Ipswich v Sheffield United: The Hat-Trick Hoodoo

It’s nearly 2 years since Ipswich Town last won 3 successive league games. Having beaten Doncaster Rovers and Derby, perhaps the Blues can finally break the hoodoo against Sheffield United.

It was something that Roy Keane never managed in 20 months as Ipswich manager, yet in just his fourth league match, new boss Paul Jewell could now achieve that elusive hat-trick of Championship wins at the first time of asking. Such positive consistency has been rare at Town in recent seasons, and not just under Keane; the Blues have only managed a run of 3 straight league wins on 3 occasions since the start of Jim Magilton’s tenure in the 2006/07 season, while they have had a far greater tendency to go on losing runs in that time, topped off by the 6 straight defeats before Christmas last year. Should Jewell be able to follow the 3-2 victory over Doncaster and Tuesday’s 2-1 win at Derby with another on Saturday therefore, hopes will grow that the new man has the potential in future to succeed where his predecessors did not.

He might not get a better opportunity. Securing a treble of triumphs rests on claiming a win over 22nd-placed Sheffield United, where new manager Micky Adams has yet to inspire the kind of turnaround that Jewell may be initiating at Town. He could have further trouble inspiring it at Portman Road, where the Blades have won just once in their last 19 visits; a 3-0 victory over the Blues in the final match of last season. Despite that record, history suggests Saturday’s visitors could still pose a major obstacle in Town’s hunt for 3 points, with plenty of draws in recent years. Indeed, Ipswich might be improving, but they are still only 7pts and 5 places above the drop zone themselves. However, Town have already beaten Sheffield United this season – a 2-1 win at Bramall Lane, after which things suddenly went badly wrong for Keane’s side. Perhaps this time, if they win this meeting, things can only get better for Jewell’s Blues.

Vital Quotes:

Hunting for that hat-trick of wins, Ipswich Town manager Paul Jewell has warned his players that they should not underestimate Sheffield United, not least because the Blues are far from safe themselves.

‘It will be a physical game against Sheffield United,’ Jewell told the Club’s Official Website. ‘They are big and strong and like us, they are fighting for their lives.’

‘It’s important not to be negative about it but we also have to be realistic. We are seven points off the bottom three and certainly not safe. If we start thinking we are, we can soon end up down there right in the mire.’

Indeed, for a team that thought they would be contending for the playoffs based on their earlier form, the Blues should be well aware of how quickly fortunes can turn, and indeed just how long there is left for things to go wrong.

Meanwhile Jewell’s opposite number Micky Adams is looking for his Blades to put up a real battle against Town on Saturday. Despite losing 1-0 to Leicester City in their last outing, Adams is confident that his team are capable of pulling themselves out of trouble and stealing the points at Portman Road.

‘There will be two committed sides out there on Saturday,’ Adams told the Sheffield United Official Website; ‘I don’t imagine it will be pretty and it probably won’t be for the faint-hearted.’

‘I would love to scrape a 1-0 win with the opposition manager saying that we were lucky.’

A lack of confidence, or fighting talk? Make of that what you will…!

Ipswich Town Team News:

Ipswich Town boss Paul Jewell could include new signing Andy Drury in his squad for the first time after the former Luton midfielder was ineligible for the win at Derby. Fellow January arrival Jimmy Bullard, who scored a screamer at Pride Park, is also likely to make his Portman Road debut. Again the Blues have no new injury problems, though Brian Murphy and Shane O’Connor remain out whilst ex-Sheffield United midfielder Alan Quinn will miss out facing his former club after a setback in his recovery from a groin operation ruled him out for another three to four weeks.

Player to watch: Jimmy Bullard

Jimmy was our ‘Man to Watch’ at Derby on Tuesday and came up with a stunning goal on his Ipswich debut. That could set the tone for things to come as the on-loan Hull City midfielder prepares to make his first appearance in front of his new home fans. Bullard’s 30-yard volley at Pride Park was his third league goal this season, his second coincidentally having come against the Blades when he netted a dramatic 93rd-minute winner in Hull’s 3-2 victory at Bramall Lane on Boxing Day. Whether or not he manages such goalscoring heroics on Saturday, the mop-haired midfielder is still well worth a watch having forged what appeared to be a very promising understanding with David Norris in the centre of the field at Derby.

Sheffield United Team News:

By comparison to his Ipswich counterpart, Sheffield United boss Micky Adams has a number of injury concerns in his squad. On-loan West Bromwich Albion defender and one-time Town target Joe Mattock is sidelined with injury, whilst Nyron Nosworthy is a doubt. Nick Montgomery is likely to miss out with a calf injury and strike pair Ched Evans and Daniel Bogdanovic are also struggling for fitness. Captain Chris Morgan remains a long-term absentee having missed the previous meeting between the two sides after a knee injury in October ruled him out for the rest of the season. There could be places however for Michael Doyle and Neill Collins who recently signed from Coventry and Leeds respectively, the latter in line to make his Blades debut.

Player to watch: Mark Yeates

We named Mark Yeates the Sheffield United ‘Man to Watch’ for the match at Bramall Lane, and he could again pose a threat at Portman Road. The former Hull City midfielder scored one and provided the other two in United’s 3-0 win on their last visit to Town in May 2010. Indeed Yeates is no stranger to scoring – the 26-year-old netted 20 times in one season with Town’s local rivals Colchester United a few years ago, and with Ched Evans potentially missing out on this match, Yeates might be counted upon to add to his tally of 5 goals so far this campaign. Even if he doesn’t find the net, he demonstrated his ability as a provider in this fixture last season, and with 3 assists to his name this season, he could be influential in finding the cutting edge for the Blades on Saturday.

Last Meeting

FLC – (18th) Sheffield United 1-2 Ipswich (11th)
06 November 2010

(Click here for Match Report)

Goalscorers
Sheffield United: Quinn 29
Ipswich: Priskin 6, McAuley 40

Teams:
Sheffield United: Simonsen, Nosworthy, Ertl (Bogdanovic 79), Bartley, Lowton, Montgomery, Britton, Yeates, Quinn, Cresswell, Ward (Evans 45)

Ipswich: Fulop, McAuley, Delaney, Smith, Eastman (Brown 85), Leadbitter, Edwards, Livermore, Colback, Scotland (Wickham 56), Priskin (Peters 72)

Match Prediction:

I have to say, there does seem to be a bit more of a feelgood factor around Town at the moment. If nothing else, Paul Jewell’s arrival has just freshened things up a little and given us a new start, albeit midway through a faltering season. Having said that, Jewell himself has warned that we must not get carried away – and that goes for the fans too. Sheffield United have historically always given us a good game, even if they have struggled to beat us at Portman Road, and it would be all too easy to underestimate them. Even so, I still genuinely think we can win this one quite comfortably if we play with the kind of renewed confidence that we’ve been displaying recently, particularly against a team that seems so down on its luck at the moment. Then again, maybe I’m just falling into the trap…!

Prediction: Should I worry about not being too worried? Ipswich 3-0 Sheffield United.

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