski. What about most of others? They will keep telling us in the interviews that top 6 is still possible to reach by them.

What has happened to LEON BEST? I have been looking forward to him playing up front with his best mate McGoldrick. He might be able to get on the end of some of those crosses!!

[Magicmark]

Hmmm...... Mick appears to have avoided giving post match interview to Sky. Presumably lost for words

I have a couple for him. f*ck OFF.

well i saw an interview with him saying we were disgraceful,don`t think he`s blind to the fact we are utter crap at the moment,ok its he`s job to sort it out but with no money and having to look for freebies,bottom end of the market,bargain basement,budget players we are going nowhere i`m afraid

[Magicmark]

Beyond angry

Horrible bunch of overpaid primadonnas. Nice easy payday at Suffolk, eh? Mick always defends and pamper you lot so no pressure whatsoever, eh?

Blue tinted specs brigade has been waffling that the absence of injured attacking minded players had been a reason of poor form. What's an excuse tonight for failing to trouble the team who hadn't kept a clean sheet let alone score against them?

Some facts are just laughable:

1. Nottingham - their first clean sheet of the season today
2. Blackburn - their solitary clean sheet so far this season? Us.
3. Rotherham - their solitary away point this season? Us. Moreover today it's been a 7th (SEVENTH) time this season they have conceded 3 or more away goals. Only us have failed to beat them at home.

Bishop - regularly pampered by many. We badly missed him last season didn't we? What has he been producing this one? Sod all.

Skuse - always 'plays well' doesn't he? Second goal for Forest today. He allows Mills to head towards Assombalonga. He doesn't leap, doesn't do anything to prevent it. Had it been Douglas people WOULD HAVE BEEN FURIOUS ! But this is nice, cute Skusey, eh? Comfortable life, comfort zone, comfortable situation in which he knows he'll never be dropped. By far the most overrated Town player in recent years.

Knudsen - utter embarrassment !

Bru - amusement to say the least.

Mick McCarthy - does he know/realise that Murphy HAD BEEN SOLD? Pointless, senseless crosses from his team today, crosses into the box where there were hardly any players in Town shirts. His instructions, his tactics ! And his beloved Skusey will obviously be in the team next week.

The only players with a little bit of desire today (and quality) were LOANEES in Lawrence and Williams. Plus what is always the case Bialkowski. What about most of others? They will keep telling us in the interviews that top 6 is still possible to reach by them.

What has happened to LEON BEST? I have been looking forward to him playing up front with his best mate McGoldrick. He might be able to get on the end of some of those crosses!!

Guess he prefers playing his love child Sears

[Tangfastic]

Think Best was injured.

TBH.... if we keep on hitting balls into the box with no-one there or no-one with any height... then we will need a Best or Murphy-like target man.

Best is Murphy-lite. Varney also. These players were freebies who were talking to League 1 clubs as their next career move. Come Jan transfer window, then we need to spend the Murphy money on a decent target man.

No excuses about not having enough time to bring in a decent striker.... we hopefully have been looking at some replacements since the last transfer window.

[Charnwood]

Watching that last night made me realise how poor we are. Whilst I prefer watching football live you often see far more with today's high standard of live tv.

What stood out for me was how much better Forest were at attacking and getting men forward with often three or four players in our box looking to attack our goal and gettting at least 8 shots on target. Compare this with our limited attacking play when mostly we only had one man in their box with everyone else behind the ball and thus only had 2 shots on target all game even from 65% possession and 11 corners.

That said, f*ck knows how we had 65% possession when we had so many players who gave the ball away with Knudsen and Lawrence two of the main culprits.

No wonder we're now the lowest goal scorers in the Championship with just 14 goals from 17 games played and even worse no goals scored in 7 of our last 10 matches, this is pathetic.

Maybe we should learn something from Forest yesterday about getting players forward and into the opponents box, it's certainly serving them well with 27 goals to their credit and less to worry about when you concede.

QPR and Cardiff both had good wins against play off contenders Norwich & Huddersfield, god help us if we play like we did yesterday.

[Mr.Punch]

we are so frustrating to watch.
I can't add much to what's been said and sadly can't argue with any of it.

even the guy behind me in SBRL who used to call Murphy a donkey, amongst other things, must wish he was back here.
MM must have forgotten he sold Murph because they keep hitting high crosses, Forest just gobbled up everything in the air.
The Ref got the 2 penalty appeal decisions correct.

And don't get me started on Knudsen long-throws- Why? Why? Why? Why?

[phily bon bon]

Too many things to get pissed off about. I think I will give football a miss the next few days, it's about as long as I can without suffering withdrawal symptoms.

[Bluemike]

we are so frustrating to watch.
I can't add much to what's been said and sadly can't argue with any of it.

even the guy behind me in SBRL who used to call Murphy a donkey, amongst other things, must wish he was back here.
MM must have forgotten he sold Murph because they keep hitting high crosses, Forest just gobbled up everything in the air.
The Ref got the 2 penalty appeal decisions correct.

And don't get me started on Knudsen long-throws- Why? Why? Why? Why?

Anyone who thought Murphy was a donkey is a bit of an as* themselves.

[hallamblue]

is Murphy still injured? If not he must be feeling cheesed off with the lack of football since August. One micky mouse cup game and he's not even made the bench since. What a waste!

[Magicmark]

is Murphy still injured? If not he must be feeling cheesed off with the lack of football since August. One micky mouse cup game and he's not even made the bench since. What a waste!

Guess his wages are better than here..read reports some of the Newcastle players are still on 60k a week
think it's been said it would be good if we could get him back on loan.

