Ipswich Town vs Leeds United Preview & Matchday Thread
Posted: Thu May 02, 2019 6:48 am
Ipswich Town v Leeds United
Sunday 5th May 2019 – 12:30
Portman Road
Pre-Match Thoughts - Bluemike
End of an era or a bright new dawn?
So at last the curtain comes down on what must be one of if not the worst season in our illustrious history, never in my life have I been pleased for a season to end, I usually get filled with dread at the thought of Three months off without my beloved Town but on this occasion I need it, badly. Normally you can say it has been a season of highs and lows but the highs bit is stretching it a bit far, the lows however are too many to mention, injuries, bad decisions, terrible defending, awful attacking, bad luck you name it we've had the lot, games that should have been won weren't and we are where we are on merit. Let's not kid ourselves, we deserve to go down and while I am the first to highlight things that go against us a table does not lie after 46 games, we can all go back and dissect everything and we will all come up with differing reasons for our demise, for me the truth of it is that a concoction of events have conspired to send us down, McCarthy, Evans, Hurst, Keane etc etc etc the list is endless but it has been a steady deterioration for some time which in truth has been allowed to happen before our very eyes.
One name that I omit from the reasons we are going down is a certain Paul Lambert because for me he is blameless in all this, yes he had a lot of games to get things right but what chance did he have ? It was a still a League One squad put together by Paul Hurst, add to that the injuries along the way which have been ridiculous and I think any manager would have struggled to keep this lot up, the downward spiral just kept spiraling and there was no saving it. Even in adversity there has to be some positives and for me it is the fact we have Paul Lambert, some are cautious and dubious and rightfully so when you look at his win ratio but other areas have seen a massive improvement, you really have to experience the feelgood factor at away games to truly appreciate the togetherness of the fans again, it is no exaggeration to say it has been superb every game and it has been a credit to the club and indeed to Lambert that he has made this happen, ok it won't last forever without results but at least he has the fans back onside again, pulling away from Bramall lane last Saturday on one of the coaches and seeing the streets lined with Hundreds of Sheffield Utd fans applauding us as a way of saluting our great support was something to behold and tells you everything, a team relegated getting a rousing reception from the home fans on their promotion day takes some doing.
Another plus to take from this season has to be the emergence of some of our rising stars, I hear some saying "they aren't as good as many think they are and will struggle" but come on people, these lads have just been integrated into a team going through hell, sometimes Five or Six at a time and while they have made mistakes the experience can only set them in good stead for the journey next season, the likes of Bishop, Lankester, Kenlock, Downes, El Mizouni, Dozzell and those returning from loans are talented kids who will hopefully step up to the mark come August and that for me is what many have stated for a long time now is what they want to see so now we have it back it !!
I think it speaks volumes when we look at how season ticket sales are currently going and while we may not reach the 12-14K the downward trend of recent seasons has been halted and all this with the prospect of League One football to come, fans new and old are backing Lambert and co and that can be such a vital ingredient next season, a loud and hostile Portman Road can be intimidating for anyone and while we will be seen as a big scalp every week some visiting players will hopefully be a bit overawed by it, a good home record has to be the platform for us getting where we want to be in Twelve months time.
Before we can enjoy that Three month break we have the little matter of Leeds Utd coming to town, yes we all hate them and yes we are all glad they've messed it up again where automatic promotion is concerned so how good would it be to send them into the play off's on the back of a defeat to little old Ipswich from League One ? With over Three Thousand of their fans in attendance the atmosphere should still be electric and come the final whistle I am expecting it to be just a little bit emotional again as we officially say goodbye to the Championship, lets make it fun and make it loud, outsinging that lot would be a fantastic ending to a bitterly disappointing campaign. Sod it I am going for a Town win !! COYB's.
Signing Off
This being my last preview I just want to thank those of you who do bother to read the ramblings week after week and to apologise for the at times negative feel to some of them, I like to think I am always honest and I tell it as it is and sometimes this season I have wished I didn't have to sit down and write a preview, normally I love it but this has been tough to say the least but a big thank you to you all anyway for sticking with it. Enjoy the Summer. IPSWICH TIL I DIE.
The Opposition – Leeds United
Leeds United's predecessor team, Leeds City FC, was formed in 1904, and were elected League members in 1905, but were forcibly disbanded and forced to sell off all their players by The Football League in 1919 in response to allegations of illegal payments to players during the First World War.
In 1919, Leeds United was formed and they received an invitation to enter the Midland League. Following Leeds City's disbanding, Yorkshire Amateurs bought their stadium Elland Road who in turn offered to make way for the new team.
The chairman of Huddersfield Town, Hilton Crowther loaned Leeds United £35,000, to be repaid when Leeds United won promotion to Division One.
