Seven games into the new season and Ipswich Town have 10 points from their opening five league games and have progressed to the third round of the Capital One Cup. Yet not even a month into this campaign, domestic football is interrupted by an international break. Despite going into it with a loss, it may not be the worst time for it to come for the Tractor Boys.
Ipswich Town Aided by International Break
It has been an impressive start to the season for Mick McCarthy’s Ipswich Town; three wins and a draw from their opening four league games, and progression to the third round of the Capital One Cup which will see the Tractor Boys travel to face Manchester United. They did, however, finally lose their first game of the season last weekend, at home to Brighton. The away side were deserved victors, playing very good football, as even McCarthy himself agreed. It is not the defeat itself that will have worried fans, but the nature of the defeat, being definitely the weaker of the two sides; a performance uncharacteristic of the side so far this season.
Everyone wants to go into an international break with a win to keep confidence high through the disruption to domestic football, and the defeat may damage the confidence created around Ipswich Town after such an impressive start. Despite it having been better for the club to have gone into this international break with their undefeated record intact, the team have started the season brightly and so will remain confident throughout the international break despite the defeat.
For all watching the Brighton game, it was clear to see that the injured Christophe Berra was missed. Despite his great potential, young Josh Emmanuel struggled at times at right-back against Brighton’s quality, particularly the in-form Kazenga LuaLua. Luke Chambers, despite preferring to play at centre-back, was not convincing in that position, probably because of the time he has spent playing as a full-back for Ipswich Town.
An international break means fewer games for the Suffolk club while Christophe Berra is injured, and so reduces the effect of his absence. Similarly, with Kevin Bru, Teddy Bishop, Jonathon Parr, Daryl Murphy, and David McGoldrick, all due to return from injury after the international break, it will serve as time for the injured to recover without missing domestic games.
With only newly signed Australian winger Tommy Oar travelling for senior international duty, and some players leaving for youth international football, including Ainsley Maitland-Niles (England U21), Josh Yorwerth, Michael Crowe (both Wales U21), Adam McDonnell (Ireland U19) Dylan Connolly (Ireland U21), Ryan Fraser and Jonathon Henly (both Scotland U21), the majority of the squad is able to remain in Ipswich. Tommy Smith’s absence from the New Zealand side was a surprise for many, but the decision was made as the selectors took the distance travelled into account.
This will be crucial for Ipswich as it allows for further training, allowing the side to focus on the next game, reducing the confidence impact somewhat of the recent defeat. Of course, it also means that the squad is not dispersed by travelling due to the international break and can continue to work and train together.
Also, for those who will be playing, or even travelling to be involved in their nation’s upcoming fixtures, it causes further fatigue as they are unable to recover from the start of the season in the same way with the added potential of injury. As Ipswich Town have but a few players on international duty, this break should be important for the fitness of the squad. Having played both a weekday and weekend game every week since the season began, for those not involved in international duty, it provides the perfect opportunity to rest briefly from competitive football and regain peak fitness and energy for the upcoming fixtures.
Although still early in the season, the international break has come at a time for Ipswich Town where they can reflect on their impressive start to the new season, and prepare together for the upcoming fixtures as the squad remains mainly in Ipswich, uninvolved in international duty. Importantly, however, it serves the perfect opportunity for the squad to regain energy and fitness after a busy start to the season, and allow injured players to return to the side, at a time where such an opportunity was needed, and should only prove to be positive for the club.
