Bolton 1-1 Ipswich

If my Sports Almanack works then the Ipswich game will go something like this....

We will try loads of long balls up to Beckford, maybe 5 minutes of decent play that result in a shot or 2 on target then Ipswich will nick a goal in the second half. We will then throw knight and a couple of defenders up in the last few minutes with little luck.

All in all it will end up in a Ipswich win with even more fans calling for Dougies head and Big Mick to take over.

Some interesting or maybe not so interesting Facts:

1. There have been under 2.5 goals scored in 12 of Ipswich's last 14 away games in Championship.

2. There has been under 2.5 goals scored in 5 of Bolton's last 6 home games in the Championship.

3. Bolton have drawn the last 3 matches at home.

4. Bolton have been drawing both at half time and full time in their last 3 home matches.

5. Ipswich have failed to win their last 8 away matches in the Championship so far.

Doug ,I Ain't mad at cha.

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We are going to win this one 2-0. In fact, I'm off to update the betting thread to this effect.

Keegan wrote:We are going to win this one 2-0. In fact, I'm off to update the betting thread to this effect.

Where has the positivity just come from?

Out of our 17 wins under Dougie only 2 have been with us winning by more than one goal so I can't really see us winning let alone by a few.

josh31 wrote:Out of our 17 wins under Dougie only 2 have been with us winning by more than one goal so I can't really see us winning let alone by a few.

Do you think it will be just a draw as well Josh?

Think 1-1 yeah

Bolton Wanderers and Ipswich Town meet for the 36th time this weekend, with the Tractor Boys narrowly holding the upper hand in terms of victories with 15 as opposed to the Whites' 13.

Clashes between the two sides have been few and far between in recent years as the pair have only been in the same division for three of the last 12 seasons, with the Portman Road outfit completing a double over Wanderers last term.

Having secured a 2-1 victory at the Reebok Stadium back in December, the Suffolk based club ran out 1-0 winners on home soil in March on their way to avoiding relegation from the second tier.

Mick McCarthy's side have enjoyed a more fruitful start to their current campaign however, collecting 15 points from their opening 12 games and securing four wins in the process.

They have failed to pick up maximum points on the road so far this term though, with three defeats and three draws on their travels.

Following the club's brush with the drop, McCarthy moved to strengthen his side with the signing of experienced defender Christophe Berra from Wolves and the permanent acquisition of striker David McGoldrick from Nottingham Forest following his loan spell at the club.

McGoldrick in particular has been crucial to the Tractor Boys' steady start to the campaign, having found the back of the net on five occasions so far.

Without a win in their last three games and a narrow defeat to Burnley last time out, Town make the trip to BL6 looking to bounce back against the Whites who will be hoping to secure a first home win of the season.

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Our midfield is slowly coming to grips with the fact that Beckford is our most capable striker and that he does his best work with the ball played to his feet. Inertia from the SKD "hoofball" days is being taken out of the game to facilitate this. We seem to have found a defender who pops up with the odd goal a la Cahill (we just need to keep him looking in the same direction consistently!) and we have promising young players being signed instead of being released. I say the future is white and bright, and the results tomorrow will confirm this. 2 - 0 to the Wanderers.

I think the future does look bright under Dougie, but the short-term is ominous as we go through the transition with a squad that doesn't seem to be capable of retaining possession. Dougie is clearly not one for throwing youngsters into the fray until he's absolutely convinced they're ready so we can expect a lineup of the usual suspects who have been disappointing so far for the most part.
Most of the ones who played last season performed a lot better, so I guess we can hope for a return to that level of performance. Unfortunately we've been hoping for that since day 1 and it's yet to materialise so tomorrow is as good a time as any for them to up their game.
Head says 1 -1, heart says 2 - 0.

I have a great feeling that Beckford is going to shine tomorrow...

Will today be the day that we manage to put a 90 minute performance together? I hope so - it's long overdue!

A full 45 minutes will be a bonus to be honest let alone 90.

I have another bad feeling about todays game, though I said that against Birmingham so maybe they will surprise me once more today.

I hope the players mums wrap them up nice and warm, that winds getting up.

Just about to set off for the match from the independent Republic of Ramsbottom.
I've got a gut feeling that I'll be returning with a big smile before I pick up a couple of pizzas from Bellini's!
I thnik we're going to stuff them today

Fuck me, 2 strikers starting!