Manager Roy Keane is again considering whether to make changes to his side ahead of high-flying Blackpool’s visit to Portman Road for the Blues’ third game in a week. Prior to the Peterborough match Keane said that he likes to freshen up his team when the games are coming thick and fast.
The Blues boss says loan striker Stern John may be rested having played little football prior to starting his month at Portman Road: "He’s come in and played a full game against Cardiff, he played an hour or so at Bristol and again the other night, having been off for a good two or three months.
"We’ve got to make a decision whether we start with him tomorrow and how long he gets because we’ve got to be careful it doesn’t lead to an injury as we’ve only got him for another few weeks.”
Earlier in the week, Keane suggested he might also look at resting Owen Garvan, the Irish midfielder having only recently returned to the first team after an absence of three months, and the Town manager admits this is still something he is considering: "Possibly so, but Owen is slightly younger than Stern and that comes into it.”
Keane, whose Town side are unbeaten in nine, was just as unhappy that John’s goal against Peterborough was disallowed once he had seen it on tape after the game and is likely to continue with the Trinidadian up front as his side go looking to end their goalless run after two 0-0 draws on the trot.
The Blues boss has plenty of options up front, with Pablo Couñago coming back into the squad having been left out of the 18 on Tuesday, and Keane hopes one of his strikers will finally start taking their opportunities: "If we keep creating the chances we have been we’ll be OK.
"The other night was very, very frustrating. We’ve obviously improved over the last few months: we’re pretty solid, we’re hard to beat but we’ve got to go and win some football matches and we need to do that tomorrow.
"I’ve never known anything like the chances we’ve been creating and missing in my life. I think on Saturday we had 21 shots on target and the other night again we had some very, very good chances and we need someone to step up to the plate and score some goals.
"We keep trying, we keep going and the one plus is that we’re creating chances. It’s not as if we’ve been negative and been playing defensive football. We’ve been very positive and I just hope that tomorrow will be the day when one or two of our strikers will strike it lucky and start hitting the ball into the back of the net.”
Keane has been trying to find a strike combination which works all season but is yet to find one which yields goals and could go with a John-Couñago partnership for the first time against the Tangerines.
In midfield, Keane will probably continue with Jon Walters and Carlos Edwards as his widemen with the pair swapping flanks during the game as they did against Peterborough. In the centre, Garvan and Leadbitter are likely to get the nod.
Alan Quinn will return to the squad having missed out against the Posh after picking up a minor knock against Bristol City, while Lee Martin isn’t expected to be ready to return from the heel problem which has kept him out of the last two games.
David Norris continues to make good progress, but with no reserve games over the Christmas period, Keane expects the midfielder’s return to the first team to come early in January. Luciano Civelli could be back later on that month, while keeper Richard Wright is the only other long-term injury victim and is out for four months with knee ligament damage.
Arran Lee-Barrett will continue between the sticks with Ian McLoughlin on the bench. New keeper Brian Murphy joined up with the club earlier in the week, but is unable to play until his Bosman move from Bohemians is formalised in January.
Town’s back four of David Wright, Damien Delaney, Gareth McAuley and Liam Rosenior has become established over the last few weeks and appears unlikely to be changed. Alex Bruce is expected to be available for the Scunthorpe game next week after missing out recently due to a groin injury.
Keane says he is pleased for Ian Holloway that he’s doing so well with Blackpool: "It’s good to see them do well, they’ve got a good manager and they’ve got some very good players. They’ve had a very good start to the season and good luck to them. We’re up for a tough game but it’s one we’re looking forward to.
"Ian’s a good manager, I came across him when he was manager of Plymouth and I was at Sunderland. He did a good job there, it didn’t work out for him at Leicester, but like all good managers he’s bouncing back and he’s doing a very good job there. He deserves a lot of credit for that.
"He’s one of the characters in the game and there aren’t too many of them around these days. It’s good to see him doing well.”
Blackpool sit sixth in the table on 31 points, 13 ahead of Town in 22nd, with an away record of won two, drawn four and lost four. On Tuesday they won 3-0 at Middlesbrough.
The Tangerines will be without former Blue Billy Clarke (knee), fellow strikers Ben Burgess (calf) and Stephen McPhee (knee) and defender Marcel Seip (hamstring), while centre-half Rob Edwards is a doubt due to a cut on his eyebrow. Danny Coid is back in the squad after a lengthy absence due to a broken shinbone.
Manager Ian Holloway has no doubt that Blues boss Roy Keane can guide Town away from the relegation zone: "He's a born winner and a born leader, and sometimes his methods take some getting used to.
"I strongly suggest to the Ipswich people that they start doing what he wants, in the way he wants, because I wouldn't want to upset him.
"Have a look at his record and it's absolutely fantastic. In one season with Sunderland he took them straight up, need I say more?
"I've got no doubts he will build a team in his likeness which will mirror what he wants and will be as good as he wants. I've no doubts that the fella will be a successful manager.
"Manchester United stuck by Alex Ferguson when he didn't win something - what a good decision that was. It's a crazy old life, particularly football.
"Hopefully we can go to Ipswich and give another good account of ourselves, whether we'll be good enough to win we'll have to wait and see. It's all about putting your stamp on a performance - and that's what the boys did on Tuesday night [at Middlesbrough]."
Billy Clarke joined Blackpool on a free transfer from Town in the summer and is the only current member of either squad to have played for the opposition.
Historically, more games between the sides have ended in draws than in victories to either team, which bodes well given Town’s current proclivity for stalemates. Over the years seven matches have ended level (seven in the league), six (six) in wins for the Blues and two (one) to the Lancastrians.
Last season goals from Tommy Miller and Alex John Baptiste saw the Portman Road game end 1-1, while the match at Bloomfield Road earlier on in the season was won 1-0 by Town, David Norris scoring the goal that led to his controversial celebration. The teams also meet in the FA Cup third round at Bloomfield Road on Saturday 2nd January.
Issue 99 of the fanzine, which features an exclusive interview with Alex Bruce, is available from our sellers around the ground (by Sir Alf, Planet Blue and the Portman Road entrance to the Greene King Stand) prior to the game. Alternatively, you can buy a single issue or subscription here. Singer/songwriter Asa Jennings will be handing out free CDs prior to the match.
Saturday’s referee is Phil Crossley from Kent, who has shown 54 yellow and four red cards in 16 games so far this season. Coincidentally, Crossley’s last Town match was the 1-1 draw at home to Blackpool last season when he booked Ben Thatcher and Tangerines Roy O’Donovan and David Vaughan.
Squad from: Lee-Barrett, Rosenior, D Wright, Delaney, Smith, Leadbitter, Garvan, Walters, Edwards, Peters, Quinn, Colback, Trotter, Healy, John, Couñago, Priskin, Stead, Wickham.