1 ppg avg would be suffolking good come Saturday Knight. BWFC v Ipswich 20/1/18 3pm

[bristol_Wanderer3]

We are back on it on Saturday as we welcome Ipswich to the Macron in our ongoing quest to escape the Championship trap door. Win this and we get to 28 points from 28 games, the first time we would have got to a one point per game average this season. In the context of the Championship this is most certainly winnable.

Any mention of Ipswich for many BWFC fans conjures up memories of play off battles around the turn of the century. In the 1998/99 we beat them on away goals in the play off semis before losing to Watford at Wembley. Then in 1999/2000 we drew them again in the play off semi finals. This time largely down to the protestations of the Ipswich chairman David Sheepshanks, away goals was removed as a method of settling even ties. We drew 2-2 at the Reebok, and eventually lost 5-3 in the second leg at Portman Road, after being level 3-3 after 90 minutes. The main story though was the performance of referee Barry Knight. He awarded Ipswich three very dubious penalties in the 2nd leg, booked 0 Ipswich players, whilst awarding an astounding 12 yelllows, and 2 red cards to BWFC players. Knight was subsequently barred from refereing our matches. For those of a strong disposition, highlights of the 5-3 game are here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EZrozLYtmL4&t=309s

Ipswich were promoted in 2000 but their stint in the Premiership lasted only two seasons and they were relegated in 2001/02, the first season of our own eleven season long stint in the top division. I am sure BSA had no thoughts of revenge at all as we did the double over them that season (cough). Ever since then Ipswich have been in the Championship, rarely threatening to go up or down. Some might call it stability, others stagnation, but crowds are at their lowest level for decades as disquiet over the entertainment levels in the last couple of seasons have led to calls for change. Change would represent the loss of long term manager Mick McCarthy, or long term owner Marcus Evans. However given Evans has sunk £100m into the club during his ten year ownership stint, and McCarthy has guided the club to upper mid table finishes each season until last years 16th, it might be a case of being careful what one wishes for. Currently Ipswich are 12th with 39 points from 27 games, just four points outside the play offs.

For us our chances of winning this are largely dependent on whether Karl Henry is fit to take his place in the midfield. If he isn't then personally I feel our midfield, without Pratley as well, will be too weak to win this. If he is (cautiously positive noises are being reported in the BEN) then we have a decent chance imho. COYW.

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

Do they still play a flat 4-4-2? Might make it easier for our midfield if there's more of us. Big decision over Henry - given we have a fortnight off after this, might it be seen as rushing him back? That said, if we don't risk him and we lose, that would make it a month since our last win by the time we host Exciting Bristol City on telly on Fri 2 Feb...

[officer_dibble]

I would be very surprised if Henry doesn’t play. Who makes way will be interesting. I would play Vela for his energy over Derik.

[Dr Hotdog]

Great thread title, but the reference to Knight...?

[BWFC_Insane]

Big Mick's team is exactly the sort of team I don't really want us face right now. They'll be physical and probably outfight us in midfield.

Henry is essential but you can't rush people back from these things. We needed to sign a proper midfield player and haven't and therefore can only blame ourselves.

[Harry Genshaw]

^ We could be playing St Pauls c of e 2nd XI and you'd be telling us they're the last opponents you'd want us to be facing!

They're all tough games at this level and wit the exception of Wolves, we're capable of winning or losing against anyone at home this season.

McCarthy has done a remarkable job there all things considered and I'd be delighted if in 5 years time we've had 5 mid table finishes like they have. That said, for the older Town fans it must feel a little like stagnation, yet without significant new funds they won't be leaving this division in an upwards direction any time soon.

We're due a win against em so I'll go for a hard fought 2-1 win. Alf with the winner

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

They're all tough games at this level and wit the exception of Wolves, we're capable of winning or losing against anyone at home this season.

A fair point Mr G, and I would hope to add that we're theoretically more than capable of yer old smash-n-grab 1-0 aways. Ask the Blades. What a Sweet, Sweet victory that was.

[Lost Leopard Spot]

Just to point out I've been a proponent of Big Mick 'mick' McCarthy's managerial style for many a year. Hence why I don't feel particularly comfortable against them... St Paul's CofE Second XI on the other hand, I think we'd give a whupping.

[BWFC_Insane]

^ We could be playing St Pauls c of e 2nd XI and you'd be telling us they're the last opponents you'd want us to be facing!

They're all tough games at this level and wit the exception of Wolves, we're capable of winning or losing against anyone at home this season.

McCarthy has done a remarkable job there all things considered and I'd be delighted if in 5 years time we've had 5 mid table finishes like they have. That said, for the older Town fans it must feel a little like stagnation, yet without significant new funds they won't be leaving this division in an upwards direction any time soon.