[hallamblue]

I personally wouldn't want him back on loan. Younger ( better) target man should be sort by the Club now, and not on a bloody loan basis!

[Dubai Blue]

Yeah he's been struggling with an injury of late. Newcastle don't seem to be missing him though.....

[Dubai Blue]

To be fair to the club I think they were a little screwed by Newcastle's timing over Murphy. I don't think anyone expected an offer for him and I think we all agree that it wasn't possible to turn the offer down. But little time was left to put something together. It's a great shame that Washington didn't join as he was an ideal replacement IMO. We all have our own ideas about who was or wasn't available but we don't really know. Leon Best looks like a reasonable call in the circumstances but really we are just making do until Jan.

I don't hold anyone responsible for this personally and would prefer to focus on adjusting our style of play to suit our resources rather than putting in, was it 35 crosses in open play, to the ghost of Daryl Murphy.

[herforder]

Above all else, we need an experienced, creative, vocal, midfield 'leader' - someone with the vision and authority to influence games on the pitch. The sight of MM trying to coach and organise individuals in the basics, from the dug out, is an indication of just how poor we are as a footballing side. Chambers is not that man - he's got more than enough to do concentrating on his own game!

Saturday's first half performance was beyond embarrassing. Feelings start to emerge that the club is slowly rotting from the head down. Some serious thinking and honesty required from those controlling the levers of power.

[Watership Down]

63% of possession 2 shots, boy they are impressive stats. If ever a forward who knows where the inside of goalposts are, is playing somewhere in the Ipswich Town organization...... give him a chance. This club is like Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde..... no one knows who is going to show up for each game.

[Bluemike]

Well I have done nothing but contemplate exactly where I sit on the MM & ITFC thing since saturday's abysmal showing. I have pretty much backed MM to the hilt and believed that he would get us up and in or around the play off's again this season, of course he still could but at the moment things are clearly far from right and more worryingly show few signs of improving. I feel it started going wrong when we went to Leeds, I was angry as I can remember over a game of football. Just when you feel you are running out of patience we throw in a decent performance or result like last week at Sheff Wed which makes you think hang on a minute maybe it is about to change, but then we get an inept fuckfest of a performance like we saw against Rotherham and Forest which puts your mind and thoughts back in overdrive again, i just can't make it out.

Injured players are coming back and Saturday saw a starting line up that pretty much all of us would have selected and yet it was as woeful as anything that had gone before it. I really do not think that MM has lost the dressing room at all, I don't believe that is an issue, nor is the spirit among the players, I think the way they celebrated to a man at Sheff Wed or when Sears finally ended his famine tells us that, I do however think playing at home has become a scary thing for them lately, I bet they can't wait to go away and the performances are by and large much better on our travels.

I do think MM has lost a large majority of the fans now and I do not ever see that changing, once it has gone this far that is it, he will no doubt front it out as long as he can and some will jump back on board if we do happen to string some wins together but there are many now who won't care one bit, they want him gone. Seeing fellow fans squaring up to each other at the final whistle is not good, close to me some younger lads were applauding the players who did walk over to applaud the fans, but other, older fans, took exception to it and told them off for clapping "that f**king crap" as they put it, it all got a bit heated and was close to becoming a fight, my stance on it is everyone has a right do what they feel is right but you have no right to have a go at someone for applauding our players, no matter what you think about the performance, but the point I am making is that this is only going to get worse, it is the second time in recent weeks i have witnessed it.

The crazy thing about it is that whoever comes in will be on a loser as the budget they will have will dictate just how good we are, they may play better football, they may not, who knows but we will by and large have the same quality player as we have now, I just think we are getting deeper and deeper into a rut now and it is not going to be easy to get out of it. I listened to Martin Allen on the Channel 5 football show at the wekend and he said if anyone thinks MM can continue to work miracles like he did the previous Two seasons with no investment then they are totally wrong cus it aint gonna happen.

After chewing over everything I think we are at the point where it is now make or break and for me these next Three games (QPR, Bristol City & Cardiff) are the defining games, if we see another Three efforts like saturday or we pick up only a point or Two then I feel we as a club will be forced to make a change, it may not even be a change for the better but things will get so anti that it will be the only course of action to take and MM will finally have lost my backing which I don't say lightly cus I really like the guy, if however we see some real passion in the performances and some decent results then MM should be given at the very least until the end of the season assuming of course we are in no danger of a relegation dogfight which I am not concerned about one bit to be honest, yet.

[len]

Just imagine if MM played a reserve team against Forest!!!
I'm sure they would have done much better and got a point
from the game!!

One thing ITFC should do is cut players salary if they don't
perform well in matches.

[hallamblue]

What reserve players would you play?

[marko69]

Good post, Mike. Very much from the heart of a passionate supporter. I can really feel your reluctance to be properly critical of Mick; diplomacy all the way until the end is nigh. I've been there before in the past with a couple of Hibs managers. It becomes increasingly difficult when the tide really turns and you find yourself in the minority.

For the record, I too am not thinking about relegation because I do believe Mick (if he stays) will never take the club down. I actually fear someone new coming in and then the cub being relegated. That'd get the fighting started!

And this fighting due to the applause......., yip, been there before at Pittodrie......, about 10-15 Hibs fans all kicking lumps out of each other due Pat Fenlons substitutions! Twats!

[len]

If i was going to field a reserve team i would
drop these players:

Chambers
Bera
Skuse
Bru


Bring in:

Dozzel
Douglas
Grant
Varney
Smith

Players to hold their place.
Sears
Williams
Lawrence
Webster
Ward