Ipswich vs Norwich: Big Bet Preview
Credit: Rob Atherton / Shutterstock.com
Ipswich vs Norwich
(Sun 5 Oct, 12:00pm UK Time)
East Anglia. This beautiful coastal expanse of England prefers to separate itself from the likes of the rowdy Midlands and unruly Essex next door. Quaint towns, lovely beaches - it's the perfect place to walk your dog. Your nan probably goes on holiday there for the peace and quiet. And nothing ever happens in East Anglia. Nothing, except this.
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For once every few years, when the stars align and these two storied clubs cross paths in the same division, we are treated to one of the fiercest rivalries the EFL has to offer.
Ipswich vs Norwich. The Old Farm.
This week, the Tipple Big Bet turns its attention to this Sunday's historic showdown as both sides look to turn around tricky starts to the season, and there is no better way to arrest a slump than by earning bragging rights over your local rivals. We’ll preview the game, the key matchups on the pitch and check up on how the brave man who crossed the divide this summer is getting on at his new club.
Form
One man who will be keen to be on the winning side of this fixture is traitor/legend (dependant on who you support) Marcellino Nunez. The midfielder crossed the divide to join Ipswich from Norwich in the summer for a substantial fee but his career in blue hasn’t started how he’d have liked. He made his first start in midweek in the draw at Bristol and is yet to register a performance to get his new fans on side, there’s no better game to do it in than this one.
Both teams were expecting more than their current situations in pre-season. Title favourites Ipswich find themselves in 13th with just 2 wins from 7 whilst big-spending Norwich are languishing in 19th on 8 points under new gaffer Liam Manning. It’s still early days, and you could frame it as Ipswich are 3 points off the Play-offs with a game in hand, but whichever way you slice it it hasn’t been good enough for a team of such quality.
Both of Norwich’s wins have come on the road this season, whereas both of Ipswich’s have been at home, so it could be anyone’s game on Sunday. The hosts have been slightly stronger in front of goal and better defensively than their neighbours but neither side have set the world alight outside of Ipswich’s 5-0 thrashing of Ruben Selles’ destitute Sheffield United side.
It’s a tricky one to call, the general consensus is that Ipswich will eventually click and start flying, but we’re yet to see any evidence supporting that theory. Norwich need to start firing quickly if they’re to avoid getting dragged into a relegation battle. Josh Sargent is probably the best striker in the league but it’s hard to see where else the goals are going to come from, an untimely injury or a January bid from a promotion chaser could spell disaster for the Canaries if they don’t start contributing from all over the pitch.
Head-to-head
I won't beat around the bush here, Ipswich's record against the Canaries makes for bleak reading. The home side haven't got the better of their rivals in the last fourteen attempts, their last victory dating back to April 2009 when they won 3-2 and Mexican football icon Giovani dos Santos was on the scoresheet for the Tractor Boys. Since then, Norwich have won eight and there have been six draws between the sides, but curses are meant to be broken.
The last goalless draw between these two was in 1999, so expect action up both ends. There is a wealth of attacking talent at the disposal of both these managers and Norwich have struggled defensively so far this season and have allowed a lot of chances, although the more stoic Ipswich defence have also found clean sheets hard to come by.
Key Battle
Leif Davis vs Jack Stacey
It's clear to everyone, both this season and last, that reigning Championship Golden Boot winner Josh Sargent is Norwich's danger man. As clinical and dangerous as the forward is, his skillset lies mostly in the fact he is an incredible finisher and his creative ability is relatively lacklustre. Therefore, if Ipswich can stifle Norwich's creative supply, the goals will dry up as Sargent won't have the opportunities to punish them.
One of Norwich's primary creative forces this season has been right-back Jack Stacey. While not their main producer of key passes, Stacey excels at carrying the ball forwards and pushing his team up the pitch. This drags the opposition all over the place and generates space for Norwich's creative midfielders to move into and receive the ball to then make chances for the forward line, particularly danger-man Josh Sargent.
The man tasked with stopping Stacey will be left-back Leif Davis. Davis is in a similar mould to Stacey, an attacking full-back with a flare for assists and driving up the pitch but perhaps less defensively-inclined than a traditional defender.
If either of these players are going to be stopped, the other will have to sacrifice part of their game to attend to their defensive responsibilities or risk a teammate being dragged out of position to cover. I doubt either of them will fancy admitting defeat and sitting back, so expect an interesting battle down their wing with both their opposite wingers potentially benefitting from gaps left behind the marauding full-backs. Who will blink first?
Preview
Predicting any game in the Championship this season feels like a total stab in the dark, it feels like everyone can beat anyone and nobody is safe.
McKenna's Ipswich definitely come in as favourites, the core of their squad still leftover from their Premier League relegation campaign is far stronger than that of Norwich. Don't write off the boys in yellow just yet though, with a striker as dangerous as Josh Sargent and a talented core to their side they are poised to punish a big team who don't approach them with the respect they deserve.
Both sides come into the game knowing a win could light the fire underneath them that they need to propel them to the heights they've been aiming to reach this season. This game means as much on the pitch as it does off of it. Goals guaranteed, and probably a red card too, these are the games we live for at Tipple.
Can Ipswich end the curse or will the Canaries’ reign of terror continue?
Tipple Difficulty Rating: 8.5/10