On 31 May 1920, Leeds United were elected to the Football League. Over the following few years, they consolidated their position in the Second Division and in 1924 won the title and with it promotion to the First Division. They failed to establish themselves and were relegated in 1926–27. In the years up until the start of World War II Leeds were twice relegated, both times being instantly re-promoted the following season.
In the 1946–47 season after the war, Leeds were relegated again with the worst league record in their history.
Leeds remained in the Second Division until 1955–56, when they once again won promotion to the First Division, before being relegated again in the 1959–60 season.
In March 1961, the club appointed former player Don Revie as manager. His stewardship began in adverse circumstances as the club was in financial difficulty and in 1961–62 only a win in the final game of the season saved the club from relegation to Division Three.
Revie implemented a youth policy and a change of kit colour to an all-white strip in the style of Real Madrid, and Leeds soon won promotion to the First Division in 1963–64. In his thirteen years in charge, Revie guided Leeds to two Football League First Division titles, one FA Cup, one League Cup, two Inter-Cities Fairs Cups, one Football League Second Division title and one Charity Shield. He also guided them to three more FA Cup Finals, two more FA Cup Semi-Finals, one more Inter-Cities Fairs Cup Final and one Inter-Cities Fairs Cup Semi-Final, one European Cup Winners' Cup Final and one European Cup Semi-Final. The team also finished second in the Football League First Division five times, third once and fourth twice.
Following the 1973–74 season, Revie left Leeds and Elland Road in 1974, to manage the England national team, and though it no longer dominated English football, it remained in the top ten for subsequent seasons before being relegated at the end of 1981–82.
In October 1988 Howard Wilkinson took over the Managers role and oversaw their promotion back to the First Division in 1989–90. Under Wilkinson Leeds finished 4th in 1990–91 and in 1991–92 season Leeds won the title.
In October 1998 David O'Leary assumed the managers role at Leeds and under his guidance Leeds never finished outside the top 5 in the Premier League, and secured qualification for both the UEFA Cup and the UEFA Champions League, enjoying cup runs to the semi finals of both competitions.
Under chairman Peter Ridsdale, Leeds had taken out large loans against the prospect of the share of the TV rights and sponsorship revenues from UEFA Champions League qualification and subsequent progress in the competition. However, Leeds narrowly failed to qualify for the Champions League in two successive seasons, and as a consequence did not receive enough income to repay the loans. The net result was that Leeds best players were sold, O’Leary fell out with Risdale and was sacked who in turn was replaced by Terry Venables who also ended up by being sacked after disagreeing with the Chairman. Ridsdale himself resigned from the Board soon after.
In the 2003-04 season an insolvency specialist, Gerald Krasner, led a consortium of local businessmen which took over Leeds and oversaw the sale of the clubs' assets, including senior and emerging youth players of any value which saw them relegated at the end of the season.
Following relegation to the Championship, Leeds were forced to sell both their training ground and stadium in the autumn of 2004.
The board finally sold the club to Ken Bates for £10 million, who appointed a number of managers until with relegation virtually assured, Leeds entered administration on 4 May 2007, thus incurring a league imposed 10-point deduction which officially relegated the club to the third tier of English football.
The club was put up for sale by KPMG, and again Ken Bates' bid was accepted. The league eventually sanctioned this under the "exceptional circumstances rule" but imposed a 15-point deduction.
Over the next two seasons Leeds reached the playoffs but failed to achieve Promotion.
In the 2009–10 season under Simon Grayson Leeds won their final game of the season to confirm automatic promotion to The Championship, however Grayson was relieved of his duties after failing to challenge for promotion to the Premiership.
On 21 November 2012, Middle East-based private equity group GFH Capital finalised a deal for a protracted takeover of Leeds, gaining 100% shareholding in the club.
On 7 January 2014, Leeds United's Managing Director David Haigh was involved in Sport Capital, a consortium involving the managing director of Leeds United's main sponsors, Enterprise Insurance, Andrew Flowers. Sports Capital came close to completing a transaction with GFH Capital that would have given them a 75% stakehold in the business. However on 30 January, Sport Capital's takeover collapsed due to a lack of "financial backing".
On 31 January 2014 under controversial circumstances a new buyer was found for the club in Massimo Cellino, the president of the Serie A club Cagliari Calcio and his Company Eleonora Sports Ltd. After weeks of speculation regarding the purchase of Leeds United, on 7 February 2014, it was announced that Cellino's family consortium had acquired a 75% ownership of the club subject to Football League Approval. At its meeting on 23 March 2014, the Board of the Football League decided unanimously that Cellino's conviction by an Italian Court meant that he did not meet their Owners and Director's Test, so could not take over Leeds United which he immediately appealed. On 5 April, Cellino was successful in his appeal and the takeover was completed on 10 April with Cellino's company, Eleonora Sport Limited, buying 75 per cent of the clubs shares.
On 19 June 2014, Dave Hockaday was appointed head coach of Leeds on a two-year contract but this only lasted 70 days.
