Ipswich Town vs Burton Albion Preview & Matchday Thread

[Frosty]

Ipswich Town v Burton Albion


Saturday 15th February 2019 – 15:00

Portman Road







Pre-Match Thoughts - Bluemike


Have I Really Got It So Wrong ?


Traveling back from Wimbledon on Tuesday night gave me time to sit and reflect on a few things regarding this season, a season which it has to be said is fast turning into a nightmare. The big question I kept asking myself was "Have I really got it so very wrong with our squad strength" Try as I may I just cannot put my finger on what has gone so horribly wrong, it is easy to dismiss the good start we made but we were playing some OK stuff and our defence was rock solid and while we weren't exactly free scoring we were at least hitting the net at least once every game which was enough to secure wins, fast forward a few months and not only do we never look like scoring but the chances being made for the strikers are now very few and far between.

Much of the criticism has been aimed at James Norwood and to be fair a lot of it is justified, he has gone off the boil something terribly and his decision making at times is so poor, take Tuesday night again one chance saw him with the simplest of little square balls to Jackson who would have had a tap in into an empty net but Norwood tried to be the hero again. I also think the service from the wings and Centre Midfield is pretty dire if I am honest, we are without KVY (which it has to be said has seen us struggle ever since he got injured), Gwion Edwards, Danny Rowe and Luke Garbutt, all the players that do provide the ammunition for the strikers to feed off.

In Midfield I will be amazed if Flynn Downes does not win POTS this time around and for me he has done his job admirably but by and large it is not the type of job that creates chances, that is for the likes of Judge, Nolan, Dozzell, Huws etc and what do they create ? Again take the game Tuesday, if I was pushed to name a MOTM I would have gone for Emyr Huws, however on closer inspection I thought to myself everything he done was sideways, backwards or in non threatening areas, no killer through balls or mazy runs like Teddy Bishop does so was he actually any good at all ? It really is a bit of a mess right now.

What I did see Tuesday was a side who barring a miracle now do not look anywhere near good enough for the top Six and this a staggering thought for this club, yes it is still close and not too late but as each game passes we look further and further away from it, I still look at our squad and see the likes of Huws, Judge, Keane, Norwood, Chambers, Downes, Woolfenden etc, all players that should waltz this level of Football, when we signed the likes of Jackson, Nolan and Edwards etc they were the best of the bunch in League One or two and that is no stretch of the imagination so why are we not now looking like a team that has gelled ? Maybe they can't handle the level of expectation that the size of our club demands or is it the case they they just aren't actually very good ? That for me is not correct but there are many now who do think that.

A large part of our support are aiming their anger at Paul Lambert and while he frustrates the hell out of me at times I am still firmly in the pro Lambert camp, however this cannot continue, it is correct that he churns out nonsense after every poor performance and while I get that he tries to protect his players there comes a time when I don't want to keep having my intelligence mocked, come out and say OMG that was dire and not good enough, I would rather hear the truth and not excuses all the time. Flynn Downes has come out and said we now need to win all our remaining Nine home games, I will bet anyone any amount of money they want that is never going to happen, but lets at least give it a damn go, stop the cheap words everyone and let your Football do some talking again.


Gone For A Burton......


That will be the headline if we fail to beat our opponents Saturday !!! Burton Albion are a few steps up from Wimbledon in my opinion so what does that tell you ? Still in with a faint chance of the play off's themselves means this again will be no stroll, way back in August we got our season off to a flyer with a win at their place which is a really tricky place to go, I would not bet against them returning the favour given how average we are right now, the top Six is still there for us but it has to be as Downes said, win win win all the way from now on in.

We are impossible to predict these days, part of me says a desperate 1-0 win while another part says another uninspiring 1-1 draw, a result which would no doubt see the level of resentment rise still further. What I do know is that the fans need to be excited again, kept on board is now a very big job again, that is how quickly it can change and before we know it Paul Lambert could become the next Jewell, Keane, McCarthy or Hurst, forget this Five year contract nonsense it means nothing.

I sat thinking to myself just why the hell have I bought tickets for Blackpool, I hate feeling like that, Town is a big part of my life and at times I live ITFC but we have been so up and down and frustrating lately that even I am pondering on Six hour trips, hopefully it will pass but there are definitely things I can be doing right now that give me far more pleasure than a miserable journey home at a ridiculous time of the day having watched another drab effort form the boys. No doubt I will be there singing my head off but Jesus Christ come on boys, galvanise me again, this blase feeling may be down to non Football issues I have had lately, I sure hope so, I want to enjoy the match day experience again, all it will take is One cracking performance and result and I'll be buzzing and full of belief again, it's how I roll !!! So It's a Town win for me !!! Burton put to the sword !!! See, I'm back already.....COYB'S



The Opposition – Burton Albion





Burton Albion can claim lineage from four now defunct clubs: Burton Swifts, Burton Town, Burton United and Burton Wanderers.

