With no football to report on, the journalists who cover League One clubs have put forward the best team of the season so far based on performances against their club. No-one from Ipswich Town makes the most selected or back-up team, but five different players did receive votes...
STU SAYS
Journalists were asked to pick a team based on the most impressive performances given against the club they report on. The fact that Ipswich Town don’t have anyone in the most selected XI or the second most selected XI speaks volumes about their season.
Out of the 220 votes cast, Ipswich players received just six. The only player who received multiple nominations... Gwion Edwards, selected for his displays against Coventry recently (though that now feels a lifetime ago) and Lincoln.
The other Blues players picked were Kane Vincent-Young (Shrewsbury), Luke Garbutt (Southend), Emyr Huws and James Norwood (both Wycombe).
It is perhaps a surprise that Flynn Downes, almost certainly set to be named Town’s player of the year, didn’t get picked by anyone. Then again, he was up against some stiff central midfield opposition in the form of Liam Walsh (Coventry), Matt Crooks (Rotherham), Dan Barlaser (Rotherham) and Ben Whiteman (Doncaster).
Luke Woolfenden has attracted interest from clubs higher up the pyramid with his calm displays at the back, but the 21-year-old is overlooked in favour of some big, no-nonsense centre-backs in the form of Harry Souttar (Fleetwood), Michael Ihiekwe (Rotherham), Rob Dickie (Oxford) and Christian Burgess (Portsmouth).
Kayden Jackson, with 11 goals and seven assists, might also feel a little hard done by not to receive a single vote. The fact most went for a 4-2-3-1 or 4-3-3 system went against him though, as did the fact that Ivan Toney has quite clearly been the stand-out striker/player in the division.
The lack of a contribution from someone who watches Burton undoubtedly didn’t help Town’s cause given the Blues produced one of their best displays of the season against them at Portman Road – Jackson, Alan Judge, Jackson and Will Keane all shining in a 4-1 win.
Ultimately though, Town players received the 10th most votes and they find themselves 10th in the table. You can’t really argue with that.
MOST SELECTED XI (4-3-3)
GK - Marko Marosi (Coventry) 5 votes
RB - Fankaty Dabo (Coventry) 11
CB - Harry Souttar (Fleetwood) 8
CB - Michael Ihiekwe (Rotherham) 11
LB - Joe Jacobson (Wycombe) 7
CM - Matt Crooks (Rotherham) 9
CM - Liam Walsh (Coventry) 8
CM - James Henry (Oxford) 8
RW - Chris Maguire (Sunderland) 7
LW - Ronan Curtis (Portsmouth) 9
ST - Ivan Toney (Peterborough) 16
THE ‘RESERVE’ XI (4-3-3)
GK - Jon McLaughlin (Sunderland) 4
RB - Lewie Coyle (Fleetwood) 3
CB - Rob Dickie (Oxford) 4
CB - Christian Burgess (Portsmouth) 5
LB - Josh Ruffels (Oxford) 3
M - Luke O’Nien (Sunderland) 5
M - Dan Barlaser (Rotherham) 5
M - Ben Whiteman (Doncaster) 5
RF - Siriki Dembele (Peterborough) 5
