Cambridge United looking for consecutive away wins to derail Ipswich Town’s playoff push

You can describe Ipswich Town vs Cambridge United in a number of ways.

Some fans, albeit a minority, would consider the match to be a ‘derby’, although that term is usually reserved for when the two sides face Norwich City and Peterborough United respectively. Other fans would prefer to call it a ‘local game’, rather than indicating a specific rivalry between the Tractor Boys and the U’s.

This debate was prominent prior to the two sides meeting in a 2-2 draw at The Abbey in October, and has returned to social media once again ahead of this weekend’s reverse fixture at Portman Road. However you decide to label the clash, one thing is for certain: it’s a massive game.

Unsurprisingly, this is more the case for Ipswich rather than Cambridge. The U’s are, metaphorically speaking, on the beach, although head coach Mark Bonner is keen to stress that his side are fighting to win every game. But with mathematical safety almost secured, another season in League One is certain. While three points on Saturday wouldn’t confirm that just yet, it would be nigh-on impossible to see them drop into the bottom four at this stage.

But Ipswich are certainly the favourites to win the game, as the stakes are much higher for the Tractor Boys. Kieran McKenna’s side are sat in 9th place, with the gap to the playoff places just five points. However, they’ve played one game more than all but one of the teams above them and time is running out to climb into the top six. Yet Ipswich’s form has given them confidence that they can turn around their otherwise dismal campaign.

Their heavy summer investment saw the bookies universally tip the Suffolk-based club for the League One title, but the new recruits couldn’t hit the ground running and manager Paul Cook was sacked on 4th December after a 0-0 draw against League Two outfit Barrow in the FA Cup. The former Wigan Athletic and Portsmouth boss went down as the second shortest serving manager in the club’s history.

His replacement, McKenna, has helped to turn around their fortunes. The Northern Irishman worked as assistant manager to Ole Gunnar Solskjær at Manchester United and initially remained at the club under his replacement, Ralf Rangnick, before taking over at Ipswich in mid-December. While results have taken time to improve, the Tractor Boys are arguably playing the best football of any team in the third tier.

Ipswich are on an 11-match unbeaten run that stretches back to the end of January, but their home form is particularly impressive. The Blues haven’t conceded a goal in any of their last six games at Portman Road, although their inconsistent attacking output has seen them win only four of those, playing out stalemates against Cheltenham Town and Portsmouth.

Their defensive strength is undeniable, but question marks remain as to whether they have the attacking strength to force their way into the top six. Macauley Bonne has fallen out of favour after his electric start to the season, with McKenna favouring a 3-4-3 formation with either James Norwood or Joe Pigott leading the line.

The high stakes of their near sell-out clash against Cambridge will certainly provide an edge, as will the locality of the two teams. The fixture will also see two of the best young managers in the EFL go head-to-head, much like in the U’s narrow defeat to Liam Manning’s MK Dons two weeks ago. Both McKenna and Bonner, aged 35 and 36 respectively, are younger than Cambridge midfielder Wes Hoolahan, who may play against Ipswich for the final time this weekend.

A Norwich City legend, Hoolahan is widely disliked by Ipswich fans and will undoubtedly receive a hostile reception if he features for the U’s on Saturday. The 39-year-old has scored two goals and assisted a further three in his 13 games against the Tractor Boys, maintaining an impressive unbeaten run against them while representing the Canaries.

But the former Republic of Ireland international has been phased out of Cambridge’s starting lineup in recent weeks. Largely considered to be the first name on the U’s team sheet, Bonner has benched Hoolahan in both of their last two games since substituting him at half time in a 6-0 defeat against Sheffield Wednesday at Hillsborough.

With safety almost certain, Cambridge have started to plan for next season, and Hoolahan is unlikely to be part of their squad after this campaign. While many think that retirement is inevitable, the attacking midfielder has been linked with a return to his boyhood club, Shelbourne, now managed by his former international teammate Damien Duff.

Bonner has hinted that he may rotate his side in the final weeks of the season in order to give other players more game time, especially those who are part of the club’s long-term plans. Ipswich academy graduate Jack Lankester has struggled to nail down a place in the starting lineup this season, but may be given a start against his former side. The likes of Ben Worman and Shilow Tracey may also be given more opportunities to show their worth.

Similarly, Jack Iredale could be reintroduced into the team after an ankle injury, and Bonner should finally be able to rest a number of key players who’ve played consistently over the last few weeks. This comes as a risk, however, with tough trips to Wigan Athletic and Sunderland coming up before the end of the campaign.

Making changes will ultimately prove beneficial for Cambridge, but making too many could damage the momentum that they’ve built up to this point. The U’s will want to avoid a repeat of their trip to Hillsborough, although their away form won’t provide much confidence. Before last weekend’s victory at struggling AFC Wimbledon, Bonner’s men had only won one league game on the road in 2022.

Ipswich’s role as heavy favourites ultimately benefits both teams. The Tractor Boys will be given a much-needed confidence boost ahead of their playoff push, while Cambridge seem to play better as the underdog against League One’s behemoths. Whether the U’s can claim the scalp of another top side remains to be seen, even if the odds are incredibly unlikely.

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