At Last a Win
Ipswich finally got a win in the Championship today against Doncaster.
A lot of managers would have panicked after going in 1-0 done, but Paul Jewell seems to let the team he picked get on with it. The philosophy certainly worked today and he resisted the urge to waste time by using substitutes as the clock ticked down. After all shouldn’t substitutes be for when you have serious problems like injuries. The Doncaster manager, Sean O’Driscoll, made all his and you almost thought he was wasting time, to get more added minutes at the end. As it happened the fourth official still found three minutes from thin air.
And then after the match, Paul Jewell praised everybody including the crowd and criticised no-one. After a hard-fought victory like this, there is probably some criticism to be made, but it should be done next week in a calm, constructive and intelligent manner.
Let’s hope that Town can hold Arsenal on Tuesday.
Halfway to the Emirates
This road is halfway between my house and the Emirates.
Ramsey Walk, Islington
Perhaps Ipswich fans, should all go and pay homage on Tuesday.
A Reply for Kazakh Jock
Kazakh Jock of the Bacon Sandwich episode has asked me a question about Ipswich Town.
What is going on as you get absolutely thumped one week and then come round and beat the second best team in the country !!!! and all within a week.
The words about monkeys and backs come to mind. But also on Wednesday, Ipswich got the tactics right, even if Fabregas throught Ipswich were playing rugby.
Priskin’s goal was the result of one of numerous balls lofted over Arsenal’s vulnerable backline, a tactic of which Fábregas was dismissive. “I don’t know if it is long ball or it is a rugby kick but it worked for them,” he said. “In England a lot of teams play like that and it works for them, they create chances like that and it is their football. I can only remember two opportunities for them but it was from a long, long ball because, playing football, they could not really get behind us or [get] attacking.
“We just have to put the ball on the floor and try to play football – that is what we do. I still think we played well. We were good enough but just did not put the ball in the back of the net. The result is a bit disappointing because I think we were the much better team. Credit to them because they played well but Arsenal made the football. The other team refused to play football. They were lucky to score in a long ball. But it was one of those nights and now we have to make it at the Emirates in two weeks’ time.”
Or should I quote Corporal Jones about not liking it up ’em? Or rather Arsenal’s rather suspect defence didn’t!
As I was at both matches, I can also say that one big difference between the two matches was the performance of the diminutive Jaime Peters, who is even shorter than me. Against Chelski his pace was employed up front and he was probably bullied out of the match, by players almost twice his size. But against Arsenal, he was at right-back and his quick tackling, interceptions and fast breaks completely subdued Arsenal’s left flank. Andrey Arshavin was made to look a very ordinary player.
Wearing the Hat with Pride
Today, as I’ve walked around Islington and ridden the buses hither and thither, I’ve been wearing my Ipswich Town hat in the heart of Arsenal territory.
Have I got any comments? Yes! Were they rude or offensive? No! Well not to Ipswich or myself, but there were a few jokes from Spurs supporters at Arsenal’s expense. Even the few Arsenal supporters who said something, were usually questioning the commitment of their team or some of their players.
In fact, the one feeling I got was one of tolerance. Something we could all learn from in many areas.
The Acceptable Face of Football
I didn’t particularly enjoy the football at Stamford Bridge on Sunday, mainly because of the score, but also because of the complete lack of atmosphere in the ground.
Last night at Portman Road, there were 4,500 Arsenal fans amongst those at the ground and the place was jumping, as it hasn’t done all season.
To make matters better, Ipswich won by the only goal, so perhaps the troubles of this season are on their way out.
In some ways one of the highlights of the night, was the atmosphere on the crowded train home. I was in a First Class carriage and evrybody else looked as if they supported Arsenal. I was wearing my Ipswich hat and all I got was congratulations and the odd back-slap.
In the end I walked home from Dalston Kingsland, through what is Arsenal territory without any comments at all.
How far from the stereotype is all this?
The Problems of Evening Football at Ipswich
Evening football shouldn’t be a problem, but yesterday meant that I had to travel from Stratford in the rush hour and that means that a cheap day return wasn’t available unless I left before 4:30. In the end I got the 4:09 after taking the North London Line from Dalston Kingsland. The trouble was this got me to Ipswich at about five thirty for a match that starts at a quarter to eight.
