Town travel to Charlton Athletic on Tuesday with interim manager John McGreal in charge for the first time.
The former centre-half, a member of George Burley’s side which won promotion to the Premier League at Wembley in 2000 and finished fifth in the top flight the following season to reach the UEFA Cup, was put in charge of the Blues this morning following Paul Cook’s sacking on Saturday.
McGreal worked with the squad for the first time today and says he didn’t try to change too much in a short space of time.
He says given recent events and results, and with a sell-out following travelling from Suffolk, the players might feel some tension going into the game.
"There’s going to be a huge following, they might feel a little bit under pressure but they’ve got to release the shackles and go and play,” McGreal told iFollow Ipswich.
"I haven’t reinvented the wheel or anything today. I probably haven’t been doing anything too much different to what I’ve been doing in the past with my experience.
"All I’ve tried to do is put on sessions today, get them running around, put a smile on their face, trying to break the shackles a little bit and [told them to] go and enjoy the game and give it a right go.
"That’s the least our fans will demand. Even when I was a player here, my own gaffer, George [Burley], that was the least he expected, you’ve got to work hard for the badge and that’s all we’re asking for.”
Given the small amount of time McGreal has spent working with the players, the Liverpudlian is unlikely to make too many changes to the side which faces the Addicks.
Christian Walton will be in goal with Janoi Donacien likely to continue at right-back ahead of Kane Vincent-Young, who played for McGreal at Colchester.
Bailey Clements is likely to be on the left while the Blues could again be without George Edmundson at the heart of the defence, the former Rangers man having picked up an achilles injury in training ahead of the Barrow match.
That’s likely to see Toto Nsiala partnered by Cameron Burgess, as was the case against the Bluebirds.
In midfield, McGreal will probably continue with Cook’s system with skipper Sam Morsy joined by either Lee Evans or Tom Carroll.
Sone Aluko will probably be on the right, assuming Wes Burns is not yet over his hamstring injury, with Conor Chaplin likely to be in the middle with Bersant Celina also having picked up a niggle at the end of last week.
Scott Fraser may well again start on the left with Macauley Bonne, who was a young player at Colchester during McGreal’s time at the JobServe Community Stadium, the lone striker.
Young midfielder Cameron Humphreys could be in the squad which travels having been left out of the U23s on Monday afternoon, after making an impact from the bench against Barrow and almost heading a late winner.
Charlton caretaker-manager Johnnie Jackson, who took charge in late October after Nigel Adkins's sacking, admits that Cook’s sacking at Town has impacted upon his preparations.
"It’s thrown a bit of a spanner in the works on the prep side for us,” he told the South London Press.
"Do we prep for Cooky’s Ipswich or do we prep for something new? You’re not going to know what they are going to do. That makes it a little bit more difficult.
"But we know their players and their threats. We’ll do our homework, as we always do. We have to concentrate on ourselves.”
Regarding Cook’s exit, Jackson, who has won seven, drawn two and lost two of his 11 games, added: "I don’t like to see it. Obviously as a young manager, you want to see people given time. It can take time to get your ideas across.
"I was surprised. I know they would expect to be higher in the league but they aren’t bottom of the league. Cooky is a good manager and coach.
"I’d have expected him to be given a little more time and he probably would’ve got a tune out of them because they have got good players.
"I’d have expected him to eventually get them going and start kicking on towards the top end of the league.
"They have got one of the bigger budgets in the league and I guess that is one of the reasons behind his departure. But it’s still disappointing to see. You want to see managers given a chance to turn it around.”
Strikers Bonne and Joe Pigott are both former Charlton players and Jackson says the Blues 11-goal top scorer, who has gone five games without finding the net, will be out to impress.
"He has done well,” Jackson said. "He scores goals. We know that about him and we’re aware of his threats. He’s quick and has got good movement. He is one of the leading scorers in the league.
"Coming back to an old club, you’d probably think he has got a little point to prove. We’ll have to be on the lookout for him. If Pearcey [Jason Pearce] does play he’ll know all about him. It’s got the potential to be a good match-up.
