It is hard to believe that Ipswich Town were a League One outfit last season but their tremendous start to this campaign has got the Tractor Boys dreaming of a return to the Premier League.
Despite losing 2-0 against West Bromwich Albion last time out, Kieran McKenna’s side are still seven points above third-place Leeds United and will fancy their chances of bouncing back against Millwall.
Ipswich boast the best home record in the second tier with seven wins from eight matches, however, the Lions have only lost once on their travels this term but do find themselves in a lowly 18th position.
Related
3 players Ipswich could loan in from Chelsea to repeat Hutchinson success
Ipswich could look to repeat the success of Hutchinson loan by adding in more Chelsea youngsters to the group at Portman Road.
Here’s how Ipswich could line up against Millwall tonight, with two changes from that loss to the Baggies…
1
GK – Vaclav Hladky
The backbone of any successful team is having a goalkeeper who breathes confidence into the rest of the team. In the shape of Vaclav Hladky, who has kept the second most clean sheets in the division (6), Ipswich have just that.
An outstanding shot-stopper and exceptional organiser, the 33-year-old has prevented the most goals in the Championship this term – 4.04, as per Sofascore.
2
RB – Brandon Williams
McKenna deploys a system that allows his full-backs to make an impact in the final third and on-loan Manchester United defender, Brandon Williams, has benefitted from being awarded that freedom.
The 23-year-old remarkably ranks in the top 1% against his division positional peers for non-penalty goals per 90 (0.27) while he’s equally strong the other way, placing within the top 4% for tackles (3.34).
3
CB – Luke Woolfenden
A towering presence at the heart of the Ipswich defence and equally comfortable with the ball at his feet, Woolfenden is an imposing, ball-playing centre-back who has gradually improved since making his debut for the club in 2017.
The 6 foot 4 goliath has set the tone this term by winning 82% of his ground duels and registering a pass completion of 86%.
4
CB – Cameron Burgess
Burgess formed an instrumental partnership with Woolfenden in their promotion-winning campaign last term and that understanding has only grown stronger in the second tier.
They say you should never break up a winning partnership and this duo has formed the backbone of their success under McKenna, with Burgess recording the fourth most clearances in the division (5.1).
5
LB – Leif Davis
Promotion rivals Leeds have been left kicking themselves since offloading their all-encompassing academy graduate, Leif Davis.
Of course, his powers as an assist machine have only been unlocked since the arrival of McKenna, with the 23-year-old projecting dynamite down the Tractor Boys’ left flank. He registered a whopping 14 assists in League One last term and already has seven in the Championship this time around.
6
CM – Sam Morsy
The Ipswich captain leads by example on the field through his tough-tackling displays in the middle of the park and elegance in possession.
Adored by his manager, who praised him as an “absolutely outstanding” captain last season, the former Wigan Athletic star ranks in the top 11% against his positional peers in the division for tackles and top 15% for passes attempted per 90.
7
CM – Massimo Luongo
Massimo Luongo has been pushed out of the starting eleven by Jack Taylor in the previous two matches, however, the Australian international should start ahead of the youngster against Millwall.
The £5k per-week machine has averaged more balls recovered (5.2 v 2.4), key passes (1.3 v1.1) and tackles per game (2.5 v 0.7) than Taylor.
8
RW – Wes Burns
Although he was restricted to just 23 touches of the ball against West Brom, Wes Burns has been a menace down the right flank all season, utilising his pace and fleet-footed dribbling to outfox defenders. Whilst he only has one goal and one assist to his name, the fact he registers 0.23 expected assists per 90 – ranking in the top 8% in the second tier – suggests he should have more.
9
CAM – Conor Chaplin
In League One last term, Conor Chaplin was devastating as a second striker, plundering 26 goals and five assists. Some questioned whether he could translate that form across to the Championship, but posting six goals and four assists to his name so far suggests he has.
He’s at his most dangerous when he picks up pockets of space and drives at defences, so Millwall will need to be wary of his threat.
10
LW – Marcus Harness
Nathan Broadhead was bitterly disappointing in the defeat against the Baggies, only making 18 touches across 62 minutes of action and misplacing five of his 13 attempted passes.
Marcus Harness, who has predominantly featured from the bench but still scored four goals, deserves to start from the off tonight in his place.
11
ST – George Hirst
George Hirst has produced the joint most goal contributions in the Ipswich side this season (nine – five goals and four assists), so it is highly unlikely that McKenna will drop him anytime soon, especially considering those fighting to replace him are Kayden Jackson, Freddie Ladapo and Dane Scarlett.
The 23-year-old comes alive in the box to sniff out goals and is adept at dropping deep to create chances for his teammates.
Predicted Ipswich lineup in full vs Millwall: GK – Hladky; RB – Williams, CB – Woolfenden, CB – Burgess, LB – Davis; CM – Morsy, CM – Luongo; RW – Burns, CAM – Chaplin, LW – Harness; ST – Hirst
