Ipswich Town v Birmingham City: Pre-match talking points

Omari Hutchinson scores Ipswich Town's dramatic stoppage-time winner against Rotherham on Saturday. (Image: Steve Waller)

WE GO AGAIN

Can Ipswich Town keep the positive momentum going?

Having rescued a point against West Brom (2-2 at home), three successive wins against Millwall (4-0 away), Swansea (2-1 away) and Rotherham (4-3) followed.

Kieran McKenna admitted fatigue played a factor in his team's below-par performance against the division's rock-bottom side on Tuesday night. It looked like the Blues had blown it before Omari Hutchinson's clutch moment in the 95th minute.

Today's home clash with Birmingham will be game number five in the space of 15 days. That's almost as hectic a schedule as either side of Christmas (five in 14 days).

This stage of the season is all about survival of the fittest. Hopefully, it's where Town's gruelling pre-season, designed to forge a group that can run harder, further and for longer than anyone else, pays dividends.

Get through this afternoon and there's a whole week to prepare for Plymouth away. Indeed, there are just two night games left in the final 13 matches and both are at Portman Road. 

Birmingham City manager Tony Mowbray is taking some time off for medical treatment. His assistant, Mark Venus, will be in charge today. (Image: PA)

THE OPPOSITION

It's been a turbulent season for Birmingham City.

Following seven successive bottom-half Championship finishes ranging between 17th and 20th, a long-suffering fanbase was reinvigorated by an American takeover involving NFL legend Tom Brady.

St Andrew's was rocking in the early stages of the season, a three-game winning running including the scalp of Leeds, but momentum was lost before the club controversially replaced popular boss John Eustace with Manchester United and England star Wayne Rooney.

Rooney lasted just 15 games before getting the chop in early January. He was replaced by experienced boss Tony Mowbray, the man who led Sunderland to the play-offs last season.

The 60-year-old has made an impact. The Midlands club come into this game having won back-to-back home games - 1-0 against Blackburn and 2-1 against Sunderland. Those results have lifted them to the safety of 15th in the table.

Then, on Monday, it was announced that Mowbray was going to take six to eight weeks off for medical treatment following an LMA health assessment. His assistant, Mark Venus, will take over the reins.

Former defenders Mowbray and Venus were both part of Town's promotion-winning season of 1999/00, of course. Good luck Veno (just not today) and a speedy recovery Mogga. 

How this week's news affects the Birmingham players remains to be seen.

Marcus Harness stepped off the bench and scored a late brace to rescue Ipswich Town a 2-2 draw at Birmingham last November. (Image: Pagepix Ltd)

THE REVERSE FIXTURE

Ipswich were held to a 2-2 draw at Rotherham back in early November, then found the Millers equally awkward opponents at Portman Road at the weekend.

Could the same happen with Birmingham?

In the reverse fixture at St Andrew's, the hosts deployed two up top and really got in Ipswich's faces from the off. Jay Stansfield got the 13th minute opener, before Cameron Burgess turned a Juninho Bacuna cross into his own net six minutes after the restart.

Eventually, Birmingham's intensity dropped and Town's subs made a difference. One of the men who stepped off the bench, Marcus Harness, bagged a late brace. The volley that secured a point was exquisite.

Stylistically, Birmingham look a different type of team under new management though. Mowbray sides like to get the ball down and play. I might be wrong, but I can't see him setting his team up to make today the scrappy game of chaos that Ipswich hate.

Oliver Burke bustled up top against Ipswich last November, but he hasn't started since January 16. Experienced front men Lukas Jutkiewicz and Scott Hogan, both a handful on their day, have had limited game time of late too. Forward options are limited.

Fulham loanee Stansfield - skilful, aggressive, but by no means a target man - will almost certainly lead the line on his own. The 21-year-old, remember, was a Town target for McKenna heading into the recent January transfer window.

Ipswich Town academy graduate Andre Dozzell is back at his hometown club for the second time this season - this time with Birmingham City. (Image: PA)

ANDRE'S BACK (AGAIN)

Andre Dozzell returns to his hometown club for the second time this season.

Son of Town legend Jason Dozzell, the midfielder scored on his debut age 16 and went on to make 93 appearances for the club before making a £1m switch to QPR as part of Paul Cook's 'Demolition Man' summer of 2021.

The 24-year-old was back at Portman Road with the R's on December 29 and played his part in a goalless draw. Three weeks later he joined Birmingham on loan until the end of the season.

Dozzell has made a good start to life with Brum. He scored the winner against Blackburn last Tuesday and starred in the subsequent weekend win against Sunderland.

“He’s a young boy who I think has the talent to play in the Premier League but I don’t want him playing safe back to central defenders," said Mowbray. 

"You are the midfield player with the class and the quality, don’t be giving it back to them because they generally want to head it and kick it out.

“He’s got talent, he’s got a lot of scope to improve and he’s got a lovely personality about him that wants to get better. He is one player that we are trying to work with to make him feel that he’s a really crucial part of what we’re trying to do.”

Kieffer Moore has scored four goals in five games for Ipswich Town since joining on loan from Bournemouth. (Image: Steve Waller)

WHO PLAYS?

Six players - Vaclav Hladky, Harry Clarke, Luke Woolfenden, Leif Davis, Sam Morsy and Kieffer Moore - have started the last four matches. Five more - Massimo Luongo, Wes Burns, Conor Chaplin and Nathan Broadhead - started three of them.

I would imagine those 11 will make up the bulk of the team today, if not all of it.

Lewis Travis had a solid game against Rotherham, but the influential Luongo will almost certainly replace him in the team after a rest.

Jeremy Sarmiento, who was subbed at the break against the Millers, is also likely to drop to the bench. Will Broadhead, who scored three in three recently, come back in as the inside left forward? Or might stoppage-time hero Hutchinson be tried on that side? The Chelsea loanee is certainly pushing hard for more starts.

It would be harsh to take right-winger Burns out after his two goals and one assist display in midweek. Conor Chaplin, meanwhile, has started 47 of the last 48 league games.

Much could depend on how several players have recovered from the weekend. Harry Clarke was forced off with a dead leg, while Burns (shoulder) and Kieffer Moore (knee) also picked up knocks. Axel Tuanzebe and Ali Al-Hamadi look the next in line for right-back and striker.