Ipswich Town vs Leeds Utd Preview & Matchday Thread
Posted: Wed Jan 10, 2018 6:51 am
Ipswich Town v Leeds United
Saturday 13th January 2018 – 15:00
Portman Road
Pre-Match Thoughts - Bluemike
It's been a really depressing Three weeks for Town fans, defeats against Wolves, Derby & Fulham and a dour and dull draw against QPR all we have to show for our efforts over the festive campaign, then just when we thought it couldn't get any worse we throw in a pretty disgusting effort against Sheffield Utd reserves in the Third round of the FA Cup. It is Eight years and counting now since we last won a FA Cup tie, quite a staggering statistic although when you treat the competition with the contempt that Mick McCarthy clearly does then maybe it is not so staggering after all. Why come out in the press and say we want to win the tie and will be putting out the strongest possible team if you are going to leave your Two best Strikers on the bench ? It really was a bit of an insult and just another instance where the paying fans are conned, we then had another slap in the face as MM makes a solitary substitution despite us needing a goal and chasing the game, Joe Garner who has been in good scoring form in recent games doesn't even get a run out, nor does new signing Aaron Drinan, despite the fact he was "raring to go" and "chomping at the bit to get started", Mick's words not mine. For me though the Creme de la Creme has to be Mick saying while he was disappointed with the result he was NOT disappointed with the performance ? A performance which was about as dull and boring as it gets, a performance which saw us fail to have a single shot on target against a Reserve side, a performance which had the fans calling for Mick to go and a performance which had the fans taking the p*ss out of their own side by singing "we want a shot", quite what the hell he thinks we are beggars belief, I have thought for some time now that a lot of what is thrown at Mick has been a bit OTT at times and not all warranted, however I can't put up with this drivel anymore, it's just lies and bullshit time after time, insulting your own fans intelligence can surely only end one way, I just hope it is sooner rather than later.
Putting all that into perspective is the passing of one of Town's true legends, Ted Phillips was a real class act and had he been around today would have been worth mega Millions, I was not fortunate enough to have seen him play but reading about the great man is enough to know that we have lost a special talent and a real "Hall of Famer". RIP Ted you will be sadly missed.
With the transfer window now firmly open it is hoped that Town will delve into the market for once in a bid to get our faltering League season back on track, with the introduction of a new face or Two things can turn again but is this likely ? Again we seem to be lied to and taken for fools, Ian "The Puppet" Milne says there is money there to strengthen should Mick need it while Mick says there is nowt to spend and any deals will be freebies or Loans, so who is telling the truth ? Either way it is just a sham and a little bit embarrassing to hear Two of the senior people at the club talking in different terms, you couldn't make it up. With Keiffer Moore having moved on for a very good 750K and Tommy Smith soon to follow suit how nice would it be to be linked with one or Two decent names, instead so far we get Devante Cole, David Cotterrill, Connor Goldson and Anthony Pilkington as possible targets and while One or Two of them may be ok signings it hardly instills much excitement in me it has to be said, hopefully it is all paper talk although I have always thought Goldson would end up here having so nearly signed in the Summer. It is also a possibility that both Bart & Didsy could be heading for pastures new and while neither is irreplacable they do both need replacing should they leave !!!
Despite our recent poor run not much has changed with requiring Thirteen wins to make the play offs as I had us down not to win any of the games against Wolves, Derby & Fulham, however I think the confidence is shot, out current form is just not good enough and the lengthy injury list which has crippled us all season is finally taking it's toll big time, down to the bare bones doesn't come close and some of the players that are having to take to the field are just not good enough, again just my opinion. Leeds United are the next opponents and they will be a tough nut to crack, they are just clinging on to the final play off spot at present but a win for us, however unlikely, would see us close to within Four points of the Yorkshire outfit so it is certainly still not impossible, if we were playing half decent Football that is, alas we are not, the goals have dried up too and as we all know our defence has more holes in it than a tramps vest. Unfortunately I can see Leeds taking the points back home with them as our season goes from bad to worse, I really do not want to start talking about how many points we need to be safe but too many more defeats and that will be the reality of it all. How great would it be if the boys could do us and more importantly Ted Phillips proud and regain some of that early season form which had us all quite content, it seems such a long time ago now.
The Opposition – Leeds United
Leeds United's predecessor team, Leeds City FC, was formed in 1904, and were elected League members in 1905, but were forcibly disbanded and forced to sell off all their players by The Football League in 1919 in response to allegations of illegal payments to players during the First World War.
