Premier League - AFC Bournemouth vs Ipswich Town Preview & Matchday Thread

[Frosty]

AFC Bournemouth v Ipswich Town




Wednesday 2nd April 2025 – 19:45


Vitality Stadium








Pre-Match Thoughts - Bluemike


I think it is fair to say that even the most optimistic among us would concede that by 4.50pm on Saturday evening Town's hope of somehow remaining in the Premier League next season were nothing more than a pile of ashes. The latest in a long line of sorry performances saw us succumb to inevitable defeat at the hands of Nottingham Forest at a very dismal Portman Road. A game that had actually started pretty evenly soon descended into a shambolic mess as we conceded a couple of quick fire goals that sent us spiralling to yet another reverse on our own patch. By the time the Third had gone in around the 40th minute mark I was already contemplating heading for the warmth and comfort of my sofa and that just is not me and yet here I was dejected enough to want to leave at that point, for what ever reason I stayed.

The most alarming thing for me these last few games is that we definitely look like we have totally lost our way and our identity, at times we just look bereft over any ideas, players that at one time earlier in the season had a swagger about them now look like headless chickens who are scared of their own shadows, we have without question gone backwards since around Christmas time.

You can't really even say we looked like making a game of it after the break, yes we scored Two late late goals but by that time we were well beaten and even then Forest soon responded to Cajuste's strike with a Fourth of their own just to let us know they were in complete control. Substitute Hirst added our second after loads of us, myself included had headed for the exits feeling down in the dumps once again. News had already filtered through that Wolves had won making it pretty much a nailed on certainty we will be watching Championship football once more next season, to make up Nine pints with nine games remaining is simply never going to happen.

Upon reflection I can't even get too upset about it all anymore, yes I like others have had our moments of frustration, anger, disappointment, call it what you will, but the fact is we are out of our depth, just as Leicester are, just as Southampton are, just as Burnley, Luton & Sheffield Utd all were too, and sadly just as those who gain promotion this time around will be also, and that is where the problem is, the gap is too big to close now and will only widen with every passing season until something is changed.

I keep churning things around in my head and looking back at certain games and situations it does concern me that we often look better with the old guard in the team, what those boys did in the Championship was incredible and maybe we came away form the very thing we should have stuck with, yes they played in League One, but in truth they were not League One players, they ripped up the Championship so who is to say the likes of Chaplin, Burns, Broadhead, H.Clarke, Hirst, Burgess, Donacien, Morsy etc etc were all good enough to give the Premier league a real go, I just wonder if we should have kept a better team bonded by success a bit longer, for me some of these new guys offer very little, I mean is Greaves any better than Burgess, is Phillips any better than Morsy, is Philogene any better than Broadhead or J.Clarke any better than Burns ? Johnson or H.Clarke ? Hirst or Szmodics/Delap? it certainly raises questions in my head for sure. I just didn't like a lot of the body language on Saturday and no matter what anyone says we are NOT the same team without Morsy in it, I don't even mean his ability, I mean his leadership and captaincy, we lose a lot without him.

We now have Nine games left to see what we can do, as some have said, do we already start preparing for next season and trying out new things ? Personally I think not, McKenna will still believe we can win Nine games and survive and of course that is no less than I would expect, we have to do everything we can to win all those games and even though I know we won't you can't start playing around with things in this way, if we were officially down then maybe but not while it is still possible to catch Wolves, to to mention the scenario of ensuring we finish above Leicester just in case Manchester City are clobbered hard (yeah right).

So we turn our attentions to Bournemouth away, in days gone by we'd fancy this one, however, these days they are pretty decent and will no doubt be expected to cruise past us with relative ease, I cast my mind back to the game at Portman Road and how we let Three precious points slip away by conceding twice in the dying minutes, an all too familiar theme in the first half of the campaign which we are now feeling the effects from.

