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Ipswich Town v Plymouth Argyle



Saturday 13th March 2021 – 15:00


Portman Road








Pre-Match Thoughts - Mike



A Point Gained But Uncomfortable To watch........


That is how I saw Tuesday evenings home draw with the mighty Lincoln City, given their very impressive record on the road, and given how mediocre we were for much of the game, especially the first half, I think a point was very much a point gained and just about kept us in the hunt for the coveted top Six. I say uncomfortable to watch because once again we huffed and puffed our way through a game without ever really testing their keeper, we had bucket loads of possession but even when we were in possession of the ball I couldn't help but think that the way they defended and kept their shape they were letting us play it around harmlessly in the knowledge that they were in no danger at all, in a sense even without the ball they were playing with us, that is how it felt to me.

The fact we somehow mustered an equaliser should be applauded though as we kept at it despite looking second best for much of the first Hour, I was quite pleased with the gaffers triple substitution which definitely seemed to turn the game a bit in our favour, all too often we have bemoaned our lack of a plan B under previous managers and while it was hardly a different plan it did mix it up a bit when change was needed so well done Paul Cook for that.

Some among us have stated they see this season as a free hit for Cook and co while some say this is a golden opportunity to get us into the play offs, I'm trying to work out which category I fall into, given that we are a mere Two points off the top Six I think I err towards the latter, I am not sure it can be looked upon as a free hit when we are so close to where we all want to finish, I do however wish Cook had a fair bit more time to work with the players and influence things a bit more than he is able to do but with Two games a week that is not possible so in a sense he is experimenting within games and that is clearly a risk that can go either way.

This mad mad league continues to throw up strange results, this time it was the turn of Portsmouth and Peterborough to come unstuck, admittedly bot were playing promotion chasing opposition but Pompey are on a really bad run right now and currently look in danger of imploding which would be good for us, Doncaster also got turned over at Crewe while Accrington were thrashed at Bristol Rovers, taking all that into a count I think I will take a point against one of the top sides.

The point we picked up against the Imps will only be worth anything if we do the business at home to Plymouth Argyle, anything less than the win will render our efforts worthless, having won down at Home Park earlier in the season we know we have enough about us to get the win, add to that their current form which can only be described as dire and we really have to be looking at taking the points here, Tuesday saw the Pilgrims humbled 0-2 at home to struggling Wigan Athletic making it One win in Six, incredibly that win was a 4-3 victory against Lincoln !!! Bizarre league or what.

We saw a little improvement against Lincoln after the Gillingham fiasco and I think we will see more strides being made this time around too, Cook will have a couple more days to work on things and evaluate his pool of players and whoever he decides to start with I can see us getting a win, maybe even by the relative luxury of a couple of goals margin, with Portsmouth involved in the final of the EFL cup a win should certainly be good enough to see us back in the top Six at last. Home win for me. COYB'S



The Opposition – Plymouth Argyle







The club was founded in 1886 as Argyle Football Club, the first match taking place on 16 October 1886.


Much speculation surrounds the origin of the name Argyle. One explanation is that the club was named after the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders, an army regiment with a strong football side of its own. Another theory is given by the local geography–suggesting the name comes either from the nearby public house, The Argyle Tavern, where the founder members may have met, or from a local street Argyle Terrace. The club adopted its current name when it became fully professional in 1903.


The club was disbanded 1894, before being resurrected in 1897 as one part of a general sports club, the Argyle Athletic Club. The club joined the Southern League, effectively the English 3rd tier, in 1903 becoming professional in the process. Argyle won the Southern League in 1912–13, then in 1920–21 entered the Football League Third Division as a founder member, along with most of the Southern League, where they finished 11th in their first season.


Between 1921–22 and 1926–27, Argyle finished second in the new Third Division South six seasons in a row, thereby missing promotion. Argyle eventually won promotion to Football League Division Two in 1929–30, when they topped the Third Division South, with attendances that season regularly reaching 20,000. Manager Bob Jack resigned in 1937, having spent a grand total of 27 years in charge of the Pilgrims.


Argyle's 20-year stay in Division Two came to an end in 1949–50 after finishing 21st – two points short of survival. They were back in Division Two before long, after winning the Third Division South in 1951–52.


