Premier League - Arsenal vs Ipswich Town Preview & Matchday Thread

[Frosty]

Arsenal FC vs Ipswich Town



Friday 27th December 2024 – 20:15



Emirates Stadium









Pre Match Thoughts - Mike



I'm not sure I am the best person to write this preview following on from last Saturday's debacle at home to Newcastle Utd, it was without question the lowest point for nigh on Three years as far as I was concerned, in fairness I did not make my way down to Portman Road expecting much in the way of points although as always and pretty much like everyone else you hold on to that thread of hope that you could just have a fab day and come away with something, sadly the only thing I came away with was the feeling of bitter disappointment, and dare I say it, boredom at the predictability of much of what I saw.

Let's be honest when they are on it Newcastle Utd are very good and a cut above where we are as a Premier League team so in that sense it should not really come as a major surprise that we took a right drubbing. Strangely it wasn't even the defeat that has me feeling the way I do, no, it was more down to the nature of the defeat, the mundane performance and worst of all the predictability as I have already mentioned. Every week I wait for 1.45pm to roll around so I can get a glimpse of the line up and the formation etc and yet I already kind of know what I am going to be presented with and sure enough I wasn't wrong.

To the game itself and it was pretty much over within the first minute as we committed suicide once more, you all saw it, most of you have seen MOTD and know what was wrong and why, for me it smacks of naivity of the highest order and shows me that despite all the numerous errors and lessons we have been given we have actually learned nothing because we continue to do the same old stuff again and again in the hope that eventually it will click and come good, well it won't.

Their second was a well worked and very well taken effort which we can have few complaints about, however the Third epitomises everything that is wrong with us and our game management these days. At two goals down although probably already out of it you do still have a smidgen of a chance to pull it back but at Three it's game over so why in God's name do we persist in fooling around and playing out from the back when a punt up the field sometimes has to be the way, Newcastle had sussed it out by the time the ever reliable Muric played Cajuste into a no win situation and sure enough as is normally the case we get punished.

I am actually getting bored of speaking about keeper errors and while he was far from the only One at fault he is most definitely the most regular in that department, week after week something is going wrong and we are conceding goals we need not concede and yet still he is picked as if we have no other options, sorry but it's sitting at the gaffers door again as far as I am concerned.

I have lived through the days of great managers and ok managers, I have also lived through the days of McCarthy, Jewell, Keane, Hurst & lambert where I barely missed a game home or away for a few years, I have done the hard yards at dumps like Fleetwood, Rochdale, Southend & Rotherham to name but Four, often getting soaking wet and losing to boot, despite all this never have I left a game even so much as a Minute or Two early, so take a bow Kieran and the boys because so fed up was I Saturday I walked out of the ground at half time and made my way home, maybe events just caught up with me on the day but it was my stand against things I do not believe are right at this moment in time, we are often beating ourselves and throwing things away and while that was not directly the case Saturday it was still along the same lines in certain aspects.

As some have pointed out we are still in touch and far from out of the race for seventeenth spot which was our goal after all and that is all very true, however, let's see where we stand after the next Six or Seven games because with matches against Arsenal, Chelsea, Fulham, Brighton, Manchester City & Liverpool to come I am still expecting us to be on the same points total as we are now before those games are played, so that's Six defeats on the bounce, Seven if we count Newcastle, I am not sure the many clubs would stand for that so let's hope we can spring a surprise or Two.

So we come to the first of those games and it is probably about as tough as it gets with a trip to the Emirates to take on the mighty Arsenal, we go there with Liam Delap back who so sorely missed against the Geordies but without our inspirational skipper Sam Morsy who finally picked up his Fifth booking of the season, in truth it is probably a good One to miss at it makes little difference. Most of my weekend will be taken up looking at the results of those around us and praying they all fail to win too, that for me is the only real hope we have in the coming fixtures that others don't steal a yard or Two on us.

The Gunners ooze talent and quality and we are going to be under the cosh for virtually the entire 90+ minutes, that is for sure, my hope is that we can keep it respectable and that it doesn't get embarrassing again, our GD is beyond concern now but confidence and moral suffers with hefty defeats and while we've not been stuffed too often it could start to set a trend with the games we have coming up. I have no idea how we can go about this game to keep it competitive and true, I just hope we can be compact and solid, error free and maybe even cause them the odd moment or Two. I don't want to predict a score I just hope we don't need to grab a spare scoreboard from Lords. Come on Town produce a major shock to get me believing again. COYB'S.



