STEW'S PREVIEWS
IPSWICH TOWN v MIDDLESBROUGH
Stewart Flaherty, 5 Feb 2010
BORO EYE VIEW
The loss of Adam Johnson is a shame but the squad has more depth and steel than it
has had in a long while and will move on. Experienced battlers have been
progressively added throughout the window and it will help during the season run
and the play-off chase.
Boro will show some new faces in this game and look to win three points against an Ipswich side fighting for their lives in the division. Usually away draws are seen as positive, but as the season draws closer to the end, Boro must receive as many wins as possible to reach the top six.
Boro fans will be excited by the big time addition of Scott McDonald, a man with a highly impressive goal scoring pedigree with Celtic and one who has Champions League goals to his name against Manchester United. And a winning goal against AC Milan. Not many players in this
division have that on their resume.
BRISTOL EYE VIEW
Ipswich were a trendy pre-season play-off pick for many, including idiots such as
myself. Roy Keane's previous success in this division with Sunderland boded well
for a promotion challenge. Things have changed drastically since then, Ipswich find
themselves struggling, and sit one place and three points above the relegation zone.
Keane will have his team fired up to gain crucial points against Boro, and Ipswich
made some exciting deadline day signings of their own. Daryl Murphy
and David Healy are both excellent players and should have the home crowd fired up by
making their debut on Saturday.
Column Continues Below...
HEAD TO HEAD
Goalkeepers
Boro - Danny Coyne has performed well and was rewarded with Boro showing little
interest in goalkeepers towards the end of the window. Coyne has established good
communication with the backline, and it is five games since Boro conceded multiple
goals. Clean sheets are not as common as required for a promotion chase, but things
seem to be shoring up at the back, Coyne deserves credit for the role he plays in
this respect.
Ipswich - England international Richard Wright is currently sidelined with a long
term knee injury. This is a blow for Ipswich as Wright is an excellent goalkeeper,
among the best in the division.
Former Hartlepool goalkeeper Arran Lee-Barrett has stepped in since Wright's injury. Having played less than 100 games in his eight year, Lee-Barrett is largely unproven at this level.
Edge - Boro. Coyne has more experience and good presence in the area. While the
possibility remains of an upgrade in the summer, Coyne is becoming a real fan
favorite.
Boro Defence v Ipswich Attack
Boro - It will be interesting to see the line up on Saturday. It is very likely
Stephen McManus will make his Boro debut. This creates an interesting equation
when all the defenders are healthy. Will David Wheater, Emanuel Pogatetz, or Chris
Riggott play next to him? Kyle Naughton has the ability to play both left and right
back so Pogatetz could possibly line up at left back. Either way McManus will be a
good addition who has received rave reviews for his leadership and character from
both Gordon Strachan and Tony Mowbray.
Naughton has the ability to join the attack well and has previously made the PFA
Championship team of the year during his Sheffield United days;
He could feature on the left, after Justin Hoyte appeared to struggle for final
product against Bristol City.
Ipswich - The leading goal scorers for the Tractor Boys so far this season have been
Jonathan Walters and Jon Stead with six goals each. Walters is in his fourth season
with Ipswich and has been capped by the Republic of Ireland at B and Under 21 level.
Stead has a lot of Premier League experience with Blackburn Rovers, Southampton,
and Sheffield United. An England Under 21 international, Stead has good size and
finishing ability. Spanish Striker Pablo Counago is in reserve and has two goals in seven
appearances this term. Counago has experience in the Spanish Primera Liga and has
won the Under 20 World Cup with Spain.
Possibly more exciting to Ipswich fans than the current front line is the two
deadline day acquisitions from either side of the Irish border.
Murphy has made Premier League appearances this season for Sunderland and has nine caps for the Republic of Ireland. David Healy is a prolific goal scorer, he is the all-time
leading goal scorer for Northern Ireland with 35 goals in 78 games. Healy has the
European record for goals in a European Championship qualifying campaign with 13.
Since moving up to the Premier League, Healy has grafted at Fulham and Sunderland
with minimal success, he will look to take this opportunity to rediscover his goal
scoring touch at club level with Ipswich.
Edge - Even. McManus will add to the back line, and Healy adds spark to the Ipswich
front line. The key will be which new faces can settle in the quickest on this day.
Midfield
Boro - Barry Robson was disappointing against Bristol. I will preface this by
saying he has the ability to become a long term fan favorite at Boro and I believe
he has the talent to play at Premier League level. However, whether harsh or not his
red card was influenced by his level of frustration at the weekend. Constant
barking at the referee can put a bulls eye on your back and it appears this is what
happened.
Boro must now do without his ability as he sits through a suspension. On
a team making an effort to increase leadership, this was a poor example and
hopefully he rebounds from it. He and the excellent Paul Hartley fight toe to toe,
but Hartley won the mental battle last week.
