573: Kings of Anglia: Town kick off derby week with Pompey win ahead of big Bristol City test

13:01Mark Heath:It was really important. And we look like, again, this is, you know, whisper it quietly, but it looks like an upgrade on the beloved duo of Morsi and Luongo. So Matissiwa is a destroyer. He's bulletproof. And Kiyusta, I mean, he just looks levels above at times. Creator, silky smooth, nothing ruffles him. Arguably, maybe not even arguably, I'd say he's actually Ifrich Town's best player.

13:30Ross Halls:To be honest, Howie just walks into the championship and just doesn't really, you know, burst a sweat. He's just so calm and collected and smooth. It's just so easy for him. But yeah, that's a good debate about, you know, the Masame Luongo-San-Morsey partnership to Azul, Mata Siwa, Njenski, Yuste, Gusta, however you want to say it. I'm just allowing people to say however they want to. Just say it, obviously, correctly to an extent. Just don't do me with molecular. Was that okay? Was that okay?

13:59Mark Heath:No, no, that was wrong, mate. I actually had a message from Big Nige on Blue Sky, who wanted you to do it phonetically. Let's try this, shall we? he says it's it's molek you la and not molek er la it's all about the you should we try it rossi so mo no lec lec you you are la la la okay so mo lek you la mo lek you are no no la la okay Mo, let you la.

14:38Ross Halls:Yes. That's it. Mo, let you la.

14:41Mark Heath:What? Sorry? Mo, let you la. Yes. That's it. We'll take that. Just do it slowly until you get to speed. I've got to trip the Bristol Wormont tomorrow,

14:54Ross Halls:so I'll do that part of the trip. I want you to do that the whole way there,

14:57Mark Heath:just really annoying, Stu and AJ. Anyway, again, I digressed. The midfield's well good, isn't it, Stu?

15:04Stuart Watson:Yes, it is looking good, isn't it, Mark? Alex and I sort of debated which of those two was our man of the match. Alex Plump for Jens. I just about tipped it the way of Azul, but I think you can make a strong argument for either, to be honest. Jens does the more kind of easy on the eye stuff, doesn't he? He's involved with both goals. he's strong, he backs into people he's got that trademark turn spin, whether it's a little drag back or a flick or whatever it is, he just looks after the ball well and I don't think we saw his attacking talents in the Premier League because Ipswich were under the caution games, it was just a different style of football, survival football in the Premier League and now I think we're seeing different parts of Jens Kouste in a team that's on the front foot and dominating the ball more and expected to win games so that's good to see and Azor is for me just sort of getting better and better by the game he's learning the system he's getting to grips with the pace of the championship but we talked about something Ipswich lacked in the Premier League was a bit of that sort of physicality.

16:26Stuart Watson:He certainly got that. Reads the game really well. He did a bit of everything in this game. He was back defending in his own box. He was making interceptions. He gets forward as well. He plays forward passes. It was his pass to Davis that led to the second goal. I really like him. I think he's looking really good value for money at the moment.

16:47Mark Heath:They're like yin and yang, aren't they? Creator and destroyer. Opposite forces, but work perfectly together. Would you, now I've thought about it, so I want to talk about it. Would you say that Jens is town's best player? Well, that's a good question.

17:09Mark Heath:Yeah, probably would at the moment, yeah. I guess last season you would say De Lapp, but I think if you look at the town squad now, and clearly, you know, there are new signings we've not seen a lot of yet, but I think I would say Jens is town's best player on the face of it at the moment. He is absolutely magnificent, as is Azor. Other things to talk about in terms of players, Stu. The first time we got to see Sindri Valle-Egelli from the start. And obviously Cedric Kipre making his league debut as well. What did you make of those two? Kipre, very assured, very solid.

17:43Stuart Watson:Didn't have loads to do, but what he did, he did well. I think he's slightly different to Jacob Greaves in the way he plays.

17:56Stuart Watson:looks after the ball well. I think I looked at the passing statistics and no one had a higher passing accuracy than him up in the sort of early 90s. So looks after the ball well. A couple of little moments where there's a header back to the goalkeeper under pressure in the second half and he had ice in his veins for that. Yeah, looking back at it, it might have been him that lost his man for the goal in stoppage time. So that's something that they'll look at. But yeah, he was solid. And now Kieran McKenna has a decision to make regarding whether Jacob Greaves walked straight back into the team on Tuesday night.

18:35Mark Heath:Were there any of those moments? You said there might be at least one of those when he threw your fingers watching a tackle, that kind of thing, as he destroyed someone.

18:43Stuart Watson:No, no, there wasn't really. Not that I can recall, but I suppose that's because, you know, Portsmouth had the physical Colby Bishop ploughing a lone furrow up top, so it wasn't maybe that sort of game where there was a moment of pacing behind and he had to make anything last ditch. No, Portsmouth didn't pose a lot of threat in this game. So he'll have some tougher afternoons ahead with Cedric Kipre. Okay.

