Ipswich Town look to be in a four-way fight for the Championship’s second automatic promotion spot. Stuart Watson assesses each club’s form, fixtures and mood.
Dara O’Shea celebrates following Ipswich’s recent derby win at Norwich. (Image: PA)
Advertisement
IPSWICH TOWN
Position: 2nd – P41, Pts 75
Last five: L 2-0 Portsmouth (A), W 2-0 Norwich (A), W 2-1 Birmingham (H), D 1-1 Millwall (H), W 2-0 Sheff Weds (A).
Final fixtures: Middlesbrough (H), Charlton (A), West Brom (A), Southampton (A), QPR (H).
Mood: I think it’s fair to say that Town fans have struggled to bond with this multi-million pound squad in the same way they did with the back-to-back promotion heroes.
Being the big spending, often-rotated title favourites who have often been tasked with trying to break down stubborn opposition has been a completely different experience to being the tight-knit, underestimated underdogs.
Advertisement
Yes, the points tally has ticked along nicely since the summer transfer window closed, but questions over recruitment, chemistry, character and consistency have never been far away from bubbling to the surface.
The mood has often felt on a knife’s edge. The last few days typifies that. The major high of a first East Anglian derby win on enemy soil in more than 20 years was quickly followed by a flat 2-0 midweek defeat at Portsmouth.
The division will be stronger next year. Ipswich would be heading into a final year of parachute payments should they stay in the second-tier. The pressure is on.
Advertisement
Target: Ten is the magic number. Get that number of points over the remaining five games and no-one can catch them.
That will be easier said than done. Boro and Southampton are two massive matches. Away trips to Charlton and West Brom are not to be underestimated given the Blues’ form on the road has been very patchy.
Injuries: Wes Burns (calf) and Leif Davis (paternity leave) should be available again soon.
Kieran McKenna says: “There were always going to be bumps along the way. We know we’re in a really strong position. We’ve got big games ahead and they’re all going to be really tough. It’s going to take a big effort to win any of them, but we’re capable of doing it.”
Millwall’s Femi Azeez reacts to a missed chance. (Image: PA)
Advertisement
MILLWALL
Position: 3rd – P42, Pts 73
Last five: D 0-0 West Brom (A), L 2-1 Norwich (H), W 2-1 Middlesbrough (A), D 1-1 Ipswich (A), L 2-1 Blackburn (H).
Final fixtures: QPR (H), Stoke (A), Leicester (A), Oxford (H).
Mood: The Lions remind me so much of Ipswich two years ago. All season everyone has been expecting them to fade away, but here they are, with four games to go, very much in with a shout of securing Premier League football for the first time in the club’s history. This is clearly a bonded group worth more than the sum of their parts.
Advertisement
A difficult spell with injuries over the winter was well navigated. A comeback draw at Ipswich followed by a comeback win at Middlesbrough will have had belief coursing through their veins. But subsequent set-backs against Norwich and West Brom mean Alex Neil’s men have won just one of their last five though, with the goals having dried up.
The highest ranked team they have left to face is 11th-place QPR. Expect the South Londoners to fight to the death.
Target: Just one slip up could be fatal. Three wins and draw would see Millwall finish on 83 points. That would be bettered if Ipswich ended with a modest W2 D2 L2 (thanks to goal difference) or if Southampton/Middlesbrough had a perfect finish.
Advertisement
Injuries: Versatile left-back Alfie Doughty (calf) has been a big miss of late.
Alex Neil says: “We just need to play a little bit more relaxed at times. You can see a little bit of tension creeping into our game, and we just need to try and eradicate that and get back to what we’re good at.”
Flynn Downes celebrates after yet another victory for in-form Southampton. (Image: PA)
SOUTHAMPTON
Position: 4th – P42, Pts 72
Last five: W 3-0 Blackburn (H), W 2-1 Derby (H), W 5-1 Wrexham (A), W 2-0 Oxford (H), W 1-0 Norwich (H).