In 1919, Leeds United was formed and they received an invitation to enter the Midland League. Following Leeds City's disbanding, Yorkshire Amateurs bought their stadium Elland Road who in turn offered to make way for the new team.
The chairman of Huddersfield Town, Hilton Crowther loaned Leeds United £35,000, to be repaid when Leeds United won promotion to Division One.
On 31 May 1920, Leeds United were elected to the Football League. Over the following few years, they consolidated their position in the Second Division and in 1924 won the title and with it promotion to the First Division. They failed to establish themselves and were relegated in 1926–27. In the years up until the start of World War II Leeds were twice relegated, both times being instantly re-promoted the following season.
In the 1946–47 season after the war, Leeds were relegated again with the worst league record in their history.
Leeds remained in the Second Division until 1955–56, when they once again won promotion to the First Division, before being relegated again in the 1959–60 season.
In March 1961, the club appointed former player Don Revie as manager. His stewardship began in adverse circumstances as the club was in financial difficulty and in 1961–62 only a win in the final game of the season saved the club from relegation to Division Three.
Revie implemented a youth policy and a change of kit colour to an all-white strip in the style of Real Madrid, and Leeds soon won promotion to the First Division in 1963–64. In his thirteen years in charge, Revie guided Leeds to two Football League First Division titles, one FA Cup, one League Cup, two Inter-Cities Fairs Cups, one Football League Second Division title and one Charity Shield. He also guided them to three more FA Cup Finals, two more FA Cup Semi-Finals, one more Inter-Cities Fairs Cup Final and one Inter-Cities Fairs Cup Semi-Final, one European Cup Winners' Cup Final and one European Cup Semi-Final. The team also finished second in the Football League First Division five times, third once and fourth twice.
Following the 1973–74 season, Revie left Leeds and Elland Road in 1974, to manage the England national team, and though it no longer dominated English football, it remained in the top ten for subsequent seasons before being relegated at the end of 1981–82.
In October 1988 Howard Wilkinson took over the Managers role and oversaw their promotion back to the First Division in 1989–90. Under Wilkinson Leeds finished 4th in 1990–91 and in 1991–92 season Leeds won the title.
In October 1998 David O'Leary assumed the managers role at Leeds and under his guidance Leeds never finished outside the top 5 in the Premier League, and secured qualification for both the UEFA Cup and the UEFA Champions League, enjoying cup runs to the semi finals of both competitions.
Under chairman Peter Ridsdale, Leeds had taken out large loans against the prospect of the share of the TV rights and sponsorship revenues from UEFA Champions League qualification and subsequent progress in the competition. However, Leeds narrowly failed to qualify for the Champions League in two successive seasons, and as a consequence did not receive enough income to repay the loans. The net result was that Leeds best players were sold, O’Leary fell out with Risdale and was sacked who in turn was replaced by Terry Venables who also ended up by being sacked after disagreeing with the Chairman. Ridsdale himself resigned from the Board soon after.
In the 2003-04 season an insolvency specialist, Gerald Krasner, led a consortium of local businessmen which took over Leeds and oversaw the sale of the clubs' assets, including senior and emerging youth players of any value which saw them relegated at the end of the season.
Following relegation to the Championship, Leeds were forced to sell both their training ground and stadium in the autumn of 2004.
The board finally sold the club to Ken Bates for £10 million, who appointed a number of managers until with relegation virtually assured, Leeds entered administration on 4 May 2007, thus incurring a league imposed 10-point deduction which officially relegated the club to the third tier of English football.
The club was put up for sale by KPMG, and again Ken Bates' bid was accepted. The league eventually sanctioned this under the "exceptional circumstances rule" but imposed a 15-point deduction.
Over the next two seasons Leeds reached the playoffs but failed to achieve Promotion.
In the 2009–10 season under Simon Grayson Leeds won their final game of the season to confirm automatic promotion to The Championship, however Grayson was relieved of his duties after failing to challenge for promotion to the Premiership.
On 21 November 2012, Middle East-based private equity group GFH Capital finalised a deal for a protracted takeover of Leeds, gaining 100% shareholding in the club.