19:14Mark Heath:How about Igelli then, Rossi? First time we've seen him from the start, something we wanted to see. I don't think I'd fully appreciate just how big he is. There was a point in the game where he kind of drifted out wide to get the ball with his blonde hair and kind of physical stature. First, I thought it was George Hurst. Then I realised it was a galley. For a lad, he's not a wee snip of a thing. He's a bit of a unit already. So clearly, he's got that physical element to his game. And there were some really nice moments. So it was that lovely cross-field ball to Jens, wasn't there? Which is absolutely beautiful.

19:46Mark Heath:I think Town have shared that on their social media. But what did you make of him in terms of his whole game?

19:52Ross Halls:Yeah, very good. I was surprised, to be fair, to see him start. But when you've spent a championship record fielding, you probably need to start him at some point. So, yeah, he's obviously now had full training with the boys. I'm sure he's impressed, Kieran McKenna and the coaching staff, in training. So he's got the opportunity. I'll just say he's a little bit eager sometimes. I think he just likes to get into there a little bit too much. But yeah, he's sort of pinging the balls across and he's keen. He wants to get involved, but he's still very young. He's still going to have to get used to championship football coming up against different opposition.

20:32Ross Halls:But hot take, I'm going to put this out here right now. I don't know why. I just think he's going to have a moment in the derby. I know we're getting too far ahead of myself again because we've got Bristol. I don't know. I think he's going to be him or someone similar. Casey McIntyre, maybe the right wing. If Casey McIntyre starts, one of them two will have a moment in the derby. They'll maybe score the winning goal. That's just my hot take early doors.

20:55Mark Heath:Okay, so so far we've had Nunes. You said Nunes has got to start. Agele, and then you went from Agele to McIntyre having a moment in the derby. So you're getting all your horses in a row. I know you've had some early success prediction-wise, but you can't predict the entire team to score a key goal against Norwich. Um, Stu, what did you make of Agheli? Uh, because clearly, you know, he's got a lot of expectation on his shoulders for, for, for a teenager. Um, and we've seen moments, um, of, of what he can do. What did, what did you make of his, his debut?

21:26Stuart Watson:Yeah, like Ross, I was surprised to see him start because I thought Kieran McKenna would want to start building some, um, consistency into his attacking unit, uh, in the early stages of the season. But in hindsight, this was probably a good game to blood him into against a sort of injury hit Portsmouth side, which we're going to have a chance to sort of attack. It will have been with Tuesday night in mind that Casey McIntyre is a quite explosive, pacey player and maybe save his legs for a tough away game where counterattacking football is going to be the order of the day. So, yeah, probably sensible to put a galley in, as Ross says, when you've paid that sort of fee, you want to start getting him out there at some point.

22:15Stuart Watson:And he was, yeah, I was quietly encouraged by his performance, I would say. It didn't set the world alight, but he never was going to in what was his first start in English football as a 19-year-old. but there were bits and pieces where you went, yeah, you can see why he's so highly rated, whether it just be a little touch here and there, like you say, that pass. There were some little inventive moments where he sort of tried things that other players wouldn't necessarily see or attempt. There was a little kind of flicked pass up the line that sticks in my mind. He had that shot early in the second half that deflected onto the roof of the net.

23:00Stuart Watson:still learning, as Ross says, a bit eager at times. I think he gave away three or four fouls in this game where he was just kind of jumping all over the back of players' heels when the ball wasn't really there to be won. But I like that. That's enthusiasm. It's adrenaline. So excited to see more of him.

23:19Mark Heath:We were all eager, though, weren't we? We were 19. I'd certainly be eager if I was worth 17.5 million playing in the championship. I reckon I'd be a bit eager. We know that that right ring role is very... tailored and specific in terms of what McKenna wants from it, Stewie. He wants physicality. He wants directness. He wants balls hammered into the box. Do you think, again, he is that sort of player or do you think that is going to have to kind of change if that is indeed where he ends up playing?

23:44Stuart Watson:No, I don't think he is that sort of player. He's not going to play in the Wes Burns' Casey McAteer style. He is more of a, I think his natural instinct is to come inside and play as a 10. And if you watched him sort of off the ball at times, I saw him sort of very central at moments. I think ultimately that's where he wants to end up. And, yeah, it's probably a bit like Amari Hutchinson that sort of long-term he'll end up as a more central player. But as a young player, quite often you kind of get your first steps in football get made as a wide man. And that looks to be the case.

24:26Stuart Watson:are it just kind of getting away from that that way of playing with the right winger because of Leif Davis's role being now slightly different and the left side being slightly different with a Philogene slash cart maybe it's good that they've got some different strings to their bow now that it's not so obvious that you know week after week you know Leif Davis is always on the overlap. You know that the right winger always stays high and right. It's good to have a bit of consistency and patterns of play baked into your side, but it's also good to have a bit of variety and keep the opposition guessing.

25:04Stuart Watson:So, again, he gives them certainly some different attributes.

