Ipswich v Swansea

[jackaway]

Ipswich v Swansea Sat 28 Feb 15:00
After our dramatic draw with a last gasp equaliser on Tuesday night against Preston, we make the 276 mile long trip to Suffolk and Portman Road, the home of Ipswich Town FC.
The Blues or the Tractor Boys as they are known were relegated to League One in 2018-19 season and remained there for four seasons until promotion as runners-up in 2022-23 season. A consecutive promotion in the Championship followed in 2023-24 season as they zoomed through to the PL as runners-up on 92 points.
They only lasted one season in the PL before being relegated. This season they are currently fourth in the table after their 0-2 win at Watford mid-week.
It will be no easy task to get something there as they are very strong at home losing only once this season.
Ironically in their last home game they drew 1-1 with Preston, equalising with a 94th minute penalty, proving how tough a nut that Preston team are to beat on their travels.
We need no reminding of the reverse fixture where their ex-player Burgess scored two own goals in a 1-4 defeat.
Hopefully Burgess will make amends on his first return there since his transfer.

[Estoban]

Maybe he shouldn’t play on Saturday if he’s that nervous playing against his old team.
We need our defence to be in top form especially at set pieces.
Stamenic is back from a two game suspension after collecting ten yellow cards, but he was responsible for Derby’s second goal allowing the striker to climb over him to head the ball.

[Iolo]

Hi guys, here is the pre-match press conference:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f7FcK1-Z4tk

[Iolo]

Saturday we play one of the strongest teams in the Championship, especially with their midfield quality.
So we face a dilemma, do we move Galbraith to boost our midfield and bring in Key at right-back?
Stamenic will be back to boost defensive midfield, let’s hope we’ve worked on our set-piece frailties!
Wingers Jack Clarke 12 goals, Jadene Philogene 9 goals, centre-forward George Hurst 7 goals, a fearsome trio.

[jackaway]

Swans make five changes, Vipotnik on the bench!
Swans: Lawrence Vigouroux, Ethan Galbraith, Ben Cabango (c), Cameron Burgess, Josh Tymon, Marko Stamenic, Malick Yalcouye, Liam Cullen, Gustavo Nunes, Jisung Eom, Melker Widell
Subs: Andy Fisher, Josh Key, Jay Fulton, Zan Vipotnik, Ishe Samuels-Smith, Goncalo Franco, Leo Walta, Joel Ward, Ronald

Ipswich: Christian Walton, Leif Davis, Cedric Kipre, Azor Matusiwa, Dan Neil, Wes Burns, Darnell Furlong, Dara O'Shea (c), Ivan Azon, Marcelino Nunez, Anis Mehmeti
Subs: Alex Palmer, Sindre Walle Egeli, George Hirst, Jens Cajuste, Jack Taylor, Kasey McAteer, Jacob Greaves, Chuba Akpom, Jack Clarke

[jackaway]

Ipswich 3 (Mehmeti 2’, Azon 41’, Hirst 74’) - Swansea 0
Just the three, could have been more as a weak Swansea team succumbed to high pressing Ipswich in a one sided match that brings home the reality of how good we really are. Away from home we are just a shadow of our home form and Ipswich strolled it. We are a million miles away from being capable of competing for a play-off place.
It took Ipswich just a few minutes to pierce our sieve defence, Galbraith beaten on the right by Burns for Mehmeti to beat Cabango and score.
Then another goal from the right, winger beats Galbraith and Eom this time and crosses, too easy, weak defending, Burgess gives the ball away, Azon scores.
More feeble defending, this time Tymon is beaten on the left, sub Hirst beats Cabango to score the third goal and Ipswich are strolling.

[jackaway]

Match report

https://www.swanseacity.com/news/report-ipswich-town-3-swansea-city-0

[jackaway]

How can you justify benching our two best players, the divisions leading scorer Vipotnik and key midfielder Franco for this match?

[jackaway]

Match highlights

https://www.skysports.com/football/ipswich-vs-swansea/report/534732

[Estoban]

Reaction from Vitor Matos

https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=Of8ds6WDLDE

[Estoban]

“It was a ninth defeat in 11 away games for the Swans”
That’s how bad we are. If it wasn’t for our home form we’d be deep in relegation trouble. There has been a drop off in our intensity in matches recently, maybe it’s the number of matches close together, but it’s the same for all teams.
We have to face reality, we are just not good enough. If we are weak in half the matches we play we’ll never get anywhere.
We have not seen any improvement in our away form under Matos and it’s a worry.

[Iolo]

Guys, that was hard to take. This is what happens when you have got the wrong mindset going into a match. We looked lethargic whilst Ipswich did not need to get out of first gear.
Wrong selection wrong tactics. Knowing how strong their midfield was we bench Franco and play our best midfielder at rght-back, plus our leading scorer also on the bench?
Burns had Galbraith in his pocket on the right side and the first two goals were as a result of this. The third goal was Tymon beaten on the left side.
Both centre-backs had poor games plus sweeper Stamenic just as well have stayed in bed for the effort he made.
Ronald was a waste of space yet keeps getting picked. Eom too lightweight and gets outmuscled too easily. Cullen is not a replacement for Vipotnik.
And there you have it, 9 defeats from 11 away games, an appalling record and Matos seemingly has no answer to it.

[Iolo]

Extended highlights if you can bear to watch it

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O9zVuyw4Www

[Iolo]

Matos seven defeats from nine away games since his appointment.
Only home form is saving him. What’s the answer?