I am sure we will approach the game in much the same manner and be set up with the usual formation, there could be changes to the team, I would love to see Morsy back along with Townsend, Chaplin if he was fit and Broadhead too but in all honesty who knows what we will get, all I do know is I hope to see far more passion and cohesion in our team than I saw against Forest, that has not been the Ipswich way under McKenna and is probably a sign that things are starting to take their toll on a beleaguered set of players who most of the season have given their all but who have come up short most of the time.

I think this will be another defeat and I am fearing that most games between now and May will go the same way, of course you just never know on any given day so while I am sunning myself in the glorious Caribbean I hope news filters through that we have somehow done the business and Wolves have been thrashed. Now where's my sun cream. COYB'S. IPSWICH TIL I DIE !!!!!!!



The Opposition – AFC Bournemouth - Honours



League


Championship

Champions: 2014–15
Runners-up: 2021–22

Third Division South / Third Division / League One

Champions: 1986–87
Runners-up: 1947–48, 2012–13

Fourth Division / Third Division / League Two

Runners-up: 1970–71, 2009–10
Promoted: 1981–82
Play-off winners: 2003

Southern League

Runners-up: 1922–23


Cup


Associate Members' Cup / Football League Trophy

Winners: 1983–84
Runners-up: 1997–98

Third Division South Cup

Winners: 1945–46




The Manager – Andoni Iraola







League Table as at 27.03.2025







Form Guide



AFC Bournemouth



15 Feb Southampton 1 - 3 Bournemouth

22 Feb Bournemouth 0 - 1 Wolverhampton

25 Feb Brighton 2 - 1 Bournemouth

9 Mar Tottenham 2 - 2 Bournemouth

15 Mar Bournemouth 1 - 2 Brentford




Ipswich Town



15 Feb Aston Villa 1 - 1 Ipswich Town

22 Feb Ipswich Town 1 - 4 Tottenham

26 Feb Manchester Utd 3 - 2 Ipswich Town

8 Mar Crystal Palace 1 - 0 Ipswich Town

15 Mar Ipswich Town 2 - 4 Nottm Forest




Head to Head







Match Referee – Robert Jones









AFC BOURNEMOUTH 1 IPSWICH TOWN 1

[The Odious Mr Rossi]

Of course, anything can happen in 1 game - but I cannot see this game going any other way than the norm for us this season. KM will tinker with the team, players will be played out of position, and we will lose. Bournemouth 4 Ipswich 1

[Shed on tour]

Having a 4 day mini-break near Weymouth next week and going to the game. I have a feeling that the 90+ minutes of football could turn out to be the most disappointing part of the trip.

[marko69]

Sorry Mike, no disrespect to yourself and apologies in advance, but just read first two responses in this thread....., don't think I'll feckin bother.

Caption:
Andoni: "What, so you're just not going to read it?"
Ref: "Hey! Andoni!! Leave it!"

[hallamblue]

Ok, today is sunny, I'm chilled in my lunch break, kind of... I'm going for a Town away win

[The Odious Mr Rossi]

Sorry Mike, no disrespect to yourself and apologies in advance, but just read first two responses in this thread....., don't think I'll feckin bother.

Caption:
Andoni: "What, so you're just not going to read it?"
Ref: "Hey! Andoni!! Leave it!"

optimism is a good thing, but it can leave you disappointed when it fails to materialise - give me good old fashioned realism any day

[arana peligrosa]

Moment they dropped out the Cup few hours back defined the outcome of this here fixture. Now they got nothing else to shoot for this season other than obtain as high a league position as able, therefore their focus and commitment is going to be put towards all remaining league games.

With that it kind of points the way to a home team win with this. They could still get a European Qualification place through the league with enough points remaining so they ain't going to sit back and rest up against us. Pity is our away form is better than it is at Portman Road and at this stage of a season that's real bizarre if not embarrassing. Unfortunately it won't continue for the trip there and voted to lose. Would hope to be proved incorrect naturally.

[marko69]

They could still get a European Qualification place through the league with enough points remaining…..,

That’d really be something eh? Shitty 4th division, candy floss, bucket ‘n’ spade & donkey rides Bournemouth in the UEFA Cup.