On 23 September 2014, Darko Milanič appointed the new Head Coach of Leeds United but he only lasted 32 days in turn being replaced by Neil Redfern who lasted for the remainder of the season before resuming his position for the 2015/16 season as the Academy Director.
Redfearn was replaced by Uwe Rosler as head coach in the summer of 2015, but Rosler was himself replaced by Steve Evans after only a few months in the role.
On 30 October 2015, Cellino agreed a deal in principle with Leeds Fans Utd to sell a majority stake in the club. When asked to legally commit to an exclusivity period to allow due diligence to commence, he reneged.
On 2 June 2016 Garry Monk was appointed as the new head coach, replacing Steve Evans.
On 4 January 2017, Italian businessman Andrea Radrizzani purchased a 50% stake in the club from Massimo Cellino.
At the close of the 2016/17 season, Leeds narrowly missed out on the Playoffs. Leeds had been in the Playoff positions for the majority of the season before a poor run of form in the final games saw them drop into seventh place.
On 23 May 2017, Radrizzani announced the 100% buyout of Leeds United, buying the remaining 50% shares from previous Co-Owner Massimo Cellino, with Radrizzani taking full ownership of the club. Garry Monk resigned as head coach 2 days after the takeover, after one season at the club guiding them to 7th place.
On 15 June 2017, former Spain international Thomas Christiansen was announced as the new Head Coach of Leeds, replacing Monk after joining from APOEL.
On 28 June 2017, Radrizzani completed the purchase of Elland Road, making the stadium property of Leeds United for the first time since 2004.
Thomas Christiansen was sacked after a bad run of games (not a single win since Boxing Day 2017 across all competitions) leaving the team 10th in the Championship table. On 6 February, Paul Heckingbottom was confirmed as Christiansen’s replacement, just four days after signing a new contract at Barnsley.
On 24 May 2018, Leeds announced that 49ers Enterprises had bought shares in the club to become a minority investor, the 49ers Enterprises is the business arm of the NFL side San Francisco 49ers owned by Denise DeBartolo York, Jed York and John York.
Heckingbottom was sacked by Leeds on 1 June 2018 after being at the club for just four months. Argentine manager Marcelo Bielsa was named the clubs new Head Coach on 15 June and In doing so he became the highest paid manager in Leeds United history.
The Manager – Marcelo Bielsa
Form Guide
Ipswich Last 5 Matches – Currently in 24th place with 28 points
10 Apr Brentford 2 - 0 Ipswich Town
13 Apr Ipswich Town 1 - 1 Birmingham City
19 Apr Preston 4 - 0 Ipswich Town
22 Apr Ipswich Town 0 - 1 Swansea City
27 Apr Sheffield Utd 2 - 0 Ipswich Town
Leeds United Last 5 Matches – Currently in 3rd place with 83 points
9 Apr Preston 0 - 2 Leeds Utd
13 Apr Leeds Utd 1 - 0 Sheffield Wed
19 Apr Leeds Utd 1 - 2 Wigan Athletic
22 Apr Brentford 2 - 0 Leeds Utd
28 Apr Leeds Utd 1 - 1 Aston Villa
Marko's Caption Contest - THE DON CUP
Tremendous outpouring of love towards the Ipswich Town FC owner there. Beautiful work.
Last caption of the season. Its a close running thing between the top two. Nicscreamer can obviously still win it with a couple decent efforts and both Ando & Derick getting run over by a car and slipping into a coma respectively. It’s been a great season of captions, some hilarious at times.
One more though and then it’s trophy engraved, then we all feck off on holiday!!
SHEFF UTD SCORES:
DerickIpsw (unsold ST’s) & Tangfastic (Sears) 5pts
Nicscreamer (Thai) & Tangfastic (11,999) 4pts
Ando (sheepshanks), Ashfordblue (hooky) & Number 9 (school hols) 3pts
Ando (mirrors), DerickIpsw (Minnie me) & Frosty 2pts.
LEAGUE TABLE
ANDO 107
DERICKIPSW 105
NICSCREAMER 99
FROSTY 78
TANGFASTIC 78
BLUEMIKE 71
AYLESBURYBLUE 64
BLUEBLOOD 56
NUMBER 9 53
IPSWICHTOWNNO1 39
WATERSHIP DOWN 26
BLUEPETER 23
KERRY BLUE 15
JOHNNYB 15
BLUE WILF 14
PATTHEGIMP 12
SHED ON TOUR 11
TODD66 6
MASSEYFERGUSON 6
BARMY BILLY 6
ASHFORDBLUE 5
QUASAR 4
CHARNWOOD 2
MARVINBAY1973 2
GOLDANDBLACK 1
KL BLUE 1
OHIOTRACTORBOY 1
Final caption picture
Conversation between these two perhaps?
Match Referee – Gavin Ward
IPSWICH TOWN 1 LEEDS UNITED 2