Ipswich Town v Brentford preview and matchday thread

[marko69]

No doubt we will have are resident knob head defending McCarthy very soon!!

No I think The Saint wants MM out, mate.

[jaykay]

well that result facked my fixed odds coupon up.plus my national bet fell about 7 fences from home, never in the first 6 though.abit like our season

[Bluemike]

Thankfully I had a night out with some very very lovely company to soften the blow of another crap day at PR (not a dozen tits though Marko)

Plenty has been said already why and where the game was lost, for me it was lost the minute that useless f**king liability Hyam did his best to cripple someone, for me it was a horrible, nasty, vile tackle by a very limited crap player who I stated before the game offers us nothing and never has, you heard the crack of the lads leg from where we were sitting, quite how the f*ck MM or anyone else for that matter can defend it is beyond me, sod the fact he may have touched the ball, that is irrelevent as I think there was intent there to follow through to the player, he didn't even have the deceny co go over to see how the poor guy was, that was left to varney to do. That tackle alone deserved a straight Red and still the prat didn't learn and allowed himself to get wound up and he reacted as we all knew he would. What disappoints me as much as the incident itself was that MM should have got the tit off the pitch straight away, at least we would have had 11 men on the field.

As if it couldn't get any worse the Ref somehow fails to give the most blatent foul on Skuse in the lead up to the opening goal !! Obvious or what ? It just capped what for me was another poor poor first half display in which we managed to muster up a long range rocket from my MOTM Knudsen who I thought was exceptional yesterday and a good opening for AMN but hius weak shot was easily saved. For much of the half it was Brentford playing the best football with the excellent McCormack pulling the strings in Midfield. We got some changes to the team which many were screaming for but it had made little difference although Kevin Foley did little wrong but AMN really has been struggling of late and it was the same again yesterday and it came as no surprise when he was subbed off.

The second half was always going to be tough with 10 men but we actually played a bit better and as the half wore on we gave it a real go against the tiring Brentford defence and created several chances, unfortunately the Bees created as many and thanks to our rank bad defending they scored twice more, quite what Berra & Chambers were doing for the second I don't know and with Knudsen playing them all onside it was game over, the third was comical defending from Berra who was dispossessed easily and the the guy tucked it away, Berra really has been a shadow of the man we saw last season. It could have been worse too with Bart saving a couple after fumbling all over the place and another effort crashing back of our bar. At the other end Sears was put through after some great work by Knudsen but somehow contrived to miss yet again when it looked easier to score, the goal when it did come saw Feeney net his first for the club after being set up by McGoldrick.

Yesterday really did mirror much of the season in as much as the "big" players have been off form, Berra had a bit of a mare in the second half while Skusey was just not at the races all game but still put loads of effort in. It can't have been easy for Chambo reverting back to CB after so long and at times it showed, I thought it was great touch by our skipper yesterday when he was putting his arm around Hyam and having a word directly after "that tackle", good captaincy.

I didn't get the dropping of Smith at all, he has been our most consistent defender for much of the season and the first time MM changes the back Four comes after Two clean sheets !!! I really think even MM is struggling to find a solution right now but as ordinary as we were are we ever going to get any luck ? OK you make your own luck at times but how the bloody ref can allow that first goal really did beggar belief and it set the tone for another disappointing afternoon. No doubt the pressure and hate will build towards MM but a lot of what went on on the pitch was totally beyond his control, he did however f*ck up in not removing the liabilty after the first yellow card when every man and his dog could see what was coming.

All we can do now is go into the last Five games with the intention of not dropping any lower than Eigth place, lets give the likes of Dozzell and Benyu a run out too, planning for next season has to start now. I have not always been complimentary to Didsy but he made a difference yesterday and showed some lovely touches for one that has been out for so long, if only he could stay fit and be as interested in ITFC as he is Ireland we would benefit. Sheff Wed here we come.

[herforder]

My overall feeling, as the second half wore on, was one of sadness. It was like watching a wounded animal, not really understanding what had happened to it, but knowing something was badly wrong, and there was nothing to be done to make it better.

Many will possibly have decided that enough is enough - perhaps understandable. In an odd way it's strengthened my belief that when the patient is sick, it needs help. The ultimate well being of the club transcends ME/MM etc. Both will be gone at some point; those with the club in their DNA will not.