25:08Mark Heath:Yeah. Now, another thing I want to talk about, and Stu set me up perfectly there when he talks about having different attributes and variety, is there was a very sexy line in Stu's observations when it came to players coming off the bench. Now, in a not too distant past, we've lamented, certainly in the Premier League, Premier League teams bringing like a£60 million striker off the bench. And even in the Championship season, you know, so-and-so leads bringing players off the bench that are worth millions. In this game, Isthridge Town brought players off the bench worth£34 million. That feels good, doesn't it, Rossi?

25:47Ross Halls:Yeah, it does indeed. Especially one of them is Katie McIntyre, who was a bit of a head scratcher when we signed him. Do we really need him? But yeah, and especially there's four in one go. When you sort of look up and you just see all four coming on at once, it's like, bloody hell, my Portsmouth players must go, oh no, I'm bloody naked. And now I've got these boys running at me. And you've got Ivan Azan, who's just a bloody unit, coming up against him. he's not a player that's got my moment at Derby anyway

26:24Ross Halls:but yeah just it's great to have that depth and that's how we got out of the championship before with the super

26:32Mark Heath:subs yeah Stu I think I'm a bit in love with Ivan Lazon I really want him to score he came close in this game once he hit the post I love the way he plays all action all energy hustle bustle bit of a tank obviously Spanish and now having been to Spain I feel part Spanish my brother so yeah I really want I really want him to to score and I think I'm a bit in love with him and likewise I was interested what you mentioned about Jack Clark as well in terms of be easy for him to sulk given that Philogene's kind of starring ahead of him but I'm sure his head dropped yeah so a quadruple sub in the second

27:08Stuart Watson:half and they needed it I thought it sort of as we've touched upon the second half was was drifting a bit, Ipswich were in control. Is it because some players are not fully up to speed after limited pre-seasons? Possibly. Is it because Bristol Norwich is then starting to come into minds a little bit? A bit of complacency, don't know. But it did dip on and off the pitch in that second half. And then we see those four players come on. By the way, Tuba Atpom, former Golden Boot winner, he's just left unused. That's something that Ipswich can do on the players come. Let's start with even Azon. There is something about certain players, what makes a fan's favourite.

27:54Stuart Watson:And it's the style of play, it's the personality, the fact that he's got his hands, he's got his one hand wrapped as well, gives him a little sort of trademark visual, doesn't it? I mean, he charged down a centre-half within seconds, certainly puts himself about, doesn't he? the fact that he's Spanish and there's the Pablo Cunhago kind of thing from, from years ago as well, all kind of adds to that. So he was good. Shame that he couldn't score when he, when he struck that one against the post and would have made it three nil for my prediction. Yeah. But Jack Clark is the one I really, really want to highlight here because Jack Clark could quite easily not be having a soul cup.

28:39Stuart Watson:Cause I don't think anyone goes out of their way to, to have a soul cup but but through human nature just be feeling a little bit sorry for themselves to have their their ego their confidence knocked a little bit um after you know a difficult premier league campaign for him where he was kind of in and out and um schmodix was sort of largely ahead of him and he talked about not coming from being the star man at sunderland um where it was give the ball to Jack Clark and see what he can do to coming to being a kind of a team player at Ipswich where he was having to learn this kind of new tucked in role with Davis sort of getting out of the way of Davis then Philogene suddenly comes alive at the start of this season and makes that spot his own he could have come on at 2-0 up and sort of just you know strolled about and and seen seen the game out but he came on and ran around like a blue ass fly he was flying into tackles not seen that from jack clark before the off the ball stuff tackles hustling people off the ball um love that and i think kieran mckenna is going to really hold him up as the poster boy for um squad culture you know and they had it before in the promotions with people like caden jackson i think was always held up as the epitome of you know keep working hard keep driving your teammates on every day in training be ready for your chances make that difference off the bench those are the things that make the difference over the course of a 46 47 game season now for Ipswich with the Blackburn game so I think that was one of my favorite parts of this game Jack Clark's performance off the bench two and two off the bench before today as well yeah 34 million pounds off the

30:27Mark Heath:bench. That sounds good. Right then. One of the other positives we've already discussed, George Hurst getting a goal. He's quietly got, what's he got, three now, I think? Is it three in the league? Decent return. The new look, George Hurst. Let's hear from him, shall we? This is a two minute ten clip, Rossi. When we return, I want you just to remind everyone exactly who our new sponsor are.

30:47Ross Halls:George, how good was that to belatedly build on Sheffield United? Yeah, massive. You know, we always enjoy playing at home and I think it's a place that we want to make a fortress as much as we can. so yeah to go out there and get another win you know first three o 'clock kickoff at home i think it was um so yeah always nice to nice to go out there and get the win particularly good in that first half yeah very good um you know i think we came out of blocks straight away they they probably had you know sort of 10 minutes um midway through the halfway they gained a little bit more traction but i think we we saw it out pretty well and you know then then i get the goal and go two nil up at half time is is massive and just about coming out second often and sort of keeping it solid and and working as hard as we had were at first half, and I think we did that.

