Jeckyll and Hyde v Hyde

IPSWICH TOWN
V
DONCASTER ROVERS

During our last meeting the Tractor Boys effectively ploughed up the Keepmoat and the Rovers with it, as probably the most threadbare Rovers team put out in many-a-year was trounced by six goals to nil.  

For that game, Rovers were unable to field a recognised striker and so faced an impossible task.  Famously, Sean O'Driscoll threatened to walk out of the post-match press conference if anybody asked a stupid question and, when he received his second question,  "So Sean, how do you feel?" he duly followed up on the threat.

As some kind of indication how weakened Rovers were that night, the mid-winter freeze of 2010/11 season resulted in the home and away fixtures with Ipswich being only seperated by 4 other matches.  At Portman road, just 3 weeks before the massacre at the Keepmoat, Donny were unfortunate to come second in a five-goal thriller, which included a mad spell with 3 goals in 3 minutes.

This season, remarkably Ipswich have also conceded more than any other team but with 19 goals for, aren't so bad going forwards.  Donny's record is a little more balanced.  No team has scored fewer goals than the Rovers and only Ipswich have conceded more.  0:0 doesn't look a wise bet tomorrow.

IPSWICH TOWN

I got on well with the supporters and the manager [Sean O'Driscoll] at the time and I really enjoyed myself there. I have some great memories from my time at Doncaster  - Jay Emmanuel-Thomas

Looking at Ipswich's results so far this season, it would seem they are either very good (3:1 victory against Brighton, 3:0 against Bristol City and Coventry) or really bad (1:7 against Peterbrough, 2:5 versus Southampton and last week's 4:1 away defeat by Millwall).  If Paul Jewell follows the instructions of the fans, he's stuck in the Portman Road revolving doors.

First video up was that game at the New Den and the defending was as shocking as you would think.  Centre-backs stayed in the middle and I have no idea where the full-backs were for two of the Millwall goals.  It was simply a case of an attack finding a man in acres of space in the inside right or left position.  A good shot was fired in, parried and the rebound could not be dealt with.  Millwall were using those inside positions all game.

Against Palace, Ipswich lost 0:1 and it was another very poor goal.  A really poor Palace free-kick that should have been eaten up by any decent defence was half cleared and then a lot of ball-watching occurred as Palace took their opportunity.

Portsmouth, and here I saw a slender Tractor-Boys victory, but all in all I'd have to say that I've gained more hope from watching the frailties of their defence than I've gained fear from watching their attack.  Jimmy Bullard pulls the strings in midfield and I did see a few snappy strings of passes involving Bullard and Lee Bowyer.  Now they are two names that also bring a lack of nonsense to mind!

The other player I liked in an attacking sense? Carlos Edwards.  Against Portsmouth he had a couple of forays down the right flank that looked difficult to deal with.

There's hope for Donny in this one.  That defence is as bad as I've seen, with one unfortunate exception.

DONCASTER ROVERS

I can see it coming together here. The pace of training has gone up massively from testimonial to world cup final standard. - Dean Saunders

Well I am sure there wasn't a dry eye at the Keepmoat on Tuesday evening as Billy Sharp showed us all what love, heartbreak, pride and professionalism mean.  How could he play through such pain? In Billy's words, "that's what my little man Luey would have wanted.

Well, Billy, you gave Luey one fantastic present.  

Rovers lost the match but that's in many ways a trivial detail.  There were positives.  For the first 30 minutes, Rovers played one of the promotion contenders completely off the park.  El-Hadji Diouf did not look as unfit as I suspected he was, indeed it looks as though he and Billy could form a brief but happy relationship.

But the problems at the back remain very obvious.  

Billy Sharp's family have received a lot of support from the Martin House Children's Hospice during this very sad time for them.  The Viking Supporters cooperative have set up an means of donating to this very worthy cause.  If you would like to make a donation, you can do so my clicking here.  Alternatively you can send a donation by SMS by following the instructions below (clicking on the image will take you to a page with all terms and conditions)

Thank you.