League 1 - Ipswich Town vs Charlton Athletic Preview & Matchday Thread

[Frosty]

Ipswich Town v Charlton Athletic



Saturday 15th April 2023 - 15:00

Portman Road








Pre-Match Thoughts – Mike



They say "All good things must come to an end" and following on from Town's frustrating draw at Cheltenham Town on Easter Monday that phrase appears on the face of it to be very apt right now. Gone is the Eight game winning streak along with the nine game run without conceding but as disappointing as it felt at the time it was always going to happen somewhere along the line. To be honest I don't actually see it as a good thing coming to an end in any case, we didn't lose for starters, we are still on a hell of a run while those around us continue to drop more points than we are, let's face it it isn't often any team wins Eight in a row so we have done tremendously well to drag ourselves firmly back into the race for the Top Two places.

We can look at fixtures any way we like, yes we all pretty much thought Cheltenham would be another win and our performance, despite being average at best, still deserved to end in victory, we had far more chances than our hosts and Two or Three in particular were clear cut sitters, we smashed one off the underside of the bar too which on another day goes in so despite it being a below par Town showing we still did enough to get the points. Credit to Cheltenham though, they are a horrible side to play at the best of times but to attempt it in those conditions was for me even more of a leveller, I often read that it is "the same for both sides" and in a sense that is true, however for me there is little doubt that footballing sides like Town, Barnsley, Plymouth etc will be affected more compared to teams who like to play the shall we say more direct and unattractive route so in some respects it is not a disaster to come away with a point and our unbeaten run intact.

I think the biggest disappointment for me was the manner in which we lost our winning run etc, I just do not get what keeper Christian Walton was doing, to come charging off his line like that was suicide, there was absolutely no need to do it, some have looked at Luke Woolfenden too and it doesn't normally take much for me to knock the lad but on this occasion I do not blame Woolfy, the weak header that followed the Walton howler just does not happen if Walton doesn't have the rush of blood and just prior to the goal Woolfy had got his head to Two or Three successive balls into our box and dealt with them pretty well by his standards, add to that not long after we conceded Walton contrived to do it again as he rushed way out of his area in another vain attempt to clear the danger but at the end of the day we win as a team and we lose as a team, or in this instance draw.

Our league position basically went unaffected apart from us dropping to Third for at least another few days, we still have the upper hand on Sheffield Wednesday courtesy of our game in hand while Plymouth faltered at home to Lincoln City when most could only see a home win, that will no doubt be another blow to their confidence following the cup mauling. Come 10pm Tuesday evening we should all have a much better picture on just where our destiny lays, all Four of the league One big boys have Two games, thankfully Town have Two home games while Wednesday & Plymouth both have two very tricky away games to overcome, for me this is a crucial Four or Five days and the League table could well look very pleasing on the eye to Town fans.

I keep reading comments about how our game in hand is against the mighty Barnsley and how we will be lucky to get anything from it, err sorry and all that but I disagree, I absolutely believe this game will suit us more than going to places like Cheltenham Town, of course it will be a tough fixture but you can bet your like on it that Barnsley are thinking exactly that too, they have lost a couple of so called easier games too recently so aren't exactly Manchester City themselves, let them worry about us rather than us worrying about them, it may have been a long time ago but we've already given them a lesson at Portman Road when we were cheated out of Two points, both teams are better now for sure and we should be fearing nobody.

First up though is this Two home games in Four days scenario with Charlton Athletic heading to Portman Road on Saturday before Port vale come to Town Tuesday evening under the lights. Both games see teams with little but pride to play for heading to Suffolk and for me that should suit us better than teams with a lot at stake, if we are at the top of our game we win both fixtures, it's that simple, the key is bouncing back from the draw at Whaddon Road in a positive and dominant manner, Charlton is already another sell out while Port vale will probably follows suit too so the Twelfth man comes into play again, just as it did against Wycombe Wanderers on Good Friday when the atmosphere was electric as town turned on the style.

