On Sky
Ipswich Town will need to get over their recent mauling on Sky TV if they are to get back to winning ways in Monday night’s televised clash against Coventry City.
Vital Preview:
Town have certainly been suffering the blues in their TV matches over the last couple of years. Their latest display for the cameras – August’s 7-1 battering from Peterborough United on Sky Sports – made it six defeats in Ipswich’s last ten televised league matches, during which time they have scored just 10 and conceded a whopping 23. Indeed, with just three wins on TV in the past two years, it’s no wonder some Town fans have spoken of a ‘curse of the cameras’.
Optimism might not exactly be sky high therefore ahead of the Blues’ next game, with the Sky crews rolling into Portman Road for the visit of Coventry City on Monday evening. Town can scarcely afford to suffer any more embarrassments after last week’s 2-0 loss at Blackpool made it four defeats in six Championship games so far this campaign; a run which has left Paul Jewell’s supposed playoff contenders languishing in 19th place.
Worse still, whilst Ipswich may be shy of the spotlight, it seems Coventry are anything but. Despite suffering from financial difficulties, player exits and a dreadful start to the season, Andy Thorn’s side put on a show for the cameras last weekend to record their first win of the campaign against high-flying Derby County. What’s more, the last televised match between these two clubs saw Roy Keane’s Blues slump to a 2-1 defeat at the Ricoh in August 2009, while the Sky Blues’ last trip to Town in autumn 2010 saw them claim their first victory at Portman Road since 1994.
With Ipswich and Coventry separated by just one point and one place in the Championship table ahead of this game, the stage is well set for both teams if they can put on a show. Hopefully this time however, the Blues fans at home won’t feel the urge to switch off at half time.
As they say: ‘If you don’t want to know the result, look away now…’
Ipswich v Coventry is live on Sky Sports 1 & HD1 from 19:30.
Ipswich Town Team News:
Ivar Ingimarsson could make his long-awaited return to the Ipswich Town squad having not played since the opening day because of a thigh problem. He may however have to settle for a place on the bench with Ibrahima Sonko and Danny Collins most likely to start after a promising performance at Blackpool last week.
Mark Kennedy could also come back into the side having recovered from a calf injury, though manager Paul Jewell will need to decide whether to retain Lee Bowyer in his starting lineup after the veteran midfielder looked somewhat short of fitness at Bloomfield Road.
Lee Martin is the only definite absentee from the side as he serves the last game of his three match ban following his sending off in Town’s last televised game at Peterborough.
Player to watch: Jimmy Bullard
After a summer away, Monday night could see Jimmy Bullard make his first home start for Ipswich since his long-awaited return to Portman Road three weeks ago.
The 32-year-old made his ‘second debut’ as a substitute in the 2-1 home victory against Leeds United in August before starting the game at Bloomfield Road last Saturday, but has arguably been rather short of fitness having lacked a proper pre-season programme following his suspension at former club Hull City.
However, hopes will be high that Bullard can now get back to the kind of form that made him a hit during his loan spell with the Blues last season. The former Fulham midfielder netted 5 goals in that time, two of which came in his last televised appearance for Town away to Cardiff City in March. Will the cameras bring the best out of Jimmy again?
Coventry City Team News:
Goalkeeper Joe Murphy is a concern for Coventry City after he was substituted at half time in the Sky Blues’ win against Derby last week, with Chris Dunn in line to replace him again if necessary.
Defender Richard Wood and Gary Deegan are both out with thigh problems, but Gary McSheffrey could return to the squad after a spell on the sidelines with a hamstring injury.
Elsewhere Clive Platt, who scored on Coventry’s last trip to Portman Road, could come into Andy Thorn’s lineup as he looks to make his first appearance of the season.
Player to watch: Lukas Jutkiewicz
Coventry may have lost many of their top stars this summer, but they will be grateful for having held onto Lukas Jutkiewicz.
While the likes of Keiren Westwood, Aron Gunnarsson and leading scorer Marlon King all moved on during the transfer window, Jutkiewicz has remained at the Ricoh Arena following a highly successful first season at the club in which he finished second-highest goalscorer with 9 to his name.
With King gone, the Sky Blues are relying on Jutkiewicz to step up to the plate, and the signs are promising. The former Everton striker has netted 3 times so far this season including a penalty in Coventry’s win over Derby last week. Having also grabbed the winner from the spot against Town at Portman Road last season, he’d be all too happy to do the same again on Monday night.
Last Meeting:
FLC – (7th) Coventry 1-1 Ipswich (18th)
01 January 2011
(Click here for Match Report)
Goalscorers:
Coventry: Eastwood 48
Ipswich: Fallon 44
Teams:
Coventry: Westwood, Keogh, McPake, Wood, Cameron, Carsley, Bell (Platt 70), Doyle, King (s/o 59), Eastwood (Cranie 89), Jutkiewicz
Ipswich: Fulop, Peters (Brown 87), McAuley, Smith, O’Dea, Leadbitter, Edwards, Norris, Colback (Murray 85), Scotland (Wickham 77), Fallon
Match Prediction:
No disrespect to Coventry, but in all honesty, Ipswich really should be beating a team like this.
There have been times in the past couple of years where the Sky Blues have looked like either going down or going out of business altogether, and having sold most of their best players this summer, there isn’t a great deal of quality there anymore – nor, in the case of Andy Thorn, is there a very experienced manager at the helm.
Then again, this is the trouble. All the signs are there to suggest that we should win this one, but with the Sky cameras watching and the team still yet to gel, it could very easily go wrong.
Given my geographical proximity to Coventry and my vehement dislike of them, I can’t bring myself to predict anything other than a win for Town, so that’s what I’ll say… even if it’s not what I believe…!
Editor’s Prediction: Ipswich 2-1 Coventry
Next Fixtures:
24/09/2011 FLC Middlesbrough (A)
27/09/2011 FLC West Ham United (A)
01/10/2011 FLC Brighton & Hove Albion (H)
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