Ipswich Town travel to Upton Park for their first league meeting against West Ham United since the days of their Championship playoff rivalry.
Vital Preview:
West Ham were last relegated to the Championship in 2003, when they went on to knock Ipswich out of the playoff semi-finals before losing to Crystal Palace in the final. However, the Hammers were to secure their Premier League return through the playoffs a year later – and in doing so, they thwarted Town at the semi-final stage again, despite finishing three places and 12 points behind Joe Royle’s team.
That experience understandably left Town fans with a bitter taste in their mouths. While West Ham were to subsequently enjoy 6 successive seasons of top-flight football, Ipswich were to pay dearly for that near miss with the loss of star players such as Darren Bent and Shefki Kuqi, and the Blues haven’t come anywhere near as close ever since.
This year however, there will be a chance to rekindle that rivalry. Following a dreadful 2010/11 campaign under Avram Grant which saw them finish bottom of the Premier League, the Hammers are back in the Championship once again. With an excellent squad for second tier football and the leadership of new boss Sam Allardyce, the Upton Park outfit are seen by many as promotion and title favourites.
However, it is no secret that Ipswich have their own designs on a promotion push this year. Following a rocky first month to the campaign, Saturday’s draw at high-flying Middlesbrough offered hope that Paul Jewell’s Blues are finally starting to gel. What better time then to make their first trip to the Boleyn Ground since the near miss of 2005, and who knows; come May 2012, these two clubs could be doing battle in the playoffs once again…
For more buildup to this match, check out our interview with Vital West Ham in the latest instalment of From The Other Side.
West Ham United Team News:
West Ham have concerns over the fitness of Joey O’Brien and Matt Taylor for the visit of Ipswich, with the pair suffering from hamstring and calf injuries respectively.
Julien Faubert and Jack Collison could be drafted into the lineup to replace the pair, while on-loan Tottenham Hotspur midfielder David Bentley could be handed his first start for the club with Guy Demel doubtful due to a hamstring problem.
Gary O’Neil is a long-term absentee with an ankle injury while Frederic Piquionne serves the final game of a three match suspension for his red card against Portsmouth, though Peter Kurucz and James Tomkins are both available having recovered from injury.
Player to watch: Kevin Nolan
New manager Sam Allardyce has plenty of dangerous players in his West Ham squad, but perhaps the biggest threat of them all to Ipswich on Tuesday will be Kevin Nolan.
Few Town fans could forget the last time the Blues came up against Nolan. The midfielder was with Newcastle United when they visited Portman Road in September 2009, and he duly stamped his mark on the game with a hat-trick as the Magpies romped to a 4-0 victory.
Having helped Newcastle to the Championship title in 2010, Nolan is now looking to do the same at West Ham having signed a five-year contract at Upton Park in June. With two league goals in 8 appearances so far this season, he’s certainly likely to play a major part whatever happens.
Ipswich Town Team News:
Boss Paul Jewell is likely to stick with the same Ipswich lineup that has picked up 4 points from their last two matches, depending on the fitness of his players.
Jason Scotland should be fit despite being substituted after picking up a knock late on at Middlesbrough, while Ibrahmima Sonko also looks set to retain his place in defence having overcome the ligament problem he sustained against Coventry last week.
However, Mark Kennedy and Lee Martin are likely to miss out once again. Kennedy is still out as he recovers from a calf injury, whilst Martin has been suffering from tonsilitis.
Player to watch: Jason Scotland
Considering how bleak the outlook was for him a few months ago, Jason Scotland looks to be firmly back in the first team picture at Ipswich.
The Trinidad striker was the subject of much transfer speculation over the summer as manager Paul Jewell brought in a succession of new talent up front. However, that competition seems to have galvanised Scotland, who has expressed his determination to fight for his place at Portman Road – and he appears to be succeeding too.
Having netted twice in his last four appearances, Scotland now looks set to be handed a regular starting place alongside new man Michael Chopra up front. If so, boss Jewell will be hoping they prove to be a potent combination at Upton Park on Tuesday.
Last Meeting:
FLC POSF2 – (3rd) Ipswich 0-2 West Ham (6th)
18 May 2005
Goalscorers:
West Ham: Zamora 61, 72
Teams:
Ipswich: Davis, Wilnis, De Vos, Naylor, Richards, Currie, Magilton (Bowditch 75), Miller, Westlake, Bent, Kuqi
West Ham: Walker, Repka (Dailly 76), Ferdinand, Ward, Powell, Mullins, Fletcher, Reo-Coker, Etherington (Noble 89), Harewood, Zamora (Newton 79)
Match Prediction:
Even though this will be my first trip to Upton Park, I remember our past encounters with West Ham very well – and sadly, they are quite painful memories.
Aside from knocking us out of two successive playoff competitions, the Hammers have had much the better record over us in the past 10 years. Town have won only two of their last eight league encounters against them, not to mention two friendly defeats in recent summers as well.
Given their status as pre-season title favourites – a status which looks justified given their early form – I think it would be either optimistic or naive to expect anything other than a West Ham victory on Tuesday. Even so, it should be an interesting clash given the playoff history and relative geographical proximity – not to mention where these two could yet end up by the end of the campaign.
Editor’s Prediction: West Ham 2-0 Ipswich
Next Fixtures:
01/10/2011 FLC Brighton & Hove Albion (H)
15/10/2011 FLC Cardiff City (A)
18/10/2011 FLC Portsmouth (H)
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