31:29Ross Halls:Your third of the season, how happy enough for that mid-September? Yeah, for sure. You know, more than my area, I'd probably sit here and say I should have scored more, could have scored more, but, you know, it is what it is. Hopefully, keep ticking along and keep getting the goals as and when they come. How are you feeling about your game at the moment? Yeah, it wasn't my best game today. I think there's a few bits that I was a little bit sloppy on and, you know, a few bits I'd like to clean up on. But, you know, it's just work on a training ground. It's, you know, nice to get the goal, regardless of all that.

31:56if I can have a bad game and come off with a goal then hopefully when I do play well it's a good sign

32:01Stuart Watson:I have to ask to finish in terms of being a striker you're so distinguishable

32:06Ross Halls:and have been with having the blonde hair which we've seen for so long as well before that you've got a different look today what was the thing behind the new look? I was sat home a couple of days ago my partner she's away working at the minute and just thought I wanted to shave it off to be honest so yeah I'd text her asking if she'd got any sort of didn't want me to do it she wasn't convinced I did it anyway so we'll see when she comes back tomorrow what she really thinks of it I feel weird heading the ball I feel like it must be really different when you've got a different haircut it is, it took a bit of getting used to I woke up this morning after getting my hair cut yesterday and completely forgot I'd had it done to be honest so it was a bit of a shock when I looked in the mirror this morning but it's only a haircut and it'll grow back or it won't it is what it is so you're happy with it though yeah definitely squad today so i can't complain

32:58Mark Heath:from one lovely accent the yorkshire lilt of george hirst to another the suffolk twang of rossi just remind us rossi who's our new sponsor no let you laugh yes get in rossi but i think we're there i think we've got it you know um stewie what did you make of george hirst's new

33:16Stuart Watson:haircut well i think we might have reached peak football player quote there with it will grow back or it won't it is what it is yeah i don't think that will ever be bettered

33:30Mark Heath:yeah uh i mean i don't know who it was but there's someone that's pointed out that he now bears a passing resemblance to the kid off toy story um whose name i can't remember Sid, yeah. Sid, that's it. I mean, he really does.

33:44Stuart Watson:That's a good shout.

33:45Mark Heath:Yeah, I'm not sure that... Yeah, I prefer Blonde George, I think. But hey, if he shaves his head and he scores, he's going to have to keep doing it, isn't he? I think there was actually some further quotes on that topic, saying that if he keeps scoring, he's going to have to keep shaving his head. So let's see, shall we?

34:02Stuart Watson:The opposite of that guy on the internet who's not cutting his hair. No, the Man United fan. Man United get five wins, yeah.

34:09Mark Heath:Yeah, he's going to be waiting a long time, I think. Man United, what a basket case of the club, where careers go to die. Things really have changed. Right then, let's wrap up this game, Stu, with a couple of, not negatives, but things that maybe Tom will look at. One is not a negative at all, in that you rightly say it's exciting that there's still so much room for improvement. And the other one is something they will definitely be looking at. Because it's a strange one, isn't it? defensively, they generally look solid, really solid. I mean, their stats are, I think, second XG against in the league, something like that, I remember you saying.

34:45Mark Heath:And watching them, you think, oh, wow. Yeah, you know, O'Shea's so class, isn't he? Or, you know, Greaves, Greaves was everything in the air or in this game. Keep right, yeah, so assured. And yet they have so far this season, they've had a knack for just these lapses and been able to be cut through by direct play. And that's definitely something they need to cut out. Let me turn negatives into positives then. Because in terms of not being ruthless enough and not taking chances, it's always better to have that than not creating chances. You're in a good spot. If it's just a case of that final finishing, that final pass, that final bit, that can come.

35:30The greater worry is always when you don't look like scoring. Yeah. which have scored goals and they could have scored a hell of a lot more as George Kirst and can be fixed easier than kind of having to create full stop. And it's the same with the defensive side of things. These are moments, these are lapses in concentrations.

35:55Stuart Watson:These are incidents that have kind of happened out of the context of football matches. And we've talked about the goals against have been, you know, the Preston penalties where Greaves gets in a bit of a muddle. The Derby goals are kind of direct balls into the box that have not, or direct balls, straight balls forwards that haven't been dealt with. Again, this one's a kind of corner at the end, at the weekend. But it's not like Ipswich are being carved open for long periods in games. I think they've looked pretty rock solid. A man of the match out, I thought, for me at the weekend. I thought he was excellent.

36:38Stuart Watson:So hopefully these are small issues that, yes, need to be addressed, but they're not kind of a big, worrying, underlying issues for the weeks and months ahead. That's how I look at it.

