Ipswich looking to prove their promotion credentials against high-flying Lincoln

We may just be a matter of weeks into the season, but Lincoln City and Ipswich Town both find themselves at the top end of the League One table ahead of their clash at the LNER Stadium.

The Tractor Boys are looking to bounce back after two disastrous campaigns. The 2018/19 season saw them finish bottom of the Championship under Paul Hurst, dropping to the third tier for the first time since 1957. The following season, despite a superb start to life in League One, their form took a sharp decline which saw them stumble to an 11th place finish.

Despite the fans’ complaints, Ipswich have stuck by manager Paul Lambert, and much like last season, they have had a fine start to this campaign. The Tractor Boys sit second in the league having won five of their opening seven games, scoring 14 goals in the process. However, they suffered their first defeat of the season in their last game, a thumping 4-1 loss at the hands of Doncaster Rovers.

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The challenge for Paul Lambert is to not let his players’ heads drop. Ipswich’s first loss of last season didn’t come until the 12th game, a 2-0 defeat at Accrington Stanley. The Tractor Boys’ form collapsed not long after that, picking up just 18 points from the 20 league games they played between 23rd November 2019 and 7th March 2020.

They looked to have improved the side compared to last year. However, after three full transfer windows, Lambert seems to have a squad he’s happy with and has clearly gotten his ideology through to the players. Ipswich truly feel like a big fish in a small pond, despite their occasional wobble as seen in their midweek implosion at the Keepmoat Stadium.

Nevertheless, Lincoln City are far from the ideal opponent for any side looking to bounce back from a defeat. The Imps sit third in League One, only behind their upcoming opponents on goal difference. Much like Paul Lambert’s men, Michael Appleton’s side have won five of their opening seven league fixtures. Despite suffering a small blip where they only picked up one point from matches against Bristol Rovers and Fleetwood, they bounced back with a 2-0 win at home to Plymouth on Tuesday night.

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The Imps have arguably been the surprise package of the season so far. The departure of the Cowley brothers was the main reason that the Imps struggled to make a splash in League One last season. However, having had two full transfer windows, Michael Appleton has brought in much younger players to replace the ageing group that helped them earn promotion from the fourth tier in 2017/18.

Whether Lincoln can maintain their place near the summit of League One is yet to be seen, but they have often been a thorn in the side of the Blues. Having not played each other since 1961, the two sides were drawn together in the 2017 FA Cup, a tie that the Imps won despite being three divisions below Ipswich at the time. However, their recent record is incredibly even, with both teams having won two, drawn two and lost two out of the last six meetings.

While this clash comes very early in the season, it could be a crucial match for both sides. The Imps have done incredibly well so far, but claiming the scalp of a promotion favourite like Ipswich would really make a statement to the other teams at the top end of the division. The Tractor Boys have a point to prove after their shock midweek defeat, needing to show that they are in contention for the League One title and won’t slip up like they did last season.

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