Ipswich Town vs Everton

I think that's the team Lyndon. Dyche is not that hard to figure out. More's the pity. That said, I expect us to get a result. It would be nice if Ndiaye scored his second but I'm also just glad that he's available.

Delap (is he Rory's lad, the fella with the long throw) could be one of the deals of the summer with a tidy profit when he shifts ship. Sigh.

He'll come on in the 80th minute for goalscorer Ndiaye as an extra CB to defend the 1-0 lead.

Or he'll come on in the 80th minute for Young as part of a converted back 3 to allow our ace striker Keane to move up the pitch in an effort to overcome a 1-0 deficit.

Or he'll come on in the 95th minute of a 0-0 draw to defend a final corner.

Or... Dyche will shock the shit out of all of us and start him.

Good old Everton are in town. Hope I'm wrong. 2-1 loss.

What a miserable little puff of a post. You will be wrong. Thanks for all the cliches though. Everton that, hey, Andy?

3-0 Blues.

Rob, let me know where you will be. Likewise John. I'll PM you both.

Let's go blues. Club politics can wait. Now it's match day mode and going to get the points. Believe and win.

I'm sure that is fine for locally based supporters. I'll have to travel up the night before and stay at my sister's, as I would imagine with them in town, even the Adelphi's prices will go through the roof.

Back to tomorrow, whoever has the privilege to walk on the pitch and wear the Royal Blue shirt, we'll be right behind them.

You never know – it might just catch on. 2-0 to us.

We're on the 7:40 out of Lime Street to Euston, and the 11:00 from Liverpool Street to Ipswich. Due in to Ipswich around midday.

Kopites are gobsbites!

So I’m not jinxing this BUT…on my way back from the shops this morning I met a lovely Rhodesian Ridgeback and I’m taking that as a Danny O’men.

I’m always positive and cannot for the life of me understand why people feel the need to predict a defeat before a ball has been kicked, nor even up to the final whistle unless the opposition are out of sight.

And this “oh here we go” shite if we go a goal down early on or it’s still 0-0 at half time…

Is it some sort of smug warm I told you so glow that makes people do that? Do they think they are somehow more knowledgable of the game and all things Everton if they get it right?

UTFT

Ps - you might want to check your spelling of gobshites before Brian reads that…

😬

Gana back in centre midfield, defend and counter attack for a 1-0 away win.

Just to reiterate though.

Kopites are Gobshites!

For this game, I would keep interchanging McNeil and Ndaiye, I would also leave Harrison out and play Mangala, Gana and Doucoure in midfield.

But Dyche hasn't played 3 in midfield so guess he won't start tomorrow; I just feel 3 in midfield would give us more control.

Hey hey, stop that you'll have me checking the taps off three times!!!

Unbelievable that they didn't even speak to Howe, who was the highest English Premier League manager last season.

The betting has Ipswitch favs to win with home advantage.
Injuries or not I think we can win this or at worse a draw.

There's the station hotel opposite the station but that is about it. Most pubs in town and close to the ground are pretty exclusively Town only.

I'm looking forward to Saturday immensely, but am also rather nervous as to whether we can get over the drop in performance seen at the London Stadium, as Town need to get a win in one of the next three from you (H), Brentford (A) and Leicester (A).

Great to be playing Everton again, an established and well supported Premier League team – we had a good rivalry in the early 80s – when Ipswich were superb. I've been following your new stadium with great interest – it's stunning.

I've been reviewing this thread with interest, and you're right to expect at least a draw, and some seem to suggest anything less than a win is a poor result.

I would say there are four factors about Town as an opponent:

1) McKenna is the real deal, he's an unbelievable manager - both technically and from a player development and culture setting perspective. As The Athletic points out, McKenna can tweak the system and shape to suit opponents, or in game, unlike some of his peers.

2) We have been gelling an expensively assembled set of promising (young top level Championship players), despite being in flux we have been improving - the West Ham debacle aside. Delap, Clarke, Greaves look Premier ready, but we maybe lack Premier League nous. Phillips though has been settling very well – again apart from at the London Stadium.

3) The Villa performance was very good (draw), as was also the Fulham and Brighton games (draws against good teams) yes they maybe had an eye on Bayern Munich, but we genuinely had them on the ropes second half.

4) Portman Road can really get going and fire up the team, and the Delap equaliser against Villa was due to in part due to that (and his superb ability – you'll need good centre-backs against him).