36:52Mark Heath:Yeah, good stuff. But before you move on from this one, I was talking about the trip to Brazil. Rossi. The Iftrystown men's team beat Portsmouth this weekend, and so did the Iftrystown women's team. And in this case, it was a historic victory because it's the first time they've ever won a game at WSL 2 level. 3-2. A bit of controversy as well thrown in. You were there yesterday with Tom. Report reaction, all online now. Just turn us a little bit about this. Yeah, Pompey

37:20Ross Halls:double, which doesn't happen that often. Two teams winning against the same opposition on back-to-back games on the weekend. There will be a Track the Girls Talk podcast, so tune in to that when that goes live. But yeah, Portsmouth are an old foe from the third tier, so it was nice taking on them in the second tier. And it was a very entertaining game down at Colchester. Town took the lead in good fashion by Rhianna Dean, with a nice little header. Then Portsmouth equalised with a good strike. and then the second half, the referee lost his mind. He was just everywhere. He was booking everybody.

38:03Ross Halls:He was just getting decisions wrong. Basically, the goal that Towne scored to equalise, because Portsmouth scored in basically in about a minute, Towne equalised. The ball went well. Basically, so Pesca crossed it, but it was basically already over the line when she crossed it. but the referee didn't blow his whistle until Natasha Thomas headed that cross into the net. So it's an interesting one because, yeah, obviously Portsmouth felt very happy, but maybe got away with it a little bit. But he didn't blow the whistle until the ball was over the line. So it's an interesting one. What's your point on that?

38:47Ross Halls:Because, yeah, the ball was over the line.

38:49Mark Heath:Well, I didn't see it. I mean, I read in Tom's report, it said essentially Sophie got fouled as she crossed the ball. And then Natasha headed it home, trademark. Natasha Thomas finished. But Portsmouth said the ref had blown the whistle and they'd stopped playing. So that obviously wasn't what happened as you saw it.

39:09Ross Halls:No, well, I was on the other side of the pitch, but I... Yeah, well, he blew the whistle and there was actually like a screen grab. so yeah Porta players I thought it was a bit of a mess but towners don't care because they went on to win the game because they got a penalty which was definitely a penalty not so pesky being fouled and then Page Peak scoring the winning goal Porta had chances but thankfully not historic win and Q celebrations Joe Shear went mental which is a Good game for it. And, yeah, historic first three points. And it's, you know, a pretty good week for the Track to Goers because they drew last weekend 0-0 against Cholten, who are a really good team at this level.

40:01Ross Halls:Got a good 0-0 draw there, which was an historic point. Lost against 5-1 against Leicester, who are a Super League team. Ignore that game midweek. But B and Portsmouth, who are going to be at 4 points on the board. And do you know what? In this division, you don't actually have to get many points. Last year, I think, it was Sheffield United who technically got relegated, but they stayed up because of Blackburn pulling out. I won't get into that. But they only got, I think, seven or eight points. So we've got four points already.

40:34Mark Heath:They've obviously adapted pretty quickly, Rossi, because they got spanked in their first game. And you start thinking, oh, maybe this is going to be a step too far for them. But they seem to have adapted well. As you say, they've got a point against Charlton and then get their first win. so it looks like they are going to be able to hang in this league

40:49Ross Halls:Yeah definitely I think it's just some players that's needed time and it's still a young squad as well and there's a few changes from Joshi made so yeah it's still not going to be easy it's going to be some harder games to come we've got Sheffield United actually the girls are full focus on that game but I'm sure they're a bit disappointed they're going to miss out on sort of watching the men play in the Derby but yeah it's going to be they've got some tougher games to come as I said but I have belief in this team, I think they've got some good players to really go for it Excellent, right then, that's good stuff, it's a double win for Town this weekend

41:29Mark Heath:Stewie, I can't remember the last time Town won three games in a row bloody years ago certainly in that Championship season and they've got to have a chance to do that tomorrow at Bristol City, long old trip to Bristol probably not ideal given it's Derby week or maybe it is because it gives them something else to think about. How do you feel about this one? Because Bristol City, obviously, last season, playoffs, fourth of this season. The last couple of games have been a bit of a struggle. They lost at home last time they played at home to Oxford, nil nil at precedent the weekend. Some very dangerous players, including one we're very familiar with.

42:01Mark Heath:How are you feeling about this one? Yeah, this is a real step up in quality from Portsmouth. Bristol City as you say

42:12Stuart Watson:finished 6th last season smashed by Sheffield United over two legs in the playoffs but have got off to this season really won the whole 4-2 they went to Sheffield Wednesday and won 3-0 and a really one-sided game there and their attacking trio in particular is really catching the eye, I think Emil Rees Jacobson from Preston is a really good Bosman free transfer pick up and then he's got two number 10s in support of him in Scott Twine who has done well against in the past of course down in League 1 for various clubs and Anis Mimetti as well, someone that's long been on the lips of people and talk about him sort of moving up at some stage so both of them can certainly have got so yeah away from home I think these sort of games probably separate the men from the boys over the course of a season of course the home form we talked a lot about you know is going to be the cornerstone to success and it needed to get that back but when I look back at that championship season it was the ability to go to that was a midweek game at Bristol before wasn't I think it was Wednesday night, those are the sort of games that, when you look back over the course of a season, I think are the ones that really separate the elite from the rest.

43:48Can Ipswich go and do it? Is it too early in this kind of new group's journey to be able to go and get a result like that? Let's find out.

