League 1 - Ipswich Town vs Morecambe FC Preview & Matchday Thread

[Charnwood]

All I will say regarding Hirst is he’s hardly played any football this season. Think he’s only had 2 starts and a few dub appearances at Blackburn. So I’ll give him benefit of the doubt for Feb as ring rusty. But he’s certainly not coming across as committed to Town, and I would be unhappy if we only saw him as a loan player for second half of season. Broadhead and Ladapo are twice the players he is on current showing.

Agreed Liz. I’m sure he’ll get batter with regular game time but its him who has to make that happen with what he does in training and what he does on the pitch in the minutes he gets. He just has to show hunger and desire and in his position find the net.

[arana peligrosa]

The right response from the team after a series of unsatisfactory scores in recent events. Seems the players showed character and a willingness to perform today. The opposition may not be the strongest this division can offer but to pick up such a comprehensive victory, you got to give the team credit and plaudits where necessary.

Too bad DCFC got a victory late on as they're simply too close for comfort by any estimation. Bolton can not be discounted and shame they won also but kind of enjoyed to view an Oxford defeat. Not going to dwell on the past weekend but still kind of sore to some extent after that simian injustice in horseshit conditions. We move on.

We are leading scorers in the league and got what 53 now already and only into January. Can kind of view a magic 100 goals by end of season but maybe it's getting too far ahead of oneself. Right now just focusing on a fine Town victory, the team can build on this and really believe (once more) automatic promotion is still very much viable.

[Mariner67]

Burns & Clarke linked up well,shame Burns went off ,think he had a minor injury, fingers crossed he's OK.Think Hirst was taking the corners & put some good ones in.Broadhead was good unlucky not to get a goal.second half way a bit flat but the job was done. Brilliant win

[Denny61]

Jst jumping ahead to nxt two league games involving top 3. My ideal results would be ..Ipswich win v Cambridge. .sheff wed win against Plymouth...then following matches..we beat Wed and Portsmouth beat Plymouth ..that would leave us 1 point away from wed in second place and jst 4 behind Plymouth.....and 16 games to go ...who will buckle then ..???..

[Bluemike]

Play like we did first half and our results at least will take care of themselves, nobody will live with that, including Wednesday, it certainly gave me renewed belief that Top Two is attainable, there is no doubt after watching that performance that KM had been getting bogged down in his thinking and tactics etc but at least he's finally changed it up, and definitely for the better.

What I don't want to see at Cambridge is a side with Four or Five bloody changes in it, keep it the same, I'm not bothered who plays in the cup Saturday as we'll lose that anyway but the same Eleven at Cambridge please.

[marko69]

Jst jumping ahead to nxt two league games involving top 3. My ideal results would be ..Ipswich win v Cambridge. .sheff wed win against Plymouth...then following matches..we beat Wed and Portsmouth beat Plymouth ..that would leave us 1 point away from wed in second place and jst 4 behind Plymouth.....and 16 games to go ...who will buckle then ..???..

Feb 4th is HUGE isn’t it? Really hope there are a few on here going to the Cambridge game. Get some first hand reports. Real show of intent winning that one.
And SheffWed v Argyle. Thats massive. Got to hope & pray the Pilgrims manage the 1 point @ Hillsbro. Both dropping 2 points would be

[marko69]

What I don't want to see at Cambridge is a side with Four or Five bloody changes in it, keep it the same, I'm not bothered who plays in the cup Saturday as we'll lose that anyway but the same Eleven at Cambridge please.

Definitely……… starting 11 last night to KO v Cambridge.

The FA Cup is a strange one this year. Sort of bitter / sweet. Great to see a cup run (it is a great trophy) , but equally, fans just want League One business taken care of. Big fixture v Burnley but , Cambridge so much bigger……. no injuries.

[marko69]

Fantastic win chaps. Very well done indeed. Nice response.

Off to watch something about "killing fields" in your neck o the woods, 9! Crazy bstds.

I’m sure you’ve seen Ozark, right?

No, i’ve not. Seen it advertised all over Netflix, but can’t watch serious stuff with actors. I get bored. This’ll surprise Spidey Saint, but never sat through an entire Bond movie. Get to around an hour in then think, “who gives a feck if he wins.”
Comedies & documentaries only for me.

[Shed on tour]

To Morecambe’s credit they didn’t park the bus tonight but may well have done so after 30 mins had they kept it goal less and sniffed a point. We definitely need more early goals. I think second half it was more important for them to keep a respectable score and they managed that ok with a little bit of help from us with our changes but by then the game was won.

I’m glad I’m not the only one unimpressed with Hirst, my Leicester mates said I wouldn’t be impressed but dropping down to League One I thought I needed to give him a chance.

I said earlier in the season that I wasn’t disappointed when we missed out on signing Hirst last summer and so far I’ve seen nothing to change that view. Tbh I was surprised that we continued to show interest in bringing him in on loan when he has played so few matches this season and when he did manage to get some playing time at Blackburn his form was very poor and no doubt his confidence was very low.
Have to see if can turn things around here but to be honest I have my doubts although if Ladapo plays like he did last night Hirst shouldn’t be near the starting 11, unless of course McKenna decides to continue to play tinkerman.

[Dazzz67]

I do not think its just us that need to look over our shoulders, if I was Plymouth and Sheff Weds id be concerned too, the pack is not far behind with a potential for several teams hitting form.

Its going to be interesting and tough closing half of the season.

[Shed on tour]

Jst jumping ahead to nxt two league games involving top 3. My ideal results would be ..Ipswich win v Cambridge. .sheff wed win against Plymouth...then following matches..we beat Wed and Portsmouth beat Plymouth ..that would leave us 1 point away from wed in second place and jst 4 behind Plymouth.....and 16 games to go ...who will buckle then ..???..

