The Ipswich Town Doomsday Scenario

Blog written by Pessimistic
Published: 1st March 2013 13:05

May 4th is the date in question. Ipswich Town will be away to Burnley, who may still be desperate for points to claim a last ditch play-off place. We may be desperate for points for entirely different reasons!

That date May 4th is synonymous with a number of historical happenings. On this date in 1932, Al Capone began life as convict 40886 in Atlanta Federal Penitentiary, in which he was to serve 11 years for income tax evasion and on the same day in 1945 in the Netherlands and Denmark, German troops surrendered to the British Army.

Not close enough to home? Well, it was on May 4th, 1979 that Margaret Thatcher came to power and incidentally she predicted at Wembley the year before that the blues of Ipswich Town winning the FA CUP could prove to be a lucky omen!

It was also on May 4th, 1982 that Argentina returned fire on at British Forces following the sinking of General Belgrano by submerging the British warship HMS Sheffield.

A lot has happened on May 4th and we can only hope that we do not enter the history book of football for all the wrong reasons. I am seriously worried though. Very seriously worried!

When Mick McCarthy tells us before the game against Huddersfield that a point would be a good result, it fills me with fear. A good result? How can this be, when we are so perilously close to the drop zone and playing against a team that to use his own words, "have been spanked by Forest" just a few days before 6-1!

You go telling Captain Fantastic Carlos Edwards that a draw is a good result and you can be sure he will leave the field with a smile on his face!

This was an opportunity missed. Huddersfield were feeling very fragile and we should have exploited it. Instead we managed two shots on goal in 90 minutes and only one on target which is an absolute disgrace. Mark Robins, the Huddersfield boss summed it up perfectly, "They came for a point and got a point. We tried to get all three."

And where are these magical 50-plus points that Mick the Man boldly states we need, going to come from? Let us look at these remaining last games and try to analyse the likely outcomes.

Saturday 2nd March, Ipswich v Leicester: This is a game that Town badly need to win but it seems unlikely. This team whipped Blackburn 3-0 in the middle of the week and still foster hopes of an automatic Premier League place and will be very focused. If David Nugent fails a fitness test then we may be able to sneak a draw.

Score Prediction 1-1 (one point)

Tuesday 5th March, Forest v Ipswich: A tough away game this, made all the more difficult because Forest need the points to fight for a play-off berth. The best we can probably hope for is a draw but I fear the worst!

Score Prediction 2-1 (0 points)

Saturday 9th March, Peterborough v Ipswich: Anyone who thinks this will be easy is fooling themselves. Darren Ferguson has got this lot playing well above their station and as last season proved, write them off at your peril! It will not be another 7-1 humiliation but I still think we will lose.

Score Prediction 3-1 (0 points)

Saturday 16th March, Ipswich v Bolton: The men from Lancashire have finally found some form and by the time we play them could be even closer to the play-offs, so this game will certainly mean something for them. They started the season lethargically but with Keith Andrews in the team you can almost guarantee him to score - even if it is a penalty!

Score Prediction 2-2 (one point)

Saturday 30th March, Ipswich v Leeds: Town have a good record against Leeds, which is just as well because they too, will be desperate for points to propel themselves into the play-offs and they have quality in abundance. I can see Town sneaking this but not before we have bitten all our nails off in the process!

Score Prediction 1-0 (three points!)

Monday 1st April, Millwall v Ipswich: Yes, you have noticed it is April Fools' Day and I fear that it will be Town who will be made the fools here! Millwall have had a bad run of late but it is unlikely that by the time we play them they will still be in free fall. At The Den they are always a handful and the best we could hope for here I think is a draw.

Score prediction 1-0 (0 points)

Saturday April 6th, Derby v Ipswich: In 17 home games they have only lost twice so this will be another big ask. Nigel Clough will still foster hopes of a play-off place and by the time we play them could be back in the top six! To use Mick McCarthy's script, a point here would be a good result.

Score Prediction 1-1 (one point)

Saturday 13th March, Ipswich v Hull: We will do very well to get anything from this game too. Hull could well be in the automatic promotion places by now and will want a win badly. Town will want a win badly for entirely different reasons and it could end in stalemate.

Score Prediction 0-0 (one point)

Tuesday 16th April, Ipswich v Crystal Palace: The surprise package of the Championship perhaps but as this goes to print, Palace remain after 33 games four points adrift of an automatic promotion spot! Even if they have a poor run, it is unlikely they won't still have a good chance of the play-offs and on these grounds alone they will be looking to win!

Score prediction 2-3 (0 points)

Saturday 20th April, Sheffield W v Ipswich: Wednesday will still need the points just as desperately as Ipswich and it will be another nail-biter from start to finish. McCarthy will no longer be proclaiming that a draw against a fellow struggler would be a good result. On the contrary, it is a game that Town must strive to win!

Score Prediction 1-1 (one point)

Saturday 27th April, Ipswich v Birmingham: This could be a banker for Town, who are still desperately in need of points. Birmingham will have pulled clear of the drop zone I believe and for once Town are not playing a side who need the points badly.

Score Prediction 3-0 (three points!)

Saturday 4th May Burnley v Ipswich: It could just be that when we play Burnley in the last game of the season they will need all three points to stand a chance of making the play-offs. We will need all three to secure our Championship survival. I see this one ending in a draw, which perhaps is not good enough for both teams? Time will tell.

Score Prediction 1-1 (one point)

This would of course mean we would have gleaned a total of 12 points in our remaining fixtures, which would give us 51 points and just two wins in all.

It should be enough to keep us up but who really knows, with so many of the teams in the lower reaches of the league pulling out all the stops? To expect to cull four or five victories from our remaining fixtures seems about as likely as the Pope going on a guided tour of Amsterdam's infamous red light district!

There is no doubting that Town's defence has improved beyond all recognition under McCarthy but the midfield still can't score and Carlos Edwards is a woeful captain.

What Town need perhaps most of all is some inspiration and some iron will. Tommy Smith may be young but he has all the necessary attributes to lead us forward with fight and passion. This is what we need most of all in our time of need, if we want to avoid May 4th and the dreaded doomsday scenario!

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