44:00Mark Heath:Absolutely. Rossi, we just can't let Scott Twine shoot from anywhere, especially not from range. and Mimeti, I think he's correct. I read it before the weekend. I assume it's still up there. If he's not still the main man, the most goal contributions in the Championship so far this season, four goals, two assists. So, Clint.

44:19Ross Halls:It's just a typical Championship affair. I feel like Bristol City, they've always just been that Championship team and played every time we were in the Championship. They're just there and we played them. and yeah, I have a feeling it is going to be just a one-goal game. I think 1-0 is probably going to be a scoreline. That's my prediction early doors just to get that in there. Maybe similar to the time we played them with the Nathan Broderick Goers do what Watson said. I don't know why I went full name there. But yeah, that's how I went. But they're obviously an interesting case because obviously Liam Manning went to them on the road and they brought in this German guy.

45:00Ross Halls:Is he German? Joe, isn't he? My bad. And you thought, oh, they're going to be in trouble because he's not really done it before. He was at Barnsley Pride, wasn't he? But you think, oh, they're going to not do as good. But they've started the season very well. So, yeah, it's going to be a tough game. But as Stu said, we looked for a 47 championship to get a good result. So it's going to be a tough one. But I'll back them, boys.

45:32Mark Heath:you just got stuck on Zenta hype mode didn't you Stuart Watson 47 Stuart Watson of rotation but this is a tough game it's not like they're going somewhere they're expecting just to stroll through wherever they put on the pitch and you'd expect you'd think anyway that the players who play in this game or start in this game may not necessarily then start on Sunday so are we going to see the likes of Nunes and Azan and those kind of players, do you think? How would you look to change things?

46:04Stuart Watson:Yeah, I think Norwich will come into the thinking. I think Kieran McKenna will have had a rough plan in mind going into this week as a whole. That would be part of the reason that he may, you know, start the likes of Aghelly and Schmodix on Saturday with this game in mind. He'll pick his team. I don't think Norwich will come massively into his thinking. It's a Sunday game against Norwich. So you get this is the best possible team to take on Bristol City. This is arguably the toughest test of the week in terms of opposition, because I think Bristol are in a better place than Norwich at the moment.

46:49It's going to be an intense game of football.

46:52Stuart Watson:If you look at some of the quotes from Gerard Struber, he talked about after the 4-2 win against Hull that I mentioned, he said, this is the football that I love, diagonal, stressful football. So we talked about the attacking talents that they have. They're very good in transition. They're very fast on the counter. So it's going to be quite an entertaining, exciting end-to-end game of football, hopefully. Is this a more open game of football, one that suits Ipswich Ben? hopefully rather than the frustrations we've seen against spoilers and low blockers in the recent past so there will be some changes to the team I think McAteer is one that definitely will come back in in terms of can you see some alterations I've been a zone no I think Hurst again

47:54Mark Heath:someone who stretches the defence. How about Nunes for play on Sunday? Or is that the way McKenna thinks? If you say this is actually a tougher game, do you want Cuyston for this one? Well, that's why I thought that Nunes might have started the Portsmouth game and then Cuyston might have come in for this one. I'd be surprised if Cuyston starts all three of these games, Portsmouth, Bristol and Norwich

48:27but we've just we've just waxed lyrical about the midfield partnership and this is I really don't know which way that will go in midfield

48:43yeah I'll plump with Nunez

48:45Stuart Watson:just because I think they won't want to take any risks we've talked about Kooster arguably probably being it's his best, purest football player at the moment. There's no point taking any risks, is there, with his injury, with his fitness going again? I know this is obviously

49:04Mark Heath:thinking with an emotional head on, and it's the derby, and we've got to win the derby finally, and we want all the best players playing on Sunday. But I genuinely do want Kews to start against Norwich. I do think he's town's best player, and I think he should be playing in that game, which is the biggest game, and this is potentially the hottest game. So for that reason, I would start Nunez tomorrow, and I wouldn't start Nunez against Norwich, and that's controversial perhaps, but for me he has the potential to be a tremendous impact player off the bench against Norwich. It's likely to be a tight game, you know what he's going to be, that will give Town an extra lift, should they need it on Sunday, and everything that he brings.

49:44Mark Heath:Ross, are there any changes you'd looking at making it in this game? Have you got any thoughts on what we've already discussed? I guess the other one would be potentially... How do you drop Jadon Villagin, though? He's red hot. I don't know if he can do that for this game, but obviously Jack Clark is an option there.

50:03Ross Halls:Yeah, it's just interesting. It just depends if there's any little knocks we don't know about on Saturday, because Portsmouth, if it was a physical game, in part, it just feels like it depends if the players are ready to do that Saturday, Tuesday, Sunday, out of the free Bristol City. So it just depends on if he wants to play this player. So that one, like Cedric Kipra, Jekka Greaves is interesting.