Burton Albion were formed in 1950, and joined the Birmingham & District League. They finished the 1953–54 season as runners-up, and in 1958–59 joined the Southern League North Western zone. In 1965–66, Burton missed out on the runners-up place on goal difference, but were still promoted to the Southern League Premier Division.

They avoided relegation in 1968, thanks to Stevenage Town folding, but were relegated to Division One after an unsuccessful 1969–70 season. Burton missed out on promotion on goal average in 1970–71, but finished as runners-up the following season and were promoted back to the Premier Division.

The next two seasons saw them relegated and then promoted back to the Premier Division again. They stayed in the same division until being relegated once more at the end of 1976–77.

League rearrangements saw Burton moved to the Northern Premier League, because of their location in the central Midlands, and then back to the Southern League in 1987–88, the season after losing in a replayed FA Trophy final to Kidderminster Harriers.

In October 1998, Nigel Clough was appointed as player-manager and he led the club to two successive runners-up spots, in 1999–2000 and 2000–01.

Burton were again moved to the Northern Premier League Premier Division in 2001–02, which they won by a margin of 15 points, and the club was promoted to the Football Conference for the first time.

The club was brought to national attention when they were drawn at home against 11-time winners Manchester United in the third round of the 2005–06 FA Cup. The Brewers held the Premier League team to a 0–0 draw at home, but lost the reply 5–0 in front of over 11,000 Burton fans, setting a record for number of away fans at Old Trafford.

In January 2009, Burton went on to set a league record for the most consecutive wins and, in February 2009, when the team was 19 points clear at the top of the table, Conference sponsors Blue Square declared Burton the winners of the 2008–09 title in a PR stunt in which they paid out all bets. However, a bad run of form only saw this confirmation take place due to other results on the last day of the season.

Burton finished in 13th place in their first campaign in the Football League.

During the 2014–15 season, Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink took over the managerial position at the Brewers and led them to the League Two title, which meant promotion to League One for the first time in their history. Hasselbaink left by mutual consent in December 2015 to join Queens Park Rangers as manager.

Nigel Clough returned to Burton to replace him for his second spell as manager and led the club to a second-place finish in the league, earning promotion to the Championship, another first for Burton, in the 2015/16 season.

Burton struggled throughout their first season in the higher division, but secured their Championship status on 29 April 2017 after a 1–1 draw with Barnsley.

Burton spent much of their second season in the Championship in the relegation zone. It was looking likely the club was going drop back down to League One, however three wins in the late stage of the season boosted their chances of survival, including a 2-1 win over relegation rivals Sunderland. However following a 2-1 defeat to Preston North End on the final day of the season, Burton were relegated back to League One.

In 2018-19, in spite of being in mid-table in League One, they made the semi finals of the 2018–19 EFL Cup, after wins over Shrewsbury, Aston Villa, Burnley, Nottingham Forest and Middlesbrough. Facing Manchester City, Burton lost the 1st leg 9–0 at the Etihad Stadium, eventually losing 10–0 on aggregate.

Last season Burton Albion finished 9th place in League 1.



The Manager – Nigel Clough







Form Guide



Ipswich Last 5 Matches – currently in 7th place with 49 points



25 Jan Ipswich Town 1 - 0 Lincoln City


28 Jan Rotherham 1 - 0 Ipswich Town


1 Feb Ipswich Town 1 - 4 Peterborough


8 Feb Sunderland 1 - 0 Ipswich Town


11 Feb AFC Wimbledon 0 - 0 Ipswich Town



Burton Albion Last 5 Matches – currently in 12th place with 43 points



25 Jan Burton Albion 1 - 1 Accrington


28 Jan AFC Wimbledon 2 - 2 Burton Albion


01 Feb Rotherham 3 - 2 Burton Albion


8 Feb Burton Albion 0 - 0 Gillingham


11 Feb Burton Albion 2 - 2 Oxford Utd




Marko’s Caption Contest – THE DON CUP





Match Referee – Charles Breakspear







IPSWICH TOWN 1 BURTON ALBION 1

[Charnwood]

Well that’s a worry boys, last five games Burton have score 7 whilst we’ve scored just two. I hope that’s not ominous.

[MasseyFerguson]

In spite of all the problems we are having I think we will win this one. I need to believe we will stay relevant. Okay, keyboard down and back to the bong!