Having said all that, Saturday will come down to whether we can eradicate the errors and turn up the performance to 11. If you turn up and we aren't on our game , it could be a happy away day for you, and it seems you're in some okay form.

Also negatively our former Man Utd reserve captain and big prospect Axel Tuanzebe - who we rehabilitated superbly - is out. And he's probably been our stand-out player. And the jury is little out on Johnson from West Ham at right back. Big game for him.

Look out for our left-back, Davis… you'll need a good right back against him and Jack Clarke. And also Hutchinson at Number 10, picked up from Chelsea, he's the real deal and had a good game for England U21.

Also our captain Sam Morsy - a beast (maybe not in stature but work rate) - who loves a yellow card. Finally Jacob Greaves we are very pleased with his progress at left centre back.

It's a huge game for us, and important for you to get away from the mire. As I'm sure Wolves will sack their manager soon and invest to survive. Perhaps as you will with your new backing.

Enjoy your trip to ‘sleepy' Suffolk, proper ground, and we're expecting more noise from you than your very quiet neighbours.

May the best team win – come on you Blues!

I'm sure I remember Vinny Samways leaning on the advertising hoarding having a joke with the Ipswich fans in front of me (sitting quietly incognito- ish until the final whistle).

Of course what happened a couple of weeks later is stuff of legend.

So expecting something similar, a late goal from Calvert-Lewin for a 0-1 win, and a Calvert-Lewin winner in the cup final next May (dreams on…).

UTFT! Come on travelling blues, roar them on for the 3 points!

Anywhere we like!

Everton can score but miss too many chances created, so I expect them to keep the point they have as soon as they kick off – and are good enough to increase it.

I've asked this before, do we have any “away fans not welcome” pubs? I've not noticed any. Are we the only ones who don't if so? I can't remember any other away ground that doesn't allow both sets to mix.

For those of you going tomorrow, have a great day. I'm jealous as fuck, especially as I'll be having my covid booster jab at 15:00!

Are you Brian's (Harold's) son?
Will I see you a week tomorrow at the anniversary bash?

Soz eds.

I have been advocating 3 in midfield all season as it tightens up our control of the game, seeing as we surrender so much possession.

Yes I am but my dad will kill you for calling him Harold :-)

See next week.

I've also being saying it from our first game, why he won't shore up our midfield by playing 4-3-3?

We've been overrun in every game; playing two and Harrison is not working.

He'll start Keane even though Branthwaite has trained for the last two days with no reaction to his injury, doesn't make sense.

And as for O'Brien, he's talking shite about him saying he's not used to the physicality of the Premier League – he's 6ft-6in for fuck's sake!

Town centre is pretty rubbish for pubs but if you head to Christchurch Park area there's The Greyhound (a very Town supporting pub but good beer and atmosphere) or The Woolpack (literally over the road from mine). Again very local and Town but good beer etc.

Enjoy. I'm missing the game unfortunately as I've got to go to Whitstable for my sins.

Are you talking about Vinny Samways scoring the winner in the Community Shield? :)

My last visit to Portman Road too. Ipswich played us off the park, but Rideout got the only goal.

We were hanging on for grim death at the end, and I remember Jigsaw getting sent off for time-wasting.

They move the ball quickly and have plenty of pace up front, so we need to be tight in midfield but I think they will cause problems on the flanks with their pace.

Without Branthwaite, we will be too slow in the centre, so Keane who has been doing well of late will have to be very focused. I would be disappointed to lose this one, so a draw at least for me.

I haven’t watched Ipswich but it won’t be an easy game at Portman Rd, even though we are fuckn shite!

It is truly remarkable how this is allowed to go on without hardly a murmur from the club or even our supporters.

I think I am right in saying in Olivers last 2 Everton matches he denied us 2 nailed on pens v Burnley and ensured Arsenal got their win in the last game of the season.

Courtesy of ToffeeWebs match report for Arsenal game 'Oliver could have restored justice on the advice of Attwell but in a rare instance of a referee not reversing the on-field decision after being sent to the monitor, he allowed the Arsenal goal to stand'.

Pawson sent off Dom for an almost perfect tackle last season and after disallowing our goal and awarding Newcastle a pen last week was still comfortable in not giving Everton the nailed on penalty they deserved.

This is blatant corruption and if Alex Ferguson was our manger Pawson and Oliver would never get the chance to referee an Everton game ever again.