Advertisement
Final fixtures: Swansea (A), Bristol City (H), Ipswich (H), Preston (A).
Mood: The Saints were hovering just above the relegation zone in early November. Will Still was sacked, Tonda Eckert was appointed and, from mid-January onwards, they’ve been on a major tear up.
Leo Scienza (7G, 9A), Finn Azaz (10G, 7A), Tom Fellows (0G, 5A), Cameron Archer (3G, 2A), Ross Stewart (6G, 2A) and Cyle Larin (5G, 1A) are just a few superb attacking options in a team that is purring.
Advertisement
The form is ominous. It’s seven straight wins and 18 unbeaten across all competitions now. They came from 3-0 down to win 4-3 at Leicester. Five goals have been put past QPR and Wrexham. Arsenal were dispatched in the FA Cup. You really can’t rule them out winning their remaining four given three opponents are destined for mid-table.
There could be so much riding on Southampton v Ipswich come the final midweek of the season. Ipswich have to hope that the Saints will be on a comedown after an FA Cup semi against Man City, at Wembley, a few days earlier.
Target: A perfect finish would see Southampton finish on 84 points. Ipswich would need to win three of their other four games to match that (bringing it down to goal difference, which they currently edge by six) or claim 10 points to beat it.
Advertisement
If Ipswich were to draw at St Mary’s then they’d need seven points (W2 D1 L1) from their other four to finish above the Saints. If Ipswich were to win at St Mary’s then they’d need four points (W1 D1 L2) to finish above them. Either of those scenarios could leave the door ajar for Millwall or Middlesbrough though.
Injuries: Right-back Mads Roerslev (Achilles) is the only first team absentee at present.
Tonda Eckert says: “It sounds boring because I keep repeating myself, but we need to keep our heads down and keep working. It’s the only way. This squad is in a moment and a place where you can put on whoever you want to put on and they’re ready and well able to perform.”
Sontje Hansen rues a missed chance for mis-firing Middlesbrough. (Image: PA)
Advertisement
MIDDLESBROUGH
Position: 5th – P42, Pts 72
Last five: L 1-0 Portsmouth (H), D 2-2 Swansea (A), L 2-1 Millwall (H), D 0-0 Blackburn (A), D 1-1 Bristol City (H).
Final fixtures: Ipswich (A), Sheff Weds (H), Watford (H), Wrexham (A).
Boro spent 217 days in the top two. They have played some really slick football all season. They’ve begun to freeze as the finishing line has got into sight though.
They head to Portman Road this Sunday winless in sixth (D3 L3). Talismanic midfielder Hayden Hackney (calf) has been a major miss over the last four games and it’s not clear if or when he’ll be available again. The absence of top scorer Morgan Whittaker has been felt too.
Advertisement
A theme has been dominating games but failing to be clinical enough. The Teesdiers had 34 shots but lost 1-0 to Charlton after conceding from a long throw. They didn’t put Bristol City to bed and conceded deep into stoppage-time to draw 1-1. It was a similar tale in a 0-0 draw at Blackburn and last weekend’s 1-0 home loss to Portsmouth (Conor Chaplin scoring on 90+7). In between all that, former striker Josh Coburn came back to haunt them in a damaging defeat against Millwall.
Target: Could Hackney return on his white steed and make the difference? Would a victory at Ipswich completely change the mood and reignite top two hopes? You can’t completely rule it out. Fail to win at Portman Road this weekend though and it will almost certainly be play-offs.
Injuries: As mentioned, Hackney (calf) and Whittaker (ankle) have been big misses of late. Influential left-back Matt Targett (knock) and attacking loanee Jeremy Sarmiento (knee) are also major fitness doubts for the weekend.
Advertisement
Kim Hellberg says: “We were not good enough (against Portsmouth). That was different from our other games. We lacked energy, quality and structure. Six in a row without a win from a team that plays good football – that is not a feeling you want. We are trying to make it right but we are not succeeding. That is my responsibility.”