We're due a win against em so I'll go for a hard fought 2-1 win. Alf with the winner

Nah. I mean our midfield is so weak I'd not fancy us to beat many if any right now. But I'd probably prefer to face Wolves than Ipswich. At least we'd expect nowt and staying in the game as long as possible would be a bonus.

But if we could get our full team out and we can beat Ipswich (but we can't). They will be organised, physical and there will be a period in the game where their midfield gets on top of ours and they have enough quality to make that count. They'll also probably handle Madine better than many teams would.

[TANGODANCER]

Great thread title, but the reference to Knight...?

My thoughts exactly. Like bad indigestion, not even cured by a couple of Rennies....(there's a pun in there somewhere?)

[Lost Leopard Spot]

Great thread title, but the reference to Knight...?

My thoughts exactly. Like bad indigestion, not even cured by a couple of Rennies....(there's a pun in there somewhere?)

Bennies rather than Rennies maybe (, although you don't take Bennies for indigestion, more for depression).

[TANGODANCER]

Great thread title, but the reference to Knight...?

My thoughts exactly. Like bad indigestion, not even cured by a couple of Rennies....(there's a pun in there somewhere?)

Bennies rather than Rennies maybe (, although you don't take Bennies for indigestion, more for depression).

http://www.rennie.co.uk/?gclid=EAIaIQob ... gLQrfD_BwE

[Lost Leopard Spot]

Great thread title, but the reference to Knight...?

My thoughts exactly. Like bad indigestion, not even cured by a couple of Rennies....(there's a pun in there somewhere?)

Bennies rather than Rennies maybe (, although you don't take Bennies for indigestion, more for depression).

http://www.rennie.co.uk/?gclid=EAIaIQob ... gLQrfD_BwE

I might have got the wrong Knight.

[BWFC_Insane]

Great thread title, but the reference to Knight...?

My thoughts exactly. Like bad indigestion, not even cured by a couple of Rennies....(there's a pun in there somewhere?)

Bennies rather than Rennies maybe (, although you don't take Bennies for indigestion, more for depression).

http://www.rennie.co.uk/?gclid=EAIaIQob ... gLQrfD_BwE

I might have got the wrong Knight.

Barry Knight. Uriah Rennie. I doubt any Bolton fan forgets that "Knight". Nor will we ever forget Uriah Rennie giving us every single decision under the sun whenever he refereed a match involving us. Especially at Wolves!

[boltonboris]

Big Mick's team is exactly the sort of team I don't really want us face right now. They'll be physical and probably outfight us in midfield.

Henry is essential but you can't rush people back from these things. We needed to sign a proper midfield player and haven't and therefore can only blame ourselves.

They're exactly the kind of team we want to be playing!! Fans and manager at loggerheads, players getting pelters off the fans. Training ground bustups. It's a good job they started the season well, because they'll be right down there come May

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

Big Mick's team is exactly the sort of team I don't really want us face right now. They'll be physical and probably outfight us in midfield.

Henry is essential but you can't rush people back from these things. We needed to sign a proper midfield player and haven't and therefore can only blame ourselves.

They're exactly the kind of team we want to be playing!! Fans and manager at loggerheads, players getting pelters off the fans. Training ground bustups. It's a good job they started the season well, because they'll be right down there come May

I might not go quite that far, Boz, unless they implode; they've only got four points from the last five games, but they won three out of the previous four.

That said, since the October internationals, they've got 21pts from 17 games compared to our 23pts from 16: not quite relegation form, but hardly promotion fodder either. I know dear old BWFCi thrives on pessimism (Motto: "Expect the worst and you'll never be disappointed!") and I can see what he means, particularly without the Henry-Pratley axis; however, and without reducing a McCarthy team to the sort of stereotype which could easily be applied to us, I'd usually rather face a muscular outfit than an intricate pass-and-move team who might get between the ageing players in our defensive block.

[boltonboris]

That was going to be my next point. Cardiff are a tougher side than Ipswich.

We fare better against physical sides than good footballing sides

[boltonboris]

Incidentally, I've been in Ipswich for the last couple of days (nice town) and whenever I'm down there, you never hear a good word said about Mick

[bw@bw]

Incidentally, I've been in Ipswich for the last couple of days (nice town) and whenever I'm down there, you never hear a good word said about Mick

Mick works to the rules set down by owner Marcus Evans.
Spelt out here. http://www.eadt.co.uk/sport/ipswich-tow ... -1-5325327
Basically- " i have put enough money in. now I expect to break even. That should keep us in the Championship.
It would be nice to get promoted but i don't expect it."

As long as they don't get relegated, Mick keeps his job

Not sure that Ken is wealthy enough to take the same view????

[TANGODANCER]

Here's how to win this game: Score one more goal than Ipswich. That's it. Sorted.