50:33Mark Heath:Stop sitting on the fence, Rossi. Tell me what you think. I know, I know, but... What would you do if you were McKenna? Who would you rest? Would you rest anyone? Would you switch people out? what would you do?

50:47Ross Halls:He's, you know what, I think he's fine with his knee. I think he's fine until he's in the cross. Ah, this just in. I think he's fine. I think he's over there now. People say, yeah, he can't do Saturday, Tuesday, Sunday, but no, you know, he's an athlete. And maybe that's better for him if he just keeps playing because if he has one little stop. I mean, there is actually,

51:13Mark Heath:as mental as you just proclaim him fine is, there is actually an argument that it might actually be better for him just to keep playing. You know, there's such a high level of conditioning that any kind of drop-off maybe is going to see injuries happen. Yeah, it's hard to drop players when they're in form, but there is certainly an argument around it for this game. I'll get you out of this hole then, Rossi. Give us your prediction. You've already given it to us. You're leading the way, I think, by a couple of points now. so you've already shown your hand in this regard, what do you reckon?

51:47Ross Halls:Yeah, I'll do my prediction and I'm going to quickly find the graphics so I can say it fully just to gloat as much as I can until I lose my lead eventually at some point in the season but yeah, I'm going to go 1-0 I think that's just an easy scoreline but I'll be happy with that, away from her I'm a bit annoyed I'm not getting a clean sheet against Portsmouth 1-0 first goal scorer let's go for Sammy Sam Smodics because that's what they say on their team sheet now Sammy I think they've just scrapped that away now Smodics first goal scorer

52:30Mark Heath:Smodics 1-0 what are you going to say hmm

52:39there's been a few comments feet. We will at some stage when it's appropriate and I think this I'm toying with it, this game, because I just think there's the knowledge game on the horizon. I just think it's a really tough game, which are still, as we've talked on, are still working on a lot of things.

53:07I can't quite bring myself to do it though because I like a lot of what I'm seeing from this team at the moment so I'll plump with the draw and I'll say it's a boring one and I'll say 1-1

53:21Mark Heath:That's what I was going to say 1-1-1 who's going to score Steve?

53:28Mark Heath:George Hurst George Hurst I I mean I also think it's going to be a draw I'm going to save my prediction of a defeat for Sunday

53:41Mark Heath:I don't think it's going to be 2-2 and equally I can't see it being 0-0 so I'm afraid I'm going to have to go with 1-1 as well and I'm going to say Jadon Filagene just because he's on fire and that would be nice three straight games three straight goals we'll score in three straight games so we've got 1-0 from Rossi Sam Smoddicks and then we've got 1-1s from both me and Stu. Stu saying George Hurst and me saying Jadon Philogene. We'll obviously find out from AJ what he thinks is going to happen. And if you do see AJ...

54:15Ross Halls:I'll actually ask AJ as we speak. He's gone 2-2, but he's gone George Hurst. And I think we've got to make a rule. There's got to be a different first-hand goal scorer. We can't have the same. I'm going to have Stu mentioned this. So I'd have to say to him... I just said it. We were having a conversation. I said, wouldn't it be fun if we had it on rotation and that each week someone gets the first pick, we go in the same order and everyone has to be different. Just to liven it up. Changing the rules mid-season.

54:47Mark Heath:Are you saying I'm not allowed to want one last you in that tick? No, because some weeks you're going to get to go first, some weeks you're going to end up last. What do you think about that? Fine by me. starting for Norwich yes absolutely alright let's do it as I was saying if you do see AJ don't whatever you do because he doesn't take these things very seriously at all don't mention to him that he's bottom of the prediction league thus far clearly thus knows nothing about football because he's not bothered doesn't bother he can take it or leave it doesn't take it seriously at all have you got the actual scores Rossi

55:31Ross Halls:so No, because no one got the first goal scorer today last week. No. No one got the scoreline, though, didn't they? No one got the win, but they didn't get the win.

55:41Mark Heath:We all got the win, but you got the result with Bob on.

55:44Ross Halls:So, it is nine points for me. You're on five points, Mr Heath. No, Watson is on four points, as well as AJ, Alex Jones. So, it's actually AJ and Stuart.

55:58Mark Heath:Yeah, but for fun, it's AJ. He's dead bottom. you jumped up to nine points how have you done that?

56:06Ross Halls:because I got because I was on five already and of course I got four correct score, three points, correct result

56:12Mark Heath:I see, fair enough we're also opening up an early lead boys there's something else I want to mention before we exit this pod and I know it's early and January's a long way off but I think there's a man that's need to be looking at in January. It's a man that's been brought to my attention a lot this weekend by people sending messages. There's a man, Drizzy, who is absolutely on fire. Eight goals in seven games, scored in, I think, his last six games. Six games straight. I knew, I could see this eye. I'm always right eventually. There's a player in there. He's definitely ripping up the league, Stewie.

