Norwich v Ipswich Preview

Posted on | December 5, 2008 | No Comments

Sunday sees an East Anglia derby hit the Championship although both of these sides have different ideas at the moment. They may have brought a lot of players in through the summer but Norwich are still struggling at the wrong end of the table, while Ipswich’s form has picked up in recent weeks and Jim Magilton will be looking to assault the play offs as we hit the festive schedule.

When he arrived at Carrow Road there was belief that Glenn Roeder could really create something at Norwich and get them back competing at the other end of the table. Having brought no less than fourteen players in during the summer, some on loan and some permanent buys, it would be fair to say that Roeder has left his mark on the team and he is solely responsible for it. However, so far things do not look promising with the Canaries sat just above the relegation zone in 21^st position. They’ve lost their last two games against Sheffield Wednesday and Crystal Palace and really, they don’t look to have made much progress at all in the thirteen months Roeder’s being there. With that it isn’t surprising to hear a few disgruntled Canaries fans, although everyone knows that should he mastermind a win over bitter local rivals Ipswich, their tune will completely change for the time being.

As for Ipswich, although they’re sat in 11^th, they’re only three points off the play offs which surely must be the aim this term. They’ve had some tough fixtures of late but they’ve grinded some good results, with a draw against Sheffield United and wins against Derby and QPR being the pick of the bunch. However, despite the results it’s still obvious that Magilton’s men lack consistency and this is something that must improve if they are to force their way through the pack and into the top six.

Glenn Roeder has been boosted with the news that Ryan Bertrand, Adam Drury and Elliott Omozusi look set to be declared fit enough to feature. However, Roeder will be without John Kennedy and Dejan Stefanovic who will miss out through suspension and a knee injury respectively. As for Ipswich, Jim Magilton is sweating over the fitness of three players with Danny Haynes, Jon Walters and Owen Garvan all carrying knocks. Magilton says he’s confident on Haynes, although he will have to leave it until the last minute before making a decision on the other two.

We think this game is right up Ipswich’s street. Jim Magilton was a passionate player and we fully expect this sort of enthusiasm to spiral into his team as they approach this derby game. Norwich will give it a good shot, but we’re just tipping the visitors in this one – 1-0 Tractor Boys.

Related posts:

1. Ipswich v Norwich Preview
2. Norwich v Ipswich Preview
3. Barnsley v Ipswich Preview
4. Watford v Norwich Preview
5. Ipswich v Watford Preview

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