Please log in or register. Registered visitors get fewer ads.
Town Face FC Utrecht in Final Pre-Season Friendly
Saturday, 1st Aug 2015 06:00

Town complete their pre-season fixtures with a home game against Dutch side FC Utrecht at Portman Road this afternoon (KO 3pm).

Blues boss Mick McCarthy is likely to play a side close to the team which will line-up against Brentford at Griffin Park on the opening day of the season next Saturday.

McCarthy may want to start with skipper Luke Chambers at the centre of the defence alongside Tommy Smith with Christophe Berra suspended for the first match of 2015/16 for his play-off red card at the end of last season.

New signing Jonas Knudsen is set to make his first appearance in a Blues shirt at left-back with Jonny Parr perhaps starting on the right of the defence.

Trialist Giles Coke is again set to be involved and may well start in the centre of midfield, although Cole Skuse was involved in Thursday’s training session on the main Portman Road pitch and could start having missed the defeat at Colchester on Tuesday. Guinean international trialist Larsen Touré could also be involved at some stage.

Saturday’s game is Town’s sixth and final friendly and the Town manager says he’ll be delighted to get the season proper under way next week: “I will be absolutely thrilled when it starts that’s when my real motivation starts, when the competitive edge comes.

“All the preliminaries before the season, pre-season stuff, I’ve heard other managers say they enjoy it because there’s no pressure on the games.

“But I prefer there to be pressure on the games because I can’t get myself in real work mode, fight mode for the friendlies. The real stuff comes round next Saturday and I’m looking forward to it.”

He says he hasn’t studied Utrecht, who last season finished 11th in the Eredivisie, the Dutch top flight, that closely.

“Not really, I haven’t,” he admitted. “They’re an Eredivisie team and I’ve no doubt they’ll have some good technical players.

“I think Derby beat them [3-2 away] in a pre-season friendly, but I haven’t seen too much of them. It’s about how we play anyway.”

McCarthy says playing against a side from Holland may prove a useful exercise ahead of the game against the Bees next week: “Strangely enough Brentford have got a Dutch manager [Marinus Dijkhuizen] and we don’t know how they’re going to play. That might have a bearing on it, the way they play. I don’t know.

“There are a lot of teams that play a bit more like Dutch sides now, where they all fan out and get it out the back and pass it out the back. Maybe that’s what we’ll face first day of the season.”

Utrecht, whose squad trained at Playford Road yesterday, currently have a young squad with not many big names. Amongst their most promising players are French forward Sébastien Haller, a youth product from AJ Auxerre, who is tipped for a Premier League future.

Midfielder or striker Nacer Barazite was a youth player with Arsenal and had a spell on loan at Derby, while Swedish winger Kristoffer Peterson was with Liverpool’s Academy and spent time on loan at Tranmere.

Midfielders Willem Janssen, ex-FC Twente, and the homegrown Yassin Ayoub are also highly rated, while keeper Robbin Ruiter is attracting interest from a lot of other clubs.

Admission to this afternoon’s game cost £10 for adults, £8 for seniors, students and under-20s and £3 for under-16s.

The upper tiers of the Sir Bobby Robson and Sir Alf Ramsey Stands and the lower tier of the Cobbold Stand will not be open for the match.

Meanwhile, Blues defender Matt Clarke is again set to feature for Portsmouth in their friendly at Gillingham this afternoon. The 18-year-old's loan is likely to be confirmed now that the Blues have added Knudsen to their squad.

Elsewhere, Town's U18s lost 4-1 to Tottenham and drew 1-1 with Norwegian side Rosenborg yesterday at the pre-season tournament the North Londoners are hosting this weekend. On Thursday the Blues youngsters lost 5-0 to Manchester United.


Photo: Action Images



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



BrettenhamBlue added 06:53 - Aug 1
Happy with the Knudsen signing, but we need a new right-back before the start of the season (at least).
Giles Coke and Jobi Mcanuff are not the kind of players we should be looking at to improve our squad. Personally, would prefer to see the Hunt brothers back and Ambrose given a contract.
-7

kingcarloss added 07:46 - Aug 1
Noel hunt yes, Stephen no, Ambrose good squad player I was impressed with Coke on Tuesday good energy levels and a good holding midfielder looks like he would relish a battle and not get bullied about.
7

jas0999 added 08:32 - Aug 1
Unable To make the game today, which I'm disappointed about, particularly as tickets have been priced extremely well. Good luck to the lads.

Still think the squad looks light despite an impressive left back signing. I haven't seen enough of Giles Coke to really comment, but have heard very mixed reviews. Some used the word abysmal after Colchester, some say he's okay. I guess the question is whether he is any better than we already have? Ambrose would be a no for me. Missed a lot of games with injuries last season and in pre season, so see little point. Hunt has sighed for Southend, whilst Stephen is past his best. I would be disappointed if we sign a 33 year old who didn't impress for a relegated Leyton Orient. There must be better options!
1

big_gaz67 added 09:12 - Aug 1
Why is the Ticket Office helpline, which is meant to be open at 9 am on match days currently not open. Does anybody know if there is a function online to resend the e-mail with the tickets.......
1

