Championship - Middlesbrough vs Ipswich Town Preview & Matchday Thread

[Frosty]

Middlesbrough v Ipswich Town




Saturday 9th December 2023 – 15:00


Riverside Stadium










Pre Match Thoughts - Mike



The Two "winnable" home games have come and gone and as hoped Town duly obliged in both to pick up the wins and most importantly Six more invaluable points, with each passing week I keep reading how Town will fall away and yet here we are approaching the half way stage and still showing no signs of going anywhere.

Saturday's victory over a difficult Coventry City side was very similar to the win against Millwall just Three days earlier in as much as we got off to a fantastic start and nabbed another early goal, from there we proceeded to take the game to the Sky Blues with a few chances coming our way but on this occasion it took an absolutely world class stunner from Wes Burns to give us that crucial Two goal cushion that our play deserved. Of all the other chances which we created it was Nathan Broadhead's chance when through One on One with the keeper that should really have had the game tied up by the break again, normally you would expect him to score but not on this occasion, sometimes thees things can come back to haunt you.

Again as with the Millwall game the second half was not anywhere near so dominant from Town's perspective and the changes Coventry made at the break certainly gave them more impetus as Town. by their own admission tried to play the containing game to a degree. The introduction of Three decent players in Matt Godden, Sakamoto & Joel Latibeaudiere definitely swung the game in Coventry's favour for a period of the second half and their pressure finally told when Harry Clarke fouled a Coventry player in the box, thankfully the aforementioned Godden crashed it off the bar and away to safety, it kinda had the feeling that this once again was going to be Town's day and so it proved but not before we were robbed of that elusive clean sheet with the last kick of the game, Lard arse Ellis Simms somehow being allowed to throw himself into the back of Brandon Williams causing the Full Back to head into his own net, thankfully it mattered not as Town picked up another deserved win against a tough opponent.

Town's Two biggest rivals in the race for automatic promotion, Leicester City & Leeds Utd both also did the business so it is as you were at the top, Southampton also won to cement Fourth spot and these Four definitely look to be the ones to battle it out for the Two top spots. With Town now a massive Seventeen points clear of Blackburn Rovers it is impossible to believe that a play off spot at the very least cannot be attained but as we know everyone at the club will keep their feet very much firmly on the ground and take it One game at a time, that mentality has served us so well thus far so no need to approach it any differently, I can however predict with One Hundred percent certainty, we will not be going down.

The One negative to come from the game was the booking picked up by Massimo Luongo who reaches Five yellows and now misses the trip to Middlesbrough next weekend, even more annoying is the fact that it was the last day where the Five yellow Cards rule applies !!! Having said that with games coming thick and fast changes to the team are inevitable so Mass may well have sat out One anyway so let's treat this One as it and give Jack Taylor another chance to shine, we are going to need everyone ready and up to speed for the gruelling slog ahead.

Without going over old ground the next few weeks up to the New year could well define our promotion ambitions and while nothing is won in December I do believe it could be lost if things go badly wrong. With Seven League games in little over Three weeks we must get a fair haul of points to keep ourselves in the top Two, while I don't think we will maintain a Seven Point gap I would love us to have some kind of gap going into January after the New Year day game at Stoke City. One thing I keep telling everyone is yes we have some tough games coming up but so do our opponents, how many of them will be relishing playing us ? Not many I bet so we can go into every game knowing we are good enough.

On Paper a game at the team sitting in Mid table and Eighteen points behind us would not normally scare us but I do believe our next opponents Middlesbrough are in a bit of a false position, thanks in main to a terrible start to the season which saw them virtually bottom, they have improved for sure but gave themselves a bit of a mountain to climb and they do still seem to suffer from a bit of inconsistency, one week they are beating Leicester then they are losing at home to Stoke City, it really depends which Boro team turns up on the day. They like us are involved in quite a few high scoring games so this could well be a bit of a goal fest, hopefully Town will come out on top should that be the case.

Middlesbrough have already lost at home on Three occasions, including against a poor QPR side so this is no impossible game by any means even if I did pencil it in a one of the games we possibly get beat in, Town at their best can win this and we are starting to come out of the blocks much quicker lately and that could just unsettle the home side and quieten their fans which would play into our hands. Hopefully Town can get another great win on the road to keep the game at least Seven points, I just hope I can get some kind of bloody signal as I board the Iona at Southampton an hour before kick off. COYB'S.



The Opposition – Middlesbrough FC Honours




League

Second Division / Championship
Champions: 1926–27, 1928–29, 1973–74, 1994–95
Runners-up: 1997–98, 2015–16
Play-off winners: 1988

Third Division
Runners-up: 1966–67, 1986–87

Northern League
Champions: 1893–94, 1894–95, 1896–97

Cup

FA Cup
Runners-up: 1996–97

League Cup
Winners: 2003–04
Runners-up: 1996–97, 1997–98

Full Members' Cup
Runners-up: 1989–90

FA Amateur Cup
Winners: 1894–95, 1897–98

UEFA Cup
Runners-up: 2005–06

Anglo-Scottish Cup
Winners: 1975–76




The Manager – Michael Carrick








League Table as at 04.12.2023







Form Guide




Middlesbrough FC




4 Nov Plymouth 3 - 3 Middlesbrough

11 Nov Middlesbrough 1 - 0 Leicester City

25 Nov Bristol City 3 - 2 Middlesbrough

28 Nov Middlesbrough 4 - 0 Preston

2 Dec Leeds Utd 3 - 2 Middlesbrough






Ipswich Town




7 Nov Rotherham 2 - 2 Ipswich Town

11 Nov Ipswich Town 3 - 2 Swansea City

25 Nov West Brom 2 - 0 Ipswich Town

29 Nov Ipswich Town 3 - 1 Millwall

2 Dec Ipswich Town 2 - 1 Coventry City




Head to Head







Match Referee – Dean Whitestone







MIDDLESBROUGH 1 IPSWICH TOWN 2

[marko69]

