We Must Return To Fortress Portman Road

These days it seems that the Town players are far better at wrapping up Christmas presents than they are wrapping up the points and over the course of the season so far, our defence has been exceedingly generous at giving gifts away!

A couple of seasons ago, we had one of the best home records in the Championship but not any more. In the league to date we have only won four of our ten home games at home, which is one of the main reasons we are struggling at the wrong end of the table.

Admittedly, we have only lost two of those matches but to draw as many as we have won, is disappointing to say the least.

Our biggest win at Portman Road so far this season was our last one but it needed some major helpings festive generosity to nudge us in front, before we took control of the game and in the end, could perhaps have won by an even bigger margin.

Next up is cardiff City on Saturday afternoon and we really have to look to take all three points from the Welsh side, who are in an even worse state than ourselves.

The worrying thing however is that the greatest pick-me-up for a struggling side is to face the Blues At Portman Road!

Rotherham United are still rooted to the bottom of the division and yet six weeks ago they managed a 2-2 draw at our place and a visit to Portman Road for Nottingham Forest in November, was just the fillip they needed to kick-start their season and since then they have gone on an unbeaten run – beating table topping Newcastle United in the process!

So then, Town will come face to face with Niel Warnock again and he will have been pleased with their last performance, when they drew 0-0 with high flying Brighton at home.

Warnock is a close friend of Mick McCarthy and our manager would be well advised to keep his team sheet under wraps this time around and not give the shrewd old fox a sniff.

Whether McCarthy makes changes is open to debate but if he does, it will surely be in midfield, where creativity was seriously lacking once again when we went down 2-0 to Bristol City.

Frank Weston – Editor of Vital Ipswich