Post by stevek192 on Dec 15, 2019 12:15:46 GMT
Firstly lets talk about the game yesterday and I have to say that it was a continuation of the second half last week but against a far better opposition. Forget current form or anything like that because this was a game where the players came of age and battled against the opposition and the referee. We won so I feel justified in criticising the 3 officials and possibly the fourth official as wel as being the worst unit of officials we have faced this season. Linesmen caught behind play too often and a referee who it iis amazing he had any control whatsoever as he covered very little ground and was often making decisions at a distance which might have been just as well as he missed so many things when it was under his nose!
Ipswich stood second in the table with last 10 results being P10 W 3 D 6 L1 but opponents recently have been Coventry 3 times, Wycombe , Blackpool and Peterborough so it has been a pretty difficult period of games and having lost 2-1 at home to Coventry on Tuesday night we were up against a team who would have been hurting by that home defeat and desperate to get back to winning ways. A betting man would almost certainly have gone for a draw but so many times I have seen us go into these "big" games and come out second best in all departments. This team under GC are a different animal and is built around three central defenders who unlike the team last season can hold its own against physical opposition most of the time and the difference between even now and the start of the season is that players have settled in and important players are coming into form.
I have to say that I was worried when I saw that there was no Clarke-Harris and we were playing with a Smith/Nichols combination that really wouldn't seem in anyway to suit the way we play a lot of the time. In truth they terrified an Ipswich defence who had only let in 9 goals in the last ten games and whilst we didn't have a huge amount of possession we always looked capable of adding to the two early goals and Smith was very unlucky to not add to his goal with a good header that the keeper brilliantly turned around the post. Rodman and Leahy had their best games of the season the former being a constant thorn in our opponents side with a new found belief that he can take on and beat his opponent with both pace and skill. It was Rodman's pin point cross that set up Nichols goal and he was also our main outlet in a second half where we did drop back and invite Ipswich to try to break us down. With Kayden Jackson and James Norwood up front it was always going to be a tough battle with the pair combining to score what was an outstanding headed goal by Norwood that I felt at the time might open up the floodgates. The fact it didn't was down to battling qualities that we have in abundance in this side which was shown particularly in the 20 minutes play we had down to ten men after Ollie Clarkes second yellow card which appeared to be a case of the fourth official sending him on to the pitch then the referee sending him off for a second yellow card for returning to the pitch without his permission!
Jaakkola 8. Ok he flapped a couple of times when we were under pressure in the first half but this is a class keeper for this division whose shot stopping ability is up with the best. The tip over the bar in the second half was brilliant as was the tip of his fingers save to push a cross shot/cross away from an in rushing player and wide of the far post. He stood firm and in all honesty was outstanding in the second half especially although I would prefer to not see him time wasting which brought a deserved yellow card.
Menayese 9 MOM Magnificent. For one so young and inexperienced he showed a calmness under pressure and a confidence in his ability to bring the ball under control and bring it out. I find it difficult to think of a ball in the air that he didn't win and I am sure he will be disappointed that his header in the first half was over the bar when it really should have been in the Ipswich net and restored our two goal lead.
Craig 8.5 Like the two youngsters around him he marshalled them throughout and was rarely beaten. He is in a great run of form apart from the first half blip last week and always looks on top of the situations. Next week will provide our defence with its biggest test yet!!
Kilgour 7.5 Made one super challenge near the end that prevented what looked like a possible equaliser but whilst making the odd error he does keep going and his overall game is improving all the time.
Rodman 8 This was the Rodman we want to see - pacy and exciting and a continuation of his second half performance last week. Couple this with his willingness to chase back and you have the complete performance.
Upson 8 Battled for everything even when he was on the ground! Came to his own in the second half when it was really needed with tackles and headed clearances and a calming influence on those around him. I really thought we would miss Ogogo but in truth we needn't have worried because our midfield battled away all game and were calm when it needed to be.
Clarke 6.5 Another booking which is becoming customary but certainly did not deserve the sending off. Cleverly set up Smiths goal and battled away. It was a shame his shooting was like it has been most of this season-wayward but he played his part
Sercombe 7.5 Another player who is finding his true form and now looks to be the key midfield player he should be rather than the lost character of early in the season. Always looks like he has a goal in him when he is on this form and had a cracking shot just over in the first half.
