Please log in or register. Registered visitors get fewer ads.
Jim Wants Rocking Portman Road for Biggest Game
Jim Wants Rocking Portman Road for Biggest Game
Tuesday, 17th Mar 2009 08:40

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.”


Photo: Action Images



Please report offensive, libellous or inappropriate posts by using the links provided.


You need to login in order to post your comments

Ipswich Town Polls





About Us Contact Us Terms & Conditions Privacy Cookies Advertising
© TWTD 1995-2025