The closest they ever came to playing in the Football League First Division (top tier) was in 1952–53, when they reached fourth place in the Football League Second Division, their highest finish to date. They were relegated again in 1955–56, just 3 points behind Notts County. The Pilgrim's reputation as a 'yo-yo club' continued after they won Division Three – by then a national league – in 1958–59. Argyle returned to Division Three after relegation in 1967–68.


After spending six years in Division Three, Argyle finally returned to Division Two in 1974–75, but they were back down again in 1976–77.


Since then, the team has wavered between the 2nd and 3rd tier, before being double relegated in 2010–11. That was directly due to the club having been declared insolvent, following which they were deducted the 10 points they needed for survival. The club returned to the 3rd tier after finishing second in 2016–17.


On 14 August 2018, it was announced that shareholder Simon Hallett had purchased part of James Brent's stake in the club, and had become the new majority shareholder and owner, and that former director, David Felwick, would return to the club as chairman when Brent stepped down on 31 October 2018. However, on 10 October 2018, it was reported that David Felwick was unable to take over as chairman, citing personal reasons, so on 1 November 2018, Hallett became both majority owner and chair of Plymouth Argyle.


On 5 June 2019, Ryan Lowe was announced as manager of Plymouth Argyle, guiding them to a third-place finish and an immediate return to League One in a season interrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom.




The Manager – Ryan Lowe








Form Guide




Ipswich Last 5 Matches – Currently in 7th place with 51 points





23 Feb Hull City 0 - 1 Ipswich Town


27 Feb Ipswich Town 2 - 1 Doncaster


02 Mar Accrington 1-2 Ipswich Town


06 Mar Gillingham 3-1 Ipswich Town


09 Mar Ipswich Town 1-1 Lincoln City






Plymouth Argyle Last 5 Matches – Currently in 15th place with 45 points





23 Feb Plymouth 0 - 3 Peterborough


27 Feb Plymouth 4 - 3 Lincoln City


2 Mar Northampton 2 - 0 Plymouth


6 Mar Doncaster 2 - 1 Plymouth


9 Mar Plymouth 0 - 2 Wigan Athletic







Match Referee – Sam Purkiss








IPSWICH TOWN 2 PLYMOUTH ARGYLE 1

I expect this to be the first game where we begin to see the influence of Cook on the team. Confident of a win here and increasingly confident we will make the playoffs.

2-0 Norwood and Parrott ( finally)

If we don’t win this one, you can forget the play offs!

Good preview and regarding the crazy league, think it just means whoever's going up are doing a Wycombe and coming back down. So what's the point? Hopefully make the play-offs for some excitement, but other than that,........ It's a waiting game for the new regime.

Someone voted Plymouth win? Normally that'd be surprising...... But after Gills & Lincs it's definitely feasible.
Voted draw. Maybe 0-0 . Norwood certainly won't score. He'll be in the away end asking about the Ginsters signs. "Where are the pasties, damn it?!"


Ref caption:

Player: "I never done anything!"
Ref: "Looks like you've "done" something, pal. Get Off."

This team have been shipping goals for fun recently so if we can't score against this lot forget it.

It's been reported that the Plymouth boss is mulling over a change of system in an attempt to score more goals.

It would be just typical for them to start against us and for it to come off.

I'm not expecting us to score more than one, and I'm not sure that will be enough.

I think Jackson will be in the team Saturday, and Parrott so the potential for us to score more goals is there. But I did laugh when I read your post Gary, as yes that exactly Towns “ luck” isn’t it re Plymouth’s change of formation to secure more goals.

Surely we must win this one.

ITFC 3 Plymouth 0

I think it’s a dangerous strategy to sun to score more goals when you are letting in so many. I would have thought their priority would be to tighten their defence.

3-0 victory for us, no trouble

Andy, your accounts been hacked

Voted for us to win it. Merely it's about remaining upbeat and holding on to positives. The head says otherwise in that whatever score comes from this the team is simply too inconsistent to feasibly challenge whatever is left of the season. Been let down too many times when expected the players to do something. Cook as before it's only two or three games into his tenure, it's totally inapproprate to jump on his as* this soon into the job but there will be unrest in some areas should the team drop points here or in fact allow the opposition three points altogether.

Ipswich Town 2 Plymouth 0

Bluemike wrote: ↑

Thu Mar 11, 2021 6:31 pm

Andy, your accounts been hacked

No, I'm always optimistic.