Leahy 8 His best game both defensively and Offensively. He got forward whenever he could, put over a couple of great crosses but on top of that was rarely beaten and is a true battler.
Nichols 8 He scored - what more is there to say apart from the fact that he showed great composure on the ball without any backing from the referee and held the ball up well. Ipswich defenders struggled to contain our strikers.
Smith 7.5 . scored a cracking opener and was unlucky with a downward header that produced a good save. He was always a willing runner and made the most of limited possession.
Subs: Adeboyejo 6.5 Came on and did what he was brought on to do which was chase,close down and make a nuisance of himself which he did excellently. He could become a good player with a few games behind him as he is pretty quick for a big man but needs to strengthen up a bit. When he came on though the Ipswich defenders suddenly had something different to worry about.
Tomlinson 6.5. Gave a good account of himself in difficult circumstances when you are playing away to a top side ,under pressure and down to ten players. He could be the next big player to come out of the development squad
Crowd 10 Noisy throughout and described by Ipswich fans as the noisiest supporters at Portman Road this season. The players celebrations at the end showed a togetherness which made GC's after match interview both ill timed and not very well thought out
Ref 1 Summed up by the second yellow card he gave Ollie Clarke which followed an incident where we had two players flat out on the floor following colliisions (Ollie Clarke and Tom Nichols - Nichols in the home sides penalty area and Clarke halfway in the opponents half ) and yet the referee allowed play to continue. This to me produced an incident which the Ipswich Management should be ashamed off where Nichols was being treated and Ollie Clarke was left- surely the Ipswich physio should have assisted and treated the player but it does not surprise me of a team managed by Paul Lambert. The referee then made both players leave the field with a throw in to Ipswich in our half! The referee seemed oblivious throughout to what was going on and missed most decisions that were under his nose.
Ipswich 7 A much better side going forward than defending but perhaps that was down to our clever forwards because they haven't conceded that many goals this season. The fact they didn't score was more down to magnificent defending and goalkeeping than actually them missing chances and the fact they had 22 shots with only four shots on target to our 12 with 3 on target based on a 66% possession to them bears out the fact that other than the shot which hit the bar most of the others were efforts that were nowhere near the goal. On the break in the second half we could have put the game to bed with a little more composure.
GC- Well what can I say? What should have been a great journey home was ruined by this mans interview and shocking news that he was considering (although I would say his mind was made up) quitting. This followed by the news that Mansfield had approached Rovers and their approach turned down as well as sacked their Manager stinks of something not right in our camp. In fact it is my personal opinion that the contact between GC and Mansfield has gone a lot further than the clubs statement makes out and that he certainly wants the job. Whether there is more to this than meets the eye and there has been some news from the owners that has prompted GC to want elsewhere who knows but NOTHING would surprise me with Rovers these days and I really worry about my clubs future in these secretive times. There were rumours that he had actually told the players yesterday he was leaving and his interview after the game was totally brought out by him and not the interviewer and therefore premeditated.
My thoughts now are that this is the end of the road for GC unfortunately as the fact that everything seems to have come out in the wrong order; approach the club for permission and IF GIVEN talk to the Manager and then the Manager comes out and says he is considering his future; leads me to believe there are some wrong doings here and if there are and GC has instigated this then I say good riddance to him but one thing that is certain after his interview is how can he continue as Manager? it is ironic that I have never liked his style of play BUT his results since taking over have been even better than the impressive record which DC had during his best times with us but also that the performances in the last two away games and in the second half last week were starting to make me think that maybe,just maybe things on the field were taking a turn for the better and I was really looking forward to see what further signings he would make in January and how the football we play would change. The timing of these events is despicable - if Mansfield had requested to speak to him and the club turned it down then that SHOULD have been the end of the matter. What we don't know is exactly when did Mansfield request to talk to him,when was it turned down. How much did GC know about this ? Is anything else happening behind the scenes that we do not know about but perhaps GC does? One thing is for sure I always had the impression (wrongly if this is true) that GC was ambitious but if the height of his ambition is to leave us and Manage a team a division below and with NOTHING footballwise to their advantage then a parting of ways is the best outcome but only with suitable compensation being met in full/ There is no point whatsoever in having a Manager who does not WANT to be here and both the timing and content of his interview leaves a bitter taste in my mouth. I just cannot see GC in charge Tuesday night but hope that I am wrong and that the matter can be cleared up. UTG
Ipswich stood second in the table with last 10 results being P10 W 3 D 6 L1 but opponents recently have been Coventry 3 times, Wycombe , Blackpool and Peterborough so it has been a pretty difficult period of games and having lost 2-1 at home to Coventry on Tuesday night we were up against a team who would have been hurting by that home defeat and desperate to get back to winning ways. A betting man would almost certainly have gone for a draw but so many times I have seen us go into these "big" games and come out second best in all departments. This team under GC are a different animal and is built around three central defenders who unlike the team last season can hold its own against physical opposition most of the time and the difference between even now and the start of the season is that players have settled in and important players are coming into form.