[MasseyFerguson]

Their form has dropped off. We are, in effect, already relegated. This will be a draw.

[arana peligrosa]

Wolverhampton got a win today ? Hadn't even realized, been too busy to even cast thought to it. Imagined the game was tomorrow.

I think that's done for us now. We're effectively screwed following the above result. The margin now between us and them is too great to turn around. To avert a relegation we're going to have to win the Bournemouth trip and just about all other remaining fixtures. Then WWFC will have to drop points themselves to save it.

The odds aren't insurmountable but we've left it real tough for ourselves now. Many could argue today were the one were the team was effectively relegated and drops back to lower league. Lose tomorrow and it'll just about confirm it. It's a shame, it's a real pity, but truth be told we just haven't been good enough to survive or challenge back at the top level.

[marko69]

Well, the glass half full’s will be saying “At least it’s a relegation to the Championship. Thank God, Mary, Joseph, Gamechanger, Mashton & The Messiah for that, and for it not being a relegation to League Two relegation!”

[marko69]

[marko69]

Very quiet on here on matchday. Everyone writing up their “we’re sh*t & told you so” speeches for 9:45pm tonight?

I even read the preview. Was concerned about Mikes absence. Thinking, “hmmm, Hope the dude is ok.”
Last paragraph…….. in the f**king Caribbean ??

Lucky bstd! I take back all my concern!

[Blue Wilf]

It is quiet cos we are doomed and our season is effectively over Marko! I only wish it wasn't but the only thing to really play for (unless we get a very unlikely win tonight), is pride but even that is in short supply

[AzzurroMark]

It is quiet cos we are doomed and our season is effectively over Marko! I only wish it wasn't but the only thing to really play for (unless we get a very unlikely win tonight), is pride but even that is in short supply

Not all is lost, we could get a favourable verdict from the PL in the Man City hearing! However, there's more chance of Rossi calling for KM to be given a contract extension while I call for him to be sacked I feel! (Disclaimer, sorry Rossi for taking your name and opinions in vain, I just had to select something which was never going to happen! )!

[ashfordblue]

Lineup for tonight Palmer, Tuanzebe, Oshea, Burgess, Townsend, Morsy, Cajuste, Johnson, Encisco, Broadhead, Delap

[Blue Wilf]

It is quiet cos we are doomed and our season is effectively over Marko! I only wish it wasn't but the only thing to really play for (unless we get a very unlikely win tonight), is pride but even that is in short supply

Not all is lost, we could get a favourable verdict from the PL in the Man City hearing! However, there's more chance of Rossi calling for KM to be given a contract extension while I call for him to be sacked I feel! (Disclaimer, sorry Rossi for taking your name and opinions in vain, I just had to select something which was never going to happen! )!

Correct AM - that is really clutching at straws. Man City's lawyers will kick that into the long grass for years and years...

[hallamblue]

Zero up front. They look like strangers to one another and sod all presence in midfield, as per usual.

[hallamblue]

0-1 Town Broadhead

[hallamblue]

Enciso starting to tick....

[marko69]

Enciso starting to tick....

Has he got a time-bomb in his shorts?

[mendipblue]

Withstood early pressure and Town have grown into the game . Enciso assist and nicely taken by Broadhead

[hallamblue]

We can't keep hold of the ball iup ront ....

[hallamblue]

Enciso starting to tick....

Has he got a time-bomb in his shorts?

Hopefully

[Charnwood]

A very well worked assist by Enciso nicely finished by Broadhead for his first Premier League goal.

It certainly won’t be easy but would love to see us hold on or even better score a second goal.

[Mauswara]

What a great goal!

[hallamblue]

YEEEEEESSSSSSSS WHAT A GOAL...DEEEEELAP

[Blue Wilf]

The come back is on!

[hallamblue]

No way is that a penalty.. no way

[Charnwood]

What a goal from Delap.

That’ll put his price up a few million.