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Blues Must Continue To Play With Passion

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The one word that differentiates Town displays against Bolton at home and Leeds away is passion and tomorrow night at Portman Road, the Blues must commit to it from the start, against a struggling Sunderland side.

The irony of course is that we beat Bolton and lost to Leeds but it was the manner of our defeat that was most pleasing on the eye.

We twice went behind against The Whites but this did not deter us at all and even some appalling defensive mistakes failed to discourage us from going for the jugular!

I was thoroughly impressed with the Town performance at Elland Road because it was perhaps our most testing encounter so far this season and yet we were unlucky not to get something from the game.

Now if we look at our victories they have been hardly convincing affairs but it has put valuable points on the board and perhaps persuaded the squad that they really are capable of going places in this league.

The difference on Saturday was that we showed real passion and commitment throughout and this is an often much understated aspect of the modern game. Is it any wonder we have so many cup shocks when teams with arguably less ability, turn on the fires of desire!

Now we know there are a lot of clubs in the Championship who have spent big and with all those ridiculous parachute payments paid to relegated clubs, there is a serious financial imbalance here.

That is why Ipswich Town and other clubs who do not have the dosh, must invest in managers who can get the best from of the rest.

For all manager Mick McCarthy’s failings, this is not one of them and I guess that was why owner Marcus Evans recruited him in the first place. He makes the best use of the tools that are available to him.

Tomorrow night against Sunderland at Portman Road, we have to keep the momentum going and that means playing with PASSION and if we do that, then it will not only be a good result but go a long way to bringing supporters back to their natural home.

Captain Luke Chambers remembers last year and how woeful we were.

‘Imagine going into work every day and everyone is telling you you`re crap. It`s not ideal, is it? But that was last season and while I don`t want to curse it, I think we`ve had a good start – despite being decimated by injury and I think this squad is up there with the best of them in all my time here.’

He is right in my view and we can be positive going forward having had the start that we have had.

Town have won six of their last eight league games against Sunderland at Portman Road so the omens are good and in seven visits to Portman Road in all competitions, Simon Grayson has never beaten Ipswich as a manager, drawing three and losing four.

Frank Weston – Editor of Vital Ipswich

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