I have to say that I was worried when I saw that there was no Clarke-Harris and we were playing with a Smith/Nichols combination that really wouldn't seem in anyway to suit the way we play a lot of the time. In truth they terrified an Ipswich defence who had only let in 9 goals in the last ten games and whilst we didn't have a huge amount of possession we always looked capable of adding to the two early goals and Smith was very unlucky to not add to his goal with a good header that the keeper brilliantly turned around the post. Rodman and Leahy had their best games of the season the former being a constant thorn in our opponents side with a new found belief that he can take on and beat his opponent with both pace and skill. It was Rodman's pin point cross that set up Nichols goal and he was also our main outlet in a second half where we did drop back and invite Ipswich to try to break us down. With Kayden Jackson and James Norwood up front it was always going to be a tough battle with the pair combining to score what was an outstanding headed goal by Norwood that I felt at the time might open up the floodgates. The fact it didn't was down to battling qualities that we have in abundance in this side which was shown particularly in the 20 minutes play we had down to ten men after Ollie Clarkes second yellow card which appeared to be a case of the fourth official sending him on to the pitch then the referee sending him off for a second yellow card for returning to the pitch without his permission!
Jaakkola 8. Ok he flapped a couple of times when we were under pressure in the first half but this is a class keeper for this division whose shot stopping ability is up with the best. The tip over the bar in the second half was brilliant as was the tip of his fingers save to push a cross shot/cross away from an in rushing player and wide of the far post. He stood firm and in all honesty was outstanding in the second half especially although I would prefer to not see him time wasting which brought a deserved yellow card.
Menayese 9 MOM Magnificent. For one so young and inexperienced he showed a calmness under pressure and a confidence in his ability to bring the ball under control and bring it out. I find it difficult to think of a ball in the air that he didn't win and I am sure he will be disappointed that his header in the first half was over the bar when it really should have been in the Ipswich net and restored our two goal lead.
Craig 8.5 Like the two youngsters around him he marshalled them throughout and was rarely beaten. He is in a great run of form apart from the first half blip last week and always looks on top of the situations. Next week will provide our defence with its biggest test yet!!
Kilgour 7.5 Made one super challenge near the end that prevented what looked like a possible equaliser but whilst making the odd error he does keep going and his overall game is improving all the time.
Rodman 8 This was the Rodman we want to see - pacy and exciting and a continuation of his second half performance last week. Couple this with his willingness to chase back and you have the complete performance.
Upson 8 Battled for everything even when he was on the ground! Came to his own in the second half when it was really needed with tackles and headed clearances and a calming influence on those around him. I really thought we would miss Ogogo but in truth we needn't have worried because our midfield battled away all game and were calm when it needed to be.
Clarke 6.5 Another booking which is becoming customary but certainly did not deserve the sending off. Cleverly set up Smiths goal and battled away. It was a shame his shooting was like it has been most of this season-wayward but he played his part
Sercombe 7.5 Another player who is finding his true form and now looks to be the key midfield player he should be rather than the lost character of early in the season. Always looks like he has a goal in him when he is on this form and had a cracking shot just over in the first half.
Leahy 8 His best game both defensively and Offensively. He got forward whenever he could, put over a couple of great crosses but on top of that was rarely beaten and is a true battler.