Seriously, just have a good feeling about this one. It's the feeling I usually get 10 minutes before kick off, and often lasts for at least 11 minutes.

Andym wrote: ↑

Thu Mar 11, 2021 11:21 pm

Bluemike wrote: ↑

Thu Mar 11, 2021 6:31 pm

Andy, your accounts been hacked

No, I'm always optimistic.

Seriously, just have a good feeling about this one. It's the feeling I usually get 10 minutes before kick off, and often lasts for at least 11 minutes.

Reply of the week Andy!

Andym wrote: ↑

Thu Mar 11, 2021 11:21 pm

Bluemike wrote: ↑

Thu Mar 11, 2021 6:31 pm

Andy, your accounts been hacked

No, I'm always optimistic.

Seriously, just have a good feeling about this one. It's the feeling I usually get 10 minutes before kick off, and often lasts for at least 11 minutes.

Bluemike wrote: ↑

Thu Mar 11, 2021 6:31 pm

Andy, your accounts been hacked

Andym wrote: ↑

Thu Mar 11, 2021 5:21 pm

I think it’s a dangerous strategy to sun to score more goals when you are letting in so many. I would have thought their priority would be to tighten their defence.

3-0 victory for us, no trouble

it worked for Joe Royle though

I think we’ll win this with the only goal of the match, possibly 2-0 if the first goal comes early. Plymouth have conceded 2 or more goals in their last five games so it shouldn’t be too difficult to score, however rather bizarrely when they recently conceded 3 against high flying Lincoln they went on to win 4-3. Let’s hope they don’t find their shooting boots tomorrow.

rossi wrote: ↑

Fri Mar 12, 2021 1:30 pm

Andym wrote: ↑

Thu Mar 11, 2021 5:21 pm

I think it’s a dangerous strategy to sun to score more goals when you are letting in so many. I would have thought their priority would be to tighten their defence.

3-0 victory for us, no trouble

it worked for Joe Royle though

True. And I do believe the way of of this league is to attack. But if a team is shipping goals, I still think I'd try to tighten that up before trying to score more than conceding - because presumably the attempt to score more will make them even more vulnerable at the back.

Think we’ll see organisation and desire but we’ll make hard work of it.

Town 1 Pilgrims 0

Two up front please & no passing about in our goal area,inviting pressure.Dont think this is going to be easy,they put 4 against Lincoln.

I think we will win 2-0 and after looking at the remaining fixtures we will have no excuses for not finishing in the top six.

Magicmark wrote: ↑

Sat Mar 13, 2021 12:01 pm

.....they put 4 against Lincoln.

It’s the bookmakers wing of the illuminati, Magic! Crazy league, my arse!
Just watch....., either Northampton will win today at Doncaster , or Rochdale will win at Lincoln. Illuminati coupon bursters!

Kerry Blue wrote: ↑

Sat Mar 13, 2021 1:08 pm

.....we will have no excuses for not finishing in the top six.

And over to David Bowie & Queen....... what you saying to it guys?

— — P R E S S U R E !! — —

Kerry Blue wrote: ↑

Sat Mar 13, 2021 1:08 pm

I think we will win 2-0 and after looking at the remaining fixtures we will have no excuses for not finishing in the top six.

Remember this is ITFC we are talking about.
After today we have 4 home games remaining and 9 away. Even though a lot of those teams are below us we all know come the business end of the season games against sides fighting relegation can often be difficult and potential banana skins.

So pleased to see Jackson up front instead of Norwood

Just seen the lineup - Judge playing and Skuse on the bench - nightmare. Really struggling to see where the goals are going to come from today

I guess we have yet another injury as Norwood is not in the 18

Kerry, I waited till 5 past.

Town: Holy, Chambers (C), Nsiala, Wilson, Kenlock, Downes, Dozzell, Edwards, Judge, Parrott, Jackson.

Subs: Cornell, Ward, Skuse, Lankester, Bishop, Bennetts, Drinan.

Come on Judgey..... I believe in you!

And Skusey, too. Rossi re-planning his afternoon.

Kerry Blue wrote: ↑

Sat Mar 13, 2021 3:07 pm

I guess we have yet another injury as Norwood is not in the 18

You did beat me