The Opposition – Arsenal FC Honours



Domestic


First Division/Premier League

1930–31, 1932–33, 1933–34, 1934–35, 1937–38, 1947–48, 1952–53, 1970–71, 1988–89, 1990–91, 1997–98, 2001–02, 2003–04

FA Cup

1929–30, 1935–36, 1949–50, 1970–71, 1978–79, 1992–93, 1997–98, 2001–02, 2002–03, 2004–05, 2013–14, 2014–15, 2016–17, 2019–20

EFL Cup

1986–87, 1992–93

FA Community Shield

1930, 1931, 1933, 1934, 1938, 1948, 1953, 1991, 1998, 1999, 2002, 2004, 2014, 2015, 2017, 2020, 2023

Football League Centenary Trophy

1988


Continental


Inter-Cities Fairs Cup

1969–70

UEFA Cup Winners' Cup

1993–94



Manager - Mikel Arteta







League Table as at 23.12.2024






Form Guide




Arsenal FC




30 Nov West Ham Utd 2 - 5 Arsenal

4 Dec Arsenal 2 - 0 Manchester Utd

8 Dec Fulham 1 - 1 Arsenal

14 Dec Arsenal 0 - 0 Everton

21 Dec Crystal Palace 1 - 5 Arsenal




Ipswich Town




30 Nov Nottm Forest 1 - 0 Ipswich Town

3 Dec Ipswich Town 0 - 1 Crystal Palace

8 Dec Ipswich Town 1 - 2 Bournemouth

14 Dec Wolverhampton 1 - 2 Ipswich Town

21 Dec Ipswich Town 0 - 4 Newcastle Utd








Head to Head






Match Referee – Darren England







ARSENAL FC 2 IPSWICH TOWN 1

[ITFC2024]

Well I have to say Mike, you’ve mirrored my thoughts perfectly. I too am getting bored with the same old mistakes and formations. At the beginning of the season I was excited to watch the replay when I couldn’t watch it live…but lately when I read about the stupid mistakes I don’t bother.

Like you, when I see the line up I immediately know what the outcome will be. At least Saka won’t be playing, but as you say Arsenal are loaded with talent.

Hopefully we’ll all be surprised, but I’m not holding my breath.

Arsenal 3 ITFC 1

[Blue Wilf]

Sad to say that I am with you all the way with your current feelings, Mike. I can only see 3-0 or worse in this one and no doubt it will be Muric again. Will be interesting to see who the midfield pairing is but against this lot and away from home, hope is in short supply. Happy Christmas everyone

[hallamblue]

Safely I'm fearing an absolute mauling. Anything under 5-0 will be a success because McKenna will be hell bent in attacking them, fool!

[The Odious Mr Rossi]

Great write-up, Mike, and sums up the thoughts of quite a few of us on here - how some people can still say "trust the process" is utterly beyond me.

The usual cr@p from KM in the pre-match interview - lessons from last week have been learned etc. One day maybe we will see that lessons actually have been learned - I live in hope. And he made me laugh when he said "we know we won't have things all our own way against Arsenal". You won't have anything your own way Kieron, you dunderhead, unless you shake things up a bit.

Anyway, the prediction for this game is easy - Arsenal 6- Ipswich 0

[mugen1]

All well and good learning, now bloody implement them you stubborn bugger

[valleyroad]

Nearly every comment so far trashing McKenna.
Town at their best nobody would be predicting anything but defeat no matter tactics, formations

[The Odious Mr Rossi]

Nearly every comment so far trashing McKenna.

Not trashing, making an observation.
Deal with it, or ship out.

[valleyroad]

Nearly every comment so far trashing McKenna.

Not trashing, making an observation.
Deal with it, or ship out.

Ah ship out, interesting comment

[JohnnyB]

Oddschecker 22-1 for a town win.

Gotta say it's incredibly unlikely... probably more unlikely than 22-1 tbh.

But you never know....

Arse 4 Town 1

[mugen1]

Nearly every comment so far trashing McKenna.
Town at their best nobody would be predicting anything but defeat no matter tactics, formations

Nobody would have predicted a win at Spurs either.

