Breaking the cycle, missing men and points to prove - Town face Plymouth

Town’s TV 'curse'

Let’s get this one out of the way early doors.

Town’s game with Plymouth tomorrow is being played in front of the Sky Sports cameras – and we all know Ipswich’s record in televised games is dreadful.

Since Noel Hunt’s dramatic winner at Charlton in November 2014, Town have played 35 televised matches and won just three of them, drawing 10 and losing 22.

The most recent of those – and the only one managed by Kieran McKenna – was the 1-0 loss at Rotherham in April.

If Ipswich are to get promoted this season, they will surely need to win some televised games along the way. There’s no better time than now.

Top v third

The reason this game is on TV is because it’s between two sides with real promotion ambitions.

Ipswich, of course, top the table, while Plymouth sit third.

This is the middle game of Ipswich’s three-match run against fellow members of the top four, which began with a 2-2 draw at Sheffield Wednesday and ends with a home clash with Portsmouth next weekend.

A victory against a promotion rival, on the road, would be extremely welcome as the Blues continue to try and show their credentials this season.

It won’t be easy, though. Both teams want to play on the front-foot and both come into the match with confidence, utilising similar systems along the way. This one has all the makings of a really good game, between two sides with similar principles.

Plymouth’s home form this season has been perfect. They’ve played four league matches at Home Park and won all four, without conceding a goal.

They’ve beaten Barnsley, Peterborough, Bolton and Oxford during that run, facing four of the better teams in League One. They drew 2-2 at Portsmouth last time out, too.

And they will be gunning to add the scalp of the league-leaders to their already impressive collection of victories.

Missing men

This game is being played during the first international break of the season and, as a result, both team are without key players.

Ipswich have lost Wes Burns to Wales and expected Greg Leigh to be on international duty with Jamaica, only for the former Morecambe man to be ruled out for several months due to a leg fracture. That has robbed McKenna of his starting right-sider and a left-back who, while sitting behind Leif Davis in the pecking order, has had a real impact in matches from the bench.

The arrivals of Davis and Leigh, from Leeds and Morecambe respectively, have helped turn an area of weakness into one of real strength for the Blues. So Leigh’s injury call really does weaken the Ipswich side.

Burns’ absence throws up a real selection teaser, which we will discuss shortly, but Argyle have international issues as well.

Finn Azaz, a player we’ve seen impress for Newport at Portman Road in the recent past, has started his loan at Home Park from Aston Villa superbly this season and already has three League One goals to his name.

He’s away with Ireland’s Under 21s, robbing Steven Schumacher of real creativity behind the striker, but there is an obvious replacement.

Danny Mayor, a name familiar to Ipswich fans after Paul Lambert’s failed move for him in the summer of 2019 after he left Bury, missed last weekend’s draw with Portsmouth due to a family issue. He’s expected to return this weekend and should take the spot left vacant by Azaz, alongside Morgan Whittaker.

Ryan Hardie has been Argyle’s starting striker this season and has scored five goals already, but there is pressure coming from Niall Ennis and Sam Cosgrove, who are both in good scoring form and are pushing for starts themselves.

Argyle are also without Brendan Galloway, after the former Everton man was sent off at Fratton Park.

James Wilson, Ipswich Town's player-of-the-year in 2020/21, has been on the bench of late, with Nigel Lonwijk taking his place following the former Blue's red card at Charlton.

Selection section

So, who will replace Burns?

Well, the good news is McKenna has options – possibly up to four credible ones. That shows how strong this squad is.

Kane Vincent-Young is perhaps the most natural fit, given he is effective defensively and going forward, while Kayden Jackson played the role at Burton last month and performed well. We know the Town boss likes the striker’s physical attributes.

Marcus Harness is another who has experience playing in a role similar to Burns and there was certainly a suggestion at the time of his signing that at least half an eye was on a World Cup call-up with Wales, when the decision was made to buy the attacker from Portsmouth.

Is he too important to the Ipswich attacking unit now, though? Possibly.

Then there’s Kyle Edwards, a man who has become something of an enigma during his year in Suffolk, given we know just how dangerous he can be when he’s on song. He’s not reached those heights often enough, though, with injuries playing a part there.

Could he get the nod and make his first league start under McKenna?

We’ll find out on Sunday morning.

While much of the Ipswich team seems to be set at the moment, with Christian Walton, Janoi Donacien, Luke Woolfenden, George Edmundson, Leif Davis, Sam Morsy, Lee Evans and Conor Chaplin all surely starters, there are a couple of areas still worthy of discussion.

Harness is likely to return to the league XI, having been deployed from the bench at Hillsborough, but Tyreece John-Jules is also a candidate for the left-sided No.10 role, as well as possibly lining up as the central striker.

Freddie Ladapo, centre, will be hoping to start against his former club (Image: Steve Waller)

Up top, Jackson will be under consideration, while Gassan Ahadme is a doubt due to illness, but could the stage be set for Freddie Ladapo to make a statement, if given the chance to start against his former club?

The striker was the centre of attention against Arsenal Under 21s in midweek, missing chances but also scoring, but he’s still waiting for his first league goal for Ipswich.

Again, there’s no better time than this.

Christian Walton returns to his former club this weekend (Image: © Copyright Stephen Waller)

Safe hands

It’s not only Ladapo facing his former club this weekend.

Christian Walton, a Plymouth-supporting former Argyle season ticket holder came up through the Home Park youth system, before moving to Brighton in 2013.

He had a brief loan spell back at Plymouth a few months later, having grown up dreaming of playing for the Pilgrims, and will have plenty of family and friends traveling from Cornwall to take in this game.

In the other goal is another excellent graduate from the Plymouth academy ranks, in the form of Michael Cooper.

Both sets of fans will believe their team possess the ‘best goalkeeper in League One’ - that brings back memories from the battle between Richard Wright and Manchester City’s Nicky Weaver in the late 1990s.

The two teams are in safe hands.