r00fie1
Well-known member
It's that time again>>>>>>>
EFL Championship. Ipswich v Middlesbrough. Portman Road. Saturday 13th April 2024. KO: 15:00 hrs.
EFL Championship. Ipswich v Middlesbrough. Portman Road. Saturday 13th April 2024. KO: 15:00 hrs.
Whilst composing this article, Leicester City, who have been at the top of the Championship nearly the whole season, have lost to Plymouth Argyle at Home Park. The Foxes remain joint top [88 points], with the Tractor Boys of Ipswich, whom we confront today [Saturday]. They have a smaller goal difference [+32] compared to Leicester [+41], add to the mix that 3rd place Leeds are only a point behind both the top two. Ipswich have drawn ten and lost six of their 42 games so far this season.
[Ipswich missed out on going top of the Championship when held last time out to a 0-0 draw against Watford]
Since the beginning of March, Ipswich have Won 5 [Plymouth / Bristol City / Sheffield Wednesday / Blackburn / Southampton], Drawn 1 [Watford] and lost 2 [Norwich / Cardiff]. They've thrashed Sheffield Wednesday 6-0, but their other victories have mostly been by the odd goal, having also conceded. On Wednesday night, they drew a blank against Watford at Portman Road, having been beaten by fierce rivals Norwich City only four days before. At the start of April, they beat Southampton 3-2 with a goal on the 97th minute! So they are not invincible by any means.
[Latte Lath is showing true class and becoming a real threat. Next season, he will have a great opportunity to cement his place as first choice striker].
Michael Carrick was "happy" with the performance against Hull, even if the result wasn't what either club wanted. It was a match characterised by errors, which gave Tigers the lead, after a superb initial opener from "Manny" Latte Lath in the early stages of the game. Hull had been around the top six for a long time, but have struggled to keep up the form and consistency and dropped below their best. Nevertheless, it was an exciting game, and really, truth be told, we had enough chances to wrap up all three points.
[Finn Azaz deserves credit for a job well done ta the MKM Stadium]
Ipswich, have been on fire almost the whole campaign and Kieran McKenna must be top of the pile for Championship Manager of the Season. Ipswich, have spent four years in the old Division Three [EFL 1], finishing mid-table, apart from promotion season last year. They haven't spent heavily, but relied on loan players and built a strong team, with many players from the lower leagues, including Oxford United, Bristol Rovers and Peterborough United. But we shouldn't give them too much respect. They are beatable. We have the players and the skills to match theirs. If anything, we need to up our tempo, compared to the Hull game, which will make all the difference.
[Norwich inflicted a critical defeat on Ipswich and increased their lead to sixth place for the teams behind them].
They are not there to be admired, but for us to play our best game and take them on to win it. Back in December, the Tractor Boys 2-0 victory at The Riverside was their third win on the trot and our third defeat in four. How things change. We both stand neck-and-neck in the form table, with us unbeaten in eight games [18/24] whilst Ipswich are second [16/24]. Even though it's a slim chance, we still have a chance of being in the play-offs, but we may have run out of games. Our season remains alive, and we have four of the most important games of the season ahead of us. We can have a big say in what happens in the automatic promotion places, starting today and next up to Leeds at The Riverside.
It's been pleasing to see Latte Lath hit double figures for the season, boding well for next season. He offers us that opportunity up front, to get behind defenders, take them on and create what Carrick called "chaos" for opposing teams. He appears to have settled in. It will be interesting to see how we build the team to provide him with the ball and finish off some of those many chances we have missed this campaign. His future looks bright for us and some have suggested we may have found a twenty-goal-a-season-man for next season!
[Matt Clarke and Luke Ayling have put in some solid performances in recent games, showing that experience has a big part to play in any squad].