Feb 4th is HUGE isn’t it? Really hope there are a few on here going to the Cambridge game. Get some first hand reports. Real show of intent winning that one.
And SheffWed v Argyle. Thats massive. Got to hope & pray the Pilgrims manage the 1 point @ Hillsbro. Both dropping 2 points would be

I will be at the Cambridge game so you know what that means…

[marko69]

Jst jumping ahead to nxt two league games involving top 3. My ideal results would be ..Ipswich win v Cambridge. .sheff wed win against Plymouth...then following matches..we beat Wed and Portsmouth beat Plymouth ..that would leave us 1 point away from wed in second place and jst 4 behind Plymouth.....and 16 games to go ...who will buckle then ..???..

Feb 4th is HUGE isn’t it? Really hope there are a few on here going to the Cambridge game. Get some first hand reports. Real show of intent winning that one.
And SheffWed v Argyle. Thats massive. Got to hope & pray the Pilgrims manage the 1 point @ Hillsbro. Both dropping 2 points would be

I will be at the Cambridge game so you know what that means…

Just please do not do what a buddy done a few years back.
@ Tannadice. (I wasn’t there) …… Cabbage 2-0 down, 80th min plus. Finishes 2-2.

Me: “Holy sh*t dude! What a bounce that must’ve been!”
Graham: “Yeah……. Yeah it was.”
Me: “You were back on the bus werent you ya tit?”
Graham: “Yeah. I was. Missed it.”

Feckin Gray…… always leaving early!

[Bluemike]

I will be in Cambridge for the weekend, wasn't looking forward to it but sure am now.

[rossi]

Play like we did first half and our results at least will take care of themselves, nobody will live with that, including Wednesday, it certainly gave me renewed belief that Top Two is attainable, there is no doubt after watching that performance that KM had been getting bogged down in his thinking and tactics etc but at least he's finally changed it up, and definitely for the better.

What I don't want to see at Cambridge is a side with Four or Five bloody changes in it, keep it the same, I'm not bothered who plays in the cup Saturday as we'll lose that anyway but the same Eleven at Cambridge please.

Agree in part with that, although the fact is that no matter how well we play for the rest of the season we are reliant on one or both of the top 2 losing at least 3 games more than we do.

A really good performance in the 1st half - Ladapo, Smith, Broadhead, Davis, and Morsy all outstanding, and our defence looking more solid and together than it has all season.

It was not lost on me that, althiugh we still played pretty football, we played far more direct and moved the ball a hell of a lot quicker. In fact after the first half I was thinking that maybe KM had learned from his mistakes regarding tactics and approach. Alas, that thinking disappeared rapidly in the 2nd half as he made use of all 5 substitutes. Maybe Burns had a slight knock and so the substitution was justified, the other 4 however were just made for the sake of it and because he seemingly cannot resist tinkering. It also deprived 2 players the opportunity if gettung a hat-trick.

Of course he should start our next league game with the same line-up that started last night, but it should go farther than that. Our 1st half performance last night started to build a momentum, and momentum is what we will need if we are to achieve auto-promotion, so I really hope he sticks with the same starting 11 against Burnley on Saturday

[Bluemike]

Agree with all of that, Liz and I remarked during the first half just how much quicker our approach play and build up was, it was chalk and cheese and as you say defensively we looked so much more solid than at any time this season.

[rossi]

Agree with all of that, Liz and I remarked during the first half just how much quicker our approach play and build up was, it was chalk and cheese and as you say defensively we looked so much more solid than at any time this season.

or even Gary

[Bluemike]

You misread that lol

[rossi]

You misread that lol

so I did, well it's early

[mendipblue]

I have to give credit to Ladapo on his performance last night. I have not been his biggest fan but l thought his finishing, hold up play and closing down was very good. Let's hope he carries on for the rest of the season. I don't want to see Hirst start in front of him for any league games.

[Charnwood]

At least we only have Hurst here on loan so we haven’t wasted too many £’s yet. It sure must be a worry to the lad who needs to find his level and get some game time.

[number 9]

At least we only have Hurst here on loan so we haven’t wasted too many £’s yet. It sure must be a worry to the lad who needs to find his level and get some game time.

I just wonder if the Hirst loan is a bit of Mark Ashton's wheeling and dealing for bigger and better things in the future? Hirst needs to regain fitness and form to increase his value, so it may be a 'you scratch my back, I'll scratch your back' type situation with the powers to be at Leicester. Maybe we'll get a better Leicester player on loan next season regardless of what league we're in.

[hallamblue]

I’ll be honest here , I know it’s early days for Hirst at Town. He’s barely got his kit issued to him . But I just have this niggling doubt that he’s yet another player living off his family name in the game , and actually isn’t quite up to the mark

…. Time will tell, but the ball is 100% in his court , not ours.

[ashfordblue]

I Agree with all of that, Liz and I remarked during the first half just how much quicker our approach play and build-up was, it was chalk and cheese and as you say defensively we looked so much more solid than at any time this season.

or even Gary

[AzzurroMark]

That for me puts further gloss on our performance - Morecambe are beating Bristol Rovers 4-0 after 63 minutes

[Charnwood]

That for me puts further gloss on our performance - Morecambe are beating Bristol Rovers 4-0 after 63 minutes

Second best home form in the League after Plymouth and Wednesday over the last 8 games, 4 straight wins with 14 goals and only 2 against. Not bad for a struggling team on the fringe of the relegation zone.