Yet still there will be plenty of people saying there is no corruption.

I look at the team news then who is the ref and VAR to decide what I will take from a game.

I will be very happy with a draw FFS!

COYB!

An interesting and entertaining game for the neutral/

I am going for a 2-2 draw!

Mark, I seem to have a knack of negotiating my way into pubs. It must be my innocent face!!

Closer to the time, if you fancy, I'll speak to my cousin from Battersea. He's taking me to Chelsea v Everton with his mates in April next year. I asked him if I need to keep quiet. He said it's okay, you're with me. He is built like a bouncer mind!!

We did once have a goalkeeper we nicknamed Duran. He loved it. Thought it meant he had pop star looks. Nah. It was about his hands of stone. He never caught on.

By whom, pray tell?

We are far too nice. We should be kicking up a right fuss! 4 home games this season and Pawson has reffed 2 of them!! How has this been allowed??

Oliver will stitch us up tomorrow and nice little Everton will do absolutely nothing about it!!!

And then Wembley after, I didn't go but was a great time to be an Evertonian. Duncan's blue nose etc.

Perhaps tomorrow we turn the corner. UTFT!

Not being a fan of much of the bullshit of Tik Tok and the likes, I usually give its content a wide berth, never look at it.

But, I do remember being staggered when I saw this.. not because of the money involved, true or not, but because of the links to influence:

https://www.tiktok.com/@joe.ham1/video/7372257415531597089?lang=en

Good luck to Everton. Defend and hopefully nick a goal.

The young City prospect is a confident lad, whilst Smodzics is also an obvious danger.

That game you refer to was a Monday night if I remember correctly. I think we got home about 5 in the morning after a few stops due to our driver nearly falling asleep at the wheel.

Sorry it got snagged, so any responses to it will appear below this post.

UTFT

No mention of the times we have been on the receiving end of certain referees on a regular basis. Please keep talking, Howard!

Was that the game we ensured our survival, Rob, just before we beat Man Utd for our last piece of silverware all those years ago?

Ipswich deserve to stay up on their own merits though. Good luck to you throughout the season, especially versus Liverpool.

I'm glad Ipswich are back in the big league because I can still remember the brilliant football you used to play in the eighties.

I can still remember you throwing the league away to Villa when they lost at Highbury (my memory says you lost at Boro, I might be wrong?) but I can also remember some of the fantastic players you had around this time, and some of the fantastic football that you produced.

I watched you win at Millwall last February, and I thought you got the ball into the wide areas really well that night after a shaky start. My worry is that we leave a lot of space out wide, because our fullbacks are made to defend narrow.

Come on you blues indeed, and if it was that match I referred to in the post above, I can still remember the Ipswich fans on the pitch at Portman Road singing to the Evertonians that you wanted us to win the Cup Final against Man Utd at the end of that game.

I remember seeing Ipswich on US TV for a match or two back in your glorious early '80s, and I especially enjoyed seeing your lads Wark and Osman in Escape to Victory (known simply as "Victory" here in the States). I often wondered why Wark didn't get any lines to speak, but read years later it was because of his thick Scottish accent. Yet the verbally incomprehensible Sly Stallone got lots of dialog. Go figure.

Feel free to stop back in here for an e-beer after the match.

I remember that fantastic Ipwich team.

You know you and other supporters will always be welcome around Goodison and our new stadium.

Looking forward to my trip to Ipswich tomorrow.

Yep, that was the game to ensure survival. A happy trip home, but sometimes a little scary!!

I met your manager once. He has connections to a hotel in Fermanagh but I can't remember the connection.

Anyway, it was all GAA until we stumbled across one another. If charisma has anything to do with success – and I think it does... he will go far.

Obviously we want the Fermanagh lad to feck up this weekend … again!

Yes, last bit of silverware was all thanks to Vinny's goal, of course not quite as dramatic as the final in May.

Shame he never settled, not sure why. Always looked good with ‘socks rolled down' and the ball at his feet (until he lost it..).

A bit too lightweight perhaps for the Royle Blues. Shame it all fell apart.

Cooper, Burley, Mills, Osman, Butcher, Muhren, Thijssen, Wark, Gates, Brazil, Mariner. Could have won a treble in '81, similar to Everton '85.

Escape to Victory, and Pele used to hang out with Ipswich players, Osman, Wark and Kevin O'Callaghan. Was it him or Laurie Sivell (Cooper's understudy in real footy) who was the goalie who had to have his arm broken to allow Hatch (Stallone) to play as part of the escape plan.

