Manager Mick McCarthy has publicly stated that he would much prefer one win and one loss, to coming away with two draws and although losing is hard for us supporters to take, we know it is only a matter of time before it occurs, although I don’t see it happening tomorrow.
Oakwell is not an easy place to go to and the squad will be only too aware that it will be a hard graft getting anything from this match. It is however within our current capabilities I believe.
Our squad this season is smaller yes and smaller still because of those injuries but the nucleus of the squad is stronger – as we all bore witness too in the midweek fixture at Luton, when at one stage there were five players eighteen or under in the team!
Having so many young guns pushing through is very encouraging for all concerned and one of them may be in from the start again tomorrow afternoon, because I believe it would be hard for Mick McCarthy to leave out the very impressive Flynn Downes.
Keeper Bartosz Bialkowski seems certain to return to the side at the expense of Dean Gerken and Jordan Spence and Tommy Smith are likely to form the back line, with captain Luke Chambers at the centre of our defence again and I would expect Jonas Knudsen or Dominic Iorfa to occupy the right wing back role.
In midfield we will see Cole Skuse and perhaps Bersant Celina in a more advanced role just behind the main strikers, who may well be Freddie Sears and Joe Garner again.
On the bench McCarthy will have lots of options – even allowing for a spate of injuries and I would expect to see Martyn Waghorn, David McGoldrick, Luke Hyam, Grant Ward, Tristan Nydam, Dean Gerken and Myles Kenlock all in the mix.
It should be a fascinating game and anything other than a loss will make for a satisfactory weekend for most of us.
Personally I think Town will edge it 1-2 and I also predict that Joe Garner will find himself on the scoresheet again!
Frank Weston – Editor of Vital Ipswich
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