Ipswich Town
Leggi Looks At: Stoke
By Leggi
February 20 2008
STB message boarder Leggi is back giving us an insight into Town's opposition on Saturday it's Stoke City at The Britannia Stadium in The Championship.
STOKE CITY
Saturday 23rd February, Britannia Stadium, Kick-off 15:00
Referee Mr. M. Jones
The Potters were founded in 1863, which makes them the second oldest football league club, they played their home games from 1870 at The Victoria ground before moving to the impressive 28,383 capacity Britannia Stadium in 1997.
Their Greatest achievement in the League has been winning the old second Division, three times (1933,1963,1993), and winning the Division two Play-off Final in 2002. They have also won the League Cup in 1972. City have not played Top-flight football for 23 years, but are looking very good prospects to end that record this season. Managed by Tony Pulis, they currently sit top of The Championship table, 8 points ahead of 6th placed promotion rivals Town.
The points were shared at Portman Road just over a month ago Danny Haynes scored for Ipswich whilst former Blue loanee Ricardo Fuller netted for The Potters.
*Match Fact* Ipswich have only won 2 of the last 13 meetings home and away and have never won at The Britannia Stadium.
Form Guide
(1st) Stoke City......P6 W5 D0 L1
(4th) Ipswich Town....P6 W3 D2 L1
OUR LEAGUE RECORD AWAY AT STOKE CITY
Played: 33
Won: 8
Drawn: 11
Lost: 14
Goals:
For: 36
Against: 55
Our greatest Victory is a massive 2-1 win achieved 3 times (1960, 1975, and 1988)
Our biggest loss (and it is big) is a 9-1 thumping in 1964. The highest attendance came in a 3-2 loss for the blues when 23,029 turned up in 2004. Jason De Vos and Ian Westlake were our scorers that day. The lowest gate came in 1960 when just, 4,070 witnessed Town's first ever win away at Stoke. Ray Crawford and Doug Milward scoring in a 2-1 victory. John Wark and Ray Crawford are our leading all-time Scorers against The Potters, with 6 goals each, Alan Brazil and Kevin Wilson scored 5 times. 18 Players have represented both teams, they include, Keith Bertschin, Ian Cranson, Graham Harvey, Ricardo Fuller and Brian Talbot.
Leggi's Player to fear: 26-year-old midfielder Liam Lawrence, who signed from Sunderland in 2006, he started his career at Mansfield Town in 1999, but it didn't take long for the 'committed' and 'determined' right-winger to get spotted by scouts and was snapped up by the Black cats in 2004, where he scored 6 goals in Sunderland's Promotion winning season, but left to join Stoke the following season after Sunderland's Relegation from the Premiership. This clever and battling midfielder has scored 11 goals this season including 2 in last Friday nights table-topping win against Scunthorpe, and has already surpassed his total of 5 goals for last term.
Leggi Predicts: I feel we have 2 massive tests in our final run-in and this is one of them, Tony Pulis has put together a side of physical, bullying players who are not pretty to watch but their aggression has seen them climb to the top of the most un-predictable year of The Championship. It will be interesting to see how our new look midfield fares against the most physical midfield in the Division and how our slow defence copes with the pace of Ricardo Fuller. This game can go two ways, depending on which Jim is picking the team, if its the negative Jim and we go to defend we will get beat heavily, I'd like to see us give this one a real go, so I hope he keeps the same side from the Palace and Blackpool games except bring Quinn in for Haynes. Pick this team and we stand a chance but I've got a feeling he'll change it all around again and go to defend. I'd be very happy with a point but I predict we'll be heading back to Suffolk pointless in a 3-1 defeat.
Hope I'm wrong though.
Leggi is aiming low this week, how are you feeling ahead of the game? Leave your view below.
Digg
Delicious
Facebook
Reddit
Stumbleupon
--------------Bywater-----------------
--Bruce---Naylor--De Vos------Harding--
--Walters--Sumi--Norris---------Quinn--
-----------Lee------Counago------------
That team will sort the Potters out, I'll give you my aftermatch thoughts tomorrow evening when I've returned from Stoke.
My Predicted Team
---------- Bywater ----------
Wright--Naylor--De Vos--Harding
-------- Sumolikoski --------
Walters--Miller--Norris--Quinn
------------ Lee ------------
I'm not to keen on that team, but can see it happening. If we're going to stand any chance of getting 3 points, Jim must go there and attack so it's got to be 4-4-2 using the team Leggi picked.
My prediction- Stoke City 0-0 Ipswich Town
