Manager Paul Lambert is perhaps understandably playing the card that has joker written all over it. He has massively played down Ipswich Town’s chances of victory tomorrow, because he wants his players and the press, not to fall into the complacency compartment, given the importance of gleaning all three points.
Normally a trip to Lancashire against this lot has been anything but a walk in the park – although more recently Town have done well yet given Bolton’s sorry plight, it surely has to be. Lambert explained in his press conference this morning why he thinks this could be a potential banana skin but few of the press corps genuinely took him seriously. “They took a good point off of Coventry. I’m pretty sure Mark Robins (Coventry boss) probably got asked the same question. You’ve got to go up there and earn the right. You’ve got to have the right attitude and mentally to win,” Lambert said. Yes, that much is true but to suggest that we will seriously struggle against a side who lost their last match at Tranmere 5-0 whilst playing a number of youth players, is surely laughable in itself.
Ipswich Town has one of the best squads in this division and tomorrow, as more players return from injuries the selection headache increases but for all the right reasons! Add to that his new recruits and there is really no reason at all why we should not take all three points, on our third away outing of the season.
Into the side tomorrow could come Kane Vincent-Young, and there may be a start to for another loan player in Cypriot winger Anthony Georgiou who has also arrived from Spurs. Lambert certainly is spoilt for choice against a youthful Bolton outfit, who parted company with their manager Phil Parkinson in midweek, given their desperate plight at the foot of the table and minus 11 points.
This game will come too soon for striker Will Keane but there is every chance that the manager will stick with Norwood and Jackson upfront after they scored the goals that helped Town to claw their way back to victory against a troublesome Wimbledon side in midweek.
F.W. – editor of Vital Ipswich
