He may not like it, but the name of Roy Keane will go down in East Anglian Derby history.
As if he hadn’t attracted enough critics already, Keane’s first involvement in the tribal tete a tete between Ipswich Town and Norwich City in November was hardly a demonstration of how to win friends and influence people. The competition at Carrow Road lasted all of half-an-hour before parity was overwhelmed by a collapse of historic proportions, defender Damien Delaney seeing red at 1-1 before three further Norwich goals condemned the Blues to their worst competitive derby defeat ever officially recorded.
It was as good as the final straw. With that debacle making it four straight defeats and seven losses in nine Championship games, Town’s good work in the first few months of the season was eradicated as they swiftly went from pushing for promotion to rivalling for relegation. Three further league defeats in the next five brought the axe down on Keane, securing the Irishman another unwanted derby record; the only manager in Ipswich Town’s professional history to oversee just one clash against the old enemy – and with it, a 100% losing record.
Small wonder the yellow half of East Anglia have been laughing ever since. Whilst Town were sliding, the result in November propelled Norwich into the Championship playoff places, followed by an assault on the automatic promotion slots. Despite a brief wobble costing them 2nd place, Paul Lambert’s side remain firmly in contention for a second successive promotion at the end of the campaign.
How painful that would be for the Blues. When Jim Magilton’s boys were condemning Bryan Gunn’s Canaries to relegation into the third tier of English football in April 2009 – followed by a 7-1 whomping at the hands of Colchester United on their League One debut to boot – it seemed inconceivable that Norwich might find their way to the Premier League before Town. Two years later however and such a nightmare is a distinct possibility.
Fear not though, for there is hope. And it comes in the name of Paul Jewell.
The dismissal of Keane and the arrival of former Wigan Athletic boss Jewell was indisputably the turning point of the season at Portman Road. The Liverpudlian made few changes to the side he inherited from his predecessor – only the addition of Hull City midfielder Jimmy Bullard and Luton Town’s Andy Drury – but Jewell has achieved markedly more with the squad than it seems its original creator was able to. Despite defeat in his first match at Millwall, a run of 13pts from a possible 15 in January and February signalled a recovery for the Blues, whilst an identical haul from five matches since late March has prompted suggestions that Ipswich could be where Norwich are in a year’s time.
Having won the approval of many Town fans so far, Thursday could prove to be the acid test for the new boss. Town had the distinct look of a team that was not ready for the big occasion when Keane took them to Carrow Road in November, but already the atmosphere is different around Portman Road ahead of this encounter. The team is growing in confidence, with smiles on faces and teenagers commanding the field like battle-worn veterans. The stands are starting to buzz with optimism again. This derby could serve as a demonstration for just how far the team has come under their new leader, for the challenge to their East Anglian foes looks set to be far greater than that of five months ago. Just ask the Norwich fans – they probably wish Keane was still in charge.
Not only does Jewell have the opportunity to outdo Keane’s derby exploits at the first attempt, and win the affections that his predecessor never earned. He also has the chance to stamp his mark in the annals of the Norfolk-Suffolk war by dealing a fatal blow to the enemy’s hopes of reaching the promised land. A win for the Blues on Thursday could well serve to stretch the gap between the Canaries and automatic promotion, or at the very least dent their confidence for the remainder of the run-in, potentially thereby sparing Town fans from the agony of watching their once laughable rivals take to the Premier League before Ipswich do.
If he fails, Jewell need not fear the same fate as his predecessor – such has his work impressed to date that Town could well have the last laugh this time next year. Should he succeed however, his team will have passed the test with flying colours, and the battle for supremacy in East Anglia may be fought again next season. If so, November’s ‘Nightmare on Carrow Road’ need not shame the Blues any longer, and indeed, the Pride of Anglia could once again be theirs.
As they say, history is written by the winners. Maybe Thursday will be the start of a new chapter at Ipswich Town.
Darren Campbell
Are you looking forward to the East Anglian derby on Thursday? Confident about our chances? How much of a difference do you think the new regime at Portman Road will make in this meeting compared to the game in November?
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