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One of the downsides of not playing over the International break is giving the competition an opportunity to bag points which is exactly what Wycombe Wanderers have done today. Whilst I’m pleased to see us with two games in hand I’d prefer to have played the same number of games and have the points in the bag. If the season carries in like this the Competition for a play off place is going to be a real bun fight making it even more important to achieve on of the automatic promotion places.


League One Table

Pos Team P GD Pts

1 Wycombe 17 13 36
2 Ipswich T 15 15 33
.....
3 Coventry 17 3 29
4 Peterbro 17 16 28
5 Blackpool 17 5 28
6 Rotherham 16 12 27
.....
7 Oxford Utd 16 14 26
8 Fleetwood 15 8 26
9 Sunderland 15 6 25
10 Bristol Rvs 16 0 25

Yeah, it's crazy and scary... lose a few games and could head down the league quite fast.

Town are 6/4 favourites to win the league, which flatters us a lot I think, but the crazy thing is the next 6 teams are all between 7/1 and 9/1. Mad tight. Beyond them the next 5 have an outside chance, that's 12 teams still in it at least, all with at worst 3/1 odds to finish in the top 6...

I would hardly describe 4 points ahead of third with two games in hand at this stage of the season as tight. It’s more than we could ever have expected.

Long way to go but we are in a strong position and hopefully the squad will start to show it’s worth from Xmas onwards.

That's how I see it Ando.

When we’re sitting comfortably in 2nd place four points clear of 3rd place and it’s either Christmas or New Years Day I’ll feel as comfortable as you guys.

Ando wrote: ↑

Sun Nov 17, 2019 10:16 pm

I would hardly describe 4 points ahead of third with two games in hand at this stage of the season as tight. It’s more than we could ever have expected.

Long way to go but we are in a strong position and hopefully the squad will start to show it’s worth from Xmas onwards.

Whilst I hope you’re right Ando, over the years I’ve learned that games in hand count for nothing until the games are won and the points are in the bag.

We haven't dominated most of the games we've played, so I'm with Charny on this one. However, I don't get to see live matches like Bluemike and Ando...so if you guys are confident I'm fine with that too.

To be honest No9 its not even about seeing games for me, I think the very fact we are pretty much top of the table and in pole position while playing as we have should be instilling confidence in people, I don't get the concern that we are not "completely dominating games " so what ? As PL alluded to a couple of weeks back its never going to happen, we are Ipswich not Barcelona. I very much buy into the theory that we have another gear and while I accept ww haven't found it yet again so what? 15 games in and we've lost Two, as Ando said the position we are in is beyond what everyone expected pre season.

I also don't get overly concerned about the "free weekends" again we are top by going down this route and hopefully the benefit of this to the players will show later on down the line when others may be flagging, playing a weak side and losing at Luton certainly didnt have an adverse effect on results either so the apathy towards the Lincoln cup tie is something else that doesn't bother me even if it does disappoint me a little. I think we are in safe hands, Lambert knows exactly what he is doing and he won't waiver, there will be bumps in the road remember, it's about not panicking when we hit one.

Not really expecting to dominate teams so to speak, everyone knew this division was going to a challenge before we even entered. Say again the team is in a position that not many could have envisaged back in the summer, there was talk we could fall through into League Two by some sections but in hearts of hearts I realized that wasn't going to happen.

It's all about momentum. Can't abide those bullshit international breaks as with others, that prove a damn nuisance whenever they arise but with that distraction out the picture for some time ahead the club can focus on a proper objective and get themselves back into the second league. As with most scenarios in life being in #1 position will see others want to take your place but the team has come on leaps and bounds since McCarthy's departure and in the meantime assembled a far more capable squad. Real test will be the end of year games and Easter. Usually when results fizzle out and you obtain a clear indication of where you're likely to be at by season's end.

Charnwood wrote: ↑

Sun Nov 17, 2019 4:08 pm

One of the downsides of not playing over the International break is giving the competition an opportunity to bag points which is exactly what Wycombe Wanderers have done today. Whilst I’m pleased to see us with two games in hand I’d prefer to have played the same number of games and have the points in the bag. If the season carries in like this the Competition for a play off place is going to be a real bun fight making it even more important to achieve on of the automatic promotion places.


League One Table

Pos Team P GD Pts

1 Wycombe 17 13 36
2 Ipswich T 15 15 33
.....
3 Coventry 17 3 29
4 Peterbro 17 16 28
5 Blackpool 17 5 28
6 Rotherham 16 12 27
.....
7 Oxford Utd 16 14 26
8 Fleetwood 15 8 26
9 Sunderland 15 6 25
10 Bristol Rvs 16 0 25

But if we win those two games in hand we’d be 10points clear of 3rd with a better goal difference. I think we must win those games though because toward the end of the season we have more home games than away games , and the league table clearly demonstrates we are better away from home than at home.

I seriously don't see this home to away lark.

We have played 9 games away compared to ONLY 6 at home

Won 3, drawn 2 and lost 1 at home. Possibly for me our best performance was against Sunderland at home and should of won. Okay we can all say should of but didn't, that's fine but were damn lucky against Peterborough away where we drew and should of lost, so lets say should of but didn't there also.