March '85. FA Cup quarter-final. Can you remember Kevin Sheedy's double freekick? Big Nev described Sheeds as our Maradona or Messi, and he wasn't far wrong, either assisting or scoring every week. Mountfield's equaliser. A huge relief as the treble bid continued.

Obviously wanting an Everton win tomorrow but that Ipswich team of '81 was special and will never be forgotten. I hope Ipswich stay up and become an established Premier League club.

Oh shite, last thing I wanted to hear.

Thanks for dropping in, Michael – let us know your thoughts on the match thread after the final whistle.

Ipswich is a nice town with a great marina. I had a nice week there 10 years or so ago working for a week in the Suffolk Record Office (staying right at the top end of that big park - Christchurch Park?). Mind you that twat Cardinal Wolsey was born in Ipswich.

I almost feel that I would like a draw after Michael's nice post.

It will be a tough game, they all are, and first goal will likely be crucial even though we have struggled with leads this year. COYB

Something is wrong. Far too many injuries coming from nowhere. We would probably have a fitter squad if they just played golf all week and turned up at the weekend for a kickabout.

Is it because he scored that goal that kept us in the Premier League many moons ago, that he automatically wastes a place and oxygen and is the first name on the toilet roll or team sheet?

Ipswich have spent a lot on players since promotion, doesn't always work, and let's wish that continues today!

So my conclusion is he is either very incompetant or corrupt.

If he is very incompetent (and it is just a coincidence that when he referees an Everton game his bad decisions are mainly against us) how come he was selected to referee the Euros?

Is being selected for the Euros a reward for his awful refereeing? Surely you should reward good refereeing!

Just to echo the sentiments of some other posters, I also had a bit of a soft spot for Ipswich in the '80s. Not sure why… perhaps it was some of them quality Adidas kits. Oh what I'd give for our team to have a decent adidas kit now.

Anyway… where was I?

Fortunately for you Mike I don't think you will have much to worry about today. The ingredients are all there ; Oliver, Pawson and a team looking for their first win. We all know how this ends.

Lyndon's team will be pretty close to the starting eleven I reckon, with the possible exception of Gueye for Mangala.

Cue some uplifting lyrics from Mr McKane to lighten the mood. Come on you blues - prove me wrong.

Full support.
Onward Evertonians.
💙

You heard anything, Tone?? Hope it's nonsense.

Link

Come on Blues, it's only Ipswich FFS! They were playing in The Tractor and Ploughed Field League only a couple of years ago, and they nearly went down, avoiding relegation into The Offshore Trawler and Oil Rigs Conference Division by a whisker, and allegedly a bribe of unlimited Bernard Mathews turkeys to the league administrators. They also talk in funny accents down there and marry their cousins all the time. sometimes several times. this alone means we must not lose against them and should avoid a Deliverance style rogering at all costs. (James Tarkowski in the Burt Reynolds role?)

In other news, I suppose Tuchel won't be replacing Sean Dyche anytime soon then?

Everton to win 2-0. Dyche to make radical game changing substitutions at half time.

COYB!!

That said, if there's a game we have a chance of winning away, it's this one.

As someone who lived in Norwich for 5 years, I have to hate Ipswich.

Does anyone know what pubs to go to pre-game? I'll be in town from about 1.45.

As you say your crowd really gave them great backing and will do so today- - - but so will our voracious 3,000 if our players give them the slightest hint that we’ve come there to win.

Best of luck to you and your club this season, obviously not today though Michael!

Good news for us because he’s a good player, apparently, but imagine the DCL boo boys if he came out with that one as an excuse for not playing. Washing the dishes apparently.

See, we are not the only ones who pick up weird injuries during the international breaks.

Ipswich yet to win a game and Everton's defence almost as bad as Wolves (the worst) doesn't auger well.

However, things seem to be improving albeit at a snail's pace so we can be a little optimistic about the result despite the absentees.

Anyway I fancy a close win 2-1 to us with our usual 35% possession

He's warned me that Ipswich are not as bad as their position, they are very quick on the break and only lacking luck in front of goal, we have to be very focused for this one and above all take our chances, as my buddy stated, they do give you chances.

That's exactly what our opponents say amid phrases like "circling the drain for years". Hard to disagree with them.

2-0 to the Toffees, a clean sheet with DCL grabbing a brace!

UTFT