[arana peligrosa]

Two teams that can't buy a win so a tie looks probable outcome. Bad weather due at time of game so may have an adverse effect on what occurs out there. Can envisage scrappy play with limited opportunities. If we fail to register three points from this then will finally accept any promotion is unlikely to occur. Yes it's premature in the season but it's been sh*t just recent and falling further behind as games go by.

Home 1 Visitors 1

[Andym]

It's unlikely to be a decent game in view of the weather. We will scrape a 1-1 draw.

[Frosty]

I’m with you on the draw Andy, hope we are both wrong.

[Tangfastic]

Lambert being prickly again in a press conference this morning.

Phil Hamm TWTD - Q: “ This is one of the best squads in the division though, isn't it?”

Lambo :A “Who's saying that? That's your scenario. You're talking absolute nonsense this morning! Have you been drinking? Have you?”

I felt we had a pretty decent squad and Mike’s being banging on all season about us having the best squad. I think after that maybe I’m gonna have to cut back on the booze, although it does take an edge of some of the performances.

[arana peligrosa]

We don't have one of the best squads in the league, it's evident to anyone. Our record in recent games and fall away from the top (positions) is a testament to it. Team's been hitting above it's weight since August and was fortunate to find victory within a number of games. Think we've been found out for the mediocre set-up that we are.

Did Lambert really say that in the above. Feel a bit skeptical, not something a professional in a managerial capacity would retort with. Lambert admitting we're sh*t is an honest assessment however. Would have been concerned if claiming the team are actual promotion candidates or equipped to take on and beat the best this league can offer. We're not, we can't, we haven't.

[Bluemike]

We have the best squad in this division, Peterborough may have the best strikers, Rotherham the best defence, and someone else the best keeper etc, we have the best squad, albeit badly under performing

[Ando]

PL is trying to take the pressure off the players imo. We have Technically strong players and the best set of midfielders by some way, however they are all similar with the exception of Bishop, who has been injured. He is the only one that runs with the ball and breaks the lines. This I why I feel PL is playing with wingbacks to have the pace outside. We are a different team with KVY and Garbutt as wing backs.

Anyhow, home win for me, 2-1.

[Marvinbay1973]

0-0 for me.

Missing some key players as well although Garbutt and Teddy may be in the squad.
Some of those free kicks the other night if only LG was playing

[Andym]

Lambert said from the start of the season that we were z work in progress. It's the media and the fans who have made the claims about the strength of the squad.

Many expected Judge to be a key player but unfortunately he hasn't. Norwood did well to step up from league 2 prior to his op but has struggled since. Downes has been outstanding, Woolfenden has done well but his inexperience is highlighted when Chambers hasn't been there to guide him. KVY looked sharp up to injury although I don't think he played too many games where his defensive duties had to outperform his attacking qualities. Short of those 3 I'm not convinced of the strength of the squad. I would add that without Bishop's injuries he'd be another one is highlight as a key player, and maybe even Dozzell if he was given a run of games to prove himself. So that's 5, 2 of whom are injured and one not picked. I'm with Lambert, our squad isn't as great as many thought.

[marko69]

Roy Keane......., "EPL in one season, its not that hard."
Jewell......., "We're a work in progress"
McCarthy (at the start)....., "We're a work in progress"
No funds
Marcus Evans: "New inexperienced manager. Its new ground."
Hurst: "Yep, what Marcus said. We're a work in progress"
Lambert: "The clubs on its knees. We need to start from the bottom up. We're a work in progress"

Wow. This club is going from strength to strength innit?

ANYWAY......

Portman Road so got to start the winning trend this week. And I promise, I ain't being a knob when I say this; if the place is infiltrated with tosspots, then it'll be difficult. I am fully on board with supporting the team over the 90mins. No protests during the game. It serves absolutely no purpose whatsoever.



Nigel Clough caption: "You're talking pish, ref."
Ref caption: "No Nigel. I'm talking pus. I'll squeeze these two nose zits in your direction, boyo."

[number 9]

Undoubtedly we're a work without progress...

[Andym]

I am fully on board with supporting the team over the 90mins. No protests during the game. It serves absolutely no purpose whatsoever.

I agree. I think Norwood's change in form is a prime example of how important confidence is. I happily (well, quite hsppily) cheer a well-intentioned pass that doesn't quite come off. Better to try and fail than not try and play it safe all the time.
Having said that, I'll cheer a sideways or backward pass in preference to an aimless long hoof forward. Our players aren't world beaters. They need encouragement abd support for those 90 minutes.

