Ipswich Town return from the November international break with a trip to the Hawthorns to face West Brom. Alex Jones previews the action.
The break is over!
Finally, we’re back to the good stuff. Sure, the international break can be exciting, and we saw a lot of drama in Euro 2024 and World Cup qualifying, but most of us are glad it’s over.
In fact, this is the last international break until March, which means this is going to be Ipswich’s busiest period of the season, and it’ll likely be the one that dictates how their campaign pans out.
If they sustain their form, there’s no ceiling in terms of the heights they can hit. However, the winter period can be cruel, with a trip to Leeds United and two games against Leicester City coming up in December and January.
Oh, let’s not forget that game on December 16th. That’s important too.
The weather will get colder, the nights will draw in. This is what separates the men and the boys in the promotion race.
West Brom were among the promotion favourites at the start of last season, but supporters were wary of Steve Bruce’s recent managerial record, which was nothing short of dire. It was no surprise to see him axed at the start of October, with the Baggies occupying 22nd place in the Championship.
Carlos Corberan, fresh off a bizarre stint at Olympiacos that lasted just over a month, was named as his replacement. He guided Huddersfield Town to the Championship Play-Off final the previous season, making him a good fit.
Results quickly improved and, with an easy run-in, the play-offs looked attainable. In the end, they missed out by three points, with the aim to reset over the summer and go one step further this season.
They’re certainly in the mix after an inconsistent start. Before their last game against Southampton, which ended in an unfortunate 2-1 defeat, they’d won five, drawn four and lost just one of their previous 10 games.
Sitting outside of the top-six on goal difference alone, there’s no reason why this can’t be the season that they bridge the gap.
Home form and defensive strength
There are a couple of things that West Brom do really well.
Firstly, their home form is immense. The Hawthorns is an incredibly tough place to go, with an average attendance of just over 23,000 fans. They make an incredible noise when things are going well for their team, which can see momentum switch in an instant.
The Baggies boast the fourth-best home record in the Championship with five wins, two draws and just one defeat. To contrast this, they’ve only won twice away from home all season, giving them the 13th-best record on the road in the division.
Much of that is down to their impressive defensive record, having conceded just 17 goals in 16 games, which is better than the likes of Ipswich, Southampton and Preston North End.
With shut-outs against Bristol City, Millwall, Preston, Sheffield Wednesday, Plymouth, QPR and Coventry, goalkeeper Alex Palmer boasts the most clean sheets of anyone in the division.
Town, of course, have scored in every game so far this season, but this game could be the biggest test yet for their front line.
There are definite similarities to be drawn between Kieran McKenna and Corberan.
They’re both young managers. Corberan only turned 40 in April while McKenna, at 37, is among the youngest managers in the entire Football League.
They also had short playing careers. McKenna, of course, retired in 2009 due to a hip injury. Two years of rehabilitation and two surgeries weren’t enough to prolong his time at Tottenham Hotspur. Corberan, meanwhile, started at Valencia B before retiring at 23 to pursue his passion for coaching.
That’s the background that both men have. Corberan made the move to Cyprus to manage Doxa and Ermis before joining up with Leeds United, initially to manage the under-23’s. His success as first-team coach under Marcelo Bielsa saw him earn the chance to manage Huddersfield, and everything took off from there.
McKenna’s journey has been slightly different, having built up experience as a coach at Tottenham and Manchester United before making the jump to Ipswich.
The biggest difference between the two is their tactical approach. The Blues obviously have a strong attacking style that can leave them open, while West Brom are a solid defensive unit who can be left short up front in search of a clean sheet. McKenna and Corberan clearly prioritise different things in that respect.
Ipswich have most of their squad available for today’s trip to the West Midlands, but there are some significant concerns for McKenna to deal with.
The international break has caused a bit of chaos. Massimo Luongo and Cameron Burgess are among the first names on the team sheet in most weeks, but they’ve only just returned from a hectic international break where they’ve travelled to Australia and Kuwait to represent the Socceroos.
Jack Taylor would be the obvious replacement for Luongo, while Axel Tuanzebe or George Edmundson could come in for Burgess. Elkan Baggott would usually be a contender to play at centre-back, although he started both games for Indonesia away at Iraq and the Philippines.
Nathan Broadhead should be fine to start, albeit that he played just over an hour against Turkey in Cardiff on Tuesday night. Dane Scarlett is also expected to be available, having returned from Regensburg earlier this week after England under-20’s pulled off a dramatic comeback against Germany.
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