We have assembled a group of Town fans to predict the outcome of Ipswich games and have their say on what’s going on at Portman Road.
Every week, our panel of Ipswich Town fans will make their predictions ahead of the Blues’ latest game, with three points awarded for a correct scoreline and one point given for a correct outcome.
We’ll keep a league table along the way, before crowning a winner at the end of the season.
Kieren Standley
It’s absolutely essential that Town try to put the heartache of throwing the East Anglian Derby away behind them and respond with a positive performance at home to Cardiff on Wednesday. The first half performance at Carrow Road showed that Town are more than capable of playing at a higher level than they may have shown in previous weeks and bar the lapse in concentration that led to the Canaries’ equaliser, have become a lot more defensively resilient.
The Bluebirds come into this game in good form, unbeaten in their last six Championship games, winning four. Neil Warnock’s side may not be as exciting to watch as their fellow promotion rivals, but they’ve become incredibly consistent, a trait that has so far led them to occupying 2nd place in the Championship. Town themselves have only lost one of their last six, but have only picked up two wins in that time, so this sets up to be a pretty tight affair at Portman Road.
It’s simple, the home crowd need a massive lift after last week’s drab display against Burton Albion and more derby day disappointment, but I’m not expecting Town the blow the roof off with an outstanding entertaining display. I sense we could be set for another tight draw against a side that will be confident of coming away from Suffolk with all three points, but I think Town have just about enough to get something from this game. Games under the lights at Portman Road have historically worked in our favour and hopefully the long traveling Bluebirds will feel the effects of a mammoth midweek journey. Prediction: Ipswich Town 0-0 Cardiff City
Katy Sealy
Cardiff are a very strong physical team, with a lot of confidence and momentum at the moment. They will make it very hard for us so we will need to battle for the ball and really get stuck in. C
ardiff don’t concede many goals, they have a very solid defence so I think it’s going to take something extra special from us to get one past them. If we hadn’t have conceded at the end of the Norwich game,
I think we would have had a lot more confidence coming into this match following a win at Carrow Road, but hopefully the disappointment has made us hungry to get out there and fight. It’s going to be very tough. Prediction: Ipswich Town 0-1 Cardiff City
Alistair Rattray
The end of the season starts here.
Fresh from the deflating experience of the 94th minute at Carrow Road, an evening match with Cardiff promises to be something of a subdued affair.
It would be no surprise to see Mick retain the five-man defensive system from Sunday, something which has served him pretty well since it was first deployed just over a year ago, despite his apparent reluctance to persist with it. It remains to be seen whether he can reinstate Celina in such a line-up, but he could potentially be accommodated in place of Gleeson, whos fitness is probably not capable of two starts in four days.
A tight and cautious approach against the Leagues second place side seems inevitable but, regardless, it will be unlikely to quell the dissent- from either the stands or the dugout. Prediction: Ipswich Town 1-1 Cardiff City
José López Lerena
Not long until we take on Cardiff City at Portman Road! After the painful late draw from Klose at the East Anglian Derby, is time to move on and be focused in our game with the Welsh side!
They are currently based in the automatic promotion positions and last time they defeated us comfortably by 3-1 on the last Halloween Night… It’s going to be tricky! But why can’t we beat them? We should play as we did during the first half at Carrow Road but during the whole game this time! Physically, you cannot play giving your 100% along the 90 minutes but we can’t look like different teams in the first and the second half of the game!
My prediction is we will see another 1-1 draw under the lights of Portman Road… Hopefully Waghorn will score that… he desperately need to find the net again! Come On Ipswich! Let’s do this! COYB! Prediction: Ipswich Town 1-1 Cardiff City
Benjamin Bloom
I’ve had the pleasure of seeing Cardiff three times this season - they beat an under strength Ipswich 3-1 in Wales, and drew 2-2 at Reading and 1-1 at Millwall.
With Warnock we know to expect lots of throw ins and free kicks sailing into the box, solid defence, flair players like Hoilett and Mendez-Laing entrusted with attacking duties, and villainous antics on and off the pitch.
There are goals to be had for Ipswich - Morison and Gregory of Millwall unsettled Bamba and Morrison of Cardiff, and Reading scored twice from set plays, arguably Town’s speciality this season.
Unfortunately, unlike McCarthy, Warnock is a risk taker so I can see Cardiff scoring, especially given the recent additions of Madine and past Ipswich tormentor Wildschut to the already effective Hoilett and Mendez-Laing. Prediction: Ipswich Town 2-2 Cardiff City
Joe Fairs
Cardiff come into the game on a good run of form, but a long midweek trip to Ipswich will see them struggle as Ipswich look to bounce back from the heartache of Sunday’s draw at Norwich.
Neil Warnock and Mick McCarthy generally seem to cancel each other out, and I can imagine both managers will be happy with a point here - but it will be a very tight game that can go either way. Prediction: Ipswich Town 1-1 Cardiff City
Seán Salter:
With the hangover from Norwich’s late equaliser on Sunday lingering around Portman Road, the last thing we need is a visit from Neil Warnock’s high-flying Cardiff. The games are now coming thick and fast in the Championship and for those few fans who still feel Town can make the play-offs, this is a must win.
If Ipswich are going to make a push towards the top 10 they really need to get Waghorn and Garner scoring consistently again. Martyn Waghorn has not scored in his last 12 starts and this is a major frustration for me, I’d prefer to see him on the receiving end of corners instead of the one taking them.
I considered another draw for Town but I think Town will fall well short. Prediction: Ipswich Town 0-3 Cardiff City
Amy Downes
Whenever we have an evening match, I usually spend the night sitting at home feeling jealous that I can’t be there - I love Portman Road under the lights.
But I have to say, I’m not envious of those who are going tonight at all. I suspect the atmosphere will be sour and I don’t think three days has been enough for any of us to get over the disappointment of the derby - including the players.
If we can perform like we did in the first half on Sunday, I will be happy, but I’m afraid I can’t see anything better than a defeat - I’m going for 1-0 to Cardiff. Prediction: Ipswich Town 0-1 Cardiff
Jack Prentice
If you wanted a match to sum up why Ipswich went to the play-offs in 2015 and won’t this season, the game against Norwich was it.
The first 94 minutes were gritty, hardworking and barring a Timm Klose chance that he ought to have scored, Norwich didn’t create much from open play. I thought the hoodoo was over when Luke Chambers sent us in the away end into raptures.
The Ipswich of 2014/15 would have held on. However, since then Town have made a habit of conceding soft goals, none more so than this season.
I won’t blame Bart for rushing out; a defender should have gone with Grant Hanley to the byline. He had too much time to pick out Klose in the box.
To Cardiff, and a team much improved from last season, they will be at the very least in the play-offs. They don’t like Portman Road either, and it’s a nasty trip on a Tuesday night.
I can see a draw in the offing, though as with any Ipswich match, nothing will surprise me. Prediction: Ipswich Town 1-1 Cardiff City
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