Championship - Rotherham United vs Ipswich Town Preview & Matchday Thread

[ipswichtownNo1]

Bloody hell, so much negativity. Not posted for ages on here but really? We're doing fantastically well and there are 22 teams who are not as good as town at this moment in time. 8 points above third and 12 above 6th.
Calm down and give ya heads a wobble

[Denny61]

When poor teams are playing Against us ..they seem to raise their game.200 per cent as if life depends on it .or they know from start we will batter them. If they play football
So.a pint is like goal dust..so they play hold up ball .Hoofball or hide the ball..we could not win with those tactics..il take a pint ..jst batter Swansea on Saturday and maybe just maybe. Leeds and foxes drop points..

[Bluemike]

I agree, but tonight was poor, that said perspective is needed, one defeat in 37 matches is insane.

[number 9]

I don’t think it’s negativity at all. It’s constructive criticism because we all want Town to be promoted. I’m tired of accepting ‘Almost’. Been a supporter for 50 years! I will always want us to be better!

[Charnwood]

If that was a Premier League game we’d have had two penalties for sure and probably have scored both and walked away comfortable 2-4 winners and everyone would have been happy. Don’t just blame the players, the referee cost us that game not just the boys on the pitch who in my opinion did everything they could apart from score a third goal.

We also need to concentrate more early on and try to avoid going behind early forcing us to chase the game.

[hallamblue]

I have a question for you. What players on our squad would you consider Premier League quality?

Davis
Axel
Williams (not ours)
Omari (not ours)
Morsy maybe
Broadhead

Struggling after that though

[hallamblue]

If that was a Premier League game we’d have had two penalties for sure …… the referee cost us that game not just the boys on the pitch who in my opinion did everything they could apart from score a third goal.

We also need to concentrate more early on and try to avoid going behind early forcing us to chase the game.

100% agree.

In the cold light of day I’ll take that away point

[Charnwood]

Just remember guys, Rotherham have only lost two home games so far this season, the same as Leicester City !

[hallamblue]

If you look at the history of ITFC, draws have consistently been our achilles heel. I think we’ll comfortably beat Swansea, but the caution lights are flashing. I’m sure MA/KM are absorbing the current run of performances. They both know what we need, and at this point I feel our future is in good hands.

Nick a point away from home, and win your home games, that’s promotion form.

[Charnwood]

I have a question for you. What players on our squad would you consider Premier League quality?

Davis
Axel
Williams (not ours)
Omari (not ours)
Morsy maybe
Broadhead

Struggling after that though

I thought Axel Tuanzebe was on loan from Manchester United too ?

[Andym]

Broadhead was ill. I wonder if some of those playing weren’t 100% healthy.

[number 9]

We’re not gonna get a quality defender in the January transfer window. Think we need an aggressive defensive midfielder. Who may that be?

[Steve]

I have a question for you. What players on our squad would you consider Premier League quality?

Davis
Axel
Williams (not ours)
Omari (not ours)
Morsy maybe
Broadhead

Struggling after that though

I thought Axel Tuanzebe was on loan from Manchester United too ?

No, I'm sure Axel singed for the season with an option for another season. He has the talent, just need to prove his fitness over the season

[Bluemike]

I know some are not going to like this because he does a lot of work but I'm really not impressed with Hirst at times, we need a another, better striker.

[Frosty]

I know some are not going to like this because he does a lot of work but I'm really not impressed with Hirst at times, we need a another, better striker.

Yeah perhaps, but I vaguely remember being a bit under-whelmed with Daryl Murphy in those first few seasons he came on loan, from memory he scored bugger all, and then all of a sudden he became our talisman, so maybe Hirst will equally grow into the role.

[marko69]

I know some are not going to like this because he does a lot of work but I'm really not impressed with Hirst at times, we need a another, better striker.

Yeah perhaps, but I vaguely remember being a bit under-whelmed with Daryl Murphy in those first few seasons he came on loan, from memory he scored bugger all, and then all of a sudden he became our talisman, so maybe Hirst will equally grow into the role.

Unlike Chopra, who grew as he ate more rolls.

[rossi]

This really is poor, can see us losing this

Have not seen any recent games other than highlights. What's the general consensus about why we've gone off the boil?
Promotion confidence wearing off? Other teams sussed us out? Fatigue?

Just interested to know.

None of those reasons as far as I'm concerned. More a case of certain players thinking they just have to turn up to get 3 points. No hunger.

OK - we've had a brilliant start to the season and still have lost only once. But we have not won in the last 3 games, and last night we looked poor at best. Chaplin, Harness, and Jackson all very poor last night IMHO, and probably the reason we failed to create much.

[hallamblue]

Davis
Axel
Williams (not ours)
Omari (not ours)
Morsy maybe
Broadhead

Struggling after that though

I thought Axel Tuanzebe was on loan from Manchester United too ?

No, I'm sure Axel singed for the season with an option for another season. He has the talent, just need to prove his fitness over the season

Yes he’s definitely our player. 1yr contract I presume to prove fitness first.

[number 9]

KM's comments:

We want to get as many points as we can this season and a point away from home on a Tuesday night after a tough away game on a Saturday, especially having conceded in the first couple of minutes, is a point that you can certainly find lots of positives in.

But for me, it’s more about the performance. We’ve come away from home in difficult circumstances, had 70 per cent of the ball, created better chances than the opposition, dominated and controlled large chunks of the game. Do that enough times and you give yourself a great chance to pick up points.

[Bluemike]

It's probably the first time I've disagreed with his summing up, we weren't great all game. We are however still in a very good position and crucially we have Three of the next Four at home, Swansea, Millwall and Coventry are definitely all beatable, then there's a tricky away tie at WBA thrown in for good measure. 9 points would be more than acceptable for me from that cluster of games.