CF - Matt Godden (Coventry) 4
LF - Rhys Healey (MK Dons) 3
VOTES PER CLUB (percentage in brackets)
40 - Coventry (18.18)
34 - Rotherham (15.45)
23 - Peterborough (10.45)
20 - Oxford (9.09)
18 - Portsmouth (8.18)
16 - Sunderland (7.27)
15 - Fleetwood (6.81)
9 - Wycombe (4.09)
8 - Doncaster (3.63)
6 - IPSWICH (2.72)
5 - Gillingham (2.27)
5 - Rochdale (2.27)
3 - Accrington (1.36)
3 - Blackpool (1.36)
3 - Burton (1.36)
3 - MK Dons (1.36)
3 - Tranmere (1.36)
2 - Lincoln (0.9)
1 - Bolton (0.45)
1 - Bristol Rov (0.45)
1 - Southend (0.45)
1 - Wimbledon (0.45)
0 - Shrewsbury (0)
SELECTIONS
ACCRINGTON STANLEY (Charlotte Coates, Lancashire Telegraph)
Marosi (Coventry)
O’Nien (Sunderland)
Ihiekwe (Rotherham)
Dickie (Oxford)
Coyle (Fleetwood)
Maguire (Sunderland)
Walsh (Coventry)
Crooks (Rotherham)
Curtis (Portsmouth)
Toney (Peterborough)
Dembele (Peterborough)
AFC WIMBLEDON – (Daniel Marsh, South London Press)
McLaughlin (Sunderland)
Dabo (Coventry)
Ihiekwe (Rotherham)
Souttar (Fleetwood)
Jacobson (Wycombe)
Henry (Oxford)
Barlaser (Rotherham)
Maguire (Sunderland)
Shipley (Coventry)
Curtis (Portsmouth)
Toney (Peterborough)
BLACKPOOL/FLEETWOOD – (Matt Scrafton, Blackpool Gazette)
Sanchez (Rochdale)
Dabo (Coventry)
Ihiekwe (Rotherham)
Dickie (Oxford)
Jacobson (Wycombe)
Walsh (Coventry)
Crooks (Rotherham)
Whiteman (Doncaster)
Browne (Oxford)
Ferrier (Tranmere)
Toney (Peterborough)
BOLTON WANDERERS – (Marc Iles, The Bolton News)
McLaughlin (Sunderland)
Dabo (Coventry)
Ihiekwe (Rotherham)
Burgess (Portsmouth)
Ruffels (Oxford)
Walsh (Coventry)
Bridcutt (Lincoln)
Maguire (Sunderland)
Shipley (Coventry)
Curtis (Portsmouth)
Toney (Peterborough)
BRISTOL ROVERS (Sam Frost, Bristol Live)
Bonham (Gillingham)
Burgess (Portsmouth)
Souttar (Fleetwood)
Ihiekwe (Rotherham)
Dabo (Coventry)
Jacobson (Wycombe)
Crooks (Rotherham)
Walsh (Coventry)
Henry (Oxford)
Toney (Peterbrough)
Healey (MK Dons)
COVENTRY CITY – (Andy Turner, Coventry Live)
Oxley (Southend)
Edwards (Ipswich)
Souttar (Fleetwood)
Wood (Rotherham)
Ruffels (Oxford)
Barlasser (Rotherham)
Whiteman (Doncaster)
Crooks (Rotherham)
Politic (Bolton)
Toney (Peterborough)
Curtis (Portsmouth)
DONCASTER ROVERS – (Liam Hoden, Doncaster Free Press)
Marosi (Coventry)
Coyle (Fleetwood)
Dickie (Oxford)
Tucker (Gillingham)
O’Nien (Sunderland)
Henry (Oxford)
Branagan (Oxford)
O’Hare (Coventry)
Evans (Fleetwood)
Godden (Coventry)
Maguire (Sunderland)
GILLINGHAM – (Luke Cawdell, Kent Online)
Marosi (Coventry)
Ruffles (Oxford)
Brayford (Burton)
Hyam (Coventry)
Ihiekwe (Rotherham)
Naylor (Portsmouth)
Gorrin (Oxford)
Broadhead (Burton)
Crooks (Rotherham)
Henry (Oxford)
Gnanduillet (Blackpool)
IPSWICH TOWN – (Stuart Watson, East Anglian Daily Times)
McLaughlin (Sunderland)
Dabo (Coventry)
Stewart (Wycombe)
Souttar (Fleetwood)
Matheson (Rochdale)
Barlaser (Rotherham)
Walsh (Coventry)
Henry (Oxford)
Crooks (Rotherham)
Curtis (Portsmouth)
Toney (Peterborough)
LINCOLN CITY – (Mark Whiley, Lincolnshire Live)
