(* – thanks to Ipswich tourist signs for pointing out that Wolsey was born in Ipswich and, of course, he died at Leicester Abbey … and I could not think of a better title, sorry)
Ipswich Town 1 v 1 Leicester City
Post Match Analysis by Stuart Dawkins
The views expressed in this report are the opinions of the Trust member nominated to file the report only and do not represent the views of the Foxes Trust organisation.
Ipswich have been my second favourite team for the vast majority of my life; being a teenager during Bobby Robson’s reign made quite an impact. Walking to the match from our hotel my lament was that a much-needed Leicester win would, by definition, require Ipswich to lose. Surely a better solution, for the season as a whole, would be to have three teams in the Premier League who are worse than both Ipswich and Leicester? Both clubs would probably take that option right now if it existed.
Onto the match itself. Steve Cooper again rang quite a few changes with the starting eleven. Recent defensive frailties were presumably behind the dropping of Okoli and Justin, to be replaced by fit-again Vestergaard, and Pereira. Mavididi and Fatawu got the winger spots, with Winks, Ndidi and Buonanotte in the side, leaving no space for Ayew in the starting line-up.
Portman Road is a classic old ground, and it was interesting to see rail seating for the away end. I say ‘rail seating’ rather than ‘safe standing’ for two reasons. The first is that, technically, that is what it was … rails to lean on provided between the traditional rows of seats. The second is that the stewarding and crowd management was amongst the worst I have experienced in forty-odd years as an Away supporter. I will save that detail for the Annex to this report.
City started well, creating chances for Mavididi and Fatawu within the first ten minutes. But then as so often this season, they became … well, they became pretty poor really. Too many missed passes, too many hesitant decisions and – good ‘keeper though Hermansen is (and I do believe he is) – the Ipswich press resulted in his playing unconvincing long balls too often. A couple of gifts from the City defence could easily have led to an Ipswich goal, before the match settled into a long phase with Ipswich being marginally the better side, but without threatening that much.
Normally, I try to work out and report on what system City are playing, but a combination of the distraction from the poor stewarding and what was happening before our eyes meant that I really was not sure. I think there was some attempt to play Pereira in the Maresca-like ‘inverted full-back’ role, but too be honest, there was so little fluidity in City’s play that I am really not that sure.
The referee was a new one to me – Tim Robinson. It is good, of course, that a new generation of referees is bloodied in the Premier League, so I am reluctant to be too harsh, but he really did not have a great day. Thankfully, that did not influence the result. He was perhaps right to book Buonanotte after 22 minutes for scoring from the half-way line – he did take the shot a second or two after the whistle went for a foul, but he made a number of even odder decisions as the game progressed. I wish him well and genuinely help he learns from them and goes on to become a good reliable ref for the Premier League. It’s a difficult job and someone has to do it.
Neither side had scored by half-time, and neither side had looked too much like doing so.
The second half had not changed that dynamic much, when Hermansen, again forced to go long, shanked a clearance for a throw-in for Ipswich on their right wing. A long hopeful cross found Davis running in unmarked to hit an excellent volley into the net to take the lead. It was a goal rather out of the blue, but Ipswich probably deserved the lead.
Mavididi protested – quite justifiably in my view – at another suspect decision, this time to give Ipswich, rather than Leicester, a throw-in, getting a yellow card as a result. And that was all I noted for about twenty minutes during which Ipswich were slowing play down and generally looking like a team with no objective other than to see out the result for their first Premier League win of the season.
Both managers made changes, with McAteer and Soumare coming on for Leicester, replacing Ndidi and Mavididi. Ndidi has not been as effective as he can be, giving away a number of un-necessary fouls. Mavididi had been ok, but had not produced much of the magic of which he is capable.
Around 77 minutes in, two notable things occurred in quick succession. The ref did not give Ipswich a penalty (live in the ground I thought that a correct decision and VAR clearly agreed), then Phillips was late in a challenge and so picked up, correctly, a second yellow card and left the pitch.
Then, as a few times this season, City started to play as we know they can. A decent shot from Buonanotte was well saved before Ayew came on to replace Kristiansen, as City tried to get something from the match. Ayew’s first contribution was to create a chance that was blocked on the line.
The fourth official signalled eight minutes of added time, about right for a half in which there were many match-slowing injuries and bookings for time wasting. Ipswich were a man down, and playing like a team who had not won this year. Every time City got the ball they looked like scoring, there were half-a-dozen decent City chances in added time, and finally one of them counted.
Soumare did well to win back possession in the middle of the pitch, at speed he left a couple of Ipswich players behind, played a nice pass and Vardy released Ayew to score the equaliser. Soumare played well – for the third match in a row. It was nice that after the goal was scored, Faes went to hug him and then point to him as if making sure the City fans realised the role Soumare had played in the goal, presumably, aware that Soumare has been the butt of quite a lot of negative attention.
City sensed a win was possible and kept the attacks coming, but Ipswich held out for a one-all draw. On balance, a fair result, but as so often this season, one is left wondering what might have happened had City played well for more of the 90 (plus added time) minutes.
So, onto my Annex. Some combination of Portman Road being an old ground and the installation of the rails, meant that getting into your seat was a bit more time consuming than usual. That is no excuse for the entirety of the first half seeing, I would estimate, over a hundred City fans watching the match whilst standing in the aisles. The stewards had no interest in fixing it, despite the majority of bemused fans asking them to help. In any event which I have been involved, as an organiser or as an attendee, keeping the aisles and exits in the most basic part of ‘safety’, and by this criterion, this was the least safe away fan experience I think I have ever had. The fans wanted to solve it, but no-one from the stewarding team was either interested or trained to help them. Come half-time, one police Inspector sorted the whole problem out in about five minutes, it just needed someone to take charge and do it. In the week in which LCFC have finally announced a plan for safe standing at the King Power Stadium, I do hope they will implement it more effectively when it arrives.
And to finish … I am typing this report whilst watching the Wolves v Palace match on a pub TV (shout out to Isaacs on the Quay on the Ipswich waterfront). On the evidence of that match, maybe there are teams equally as unimpressive as Ipswich and City? Let’s hope so.
And finally, finally … well done Harborough Town on a dominating 4-1 away win in their first ever appearance in the FA Cup first round. Now LCFC v HTFC would make a cracking third round draw, wouldn’t it?
City: Hermansen; Ricardo, Faes, Vestergaard, Kristiansen; Ndidi, Winks; Fatawu, Buonanotte, Mavididi; Vardy. Subs: Ward, Justin, Okoli, Coady, Skipp, Soumare, El Khannouss, McAteer, Ayew.