Matt Clarke too deserves credit for a superb comeback after long injury. He literally gets his head in the way and has done more than put a shift in, in recent games. Perhaps the same can be said for veteran Luke Ayling, who knows all the tricks in the game to unsettle opposing players and do what is required. Let's hope we can gather all our strengths for the remaining four games and start today with the three points. It doesn't matter whose out injured, because we play with what we've got and do our best. As Carrick says, we can only control what's in our control. Let's keep this momentum of eight games without defeat going and push us over the line.
We can do this.
Come On Boro !
[Ipswich missed out on going top of the Championship when held last time out to a 0-0 draw against Watford]
Since the beginning of March, Ipswich have Won 5 [Plymouth / Bristol City / Sheffield Wednesday / Blackburn / Southampton], Drawn 1 [Watford] and lost 2 [Norwich / Cardiff]. They've thrashed Sheffield Wednesday 6-0, but their other victories have mostly been by the odd goal, having also conceded. On Wednesday night, they drew a blank against Watford at Portman Road, having been beaten by fierce rivals Norwich City only four days before. At the start of April, they beat Southampton 3-2 with a goal on the 97th minute! So they are not invincible by any means.
[Latte Lath is showing true class and becoming a real threat. Next season, he will have a great opportunity to cement his place as first choice striker].
Michael Carrick was "happy" with the performance against Hull, even if the result wasn't what either club wanted. It was a match characterised by errors, which gave Tigers the lead, after a superb initial opener from "Manny" Latte Lath in the early stages of the game. Hull had been around the top six for a long time, but have struggled to keep up the form and consistency and dropped below their best. Nevertheless, it was an exciting game, and really, truth be told, we had enough chances to wrap up all three points.
[Finn Azaz deserves credit for a job well done ta the MKM Stadium]
Ipswich, have been on fire almost the whole campaign and Kieran McKenna must be top of the pile for Championship Manager of the Season. Ipswich, have spent four years in the old Division Three [EFL 1], finishing mid-table, apart from promotion season last year. They haven't spent heavily, but relied on loan players and built a strong team, with many players from the lower leagues, including Oxford United, Bristol Rovers and Peterborough United. But we shouldn't give them too much respect. They are beatable. We have the players and the skills to match theirs. If anything, we need to up our tempo, compared to the Hull game, which will make all the difference.
[Norwich inflicted a critical defeat on Ipswich and increased their lead to sixth place for the teams behind them].
They are not there to be admired, but for us to play our best game and take them on to win it. Back in December, the Tractor Boys 2-0 victory at The Riverside was their third win on the trot and our third defeat in four. How things change. We both stand neck-and-neck in the form table, with us unbeaten in eight games [18/24] whilst Ipswich are second [16/24]. Even though it's a slim chance, we still have a chance of being in the play-offs, but we may have run out of games. Our season remains alive, and we have four of the most important games of the season ahead of us. We can have a big say in what happens in the automatic promotion places, starting today and next up to Leeds at The Riverside.
It's been pleasing to see Latte Lath hit double figures for the season, boding well for next season. He offers us that opportunity up front, to get behind defenders, take them on and create what Carrick called "chaos" for opposing teams. He appears to have settled in. It will be interesting to see how we build the team to provide him with the ball and finish off some of those many chances we have missed this campaign. His future looks bright for us and some have suggested we may have found a twenty-goal-a-season-man for next season!
[Matt Clarke and Luke Ayling have put in some solid performances in recent games, showing that experience has a big part to play in any squad].
Matt Clarke too deserves credit for a superb comeback after long injury. He literally gets his head in the way and has done more than put a shift in, in recent games. Perhaps the same can be said for veteran Luke Ayling, who knows all the tricks in the game to unsettle opposing players and do what is required. Let's hope we can gather all our strengths for the remaining four games and start today with the three points. It doesn't matter whose out injured, because we play with what we've got and do our best. As Carrick says, we can only control what's in our control. Let's keep this momentum of eight games without defeat going and push us over the line.
We can do this.
Come On Boro !