Iversen (Rotherham)
Edwards (Ipswich)
Burgess (Portsmouth)
Ihiekwe (Rotherham)
Jacobson (Wycombe)
Clark (Accrington)
Kelly (Coventry)
Crooks (Rotherham)
Maguire (Sunderland)
Toney (Peterborough)
Godden (Coventry)
MK DONS – (Toby Lock, MK Citizen)
Evtimov (Accrington)
Jacobson (Wycombe)
Ihiekwe (Rotherham)
Dabo (Coventry)
Fuller (Gillingham)
O’Nien (Sunderland)
Gooch (Sunderland)
Shipley (Coventry)
Ladapo (Rotherham)
Toney (Peterborough)
Eisa (Peterborough)
OXFORD UNITED – (David Pritchard, Oxford Mail)
Bass (Portsmouth)
Coyle (Fleetwood)
Willis (Sunderland)
Wood (Rotherham)
Jacobson (Wycombe)
Shipley (Coventry)
Fraser (Burton)
Ogbene (Rotherham)
O’Hare (Coventry)
Dembele (Peterborough)
Toney (Peterborough)
PETERBOROUGH UNITED – (Alan Swann, Peterborough Telegraph)
Bass (Portsmouth)
Dabo (Coventry)
Souttar (Fleetwood)
Ihiekwe (Rotherham)
Andrew (Fleetwood)
Walsh (Coventry)
Whiteman (Doncaster)
Crooks (Rotherham)
Sadlier (Doncaster)
Gnanduillet (Blackpool)
Maxim Biamou (Coventry)
PORTSMOUTH – (Neil Allen, Portsmouth News)
McLaughlin (Sunderland)
Dabo (Coventry)
Souttar (Fleetwood)
Monthe (Tranmere)
Butler (Peterborough)
Whiteman (Doncaster)
Barlaser (Rotherham)
Henry (Oxford)
Dembele (Peterborough)
Healey (MK Dons)
Toney (Peterborough)
ROTHERHAM UNITED – (Paul Davis, Rotherham Advertiser)
Sanchez (Rochdale)
Dabo (Coventry)
Bolger (Lincoln)
Sykes (Accrington)
Osew (Wimbledon)
Curtis (Portsmouth)
Walsh (Coventry)
Whiteman (Doncaster)
Healey (MK Dons)
Toney (Peterborough)
Dembele (Peterborough)
SHREWSBURY (Lewis Cox, Express and Star)
Sanchez (Rochdale)
Vincent-Young (Ipswich)
Ihiekwe (Rotherham)
Ogilvie (Gillingham)
Olosunde (Rotherham)
Browne (Oxford)
Crooks (Rotherham)
Ramsey (Doncaster)
Taylor-Blackett (Tranmere)
Morris (Fleetwood)
Akinde (Gillingham)
SOUTHEND UNITED (Chris Phillips, Southend Echo)
Marosi (Coventry)
O’Nien (Sunderland)
Burgess (Portsmouth)
Ihiekwe (Rotherham)
Garbutt (Ipswich)
Curtis (Portsmouth)
Dembele (Peteborough)
Sadlier (Doncaster)
Henry (Oxford)
Toney (Peterborough)
Gnanduillet (Blackpool)
AFC SUNDERLAND – (Phil Smith, Sunderland Echo)
Iversen (Rotherham)
O’Nien (Sunderland)
Ihiekwe (Rotherham)
Dickie (Oxford)
McCallum (Coventry)
Barlaser (Rotherham)
Walsh (Coventry)
Henry (Oxford)
Maguire (Sunderland)
Toney (Peterborough)
Curtis (Portsmouth)
TRANMERE ROVERS – (Tom Cavilla, Liverpool Echo)
Marosi (Coventry)
Dabo (Coventry)
Souttar (Fleetwood)
Stewart (Wycombe)
Jacobson (Wycombe)
Ogbene (Rotherham)
Brannagan (Oxford)
Close (Portsmouth)
Curtis (Portsmouth)
Toney (Peterborough)
Godden (Coventry)
WYCOMBE WANDERERS – (James Richings, Bucks Free Press)
Blackman (Bristol Rovers)
Dabo (Coventry City)
McFadzean (Coventry City)
Souttar (Fleetwood Town)
Matheson (Rochdale)
McKay (Fleetwood Town)
McCallum (Coventry City)
Huws (Ipswich Town)
Toney (Peterborough United)
Godden (Coventry City)
Norwood (Ipswich Town)
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