Nichols 8 He scored - what more is there to say apart from the fact that he showed great composure on the ball without any backing from the referee and held the ball up well. Ipswich defenders struggled to contain our strikers.
Smith 7.5 . scored a cracking opener and was unlucky with a downward header that produced a good save. He was always a willing runner and made the most of limited possession.
Subs: Adeboyejo 6.5 Came on and did what he was brought on to do which was chase,close down and make a nuisance of himself which he did excellently. He could become a good player with a few games behind him as he is pretty quick for a big man but needs to strengthen up a bit. When he came on though the Ipswich defenders suddenly had something different to worry about.
Tomlinson 6.5. Gave a good account of himself in difficult circumstances when you are playing away to a top side ,under pressure and down to ten players. He could be the next big player to come out of the development squad
Crowd 10 Noisy throughout and described by Ipswich fans as the noisiest supporters at Portman Road this season. The players celebrations at the end showed a togetherness which made GC's after match interview both ill timed and not very well thought out
Ref 1 Summed up by the second yellow card he gave Ollie Clarke which followed an incident where we had two players flat out on the floor following colliisions (Ollie Clarke and Tom Nichols - Nichols in the home sides penalty area and Clarke halfway in the opponents half ) and yet the referee allowed play to continue. This to me produced an incident which the Ipswich Management should be ashamed off where Nichols was being treated and Ollie Clarke was left- surely the Ipswich physio should have assisted and treated the player but it does not surprise me of a team managed by Paul Lambert. The referee then made both players leave the field with a throw in to Ipswich in our half! The referee seemed oblivious throughout to what was going on and missed most decisions that were under his nose.
Ipswich 7 A much better side going forward than defending but perhaps that was down to our clever forwards because they haven't conceded that many goals this season. The fact they didn't score was more down to magnificent defending and goalkeeping than actually them missing chances and the fact they had 22 shots with only four shots on target to our 12 with 3 on target based on a 66% possession to them bears out the fact that other than the shot which hit the bar most of the others were efforts that were nowhere near the goal. On the break in the second half we could have put the game to bed with a little more composure.
GC- Well what can I say? What should have been a great journey home was ruined by this mans interview and shocking news that he was considering (although I would say his mind was made up) quitting. This followed by the news that Mansfield had approached Rovers and their approach turned down as well as sacked their Manager stinks of something not right in our camp. In fact it is my personal opinion that the contact between GC and Mansfield has gone a lot further than the clubs statement makes out and that he certainly wants the job. Whether there is more to this than meets the eye and there has been some news from the owners that has prompted GC to want elsewhere who knows but NOTHING would surprise me with Rovers these days and I really worry about my clubs future in these secretive times. There were rumours that he had actually told the players yesterday he was leaving and his interview after the game was totally brought out by him and not the interviewer and therefore premeditated.
My thoughts now are that this is the end of the road for GC unfortunately as the fact that everything seems to have come out in the wrong order; approach the club for permission and IF GIVEN talk to the Manager and then the Manager comes out and says he is considering his future; leads me to believe there are some wrong doings here and if there are and GC has instigated this then I say good riddance to him but one thing that is certain after his interview is how can he continue as Manager? it is ironic that I have never liked his style of play BUT his results since taking over have been even better than the impressive record which DC had during his best times with us but also that the performances in the last two away games and in the second half last week were starting to make me think that maybe,just maybe things on the field were taking a turn for the better and I was really looking forward to see what further signings he would make in January and how the football we play would change. The timing of these events is despicable - if Mansfield had requested to speak to him and the club turned it down then that SHOULD have been the end of the matter. What we don't know is exactly when did Mansfield request to talk to him,when was it turned down. How much did GC know about this ? Is anything else happening behind the scenes that we do not know about but perhaps GC does? One thing is for sure I always had the impression (wrongly if this is true) that GC was ambitious but if the height of his ambition is to leave us and Manage a team a division below and with NOTHING footballwise to their advantage then a parting of ways is the best outcome but only with suitable compensation being met in full/ There is no point whatsoever in having a Manager who does not WANT to be here and both the timing and content of his interview leaves a bitter taste in my mouth. I just cannot see GC in charge Tuesday night but hope that I am wrong and that the matter can be cleared up. UTG
