Ipswich Town vs Sheffield Wednesday
Saturday 11th February 2023- 15:00
Portman Road
Pre-Match Thoughts - Mike
Gutted doesn't come close to describing how I felt at 10pm Tuesday evening following our exit from this season's FA Cup. Yet again Town were beaten by a late late goal, this time 94 minutes after what by all accounts had been a very creditable performance against the Championship leaders who are sweeping all before them, the efforts of the Town players drew praise and plaudits from the Clarets Manager as Vincent Kompany made it clear not many Championship sides have managed to do what we did on the night.
Don't get me wrong that is very pleasing to hear and something we can draw inspiration from, my concern is will we actually follow this up with some League consistency ? After all, what has followed the home game with Burnley has still been very inconsistent, Cambridge still sits fresh in the memory, those type of performances need to be a thing of the past, we need a run of games and as we approach the business end of the season we are still to string Three wins together and for a team going for promotion that just doesn't cut it I'm afraid.
For this season at least we can forget the FA Cup and I suppose it has been a nice change to actually be involved in the later rounds so to speak, with results elsewhere we may just have fallen short of a very real shot at the Quarters and that would have been some achievement.
Most Town fans seem to be ok and accepting of our cup demise and are keen to adopt the old adage of "let's concentrate on the League", well now is the time to do just that as they don't and won't come any more important than this Saturday's home clash with bang in form Sheffield Wednesday who now top the division with a game in hand thanks to an incredible unbeaten run which culminated in last weekend's huge top of the table victory over Plymouth Argyle.
That victory saw the Owls move to Sixteen games unbeaten, their last defeat coming back on the 4th October when they lost away to Plymouth. Hidden away in that Sixteen game run is a Five goal thumping of Cambridge Utd, the very team we failed to beat in a dismal showing last weekend, on the face of it Town and Wednesday are currently poles apart and I think our visitors will go into the game as favourites.
Town can draw some confidence from the first meeting between the Two teams as we came away from Hillsborough having been robbed after dominating for long spells of the game but in true Town fashion we failed to hold on to a Two goal lead, conceding Two late goals (shock, Horror). Another incentive for Town this weekend is that despite the vast difference in current form a win for us will see us incredibly a mere Three points behind Darren Moore's side, quite incredible considering the poor run we have been on.
I can't help but think defeat here and it is definitely the play off's at best for Town and sadly I would not fancy us One bit what with our brittle mental state so for me it has to be a win this weekend. When in full flow I still truly believe we are the best in the Division but that form has gone out of the window for quite a while now, getting it back and quickly is the key.
I did read Kieran Mckenna's post match comments Tuesday night that several players have given him food for thought for this most important of games and again that fills me with trepidation, we must not tinker unless it's down to injuries, go with what is our strongest line up even if they were dross at the Abbey Stadium, they should be hell bent on wanting to right a few wrongs in any case so let them attempt to do just that.
The crowd is going to be massive and loud once again and we need a first half akin to Rotherham to get ourselves on top and in control, they aren't invincible, in fact I don't believe they are all that but they are getting results and that breeds confidence which is something we need to start building up, we talk a great story every week so let's go out and do the business on the pitch when it really matters, that is something that for as long as I can remember we struggle to do.
My head says a draw at best, my heart says we will turn it on and beat them, which scenario turns out to be true is anyone's guess but One thing I do know is this, if at 5pm Saturday afternoon we are Nine points off the automatic promotion places, not only is the season close to being a complete disaster but serious questions need to be asked as to why this squad with all it's quality and financial clout isn't good enough to go toe to toe with Plymouth Argyle , that for me would take some explaining so come on Boy's make us proud, send us home happy and get this season back up and running and looking very much alive, you can do it !!!! "EVERY SATURDAY WE FOLLOW" COYB'S
The Opposition – Sheffield Wednesday Honours
League
First Division/Premier League
Champions (4): 1902–03, 1903–04, 1928–29, 1929–30
Second Division/Championship
Champions (5): 1899–1900, 1925–26, 1951–52, 1955–56, 1958–59
Runners-up (2): 1949–50, 1983–84
Promoted (1): 1990–91
Third Division/League One
Runners-up (1): 2011–12
Promoted (1): 1979–80
Play-off winners (1): 2004–05
Football Alliance (1)
Champions (1): 1889–90
Cup
FA Cup
Winners (3): 1895–96, 1906–07, 1934–35
Runners-up (3): 1889-90, 1965–66, 1992–93
Football League Cup
Winners (1): 1990–91
Runners-up (1): 1992–93
FA Community Shield
Winners (1): 1935
Runners-up (1): 1930
The Manager – Darren Moore
League Table
Form Guide
Ipswich Town
2 Jan Lincoln City 1 - 1 Ipswich Town
14 Jan Ipswich Town 1 - 1 Plymouth
21 Jan Oxford Utd 2 - 1 Ipswich Town
24 Jan Ipswich Town 4 - 0 Morecambe
4 Feb Cambridge Utd 1 - 1 Ipswich Town
Sheffield Wednesday
29 Dec Sheffield Wed 2 - 0 Port Vale
2 Jan Sheffield Wed 5 - 0 Cambridge Utd
14 Jan Wycombe 0 - 1 Sheffield Wed
21 Jan Sheffield Wed 1 - 0 Fleetwood
24 Jan Cheltenham pp. Sheffield Wed
29 Jan Barnsley pp. Sheffield Wed
4 Feb Sheffield Wed 1 - 0 Plymouth
Head to Head
Match Referee – Geoff Eltringham
IPSWICH TOWN 1 SHEFFIELD WEDNESDAY 1