Excellent preview ….. 2 things…….. 1. Yep, that QPR result @ Boro screwed up a wee 7 team accumulator bet. (Along with 4 other teams) …… and 2. You keep getting on boats? This new marriage you have sounds like “The Carlsberg Marriage”.

Voted win for ITFC in the wart on the landscape that is Middlesborough. Will say 2-1 away win.

Caption

Ref: “Ive got some of your CDs, Michael.”
MC: “Wrong Carrick, Ref.”

[lucy]

There's a post on TWTD. Middlesbrough could have up to 10 Players missing

[Bluemike]

Didn't realise Brandon Williams picked up his 5th yellow and along with Luongo is also missing.

[LizinSpain]

There's a post on TWTD. Middlesbrough could have up to 10 Players missing

Shame that!!

[Bluemike]

Yeah but read the article carefully, it's basically only Two of the players who played the last game against Leeds, so in the same boat as us really what with Luongo and Williams missing.

[arana peligrosa]

couldn't choose between either. They're like in final rounds of the League Cup or something and hit and miss in the league. They possess a good squad, should occupy one of the top six places by end of season and a trip there won't be without it's problems. Think we could well concede again but componsated by arguably the most effective attack potential in the division.

Believe Leicester got an easy game so it's essential we pick up three points also. Voted to draw though, think a majority would settle for a point from the trip there.

[hallamblue]

Ive gone for a Town win but in all truth that’s a helluva ask given we will not have Luongo or Williams due to suspensions. I think the next 3 weeks will see the gap close between us n Leeds unfortunately… but it’ll be the half way point so who knows . COYBsssss

[JohnnyB]

Should be a really tight game against two good sides and rival young managers.

I've gone for Town to nick a win, but in truth, it could just as easily go the other way, or play out in a stale mate.

[shabba]

Tricky game, no doubt there will be a bit of rotation either Sat or Tuesday - suspect we will see Axel for one of the games, and we know Taylor and Clarke will start this one, so probably Williams and Masimo for Tuesday.

I'd be happy enough to go with the same 11 from Cov (Taylor for Mas of course) and then make some subs on 60ish, could do with getting Omari back upto speed and Scarlett really needs a goal to get going.

[Andym]

I’ll be very happy with a point today. 2-2 draw.

[AzzurroMark]

Team news with Taylor coming in for the suspended Luongo. Think as expected;

Town: Hladky, Clarke, Woolfenden, Burgess, Davis, Morsy (C), Taylor, Burns, Chaplin, Broadhead, Hirst.

Subs: Walton, Tuanzebe, Ball, Humphreys, Harness, Hutchinson, Jackson, Scarlett, Ladapo.

[AzzurroMark]

Feeling very festive on here! As in a poem -

Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house
Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse.

Come on, let's be havin ya!

[Andym]

I think there’ll be a few goals on this game. It’s very open.

[AzzurroMark]

I think there’ll be a few goals on this game. It’s very open.

Two managers and two sides with a similar ethos! Intriguing stuff

[Andym]

I think there’ll be a few goals on this game. It’s very open.

Two managers and two sides with a similar ethos! Intriguing stuff

Yes. Having said there’ll be goals, 22 minutes gone without a shot from either side!

[Charnwood]

George Hirst really should have done better on 24 mins. A definite good opportunity missed there, just needed a cool head.

[marko69]

Feeling very festive on here! As in a poem -

Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house
Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse.

Come on, let's be havin ya!

That is WAAAAAY too "Norfolk" !! GET OUT!!!

[AzzurroMark]

Feeling very festive on here! As in a poem -

Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house
Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse.

Come on, let's be havin ya!

That is WAAAAAY too "Norfolk" !! GET OUT!!!

Tha's roight bor!

[marko69]

CHAPPERSSSSS!!!!

[AzzurroMark]

1-0 Chaplin

[Cabanas Blue]

Scrappy game Hirst should have scored well done Chaplin, we need to play better second half im sure they will.COYB.

[patthegimp]

Feeling very festive on here! As in a poem -

Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house
Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse.

Come on, let's be havin ya!

That is WAAAAAY too "Norfolk" !! GET OUT!!!

Tha's roight bor!

It's not right to mock the afflicted

[Charnwood]

Blimey Leicester have scored 3 goals in 6 mins and now lead Plymouth 4-0 !

[Charnwood]

Hladky earned his pay again, could so easily have been 1-1. Very good save after a quiet afternoon so far.

[Charnwood]

Great goal from Hutchinson 2-0 so well taken super composure

[JohnnyB]

Love that scoreline - even though I had 0-1 in the predictions!

[marko69]

Edit:
Now on delay…….. HUTCHY!!! With GURU CHAPPY with assist

[AzzurroMark]

Another great save from Hladky?

[Andym]

Very silly 9th yellow from Morsy.