56:54Mark Heath:We've got to bring him back to Portman Road. Yeah, agreed. What more can I say? I mean, you're just a visionary. I am. I am a visionary. Long before anyone else saw it. Back to when he was in pre-season, in League One. At a time where strikers were at a premium. And you saw it. And you said to me, there will come a time in probably five years' time which have gone all the way through to the Prem. They'll have come back down. There'll be some question marks as to... They'll have two pretty good strikers for the level, sure, but there will be a time when this reunion has to happen. And you told me all of that.

57:49I remember saying that. I think probably in the middle of COVID, I reckon it was around that. That's the real winner of the Predictions League. It's me again.

57:57Mark Heath:Me. Yeah, I mean, it's going to sting. They probably have to spend£25 million to bring him back, but should have listened to me. I mean, when he scored that penalty against Colchester in pre-season, I knew then there was a star in the making, Rossi. People laughed, sure. I still think I've got the only Aaron Dryden shirt in existence hanging on my wall, signed. The wrong side, by the way. So I can't have the signed side on the front. Anyway, Rossi, do you agree?

58:23Ross Halls:Yeah, he also played for a talent at the moment, so it was a quick sort of transition. Exactly. play for Swindon, just come back to Wichwitz. I'm sure Town have got a clause in his contract. Although, did he? Yeah, he did go to Swindon. No, he went Lane Orient, so actually that's probably gone now. But yeah, bring back the age rain, age Rizzy.

58:41Mark Heath:Exactly. And if you were one of the many people who tagged me on Twitter or sent me direct messages on Instagram, or indeed mentioned me on Blue Sky, it is nice to know that the long-running, probably the longest-running in-joke in this pod is still going strong. People still looking at Aaron Dryden and thinking about me. Fantastic. Friends, before we go, we have to throw forward to something we're doing on Friday night ahead of the Derby. It'll be our first live pod of the season. We're going to do these every now and then and this obviously is the perfect first juncture to do that. Seven o 'clock on Friday night, we're going to be live on various platforms, YouTube, Facebook.

59:20Mark Heath:Can we go live on Twitter, Rossi? Can we do that? Can we do that through you?

59:25Ross Halls:If I was verified, but I've gone no i don't need to do that on x anymore so yeah it'll just be on facebook and the youtubes

59:31Mark Heath:excellent well that's enough because we're massive on both um so we'll be live on here discussing the derby we'll hopefully hear from our friends down the road get a bit of insight into how how things are going down there because uh get the feeling already it's not very happy down the road um and of course massive game to build up to so that'll be seven o 'clock on friday anything else from you boys to mention before we go

59:54Stuart Watson:uh no other business no we'll post the various links to to the live stuff on our on our socials and whatnot so you won't be able to miss that look forward to um to doing some interactive stuff with all the listeners because we've been doing stuff live from the press box before the games i don't know if anyone has seen that or joined it but that's been that's been nice so um yeah norwich coming up but um as kieran mckenna will say there's

1:00:23Mark Heath:business to deal with first at bristol it's just a game stew it's just a game derby's just another game just got to be at our best um and that's the key the key is ours the culture that's what builds success um very much like this podcast actually the culture that we've built um friend just a reminder then support our sponsors use the code ko8 stardustspirits.co.uk for 20 off all the excellent alcoholic beverages obviously town are going to beat norwich on sunday so you need to get your order in now something to celebrate with from stardust spirits i'd recommend the the cascade rum and the single malt you know the uh the biscoff uh vodka is multi multi award winning world drinks award award winning in fact uh and our other sponsor as we know now rossi you've got

1:01:03Ross Halls:no problems in saying at all so just remind us who it is mo let you laugh yeah i think we've

1:01:10Mark Heath:really cracked it now molecular uk uh they are obviously based in layson they produce all sorts of cleaning products for your car and other things um they are a tremendous business to get behind so go online um it's www.molecular-uk.com user code koa10 to get 10 off everything they've got on their website um really great to have two local firms supporting this podcast and also leave us a five-star review on itunes just because it helps lift us visibility wise in the charts helps more people find us ahead of what is a big week for its town um i think that's pretty much it it's uh bristol's do you want to say something no no if you honestly want what's going through my mind

1:01:52Stuart Watson:then i haven't heard someone read out a website with www.at the start for quite some time i think i think we're all past that stage now i think we're all aware that it's there yeah

1:02:04Mark Heath:um this is i don't know if you know boys there's a thing called the internet it's mad you can find https colon forward slash forward slash i'm so old i also want to uh when we're talking about people contacting me thanks for the people who contacted me in support of uh me knocking old people out the way to get the baggage carousel first at the airport people saying that's not weird at all um that's that's exactly what should be uh should be happening for a responsible adult like myself um so thanks for that support thanks also for the drizzy stuff um right then friends let's go shall we we're building up to Bristol tomorrow various things to do before that the boys will obviously be there follow it with us if you can't go if you are going enjoy it and then we're going to be back later on this week friends on Friday night live 7pm to build up to the big one Ipswich Town the Norwich City at Portman Road surely this is going to be the one have a great start to your week and we'll speak to you on Friday

1:03:10Thank you.

1:03:34Thank you.

1:04:04Thank you.

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