x

Jim Wants Rocking Portman Road for Biggest Game - Ipswich Town News

Boss Jim Magilton wants Portman Road "rocking” this evening when Burnley visit for what he terms Town's "biggest game of the season”. The Clarets are currently fifth in the table, seven points and five places above the Blues.

Magilton told the club site: "Burnley are flying at the moment and are where we want to be - in the top six.

"They will probably start favourites at kick off. We beat them at their place though, earlier in the season and we need to repeat that performance and get a result against them.

"It's the biggest game of the season for us and if you look at the table, you'd probably have to say it's a must win game for us, although you never know in this division.

"I hope Portman Road is absolutely rocking tonight. I think the players deserve that after two terrific displays on the road.

"We need more of the same now on home soil over the rest of the season. If we are to finish in the play-offs, our form at Portman Road over the five games we have left here is going to hold the key.

"I'm the first to admit that we have not got anywhere near the levels of consistency we had last year at home but we have to find that again now when it really counts.

"We have one or two players that have become a little nervy at playing at Portman Road, but we have to be brave on the ball and take our chances that come our way.

"The fans have been left frustrated as much as we have been by the way our results have gone at home, but we need everyone right behind the players now. We had 2000 fans at Reading on Saturday and they gave all the players such a lift. I want the same again tonight. We need the supporters generating a great atmosphere. They can make the difference."

Magilton has also confirmed that former boss Joe Royle has made an approach for Shane Supple: "Oldham have made contact and are keen to take Shane on loan and hopefully something will be sorted out over the next 48 hours. It is important for Shane to be out playing football matches.”

Meanwhile, a report this morning claims Town initially asked about Darren Bent's availability when approaching Spurs for new loan striker Giovani Dos Santos, however, given that the former Blue is currently a regular in the Spurs side while Jermain Defoe is out with a foot injury, this seems unlikely.

Burnley boss Owen Coyle says he is unconcerned at starting a run of three away games in a row: "The nature of where we are in the season, with people looking for automatic promotion, play-offs or to avoid relegation, then home or away the games really do take care of themselves, such is the focus of every team to try to win games.

"If you say to somebody ‘you're away from home but if you win you won't get relegated', it won't matter if it's home or away, you'll just be out to win the game, and that applies at the top end as well.

"If somebody said ‘you'll get automatic promotion if you win two away games' then they would gladly take that and go into those away games to try to win them. All our concentration is on trying to win games.”

What to read next:

McKenna: The Type of Win I'd Have Picked to Benefit the Group
Town boss Kieran McKenna felt the Blues’ 1-0 home victory over West Bromwich Albion was a win of the type he would have picked to benefit his squad.
Ipswich Town 1-0 West Bromwich Albion - Player Ratings and Reports
If you saw the match, please give us your player ratings and a mini match report.
Ipswich Town 1-0 West Bromwich Albion - Match Report
Jack Clarke’s fifth goal of the season saw Town to a 1-0 victory over West Brom at Portman Road. The Blues were the better side throughout but had to wait until the 83rd minute for a goal, sub Clarke following up after an Ivan Azon effort had been saved, Jens Cajuste having forced an error as the Baggies passed out of their area.
Ipswich Town 0-0 West Bromwich Albion - Half-Time
The Blues and West Brom remain locked at 0-0 at half-time at Portman Road.
Women's U21s Face QPR at Felixstowe
Ipswich Town Women’s U21s host QPR in the FA Women’s National Development League at the Martello Ground, Felixstowe on Sunday afternoon (KO 2pm).
Nine Changes as Town Host West Brom
Town boss Kieran McKenna makes nine changes for this afternoon’s live Sky game against West Brom at Portman Road with skipper Dara O’Shea and Leif Davis the only survivors from Tuesday’s defeat to Charlton.
Ipswich Town v West Bromwich Albion - Chatroom Open
Join us in the chatroom to discuss the game as it unfolds with hundreds of other Town fans.
[Podcast] Blue Monday - New Podcast Now Online
A new podcast from the Blue Monday team is now available.
Ipswich Town v West Bromwich Albion - Predictions
Have you predicted the WBA score yet? Fifty nine per cent of TWTD members are predicting a Town win today, 26 per cent a draw and 15 per cent an away win. The most commonly predicted result is a 2-1 win to Town with Philogene the first scorer but what do you think?
U21s Back to the Top After Beating Brighton
Town’s U21s continued their excellent start to their first ever Premier League 2 campaign, beating Brighton & Hove Albion 3-1 at the JobServe Community Stadium to return to the top of the table.