TraaaakorBoi added 09:28 - Aug 1
Anyone who thinks ITFC can get promoted this season is living on another planet. The likes of derby, qpr, burnley will destroy us. The owner has bo ambition at all. The fact we are trying to sign giles coke and a cast off from league 2 in jobi McAnuff says it all. What a joke.. Maitland niles is a good player but hes not quite ready like the rest of our wingers.
-10

Bluetone added 09:47 - Aug 1
Please Mr McCarthy can we try to become one of those teams who to quote
“There are a lot of teams that play a bit more like Dutch sides now, where they all fan out and get it out the back and pass it out the back. Maybe that's what we'll face first day of the season.”
It would make a pleasant change from hoof and hope.
2

Millsey added 09:54 - Aug 1
Bought tickets today at 8.45 and still no email?????
0

battyblue added 09:55 - Aug 1
Agree with traaaakorboi
i cant see us in the top six with present squad to be honest but i except the usual in Mick we trust brigade will be happy with that again , and the supporters with ambition for the club to progress to premier football will be left disappointed yet again.
Right back position has not been addressed again unless Mick is going to promote someone from the squad how long is it now we have not had a proper right back playing at r/back,,still other positions need to be strengthened in midfield as well.
0

BlueandTruesince82 added 10:19 - Aug 1
RB won't be a addressed. Berra and Tommy are both lethal at set pieces and get goals from CB, Chambo whilst passionate and motivating does not chip in with many. So you have 2 good solid goal scoring centre backs and a third who doesn't score but is he'll of a captain and can play RB? Even if its not his best position. What do you do?

Rightly or wrongly Mick wants all 3 on the pitch, I. Understand it but there you go.

I don't feel the squad is that light

Up top Pitman, MCG, Sears and Murphy. That's scary.

MF Bishop, Bru, Skuse, Tabb, Fraser, Niles, Henshall, Connoly, McDonnell, Hyam to cone and Coke likely to be added. Include Ambrose, who I would take another chance on and that's 10 first team MF to choose from plus MCG and arguably Sears if it was really needed who could both do a job. Ambrose is a sick note, BUT he only needs to play about 3 gamed a year and he's good technicaly so good for the youngsters to learn from
Yes he hardly played last year, but that was a much to do with h.not being needed as it was injuries.

Back Chambo, Smith, Parr, Berra and now Knudsen, plus the 2 young wing backs. Mick gets crucified for not giving youth a chance and then crucified for notgetting in players who would keep those young players out can't win.

For me apart from at the back we are well stocked and the back idls really about cover and compition.

Do I want a real RB yes, I'd drop Tommy and tell him time is on his side and that his time will come but at the same time he came back in last season and scored. Thank god, those goals could be the difference this year. Had the MF chipped in more last year we would have been absolutely lethal, given MF additions I see reasons to be cheerful.

We have goals up top and at the back.... imagine if someone from MF could chip in with another 10, devestating.

That saus top 6 is min expectation this year.
4

1RWR added 10:24 - Aug 1
Battyblue & traaaakerboi: That's the way, support your team with a pre-season 'good will support', what's up with you people, we have every chance of top 6 or even top 2 so support your team or button it!
0

Sixto6 added 10:25 - Aug 1
Very happy with the signing of Knusden ! I think he'll turn out to be a hell of a player for us and be a fans favourite !
3

dreblue added 10:30 - Aug 1
Blueandtruesince82 - completely agree with most points. Yes we do have a better attacking line and yes we will get more goals from midfield but unfortunately that doesn't mean we will finish higher this season.

Surprisingly for MM our defence looks weak and I can't see many clean sheets or letting anything less than 2 per game. The fact that we are nervous because Berra is not available first game just shouts out problems - we have no back up.

Smith IMO should have been dropped in jan last year and played Chambers in the middle. Smith needs a wake up call!

I'm very excited by our front 4 and parts of our midfield..... COYB.
5

yorksblue added 10:49 - Aug 1
dreblue

Spot on comments.

And still no keeper.
1

Jimmy86 added 11:07 - Aug 1
Yorksblue, we don't need a new keeper. Bart is certainly good enough to be our number 1 this season. If Gerken is anywhere near the starting 11 I shall be disappointed.
1

BlueandTruesince82 added 11:41 - Aug 1
Dressing I'd say we are in almost total agreement, Smiths goals and defencive slips at best cancel each other out, he's young and still learning but for me I'd prefer him on the bench and a proper RB in play.

But it won't happen. We will not sign a RB this window.

It's a tough division again this year and anything can happen. A other defender (ideally a RB) to cover and I think we have every chance though.

0

BlueandTruesince82 added 11:41 - Aug 1
*Dre
0

itfctim added 12:23 - Aug 1
Love MM, but always amazed at his attitude to pre-season friendlies..given the work ethic he insists on within his teams, if any player openly voiced such a poor attitude, they would probably never play for him again!...anyway, COYB!
1

mroberts added 12:41 - Aug 1
I agree with some of you that Giles and Toure aren't the players we need at present. What we really need is a quality Right Back and a playmaker in midfield. This still hasn't been addressed by Mick which concerns me a little as we now have flair on the wings but no one to provide. .
0


You need to login in order to post your comments

Blogs 295 bloggers

Ipswich Town Polls

About Us Contact Us Terms & Conditions Privacy Cookies Advertising
© TWTD 1995-2024