[marko69]

I've since seen a few minutes more highlights of the game and I know there have been growing problems throughout the team......, but I was drawn to how worried and clueless Berra looked. Was he missing Tommy yesterday or what?

[herforder]

Prior to yesterday, the CBSK back four had played something like 26 consecutive matches. Changing it, to put in a proper RB (Foley), whilst creating a balanced CB pairing was something folk have been demanding for yonks. However, it wasn't without risk!

Both FBs did OK. Knudsen making some positive forward runs with the ball; whilst Foley is comfortable on the ball, reads the game well and has better onwards distribution. Of the two CBs, for me Smith has had the better, more consistent, season; Berra prone to lapses of concentration, or poor decision making when in possession. Neither, however, are particularly good at initiating attacks, or bringing the ball out of defence - hoof! Given the excellent partnership between Chambo and Smith in the early let's be 'hard to beat' days, I believe Berra should have been the one to give way - and that pairing selected: but MM wouldn't agree!

Nothing against Berra, on form he's been outstanding for us. But not so much of late. If MM sticks with Foley at RB, then the CB pairing at ShefW will be interesting. However, I have a feeling that what MM believed worked for 26 games will be reinstated!

[marko69]

26 consecutive games etc....... Has Mick explained in a press conference why Tommy Smith was dropped yesterday. Let's reword that in case the pedantic knobheads decide to, well, be pedantic....... Why was Smith chosen, to be dropped?

[marko69]

AndyM....... Seriously mate. Start enjoying THIS forum. There are more knobheads than decent folk on other forums. But even so, the knobheads on here are great!

[Mr.Punch]

26 consecutive games etc....... Has Mick explained in a press conference why Tommy Smith was dropped yesterday. Let's reword that in case the pedantic knobheads decide to, well, be pedantic....... Why was Smith chosen, to be dropped?

I listened to both MMs - McCarthy and Mills
McCarthy wanted to be a bit more attack minded at RB, he then had to choose 2 from 3 CBs.
He wanted a left and right footer (and possibly didn't want to drop Captain Chambo), that leaves a straight choice between Smith and Berra. He intimated that it was a tough choice.
My guess is that Berra has played on the left all season, so he went for him.
Whether that was a smart move or not I don't know but they didn't look comfortable at the back, in fact they were a bit disjointed and let in 3 goals McCarthy will 100% revert to the original back 4 on Saturday.

I thought the game would be a little 'weird' and so it proved, as BlueMike said the game was up after the Hyam foul. MM admitted that he should have subbed Hyam but thought he could make it to halftime - he couldn't.
There were two other nasty looking tackles, Woods on Hyam and Varney on some player, all of which made me wince, in truth there haven't been too many of them this season.

Some have been critical about the booing in recent games but for me it's all about frustration, we just want a bit of entertainment, some spark, a bit of flair, a last minute winner, anything - you really sense that the fans are dying to up the atmosphere but there's nothing to latch onto.

[herforder]

26 consecutive games etc....... Has Mick explained in a press conference why Tommy Smith was dropped yesterday. Let's reword that in case the pedantic knobheads decide to, well, be pedantic....... Why was Smith chosen, to be dropped?

No reason really given by MM. (Probably because 'B' comes before 'S' - as in Bullsh1t!)

[barmy billy]

26 consecutive games etc....... Has Mick explained in a press conference why Tommy Smith was dropped yesterday. Let's reword that in case the pedantic knobheads decide to, well, be pedantic....... Why was Smith chosen, to be dropped?

No reason really given by MM. (Probably because 'B' comes before 'S' - as in Bullsh1t!)

According to the EADT (and as Mr Punch has said), MM brought Chambers into the middle to facillitate the use of two attacking full backs. Why Smith & not Berra, goodness knows.

[marko69]

I think everyone should bear in mind though........., had he dropped Berra, and Smith had a howler, (like Berra clearly had) then I myself would've been asking why he dropped Berra and not Smith.

I was merely asking what prompted his decision........, if anyone could possibly know or have a decent theory.

[hallamblue]

Mick Mills suggested it was about putting Foley in at RB and then which one of the two remaining CB's (Berra or Smith) would partner the Captain in the central positions.

Mick Mills said his decision was probably based on having a left and right footed CB combination. Something that a few of us were saying last year when Smith kept getting caught out due to his preference of using his left foot.