Win these Two and we will have taken a massive step to achieving our goal, I just get the feeling that twice now we have come so close to securing top spot only to have it snatched away by events elsewhere or our own minor slip ups, hopefully it is a case of Third time lucky but we may have to wait until Tuesday to achieve it, fingers crossed it happens. To be that close with Four games to go would have been every Town fans dream last August and we are so so close. We cannot, no MUST NOT, let this golden opportunity slip through our fingers, Two winnable home games with such a prize at stake, what more could we ask for, let's go out and get the first part of the job done in style, it's all becoming very real now, no time to bottle it. Town win for me. COYB'S


The Opposition – Charlton Athletic Honours



League


Football League First Division

Runners-up – 1936–37

Football League Second Division / Football League First Division

Champions – 1999–2000
Runners-up – 1935–36, 1985–86
Play-off winners – 1986–87, 1997–98

Football League Third Division / Football League One

Champions – 2011–12
Promoted (old Division 3) – 1974–75, 1980–81
Play-off winners – 2018–19

Football League Third Division South

Champions – 1928–29, 1934–35


Cups


FA Cup

Winners – 1946–47
Runners-up – 1945–46

Full Members Cup

Runners-up – 1986–87

Football League War Cup

Joint winners – 1943–44

Kent Senior Cup

Winners – 1994–95, 2012–13, 2014–15
Runners-up – 2015–16



The Manager – Dean Holden







League Table






Form Guide



Ipswich Town


11 Mar Bolton 0 - 2 Ipswich Town

18 Mar Ipswich Town 2 - 0 Shrewsbury

1 Apr Derby County 0 - 2 Ipswich Town

7 Apr Ipswich Town 4 - 0 Wycombe

10 Apr Cheltenham 1 - 1 Ipswich Town




Charlton Athletic



18 Mar Cambridge Utd 1 - 2 Charlton

25 Mar Charlton 1 - 1 Wycombe

1 Apr Charlton 6 - 0 Shrewsbury

7 Apr Bristol Rovers 1 - 0 Charlton

10 Apr Charlton 3 - 2 Burton Albion





Head to Head







Match Referee – Sam Barrett







IPSWICH TOWN 2 CHARLTON ATHLETIC 1

[arana peligrosa]

This IS a home game for us Davey ? We're not playing in South East London for this or anything ?

I'd expect to win but that late goal and draw at the weekend kind of shook confidence to some extent. Charlton seem to have got some impressive scores just recent and I take little for granted. Another loss of points in successive games seems unthinkable but you got to entertain all possibilities.

Believe this game is the anniversary of the RMS Titanic sinking. You can't put real comparison on events but should we lose, kind of envisage the good ship Ipswich Town taking considerable water on board and sending off some level of distress signal. Guess any Carpathia arrives in the form - or lack of - in Sheffield Wednesday. Disasters or not, it's one thing that could really save our as*.

[Tangfastic]

"This IS a home game for us Davey ? We're not playing in South East London for this or anything ?"

Don't understand this... and who's Davey, SJ?

Learnt something today though. RMS ( not HMS) stands for Royal Mail Service. Lots of undelivered letters lying at the bottom of the Atlantic.

[Shed on tour]

Gone for a upset and Charlton to take all 3 points. Everything on paper points towards a Town win but after what happened at the Valley earlier this season feel they might just have the Indian sign over us this year.
Town 1 Charlton 2

[hallamblue]

I nearly followed you Tony, but can’t as I know we must win , so have gone for a win. As usual it’s so important to get that earlier goal. The subliminal voice in the players head ( and the fans) re a Charlton come back will be there the whole game and well into injury time. I think it’s going to be a nervy match . I just hope the crowd don’t pass on their nerves to the players !

Town 2 Charlton 0

[Shed on tour]

I nearly followed you Tony, but can’t as I know we must win , so have gone for a win. As usual it’s so important to get that earlier goal. The subliminal voice in the players head ( and the fans) re a Charlton come back will be there the whole game and well into injury time. I think it’s going to be a nervy match . I just hope the crowd don’t pass on their nerves to the players !

Town 2 Charlton 0

Liz, I’m actually more concerned about this game than the Peterborough and Barnsley fixtures. We know both of them will be tough but there will be pressure on both those sides as they also still have everything to play for. Hopefully the Charlton players will already be on the beach tomorrow but it could very well work the other way and they play with complete freedom.
Although it was disappointing to not get all 3 points at Cheltenham I don’t think the one we got was such a disaster as some fans have said. I couldn’t see them scoring 2nd half unless we made a mistake which obviously we did. The wind was atrocious and played a big part in their goal although why Walton came for the ball I just don’t know.

[Bluemike]

Yes Liz, some of you guys in the crowd are very nervy

[hallamblue]

I’m even more nervous now ……


https://www.twtd.co.uk/ipswich-town-new ... post530945

[Bluemike]

That is a bizarre appointment for sure, I'd be contesting that I think.

[number 9]

When you consider our consistent form leading up to the Cheltenham match, I can't see us faltering against Charlton. It will be home in front of a big crowd, and hopefully it won't be too windy. Charlton have scored a few goals, but I think KM will have addressed the defensive concerns from Cheltenham.

I'll be surprised if we screw this one up...