Away from home played 9 won 7, drawn 1, lost 1. Yes great record but and yes its buts of course, but if we win our 3 home games to make up away games wouldn't look so bad then.

Just saying it possibly isn't as bad as it looks

Don’t you think it makes things more interesting that it is tight? Prior to those losses we were a bit smug and thinking this was a bit easy.

Don’t get me wrong - I’d love us to win all those ‘big’ games and go 6 - 10 points ahead of the pack, but I don’t think we will and at least it makes things interesting. Years of settling for mediocrity in the Championship it got stale. At least we’re in a position where we’re still in November and looking at six-pointers and they’re important games to cement our position at the top.
If we want to make things less tight then it’s up to us add a gear and beat our promotion rivals. We have a ‘fresh as a daisy’ squad - so no excuses.

I dunno, I think I’d love to see us 10 points in the clear. We really need to get promotion this year because I don’t think there will be the same fan support if we fail. I would have accepted a delay in promotion, but not now after the start we’ve had. It would be like throwing it all away. I think many fans probably feel the same. Look at the lack of posters on the forum now; there’s only half a dozen or so who even bother anymore. Sorry, I don’t mean to sound negative. We are still second, but FFS Ipswich Town FC...get promoted! I still want to see us in the Prem one day...before I die!

number 9 wrote: ↑

Tue Nov 19, 2019 5:41 pm

I dunno, I think I’d love to see us 10 points in the clear. We really need to get promotion this year because I don’t think there will be the same fan support if we fail. I would have accepted a delay in promotion, but not now after the start we’ve had. It would be like throwing it all away. I think many fans probably feel the same. Look at the lack of posters on the forum now; there’s only half a dozen or so who even bother anymore. Sorry, I don’t mean to sound negative. We are still second, but FFS Ipswich Town FC...get promoted! I still want to see us in the Prem one day...before I die!

Hope you’re younger than me then No9, but I guess the plus side of that is that I watched pretty much every home game we’ve ever played in the Premiership so far and many away games too.

I just hope your wish comes true, the sooner the better as far as I’m concerned.

tangfastic wrote: ↑

Tue Nov 19, 2019 5:25 pm

Don’t you think it makes things more interesting that it is tight? Prior to those losses we were a bit smug and thinking this was a bit easy.

Don’t get me wrong - I’d love us to win all those ‘big’ games and go 6 - 10 points ahead of the pack, but I don’t think we will and at least it makes things interesting. Years of settling for mediocrity in the Championship it got stale. At least we’re in a position where we’re still in November and looking at six-pointers and they’re important games to cement our position at the top.
If we want to make things less tight then it’s up to us add a gear and beat our promotion rivals. We have a ‘fresh as a daisy’ squad - so no excuses.

The first team might fresh as a daisy physically, not having played the number of games, but mentally I’d say we potentially could be off the mark in these crucial games coming up. I hope I’m proved wrong, but Ive seen us so many times “ not turn up” when we’ve had a break from games or we’ve had the “ big match” to put some space between us and our rivals. Tuesday night vs Wycombe IMHO could be a pivotal game in the season even before the half way stage 8n the season. Win that and we could really start open up a gap. Are the players up to it mentally I wonder? I hope we are.

Well Lambo thinks its "total sh*te"
Fab post game interview.

hallamblue wrote: ↑

Wed Nov 20, 2019 11:47 pm

tangfastic wrote: ↑

Tue Nov 19, 2019 5:25 pm

Don’t you think it makes things more interesting that it is tight? Prior to those losses we were a bit smug and thinking this was a bit easy.

Don’t get me wrong - I’d love us to win all those ‘big’ games and go 6 - 10 points ahead of the pack, but I don’t think we will and at least it makes things interesting. Years of settling for mediocrity in the Championship it got stale. At least we’re in a position where we’re still in November and looking at six-pointers and they’re important games to cement our position at the top.
If we want to make things less tight then it’s up to us add a gear and beat our promotion rivals. We have a ‘fresh as a daisy’ squad - so no excuses.

The first team might fresh as a daisy physically, not having played the number of games, but mentally I’d say we potentially could be off the mark in these crucial games coming up. I hope I’m proved wrong, but Ive seen us so many times “ not turn up” when we’ve had a break from games or we’ve had the “ big match” to put some space between us and our rivals. Tuesday night vs Wycombe IMHO could be a pivotal game in the season even before the half way stage 8n the season. Win that and we could really start open up a gap. Are the players up to it mentally I wonder? I hope we are.

These players being held back should be chomping at the bit to play against Blackpool and Wycombe. If they’re not up for it then it casts doubts on the policy of enforced breaks and weakened teams. We hear a lot about weariness from Sat-Tues-Sat games, but we also hear a lot about lack of match-sharpness and keeping momentum. A bit of a balancing act and the next couple games should show us if it’s the right decision.
It looks like Lambert has targeted the Blackpool and Wycombe games for obvious reasons and I would expect the players to be up for it. I think they’ll be a decent atmosphere on Saturday with an air of expectation and maybe a bit of concern that many players haven’t been involved for a few weeks.