What to expect from Ipswich's Opening Fixture

Article by e-IpswichTown's Daryl Curle

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With the start of the new season only a few days away, Mick McCarthy and his Ipswich Town side have a lot to look forward to. Pre-season has been and gone without a loss recorded, and other positives have surfaced, such as the speedy recovery of star striker David McGoldrick, and the signings of almost unknown trialists, Kevin Bru and Balint Bajner. Apart from Cameron Stewart suffering a fractured jaw in the final friendly against Leyton Orient, Ipswich find themselves in a very strong position going into the opener at home to Fulham. But what should the Tractor Boys expect from the recently relegated side?

Firstly, it should be mentioned that although the first game of the season is looked forward to with great anticipation amongst fans for weeks in advance, it is often unpredictable in nature. Momentum early in the season can be the difference between promotion and a mid-table finish, or between relegation and safety, so points from the first fixture are to be revered. Ipswich only took four points from their opening five matches last season, something they must avoid doing again. Defeats away to Reading and QPR who had both come down from the Premiership, seemed harsh at the time, but the truth is Town only missed out on the playoffs by four points, and the lack of points in the early games cost them dearly. It may be preferable for sides to play tough opening games however, as a weak start against weaker teams, means little points, with the big guns left to play. No disrespect intended, but if Town start with a stutter, playing Fulham at home is better for the Blues than to be playing a side such as Blackpool with the current situation they find themselves in. The past two seasons, as with this campaign, Ipswich start against a side that have just come down. Despite not winning against either Blackburn two seasons ago, or against Reading last season, Town have found themselves unlucky on both occasions not to leave with more points. So should Fulham be feared?

Much has been made of the former Leeds forward, Ross McCormack, and his hefty transfer fee, totalling over ten million pounds, a record deal at this level. However, the twenty-seven year old finished top scorer in the division last campaign, resulting in his place in the team of the division side. Notably to Town fans, he ran the show last August for Leeds United, scoring one and assisting another in their 2-1 win at Portman Road. Another summer signing is the former Arsenal youth player, Thomas Eisfield, who shows real promise to kick on in his career as an attacking midfielder. It is however the departures from the Fulham squad which show the full damage the club has taken from their relegation to the Championship. Former Town loanee David Stockdale has left for play-off rivals Brighton, with certain others staying in the Premier league, such as Steve Sidwell (Stoke), Kieran Richardson (Aston Villa) and Brede Hangeland (Crystal Palace). Other players to leave the West London club include; Damien Duff, Johnny Heitinga, Georgios Karagounis, John Arne Riise, Pajtim Kasami and Askhan Dejagah. Even the Costa Rican World Cup star, Bryan Ruiz, looks set to leave Craven Cottage.

Fulham, despite these departures, will find themselves amongst the favourites to gain promotion at the first time of asking. With the match to be aired live on Sky, the pressure is truly on Felix Magath’s side, particularly Ross McCormack. However, Town need a good start after what happened last campaign, and with Reading, Norwich, Wigan, Derby and Brighton also to come in the opening weeks of the season, McCarthy will want to hit the ground running. The aging Scott Parker will be a key player in the exchanges, depending on whether his experience will be more important than his fading stamina. I think realistically both sides will cancel each other out, with a draw being a good result for both teams.

Prediction: Ipswich Town 1 Fulham 1

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