"It will be good to see him. Macca is a nice lad who did well for us.”
Jackson says the Addicks were keen on Pigott in the summer when he opted not to stay with AFC Wimbledon.
"There was a bit of interest in Pigs but I don’t think it ever got close because Ipswich are blowing people out of the water in terms of what they can pay,” he added.
"Pigs is a good player. I played with him before he left Charlton. He has forged a career, improved and become a really good striker at the level who has scored a lot of goals.”
Charlton expect to have skipper Pearce back after a knee injury, but winger Corey Blackett-Taylor remains sidelined with a hamstring strain.
Right-back Adam Matthews is not yet ready to return from a calf problem, while Ryan Inniss, Sam Lavelle and Jake Forster-Caskey are also out.
Town just have the edge historically having won 23 games (19 in the league), Charlton 19 (16) and with 12 (11) ending in draws.
The Blues are unbeaten in five at the Valley - aside from the 6-1 pre-season defeat in July 2017 - having won four on the trot prior to last season’s fixture.
Charlton, who are 15th, four points and four places behind the Blues, have a League One home record of won three, drawn three and lost four.
They have won their last three at home in all competitions, one in the league, one in the FA Cup and one in the Papa John's Trophy.
In April, Town drew 0-0 with Charlton at the Valley to extend their goalless streak to 439 minutes.
The Blues were the better side in the first half with James Norwood and Keanan Bennetts both going close early on, while the Addicks were on top in the second as the sides played out Town’s fourth 0-0 draw in six matches.
In November at Portman Road, a goal in either half from Albie Morgan and Omar Bogle saw Charlton to a comfortable 2-0 victory over Town.
Morgan put his side ahead with a low shot on 21 in an evenly-balanced first half, while sub Bogle scored with his first touch in the 68th minute to seal the three points for the visitors with the Blues never looking like staging a comeback.
Town striker Bonne was with Charlton during their 2019/20 Championship campaign, scoring 12 goals in 32 starts and eight sub appearances before moving on to QPR the following summer.
Pigott began his career with the Addicks and made four starts and 12 sub appearances without scoring having made his debut in August 2013 before moving on in the summer of 2016 following a number of loan spells.
Addicks keeper Stephen Henderson made 24 starts for the Blues on loan at Town under Mick McCarthy’s management during 2013/14. The Irishman has so far made only two FA Cup starts for the South Londoners having joined them in September.
Charlton midfielder Harry Arter made a couple of appearances for the Town reserves in 2009 while on trial at Portman Road having recently been released by the Addicks without making a senior appearance.
The former Republic of Ireland international returned to the Valley on loan from Nottingham Forest in the summer after 12 years away.
Another midfielder Forster-Caskey is the stepson of former Blues striker Nicky Forster.
Tuesday’s referee is Christopher Sarginson from Staffordshire, who has shown 69 yellow cards and one red in 21 games so far this season.
Sarginson’s last Town match was the 4-1 win at Blackpool in October last year in which he booked Andre Dozzell and Myles Kenlock.
He was also in charge of February 2020’s 2-1 defeat at Bloomfield Road, in which he cautioned Flynn Downes and three home players. Town felt they were denied a very strong claim for a penalty when Freddie Sears was fouled in the first half
Sarginson also refereed the 2-1 home defeat to Coventry in an FA Cup replay at Portman Road in December 2019 in which he kept his cards in his pocket throughout.
Prior to that he was in charge of the 1-0 win at Gillingham in September 2019 in which he booked James Wilson and Alan Judge as well as one home player.
His only Blues fixture before that was the 2-0 home victory over Brighton in September 2014 in which he booked Cole Skuse, Jonny Parr, Paul Anderson and three of the visitors.
Squad from: Walton, Hladky, Donacien, Vincent-Young, Clements, Penney, Edmundson, Nsiala, Burgess, Woolfenden, Morsy, Evans, Harper, El Mizouni, Carroll, Fraser, Humphreys, Chaplin, Celina, Edwards, Bonne, Pigott, Jackson.