[JohnnyB]

A crappy draw - hope not though

[derick_ipsw]

We have the best squad in this division, Peterborough may have the best strikers, Rotherham the best defence, and someone else the best keeper etc, we have the best squad, albeit badly under performing

Mike if we do indeed have the best squad then the problem is we don't have the best manager. Just a thought.

[AylesburyBlue]

We have the best squad in this division, Peterborough may have the best strikers, Rotherham the best defence, and someone else the best keeper etc, we have the best squad, albeit badly under performing

Mike if we do indeed have the best squad then the problem is we don't have the best manager. Just a thought.

100% - he is failing. Best squad by far and he is struggling to get it into third year. He has to go.

[Charnwood]

We have the best squad in this division, Peterborough may have the best strikers, Rotherham the best defence, and someone else the best keeper etc, we have the best squad, albeit badly under performing

Mike if we do indeed have the best squad then the problem is we don't have the best manager. Just a thought.

In my opinion we don’t have the best manager but at this level we have the best we’re likely to attract.

[Ando]

Tomorrow’s storm will play a part unfortunately. Corners and free kicks will be difficult especially when attacking the Sir Alf stand As it looks like the wind will be coming from the south. Can see a 30 yard screamer at the sir bobby end.

[Charnwood]

Not much positive said about Town on tonight’s EFL Weekend Preview Show on Sky Sports. There was even talk of a toxic atmosphere building at Portman Road which wouldn’t help our promotion hopes, especially with 9 of our 14 remaining games at home which would normally provide a team with a massive advantage, but won’t be if the fans turn on the team.

As frustrating as it is being a Town fan at the moment, the last thing we need is the fans sticking a nail in the coffin.

Let’s hope it doesn’t happen, an early goal would help.

[mugen1]

Any game I've attended there has been too much sideways & backward passing. Whether under Mick or Paul. Something is clearly wrong with what goes on in training surely?
As for a squad capable of getting us out of this league, the table doesn't lie and at the end of the day that's all that matters.
So what's the answer? I think the players need to have a good look at themselves first & foremost. The number of reports I've read where posters say that only 1 or 2 players can be happy with their performance is quite scary
As for the rest, who knows?

[Tangfastic]

Any game I've attended there has been too much sideways & backward passing. Whether under Mick or Paul. Something is clearly wrong with what goes on in training surely?
As for a squad capable of getting us out of this league, the table doesn't lie and at the end of the day that's all that matters.
So what's the answer? I think the players need to have a good look at themselves first & foremost. The number of reports I've read where posters say that only 1 or 2 players can be happy with their performance is quite scary
As for the rest, who knows?

That’s not strictly true - we also play forward frequently... but, too often, lumped, hopeful balls which either end up with their GK or get headed away. I do think we play sideways in midfield too often, but quite often there’s no other option. I think our midfield lacks dynamism - Downes apart- and our build up play is too slow. Mike made the point about Huws the last game as he looked OK, but offered very little with his final output. Agree with that and also include Skuse. They look neat and tidy, but too often slow down the ball too much and don’t offer themselves as a forward runner.
I really hope Skuse and Huws aren’t together in midfield today. Don’t like that combination. We need a Bishop type who can drive us on. Surprised that Dobra hasn’t been given a chance from the bench as at least he likes to take on opponents.

[derick_ipsw]

https://twitter.com/IpswichTown/status/ ... 14241?s=20

Norwood, Skuse, Huws and Wilson on bench. Judge Nolan Edwards Keane Start.

[JohnnyB]

Garbutt in has to be good news. If Judge and Nolan click this might work...

[Tangfastic]

Definitely that’s a far more offensive line up.

Good to see Garbutt back, and Earl’s replaces Wilson as LCB. Judge and Nolan in for Huws and Skuse. Edwards in for Donacien. Keane in for Norwood.
Bishop on the bench.
Rotations back . COYB

[JohnnyB]

Definitely that’s a far more offensive line up

Bloody political correctness- everything’s offensive nowadays

[Bluemike]

Definitely that’s a far more offensive line up.

Good to see Garbutt back, and Earl’s replaces Wilson as LCB. Judge and Nolan in for Huws and Skuse. Edwards in for Donacien. Keane in for Norwood.
Bishop on the bench.
Rotations back . COYB

We were doing better with Rotation but the fans know best lol.

[mugen1]

That’s not strictly true - we also play forward frequently... but, too often, lumped, hopeful balls which either end up with their GK or get headed away.

A good point which I missed

[Charnwood]

I like the look of the line up today, may have predicted a win with Garbutt back in the team, and made him my first goal scorer.