Gary O'Neil will play in the centre but Isaiah Osborne returns to Villa after his
loan. Rhys Williams is a doubt with injury and Julio Arca could join O'Neil in the
middle. This combination lacks some of the bite Barry Robson would bring, but it can compete.
Willo Flood has put in a run of solid shifts on the right and it will be interesting to see who replaces Adam Johnson on the left.
Flood has played left for Boro and Aliadiere and Emnes are both forwards with the ability to play on the wing. I'm not suggesting him as an option for this game, but many people have forgotten Julio Arca was an excellent left winger in his Sunderland days, and could return to that spot.
Ipswich - The driving force in the Tractor Boys' midfield is Grant Leadbitter. A
former Sunderland player for Roy Keane, Leadbitter is a passionate player who is a
capable ball winner and attacker. Leadbitter has some outstanding Premier League
goals to his name, most notably his excellent strike against Arsenal;
Leadbitter is not shy to throw himself into the battle, and has picked up seven yellow
cards this season.
David Norris has recently broken into the side, playing a central role in front of
the back four. Norris is unspectacular but experienced campaigner, having made
over 200 appearances for Plymouth before signing for Ipswich.
Young attacking midfielder Jack Colback is on loan from Sunderland and is
contributing well, scoring three goals in 18 appearances. Colback plays for the same
England Under 20 side as Josh Walker and fans have described his play as magic.
This could have undertones regarding his startling resemblance to Ron Weasley.
Also featuring in the Ipswich engine room are Owen Garvan, Jaime Peters and Carlos
Edwards. Garvan is a Republic of Ireland Under 21 international who has eight
appearances this season. Peters is a Canadian international who has made 20
appearances so far netting one goal this season. Carlos Edwards has 78 caps for
Trinidad and was a spark plug in Roy Keane's successful promotion campaign with
Sunderland. A tricky winger with bags of pace Edwards can be an exciting player to
watch and a real problem for opposition fullbacks.
Edge - Even. The loss of Robson is a blow. The head to head between Leadbitter
against O'Neil will go a long way to determining which team wins the midfield
battle.
Boro Attack v Middlesbrough Defence
Boro - Leroy Lita leads the Boro scorers with six goals and Dave Kitson had a purple
patch on loan. Despite that, there has always been had the feeling Boro were scraping by in
the goal scoring department and goals from midfield were keeping their heads above
water.
The signing of Scott McDonald could mean those days are over. McDonald is a
pacy striker with an eye for goal, good finishing ability and a high work rate. He
has stated his excitement to work with Strachan and that can only have a positive
effect on the dressing room.
McDonald's career record is 95 goals in 220 league appearances. He also has a Champions League goal scoring pedigree, netting against Manchester United and AC Milan in Celtic's run to the last 16 of the tournament.
McDonald will be motivated to hit goal scoring form quickly and gain a spot on the Australian squad for the upcoming World Cup;
Lee Miller is a lower key signing with Scotland caps and plenty of experience in the
Scottish top flight. However this clip shows Miller to have outstanding finishing
ability!
In McDonald, Miller, Lita, Killen, and Aliadiere when fit Boro suddenly find themselves with
some options and depth up front.
Ipswich - Gareth McAuley is a Northern Ireland international with 20 caps and a
regular at the heart of the Ipswich defence, McAuley is strong aerially both in
defence and attack - where he has contributed three goals this season.
Right back Liam Rosenior is on loan from Reading and is another fixture in the defence. Rosenior is an outstanding defender with quick feet and strong marking ability and one on one defensive
ability. I personally remember his performance in a 1-0 Premier League win for
Reading at the Riverside a few seasons back, when he did an outstanding job shutting
down Stewart Downing.
Rosenior is a real class defender. Damien Delaney is capable of playing
at either left back or centre back and is a real physical presence. Delaney has two
Republic of Ireland caps.
David Wright, Pim Balkestein, and Ben Thatcher are all options for Ipswich at the
back. Wright has made over 100 appearances for Ipswich, Balkestein is a Dutch
defender signed from Herenveen, and Thatcher is an old but experienced pro who has
seen a lot of Premier League action.
Edge - Boro. McDonald could turn into a real force in this division, and Boro have
options to put alongside him, whether it be the pace of Lita or the presence and
holding up ability of Killen.
Fans
Ipswich - The Ipswich crowd must be disappointed to see a relegation battle play out
in front of them. The signing of Healy may lift spirits.
Boro - Boro fans will be split, as ever. The sadness of Adam Johnson departing will
be joined by excitement regarding McDonald's arrival and the desperate need for a
goal scorer being filled.
Edge - Ipswich. Home field advantage in a desperate fight for points.
Prediction
Boro win. Boro are transforming into a battling unit that is difficult to beat. In
McDonald they have someone to put chances away and that has been lacking
consistently all season.