[ashfordblue]

If Arsenal put their under-21's side out we might have a chance and that's a big might, I won't be convinced of any successful results until we get Axel and Greaves back, plus at least 4 new players coming in and one's got to be a Keeper, I'll bet if a survey was carried out to ask the Town fans should we drop Muric I reckon 90% would say yes we need a new keeper or play Walton

[mendipblue]

If Arsenal put their under-21's side out we might have a chance and that's a big might, I won't be convinced of any successful results until we get Axel and Greaves back, plus at least 4 new players coming in and one's got to be a Keeper, I'll bet if a survey was carried out to ask the Town fans should we drop Muric I reckon 90% would say yes we need a new keeper or play Walton

Yep definitely

[arana peligrosa]

Voted to win and we should do it too. Don't think the opposition are up to much and if the team can win at Tottenham then by f*ck they can record a victory here also. Muric can be a colossus in goal, has the attributes to rival Lev Yashin or Banks with any given performance and should shut them out near the entire duration. McKenna can or will start 4-3-3 and look ahead to say after a slow start Smodzics, Broadhead and Chaplin for example can run riot and by end of game we will have annihilate the opposition.

After this victory and in a few weeks we'll have moved up mid-league with potential to finish in a European place. Only pessimists can hold us back, you got to realize the potential is there to get things done. It starts once again with this here trip.

AFC 0 ITFC 4

[mugen1]

You been on the Brandy Butter again?

[Bluemike]

Voted to win and we should do it too. Don't think the opposition are up to much and if the team can win at Tottenham then by f*ck they can record a victory here also. Muric can be a colossus in goal, has the attributes to rival Lev Yashin or Banks with any given performance and should shut them out near the entire duration. McKenna can or will start 4-3-3 and look ahead to say after a slow start Smodzics, Broadhead and Chaplin for example can run riot and by end of game we will have annihilate the opposition.

After this victory and in a few weeks we'll have moved up mid-league with potential to finish in a European place. Only pessimists can hold us back, you got to realize the potential is there to get things done. It starts once again with this here trip.

AFC 0 ITFC 4

It's not April 1st lol

[hallamblue]

Low bloc and only Delap up front with Hutch for the break out .... why not!!!

[hallamblue]

Ive been thinking about it and I'd now opt for this.... Of course he won't, but I would, lol.


Szmodics..........Delap.........Omari


Davis........Phillips.......Cajuste.......Johnson


.............Burgess.......Greaves........O'Shea


.........................Walton.......................


If Axel was fit and ready I'd put him in instead of Johnson, and I'd stick with this formation for several games.

[The Odious Mr Rossi]

Ive been thinking about it and I'd now opt for this.... Of course he won't, but I would, lol.


Szmodics..........Delap.........Omari


Davis........Phillips.......Cajuste.......Johnson


.............Burgess.......Greaves........O'Shea


.........................Walton.......................


If Axel was fit and ready I'd put him in instead of Johnson, and I'd stick with this formation for several games.

One-Dimensional Liz

[hallamblue]

If it worked i meant lol

[Bluemike]

LIZ OUT LMAO

[Cabanas Blue]

Someone has suggested Wolfie is playing not that I believe it, I would go 8 1 1 tonight

[Bluemike]

Maybe it's a gesture as his farewell appearance

[Bluemike]

Woolfenden it is !!! 3-4-3 ??

[Cabanas Blue]

I got the information from someone who lives in Bulgaria believe it or not, I'm not looking forward to watching tonight but you never know miracles do happen.

[lucy]

Muric

[hallamblue]

Muric

Johnson
O'Shea
Woolfenden ( got to be bloody joking!)
Greaves

Davis
Phillips
Cajuste


Szmodics
Delap
Omari

[hallamblue]

Someone has suggested Wolfie is playing not that I believe it, I would go 8 1 1 tonight

Unfortunately he bloody well is....

[Cabanas Blue]

The last time I saw Town play away at Arsenal they were on a long undefeated run at home I can't remember what year but Town won 0-2 but I did a silly thing I put my scarf on at the train station and I got beat up

[JohnnyB]

Sticks head above parapet...

Muric for all his faults is decent at collecting high balls into the box, something they're likely to do tonight.

Woolfy is a good defender. His main fault is his pace and hestitancy in moving the ball forward. Maybe that won't be such an issue tonight.

Probably be proved very very wrong. But hope not.