ITFC 2 v 0 Charlton

[Dazzz67]

We are going to win, simple as, the boys will be well up for this and I feel sorry for Charlton as they are going to get thumped.

Ipswich 3 - Charlton 1

[Bluemike]

I see the club have indeed approached the relevant authorities regarding this Ref appointment.

[hallamblue]

I wonder if the refs are assigned at start of season , so wouldn’t have been deemed an issue .

They have to change the ref in my view !

[AzzurroMark]

I wonder if the refs are assigned at start of season , so wouldn’t have been deemed an issue .

They have to change the ref in my view !

The ref will be on a hiding to nothing now! Any contentious decision against Ipswich (along the lines of the disallowed goal against Barnsley, for example) and there'll be hell to play!
It will be very hard for the referee to demonstrate a level of neutrality! He really needs to officiate this match like Pierluigi Collina would to avoid any level of harsh criticism.

[marko69]

Refs a SheffWed fan.

Pretty sure he’ll be getting switched.

[trimleyblue]

I'd be surprised if the referee gets swapped out this close to the match

[Frosty]

Believe the new referee will be Sam Barrett according to a post I read on 'ratetheref' website.

Will update later if I am incorrect.

[Bluemike]

From Norwich and born in Plymouth lol

[Tangfastic]

From Norwich and born in Plymouth lol

Grandson of Clive Thomas and cousin of Chris Sutton.

[Bluemike]

From Norwich and born in Plymouth lol

Grandson of Clive Thomas and cousin of Chris Sutton.

[Bluemike]

Saturday’s home game against Charlton Athletic will now be refereed by Sam Barrott and not James Bell.

As per yesterday's stories, Bell is a supporter of his hometown club Sheffield Wednesday, one of the Blues’ rivals for automatic promotion from League One.

On learning that that was the situation, Town approached the authorities requesting that another referee should take charge of the fixture.

Barrott (pictured above), who was initially slated as the fourth official for the Stevenage-Wimbledon game in League Two, has swapped appointments with Bell and will now be the man in the middle at Portman Road.

The West Riding-based official will be refereeing the Blues for the fourth time having taken charge of the 1-1 draw at Cambridge United in February and the 1-1 opening day home draw with Bolton Wanderers.

He was also in charge of Town boss Kieran McKenna’s first match in charge, the 1-0 home victory over Wycombe Wanderers at Portman Road in December 2021.

[mendipblue]

Saturday’s home game against Charlton Athletic will now be refereed by Sam Barrott and not James Bell.

As per yesterday's stories, Bell is a supporter of his hometown club Sheffield Wednesday, one of the Blues’ rivals for automatic promotion from League One.

On learning that that was the situation, Town approached the authorities requesting that another referee should take charge of the fixture.

Barrott (pictured above), who was initially slated as the fourth official for the Stevenage-Wimbledon game in League Two, has swapped appointments with Bell and will now be the man in the middle at Portman Road.

The West Riding-based official will be refereeing the Blues for the fourth time having taken charge of the 1-1 draw at Cambridge United in February and the 1-1 opening day home draw with Bolton Wanderers.

He was also in charge of Town boss Kieran McKenna’s first match in charge, the 1-0 home victory over Wycombe Wanderers at Portman Road in December 2021.

He has refereed us twice and has given 2 penalties against us. Home to Bolton and away to Cambridge? Both of which were very soft. 🫣

[Bluemike]

For me they were both penalties though.

[hallamblue]

From Norwich and born in Plymouth lol

Grandson of Clive Thomas and cousin of Chris Sutton.

Oh so basically then, he’s an utter tossa!

[Bluemike]

Thomas, Sutton or Me ? .

Err actually don't answer that lol

[marko69]

New ref caption:

Michael Caine voice:

"My name...... is Sam.... Barrott..... and I..... am a refer.....ee. I give ...... soft..... penalties, but......they were...... penalties.... all the same."

[Dazzz67]

Seems the bellends on owlstalk ar lapping this up, fingers crossed we perform this weekend and they don't, would be a real shame if they did not make the auto's.

[Bluemike]

Seeing as the fuckwits have already had the benefit of a 2 yard offside goal against us courtesy of a dodgy Ref they have little reason to gob off.

[mendipblue]

What I find strange is, the replacement Ref is from West Riding which is....Yorkshire? Surely they could of found a Ref from Devon or Newcastle someone know where near Sheffield or Barnsley? FFS.

[Shed on tour]

Seeing as the fuckwits have already had the benefit of a 2 yard offside goal against us courtesy of a dodgy Ref they have little reason to gob off.

Can’t stand the feckers. I would love it if they missed out on promotion.