News

Will The Real Ipswich Town Please Stand Up?

|
Image for Will The Real Ipswich Town Please Stand Up?

They say that a league table does not lie and yet, as we find ourselves in second place and just two points behind the leaders with a game in hand, I think it probably does.

Why do I say this? Well, because the bulk of the teams we have faced have been floundering near the foot of the table and when we have come up against anyone half decent we have been defeated.

We began with a narrow win against Birmingham City at Portman Road and our 1-0 win was against a side who are now 23rd in the table.

Our next victory was against Barnsley away 1-2 but they are currently three points clear of the relegation zone in 20th place.

Millwall away was a far better showing but our slim 3-4 win was as a result of playing attacking football – something we have since shelved.

In fact, it was only because of so many injuries that we were forced to play this way and that day we played with four strikers!

Against Brentford we played in a similar fashion and won 2-0 but remember that The Bees are in 22nd place in the Championship table after eight games played, so it was hardly a startling outcome!

The reality check arrived, as it did last season, when we got dumped out of the league cup. Just like London buses we lose one and defeats become commonplace.

Fulham wiped the floor with us at Portman Road and we should have lost by a far greater margin.

And then of course we go to Loftus Road and lose once more – albeit a bit more narrowly.

By now, manager Mick McCarthy was back to his defend at all costs mode and the drab football that became the norm last season had returned to bore the pants off us again.

The win at home to bottom club Bolton Wanderers on Saturday was nothing more than a football deception. The visitors were the best team in the first half and had they not been so profligate in front of goal, they surely would have triumphed.

Next Saturday we can really see how far we have progressed when we visit Elland Road and face league leaders Leeds United.

If we get something from this one then it will indeed be a remarkable achievement but I would not put any money on it.

The likelihood is that we will lose heavily – unless keeper Bartosz Bialkowski can perform miracles again.

Only a good result at there place will convince me that the league table does not sometimes lie profusely.


Frank Weston – Editor of Vital Ipswich

Share this article

A true blue through and through

Leave a comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *