Match Day Thread Peterborough vs Ipswich

So, one win, one draw, and one loss is not quite the rampaging start some Town fans were thinking this season. Especially with regards to the hopefully-tongue-in-cheek '100 points, 100 goals' line that continuously does the rounds on social media. Having said that, two games and four points in the league against Burton and Sunderland is arguably par for the course on what most of us were expecting.

In our first two league games, we have looked fairly solid defensively (Chambers mistake aside) and we've gone with two strikers up top in both games, which has whetted the appetites of the Town fans who believe that is the right way to go. However, our style of play has been a mix of whacking it long for the two strikers to chase (which hasn't worked) and playing it out with short passing, but getting a 'rabbit in the headlights' moment when we break into the opposition final third and becoming quite toothless. Unfortunately, Luke Garbutt (our only scorer in the league) is out for a month and his moment of magic against Sunderland helped get us a result. We also have a new right-back in through the door, and hopefully Kane Vincent-Young will be in a position to start tomorrow. Our current options at right back - Donacien and Emmanuel - could well be a good player if you could combine Donacien's defensive diligence with Emmanuel's eye for attack. As it stands, Emmanuel is too defensively suspect and error prone to be considered a first choice regular and Donacien seems ill-equipped to be the attacking full-back we need in this promotion-chasing team.

Regarding Peterborough, they did their classic summer transfer business of buying in several players and having a vocal owner talk up their chances, but they have acquired a recent reputation of being play-off nearly men - typically finishing no higher than ninth over the past several seasons. They are currently at the bottom of the table with no wins and no points, and they also lost against my League One play off dark horses, Oxford United, in the League Cup. Having said that, we've got a pretty poor record at their place and I think I'll always be haunted by that 7-1 drubbing we suffered under Jewell. When I - then a fresh-faced teen in Magaluf - made a bit of a tit of himself by impotently kicking over a chair and generally giving the British a bad name abroad as Peterborough goal after goal hit the back of the net. Anger, mourning, acceptance from me in the space of 45 minutes. Then again, some British people seem to be making a good living from making a tit of themselves abroad - funny how the world works.

Score-wise, I think we should have enough about us to get a win, but it'll be a narrow one. 2-1 with Norwood getting on the scoresheet would be nice (hope this doesn't become a recurring thing to say pre-match). Although I've got a suspicion we'll drop points.

What are people's thoughts on the starting eleven? Personally, I'd go for a formation change and look to bring in the young lad Dobra for Edwards when the latter tires:

Holy
KVY / Chambers / Wolfenden / Kenlock
Downes / Skuse
Rowe / Judge / Edwards
Norwood

 

I would be reluctant to throw someone in at the back who hasn’t trained with us.

We also need to not perpetuate the mistakes of last year and keep going with 4-4-2 albeit I would be looking to bring Edwards in up front if we haven’t got a couple of goals by half time / with half an hour to go.

Also reward the lad Dobra with a sub on if we are leading or level in the game.

Holy
Donacien / Woolfy / Wilson / Kenlock
Downes / Skuse / Judge / Huws
Jackson / Norwood

 

Fair enough regarding the right back situation, Hampy, maybe Donacien should be given this game for the sake of stability.

Unsure what's going on in your four-man midfield though? No wingers? Presuming you're changing the system to a diamond / three man midfield and Judge playing behind the two strikers? Judge has been poor out wide for us, so we should learn from that, and the other three midfielders cannot play out wide.

I think Jackson needs to deliver soon. He was one of the worst players for us last season and he still doesn't have the composure up top to be a threat.

 

We don’t have any wingers apart from Edwards and I don’t think he’s quite ready to start. I think we need someone in that number 10 role behind the two forwards and the other two to be prepared to cover their side of the middle third, centrally and at times wide but not tight to the touch line. When we are on the front foot, let’s have those five bodies in and around the box, ready to receive a cross from the full back or working it around to find an opening. Problematic as it is for Donacien, get the full backs forward.

Jackson needs his confidence building. We don’t have any option but to give him the time to do that because our dear owner has refused and failed to invest in attacking options. Leaving everything on Norwood’s shoulders would be a mistake and service is a problem so I don’t think he will be getting 30+ goals alone.

 

First League defeat of the Season 0-2.

 

That's the spirit

 

I hope I’m proved wrong

 

I'll go for a 2-0 win today

 

Come on Ipswich!

 

Everyone seems to think we'll win makes me nervous!!

Think it's a good decision to not bring Judge back in and play Edwards instead.

I'll go 1-1, even if we go into the first 3 games with 5 points think that's half decent considering the fixtures we've had. And on paper the ones we have coming up look more winnable

 

Here we go!Great start.

 

Get in!!!

Goalie clanger

 

How refreshing to hear us scoring and winning a game early on...!

COYBs

 

Bugger

 

Not a terrible first half.
We don't look like a team that can dominate a game. Our play is quite rushed, ball is pumped forward as early as possible and we hope for the best. It would be nice to see us control the ball and the play a little bit more.

Could go either way second half.

 

Ooops, they are on top, 2-1, doesnt sound as tho they will give the game away now.

 

****in' Chambers again, put the man out to pasture already!

He was at fault for Luton's third goal as well, totally split off from the wall and the ball went through where he should've been standing and into the corner of the net.

 

The best fans in this league supporting a load of fooking mediocrity.

 

Penalty!

The ref had to give that.

 

We have all been saying it SD, for months now. How can we see it, manager cant!