Ipswich isn’t too good for eating gluten-free, the only place being Pizza Express and they were full, so in the end I resorted to plan B of eating a packed supper in the rain in the stands. I should say though, that I could have booked myself a gluten-free meal in the restaurant at Portman Road, but I didn’t want to pay the extra to sit away from my friends.
The salad I took was interesting in that it was a Four Bean and Buckwheat Salad from Waitrose.
Waitrose Four Bean and Buckwheat Salad
I ate it with some salami and an EatNakd bar. It was delicious and I don’t seem to have suffered any reaction. But then it didn’t list any allergens on the package. Why can’t they label it with None? Thanks go to the guy in Waitrose in the Barbican for checking the rather small print on the label.
I did make one mistake in that I forgot to take any cutlery, but thanks to Marks and Spencer in Ipswich for letting me have one of their free forks, without making a purchase.
We see a lot of bad service, so when I get good service it should be recognised.
A Disappointing Result at the Morgue
I went in hope to Chelski for the FA Cup match with Ipswich. I returned very disappointed, as it seemed that the Town players virtually gave up after thirty minutes.
Inside Stamford Bridge
Chelski may have an impressive stadium, but I wasn’t very impressed with the pitch and it certainly wasn’t up to the standard at Portman Road.
Considering that there were 41,000 people inside it was also very quiet.
I last went to Stamford Bridge in probably about 1963 to see Spurs play. In those days, you stood in an enormous terrace alongside the pitch, with the so-called Shed sticking up like a thumb to your left on the other side. There was also a lot more aggro about and Spurs and Chelsea still have a certain amount of bitterness between them.
One thing that hasn’t changed is the difficulty of getting to the ground. I took the train to Fulham Broadway to get there and coming home, I did what we did in the 1960s and walked to South Kensington. From there in the 1960s, I would have taken the Piccadilly Line to Oakwood. Yesterday, I just took it to Piccadilly Circus and got a bus from there all of the way to the stop by my house.
Are Leeds Softening Up Arsenal for Ipswich?
I need to go to Waitrose this afternoon and as I want a bigger branch, it will probably be the Jones Brothers one on Holloway Road. But that lies just next door to the Emirates where Arsenal are having a torrid time against the team that most football supporters don’t like; Leeds.
So I’ll wait until the match finishes.
Let’s hope Leeds maintain their lead for the last five minutes, as Ipswich would probably like to play Arsenal, when they are not happy bunnies!
So if I wait, I can at least wear my Ipswich hat!
The Fightback Starts Here
So Roy Keane has gone and now the players of Ipswich Town can get on with what they hopefully want to do; play football to the best of their ability, without being bullied all the time.
It’s probably a good thing that they’re playing Chelski on Sunday in the Cup, as if they go down fighting, it will be character forming at worse and if they win, then it will prove that money isn’t everything.
I should think that the ghosts of Sir Alf and Sir Bobby are laughing their heads off, as they share stories and they will be motivating the players in the ways only they know.
I’m going to Stamford Bridge tomorrow and the match could well be something special, no matter what the result.
But whatever happens, it will be the start of Ipswich Town’s fightback.
The fans seem not to like the idea of Paul Jewell as manager, but there are a few out there without jobs, who manage almost in the mode of Ipswich Town’s great ones of the past. Roy Hodgson and Chris Hughton to name but two!
You May Get the Man Out of Suffolk, But You Can’t Get Suffolk Out of the Man
I wasn’t born in Suffolk, but according to my father I was conceived on the floor of the Ordnance Hotel in Felixstowe. But for the last forty years or so, I’ve always had strong associations with the county and of course I still support Ipswich Town.
But Suffolk gets under your skin and every time I go to the local de Beauvoir Deli, I’m reminded of my history, as they sell products from Pinney’s of Orford. C and I must have had upwards of fifty happy meals in their Oysterage in Orford. I think C would approve that I’ve just bought some of their smoked fish pate for my lunch, which I’ll eat with s0me Genius toast.
Smoked Fish Pate from Pinney's of Orford
The Anonymous Widower 