[arana peligrosa]

Don't know what formation the opposition usually deploy for their games but they seemed to copy us last night, put out the same squad formation and took a result from it. Kind of like 'what works for us, we'll give it a go' sort of thing. Took in some since highlights available and reaction to ascertain relevant details.

Think another poster put it best by suggesting we're still in a very good position to challenge and no immediate cause for concern. Three games without victory is disappointng but we were like seconds away from winning last night and they were always likley to raise their game for our visit. Think we've had problems against them in the past with poor scores and not winning. Just one of those club names that prove problematic.

The Taylor goal was something of a mess, morsy by opposite was something to behold. Only saw one penalty appeal not given, sure there may have been many others but hard to castigate the ref without proper evidence. If he had a poor game or were inefficient, it's a shame but nothing new.

Seems we had plenty of possession but failed to make the most of it. This isn't the first occasion for it and won't be the last. Those that were there, viewed the game and got all the facts and information can reply better and provide correct insight but only to add we took a point from it, in all truth it should or could have been three but these things happen. It's frustrating not to mention disappointing but we'll be back, learn lessons from the event and attempt to improve for next time. A home game with Swans should reap three points next up, we've been not ourselves just recent but kind of confident we can rectify matters for that particular contest.

[number 9]

Just watched the highlights. Obviously those who attended the match will have a more accurate opinion than me, but I don't think we looked too bad. For me Davis was at fault for their first goal, not Tuanzebe. Davis got out muscled and lost the ball in a dangerous situation with tons of space for them to take advantage of. It looked like Tuanzebe was concerned about deflecting an own goal, so he held back hoping the ball would run through.

Morsy's goal was class, and Taylor did well to wrestle the ball in the net. Their second goal was as sublime as Morsy's, so there wasn't much we could have done to avoid that.

Agree we should have gotten a few penalties, but it did look like we were creating a lot of chances. Chaplin didn't have his shooting boots on, and he skyed a few shots when he usually gets them on target.

I'm confident we'll get the win against Swansea.

[Bluemike]

Tuanzebe played the poor pass to Davis, then failed to cut out the cross, deffo his fault for me.

[hallamblue]

His pass to Davis was directly to the player. It had a bit more pace on it than Davis was expecting but Davis didn’t control it at all and could have put it out when challenged.

He lost possession with the team committed up field for the second phase of play out of defence. The passage onto our goal was open, free and unchallenged.

I was disappointed with how Axel defended in the box (he looked to the wrong side of his man but he’s right sided at CB , not sure where Burgess was ?!) .

It was poor play from Davis and it left us vulnerable in the box ….

Axel will need a few games to get up to speed.
Anyone recall Williams and Davis’ first full games for us? How have they turned out!

[Charnwood]

Tuanzebe played the poor pass to Davis, then failed to cut out the cross, deffo his fault for me.

In my opinion their player shouldn’t have even got his cross in, as best I recall there were three of our players around him when delivered his cross. Also if Davis couldn’t control the cross he could have let it go out for a throw in to allow us to regroup. I just don’t think it was all Tuanzebe’s fault.

[Bluemike]

Davis had to back track to the point he was standing on the side line trying to keep it in play which is instinct, two Rotherham players were in close enough proximity to him to close him down quickly, with hindsight he would have been better to let it go out, but for me he was played into trouble due to a bad pass and then failing to cut out the cross wasn't great either, but as I say Axel played ok after that first few mins

[hallamblue]

What was bad about the pass? From memory it went straight to him snd he tried to control it with his chest , but the pace of the ball was harder . He dealt with it poorly. But the pace although hard was straight at him from memory. His poor control allowed two players to pressure him. We were 4 mins into the fans and they were hunting in packs and closing down any Town player very aggressively (just like Brum did). We’re not dealing with the early hard press. Teams are doing this more snd more each game and we’re not dealing with it are we.

[Charnwood]

What was bad about the pass? From memory it went straight to him snd he tried to control it with his chest , but the pace of the ball was harder . He dealt with it poorly. But the pace although hard was straight at him from memory. His poor control allowed two players to pressure him. We were 4 mins into the fans and they were hunting in packs and closing down any Town player very aggressively (just like Brum did). We’re not dealing with the early hard press. Teams are doing this more snd more each game and we’re not dealing with it are we.

The pass was way to long/high and with too much power, but that comes after too long a lay off from competitive game time. From what I saw last night was enough to know that just line Brandon Williams he will soon be a regular starter replacing either Woolfie or Burgess as long as he stays fit.

[number 9]

We can debate that Tuanzebe pass all day long. What it comes down to is better defending and better finishing. I’m confident KM has alluded to this in his post match brief. I completely expect us to beat Swansea, but if we don’t I’ll be concerned.

[Bluemike]

What was bad about the pass? From memory it went straight to him snd he tried to control it with his chest , but the pace of the ball was harder . He dealt with it poorly. But the pace although hard was straight at him from memory. His poor control allowed two players to pressure him. We were 4 mins into the fans and they were hunting in packs and closing down any Town player very aggressively (just like Brum did). We’re not dealing with the early hard press. Teams are doing this more snd more each game and we’re not dealing with it are we.

The pass was way to long/high and with too much power, but that comes after too long a lay off from competitive game time. From what I saw last night was enough to know that just line Brandon Williams he will soon be a regular starter replacing either Woolfie or Burgess as long as he stays fit.

That's exactly it and all I'm saying, without that pass we don't concede but as I've repeatedly said, aside from that he did ok.

So Andy, who are you expecting to play at CB against Swansea? I think Axel came in because of Rotherham 's style and how they play, I would not be at all surprised to see Burgess and Woolfenden paired up again Saturday.