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GAMEDAY – away to Ipswich
Gary Rowett will be hoping that his Birmingham City team can bounce back to victory in front of the cameras after defeat to Nottingham Forest on Tuesday.
Ipswich
Ipswich have started the season well, having taken 13 points from seven games although they were on the end of a 5-1 tonking from Reading last Friday. They lost their last home game 3-2 to table-toppers Brighton but have won their other three at Portman Road in all competitions. They have only kept two clean sheets in nine games however with the second coming on Tuesday at Elland Road.
Cole Skuse and Freddie Sears should be available after overcoming midweek injuries and midfielder Ryan Fraser will be assessed prior to the game.
Blues
It’s a tricky one for Gary Rowett; he will be aware that players will need to be rotated after a poor performance on Tuesday and that fans will be demanding a full strength side for the cup game next Tuesday. He has a fully fit side at his disposal and the chief contender to come into the team is Andy Shinnie for Jon Toral.
I wouldn’t be surprised to see Dimmy Gray return to the starting eleven; I also wouldn’t be surprised if David Davis comes into the midfield.
Ref
The referee for the match will be Keith Stroud. He’s taken charge of six games so far this season, showing 30 yellow cards and one red. His last game involving Blues was the corresponding fixture to this one two seasons ago, in which Blues lost 1-0 at Portman Road in March 2014. In that game he booked Jonathan Spector and Nikola Zigic.
Suspension Watch
3 Yellow Cards: Maikel Kieftenbeld
2 Yellow Cards: David Davis, David Cotterill and Jon Toral
1 Yellow Card: Tomasz Kuszczak, Stephen Gleeson, Clayton Donaldson, Jonathan Spector and Demarai Gray.
The cutoff date for 5 yellow cards to attract a suspension is November 30, 2015
The cutoff date for 10 yellow cards to attract a suspension is April 9, 2016
Tags: Andrew Shinnie, David Davis, Demarai Gray, Jon Toral
45 Responses to “GAMEDAY – away to Ipswich”
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As previously commented,I see this as a game that will not see a great response from us. Reason being on a number of points mainly that since all the hype of Villa encounter – all talk has been away from the league and undoubtedly has affected the performance against Forest and I suspect tonight against Ipswich. Negative no, just plain facts that comes from past experiences from Blues. Whenever we get into a good situation and gelling nicely- along comes a distraction and this time it is Aston Villa. Better to have had a bog standard tie which would not have taken the eye off the ball. All imo I admit, and dearly love to have egg on my face- but Ipswich away could not have come at a bad time.
Hope I’m wrong but after watching blues play the other night I can’t see us getting anything at Ipswich plus we never seem to do any good there.i will be happy with a draw.
I wouldn`t be at all surprised to see Blues get a positive result tonight, and I hope Gary tell them forget the bloody Villa game because you will need to perform tonight to earn your place on Tuesday. I agree and think Dimmy Gray will be back in but not so sure GR is not pulling the wool with the talk of Shinnie for Toral but maybe Davis for this one instead.
1-2 Blues or, 2-2
I would go again with the team that beat Bristol city but because of the distraction of the vile game there will be changes , Robinson for Spector , Davis for Gleeson, soloman- otabor for cotterill, Shinnie for Toral & Brock – madsen for Donaldson … Don’t agree with them but those sort of changes might be made ! Kro
Please not Robinson for Spector!!! Don’t agree with wholesale changes either Dave. Return to the same line-up as previous, with Gray returning, but I would be happy for Shinnie to come in for Toral. Suspect Davis will get the nod over Gleeson though. Most of these lads had a two week rest from matches – don’t think Ipswich away is the time to rotate to any great extent, even with Villa in mind. Focus on the game in question – I would gladly take defeat against Villa for 3 points tonight, but appreciate I may be in the minority! KRO!
I also said I don’t agree with wholesale changes either Barny Blue .. I would play first eleven . Kro
Hate saying it but I think 3-0 Ipswich tonight ,I was so disappointed tuesday ,and how many times did kuszczak lump the ball up to Donaldson and I think he won 1 header,again our main prob is no plan B ,we’ve got 2 strikers and they are identical it’s great when things are going well but what do we do after a few defeats how do we change it
The main reason Donaldo didn’t win a header is that he was persistently fouled by Lansbury backing into him and sandwiching him with the CH. How the referee failed to see that is beyond me.
I would love a back-to-basics 0-0.
I think tuesday was a one off, it’s difficult enough when you play against 11 men but when the ref is against you & the linesman couldn’t see incidents right under his nose & has to be replaced it’s even harder. I think Shinnie 4 Torel & give Gleeson a rest who doesn’t seem himself after injury at MK Dons & bring in Davis. I can’t see GR making wholesale changes as it’s not his style regardless of us playing scum next week as he will see the league as being more important.
I think we could be back to the first XI tonight, with Rowett telling them they’re all playing for a place against the villa. What better incentive.. they’ll all want to play in that. As both teams are unlikely to keep a clean sheet, I’m going for a draw. Either 1-1 or 2-2.
As for the options up front, I think that getting rid of Wes Thomas was a huge mistake. At least Thomas gave us something different. We don’t have that on the bench anymore.
Agree on Thomas. Harder to give Donaldson a breather now as Brock-Madsen is a completely different type of CF from what I’ve seen.
