Dara O'Shea and Jacob Greaves, pictured during Tuesday night's 1-0 home defeat to Crystal Palace.Dara O'Shea and Jacob Greaves, pictured during Tuesday night's 1-0 home defeat to Crystal Palace. (Image: Ross Halls)
SOMETHING TO AVOID
Tuesday night’s 1-0 home loss to Crystal Palace was the first time Ipswich had tasted defeat in a midweek home league match under Kieran McKenna (W11 D3 prior to that).
The last time the Blues suffered back-to-back defeats at Portman Road was in August/September 2021. A 5-2 thrashing at the hands of Bolton in League One was followed up by a 2-1 defeat to West Ham Under-21s in the Papa John’s Trophy. Paul Cook was sacked less than three months later.
The last time Town suffered back-to-back league defeats on Suffolk soil was in January 2021. Peterborough and Sunderland both triumphed 1-0 in third-tier fixtures. Paul Lambert was sacked less than a month later.
Omari Hutchinson (left) celebrates scoring Ipswich Town's equaliser in an entertaining 1-1 home draw with Manchester United.Omari Hutchinson (left) celebrates scoring Ipswich Town's equaliser in an entertaining 1-1 home draw with Manchester United. (Image: Ross Halls)
SOMETHING TO CHASH
Along with QPR (23rd in the Championship) and Morecambe (22nd in League Two), Town are one of only three clubs in the top four tiers still to win a home league games this season.
Tuesday night’s 1-0 defeat to fellow strugglers Crystal Palace was flat. So was the 2-0 loss to Everton back in mid-October.
Other than that, it’s important to remember, Portman Road has remained a vibrant, noisy place to watch absorbing, entertaining, highly-competitive games of football.
Town pushed the current league-leaders Liverpool hard for an hour on the opening day. They dominated against Leicester only to be robbed by the officials. They were the team that looked the more likely to win in the latter stages of draws against Fulham, Aston Villa and Manchester United too.
When that first Premier League win in more than 22 years comes – and it will come – it's going to feel special.
Dean Huijsen celebrates after scoring Bournemouth's winner against Tottenham on Thursday night.Dean Huijsen celebrates after scoring Bournemouth's winner against Tottenham on Thursday night. (Image: PA)
THE OPPOSITION
Bournemouth will pose yet another huge test.
This is season number eight out of 10 in the Premier League for the south coast club. They finished 12th in Adoni Iraola’s debut season in charge. Now they’re looking to kick on.
When star striker Dominic Solanke was sold to Tottenham in the summer, they put together a £40m package to land Brazilian replacement Evanilson from Porto.
Goalkeeper Kepa, on loan from Chelsea, was at Real Madrid last season. New left-back Milos Kerkez is already being linked with a big-money move to Liverpool. Only Erling Haaland has had more shots than winger Antoine Semenyo in the Premier League this season.
They have depth too. Tyler Adams, Alex Scott, Dango Ouattara and Luis Sinisterra – none of whom are regular starters - all cost in excess of £20m to sign at various junctures.
The Cherries have earned plenty of plaudits for the way they play. They’ve beaten Arsenal, Man City and Tottenham at the Vitality Stadium. Thursday night's 1-0 win over the latter could and should have been by a much bigger margin.
Leicester City's Stephy Mavididi (left) and Bournemouth's Antoine Semenyo battle for the ball. The Cherries lost that game, away from home, back in early October.Leicester City's Stephy Mavididi (left) and Bournemouth's Antoine Semenyo battle for the ball. The Cherries lost that game, away from home, back in early October. (Image: PA)
CAUSE FOR OPTIMISM
Town have struggled most this season when they’ve come up against physical and direct opposition. West Ham, Everton, Nottingham Forest and Crystal Palace are all cases in point.
McKenna’s men prefer going toe-to-toe in a football match. This game, therefore, will hopefully suit them more stylistically.
Away from home, Bournemouth have taken eight points from seven games, conceding 13 goals across those games. Ipswich can take heart from the fact they lost 1-0 at Leicester in October.
The Blues have also had two days extra rest for this fixture, with Iraola’s men having faced Tottenham, at home, in a physically demanding game of football on Thursday night.
Will three-goal Sammie Szmodics return to the Town team this weekend?Will three-goal Sammie Szmodics return to the Town team this weekend? (Image: Ross Halls)
WHO PLAYS?
McKenna made four changes to his team in midweek, with Harry Clarke, Jacob Greaves, Wes Burns and Jack Clarke coming in for Axel Tuanzebe (hamstring), Cameron Burgess, Conor Chaplin and Sammie Szmodics.
What will he do today?
Ben Johnson, having overcome his latest muscle injury, could replace Harry Clarke at right-back and be tasked with keeping Semenyo quiet.
Kalvin Phillips, who has recovered from a minor ankle issue, is an option to freshen up the midfield. As good as Jens Cajuste has been, it may be a risk starting him for a third game in a week given the knee issue he’s managing. Jack Taylor is another option.
I can see some rotation in attack. Szmodics back in for Jack Clarke is one potential change. Possibly Chaplin for Burns too, with Omari Hutchinson moving out to the right.
Striker Liam Delap, meanwhile, will be tasked with starting three games in a week for the first time this calendar year.
HEAD-TO-HEAD
The last four meetings have all ended in draws (all Championship matches between 2013 and 2015).
It’s not often these two clubs have shared a division. You have to go back to March 1989 for the last time Ipswich won this fixture. Dalian Atkinson bagged a brace and John Wark got the other in a 3-1 second-tier win at Portman Road.
THE ODDS
Bournemouth are 11/10 favourites, a draw is 14/5, with Town priced at 5/2 for victory.