On 7 January 2014, Leeds United's Managing Director David Haigh was involved in Sport Capital, a consortium involving the managing director of Leeds United's main sponsors, Enterprise Insurance, Andrew Flowers. Sports Capital came close to completing a transaction with GFH Capital that would have given them a 75% stakehold in the business. However on 30 January, Sport Capital's takeover collapsed due to a lack of "financial backing".
On 31 January 2014 under controversial circumstances a new buyer was found for the club in Massimo Cellino, the president of the Serie A club Cagliari Calcio and his Company Eleonora Sports Ltd. After weeks of speculation regarding the purchase of Leeds United, on 7 February 2014, it was announced that Cellino's family consortium had acquired a 75% ownership of the club subject to Football League Approval. At its meeting on 23 March 2014, the Board of the Football League decided unanimously that Cellino's conviction by an Italian Court meant that he did not meet their Owners and Director's Test, so could not take over Leeds United which he immediately appealed. On 5 April, Cellino was successful in his appeal and the takeover was completed on 10 April with Cellino's company, Eleonora Sport Limited, buying 75 per cent of the clubs shares.
On 19 June 2014, Dave Hockaday was appointed head coach of Leeds on a two-year contract but this only lasted 70 days.
On 23 September 2014, Darko Milanič appointed the new Head Coach of Leeds United but he only lasted 32 days in turn being replaced by Neil Redfern who lasted for the remainder of the season before resuming his position for the 2015/16 season as the Academy Director.
Redfearn was replaced by Uwe Rosler as head coach in the summer of 2015, but Rosler was himself replaced by Steve Evans after only a few months in the role.
On 30 October 2015, Cellino agreed a deal in principle with Leeds Fans Utd to sell a majority stake in the club. When asked to legally commit to an exclusivity period to allow due diligence to commence, he reneged.
On 2 June 2016 Garry Monk was appointed as the new head coach, replacing Steve Evans.
On 4 January 2017, Italian businessman Andrea Radrizzani purchased a 50% stake in the club from Massimo Cellino.
At the close of the 2016/17 season, Leeds narrowly missed out on the Playoffs. Leeds had been in the Playoff positions for the majority of the season before a poor run of form in the final games saw them drop into seventh place.
On 23 May 2017, Radrizzani announced the 100% buyout of Leeds United, buying the remaining 50% shares from previous Co-Owner Massimo Cellino, with Radrizzani taking full ownership of the club. Garry Monk resigned as head coach 2 days after the takeover, after one season at the club guiding them to 7th place.
On 15 June 2017, former Spain international Thomas Christiansen was announced as the new Head Coach of Leeds, replacing Monk after joining from APOEL.
On 28 June 2017, Radrizzani completed the purchase of Elland Road, making the stadium property of Leeds United for the first time since 2004.
The Manager – Thomas Christiansen
Past Match - Video Highlights - Trev
Media Watch - K L Blue
David Cotterill Linked
https://www.twtd.co.uk/ipswich-town-news/32948
RIP Ted Phillips
https://www.itfc.co.uk/news/2018/januar ... -phillips/
Kieffer Moore on leaving
http://www.greenun24.co.uk/ipswich-town ... -1-5348349
U23 v Palace
http://www.croydonadvertiser.co.uk/spor ... ch-1030093
MM says its not the training causing the injury problems
http://www.greenun24.co.uk/ipswich-town ... -1-5347067
Town Ladies out of the FA cup
http://www.ipswichtownladiesfc.co.uk/si ... ton-report
Form Guide
Ipswich Last 5 Matches – Currently in 12th place with 36 points
16 Dec Ipswich Town 2 - 0 Reading
23 Dec Wolverhampton 1 - 0 Ipswich Town
26 Dec Ipswich Town 0 - 0 QP Rangers
30 Dec Ipswich Town 1 - 2 Derby County
2 Jan Fulham 4 - 1 Ipswich Town
Leeds United Last 5 Matches – Currently in 6th place with 43 points
16 Dec Leeds Utd 1 - 0 Norwich City
23 Dec Leeds Utd 1 - 0 Hull City
26 Dec Burton Albion 1 - 2 Leeds Utd
30 Dec Birmingham City 1 - 0 Leeds Utd
1 Jan Leeds Utd 0 - 0 Nottm Forest
Fixtures of Interest
BRISTOL CITY VS NORWICH CITY
BRENTFORD VS BOLTON WANDERERS
Match Referee – Robert Jones
IPSWICH TOWN 1 LEEDS UNITED 1