B-M is the much sought after Plan B
We certainly need a plan B alright. But Thomas was a steady enough back-up to the sort of role that Donaldson plays.
One of the features of GR’s brief reign so far is that we always seem to bounce back very well from a bad result. Don’t be to surprised if we go there and nick this one although I would probably take a point. Ipswich didn’t look that clever against Reading last Friday did they.
Great to see a bit of realism creeping into some posts.I always thought it would take one poor performance and result to get some heads out of the clouds.We`re not good enough to be in the promotion shake-up (imho) and as i have said before a top half finish but would very acceptable. As for tonight i expect a defeat but live in hope of a battling draw.
What happened to my earlier post?
It got held in moderation for some reason… and as I often tell people, I’m not here that often to check cos I’m busy at work… If something goes missing, better to email me.
No problems mate, just thought i’d done something wrong
This will be a grind out match and conservation for B6, so for me: Lowry for Spector; Davis for Gleeson; Gray for Mahogma; S-O for Cotterill; B-M for Donaldson; Shinnie for Toral. The restees to be on the bench
Just my opinion but I think he will rest more against the Villa than tonight.
I tend to agree HB. I know it’s a game against the other lot, but for me, no matter who we play in the cup, 3 leage points will always be more important.
Drawing Villa has shifted the focus too much onto that game. We are now forced to play our strongest XI for that game and have to play weakened teams for our league matches as we have such a small squad. Tonight will be very tough. I am suprised (and delighted!) by our start. I am also a realist though – our squad is probably a mid table one in terms of quality.
Anyone who thinks Gary Rowett will sacrifice this game for the Villa game is living on planet zorb.
Daniel, hope you don`t mind me going off topic but was wondering as E&Y has called a Board meeting for the same day as this months monthly update, do you think they will have the update maybe a day earlier, or will it not effect the update.
Totally agree. The worst thing we could do tonight is put out a weakened team and get battered by a good Ipswich team. I would tighten things up and bring Davis in for Toral and have a three man central midfield with Gleeson being the one who gets forward to support the three up front who would be Gray, Donaldson and Cotterill. 4-5-1 when we havnt got the ball and 4-3-3 when we have. A point will be fine tonight.
If he feels that fatigue is an issue by Tuesday then make the changes then. The League has got to be the priority.
I actually agree with all that! Whether Rowett will, is another matter.
It had to happen one day Staffs! I am going to have to multi-task tonight. Blues game on the iPad and the Rugby on the telly.
I’m cr*p at multi-tasking. It’ll be Blues all the way for me. :)
Yes lets forget the villa game and just field the team to get a draw at least at ipswich. The cup game is the one to decide to swap players out after and depending on the result and as many as need a rest. I do think there should be tactical changes in the 2nd half of the ipswich game and that the tremendous efforts of the defence so far could be at their limit and teams may start to exploit the weaknesses.
That was not my point at all. The league has to be the priority. I would rest some players for the Villa game personally. Had we not drawn the Villa I reckon GR would’ve chosen an entirely new 11 for any old League Cup match but now he can’t.
And I totally agree with you.
Eardley in. Shinnie in. Gray back.
Gray was always going to be back wasn`t he and I half expected Eardley in the Forest game tbh as for Shinnie, well he really need to make his mark in this game and is about time imo that he delivers to many false dawns for my liking and we can`t keep heaping all the responsibility on Donaldo. Hope this works for Gary and the lads and I will stick with my 1-2 or 2-2 so will probably be 0-0
I guess Caddis has been dropped rather than rested after a very bad game vs Forest. I would have liked to see Davis in there somewhere as I think Ipswich will be physical – all Mick McCarthey teams are.
Feel sorry for Eardley. He was having a decent game too.
He was. How that tw*t of a referee gives a penalty for that is just ridiculous. Good point though. We were the better side in the first half but we ended up just kicking it anywhere in the second half with the pressure we were put under. Up to 6th which is a brilliant effort.
Staffs, I wanted to see Davis in tonight your right it was a game made for him.I was a bit disappointed (again) with Shinnie but again horses for courses and this was not one for him imo. We worked tremendously hard for that point and it keeps us in shouting distance, but in all honesty we do need to spend in January as I can`t see us keeping that up against some of the better teams I thought Ipswich were very eratic in front of goal and have some quite poor players in that team tonight, But a hard fought point and I am not even going to mention the stupid tackle in the box by Spector,
For me, our biggest flaw is retaining the ball. Perhaps they should all play in the first or second kit in training… get used to passing to a player in the same colour shirt.
Staffs the ref was poor tonight but honestly you do not go flying into tackles like that in the box, lets be honest Morrison would never have done that that was a Daren purse error.
Sorry not Staffs I meant Shirley blue.lol
Well Gary Rowett said it was never a penalty and he was a defender. Even their fans at their end didn’t appeal for it or any of their players The ball had gone and the challenge made no difference to that. You will not see another decision like that in years.
I am not saying it was a penalty, I am saying Specs had no need to give the ref a decision to make, you do not go flying in to tackles in the box and that one in particular was absolutely stupid. I
A block is the obvious move in that situation… especially on a soaking wet pitch.
Exactly. Imposable to not follow through on that pitch.