Ipswich Town

Nat Hayward
BBC Sport journalist

Ipswich Town boss Kieran McKenna has been speaking to the media before Sunday's Premier League game against Bournemouth (14:00 GMT).

Here are the key lines from his news conference:

• McKenna confirmed there have been no new injuries in his squad after Tuesday's disappointing defeat by Crystal Palace. Midfielder Kalvin Phillips and defender Ben Johnson are "still not 100%" and may not be fit to start for the visit of the Cherries.

• On midfielder Jens Cajuste, who has started the past four games but has been managing a knee problem: "It would be undue risk to play three 90s in eight days. We're still building up his fitness, he's still managing a prior issue and we're trying to find the careful balance of getting him on the pitch where he's doing some good things and not pushing him too far."

• McKenna said it is "very important to get points on Sunday, as it is in any game". He added it is: "Important to put in a good performance after the defeat and performance against Palace."

• He added success for Ipswich from a tough-looking December is "doing our very best" but his side have "shown they can compete with everyone" and will "take every game as it comes".

• On rotating his squad: "We made some changes on Tuesday night that were necessary. It's not going to be the same XI every game. On Tuesday you could see the challenge for a couple of our younger players having to Saturday-Tuesday in the Premier League for the first time. We'd like to have one or two more available to rotate, but in general we've still got a pretty healthy squad."

• On facing the Cherries with two days extra rest: "We can't count on that [having an impact]. Bournemouth are in the top two for almost every physical marker in the league and have multiple quality options in every forward area that they can rotate."

Follow all of Friday's Premier League news conferences and the rest of the day's football news

Gary Lineker presents highlights and analysis from eight midweek Premier League fixtures.

If you missed Match of the Day, you can catch up now on BBC iPlayer.

Listen back to full match commentaries on BBC Sounds:

• Ipswich Town 0-1 Crystal Palace

• Leicester City 3-1 West Ham United

• Newcastle United 3-3 Liverpool

• Arsenal 2-0 Manchester United

• Aston Villa 3-1 Brentford

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We asked for your thoughts after Tuesday's Premier League game between Ipswich and Crystal Palace.

Here are some of your comments:

Ipswich fans

Kieran: We struggle to break down teams who don’t take our invitation to press our back two. Both Everton and Crystal Palace have come to Portman Road and been happy to let us keep it at the back and then we don’t really know what to do next. Also lacking just that little bit of Premier League quality and physicality unfortunately.

James: Rather like the weekend's defeat at Nottingham Forest, this was a game of few chances that was decided by a sloppy goal from a defensive point of view. Both teams were nervy on the ball and seemed afraid to commit too many players to attack. We need to pick ourselves up again quickly for another tough home clash against Bournemouth on Sunday.

Adam: Worst performance of the season. So frustrating, passing back to keeper, no plan B. Plucky performances not translating into points and we are struggling to take points off those around us. Ominous signs.

Palace fans

Simon: A win was more important than the performance. We looked ordinary against a hard-working Ipswich team. We still aren't as fluid as we need to be but while it has been a disappointing first half of the season so far, there are positive signs and we can try to aim for 20 points by the halfway stage.

Tony: Palace were the better team over 90+ minutes and deserved the three points. They had a lucky escape when Ipswich hit the post but overall the points rightly went to south London.

Al: I felt Palace were in control through most of the game. The gameplan worked and nullified the opposition. Maxence Lacroix and Will Hughes had standout games. It could easily have been three goals with Eberechi Eze missing in the first half and Jean-Philippe Mateta missing in the second half when both were one on one with the keeper. Cheick Doucoure got a good 45 minutes and Jefferson Lerma fitted in well. The wing-backs were strong too.

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Ipwich boss Kieran McKenna after Tuesday's defeat by Crystal Palace: "A frustrating night. It was a tight first half - we weren't fantastic in terms of the flow of the game and didn't create as many opportunities as we wanted. Having said that, neither did our opponents.

"In the second half, we conceded a really poor goal and that proved decisive. We can do better."

Were you at the game or following from elsewhere?

What did you make of Ipswich's display?, external

Have your say on Crystal Palace's performance, external

Come back to this page on Wednesday to find a selection of your replies

Two matches make up Tuesday's Premier League action, and we will bring you every moment.

• Ipswich v Crystal Palace (19:30) - listen on BBC Radio 5 Live

• Leicester v West Ham (20:15) - listen on BBC Radio Sports Extra

All kick-off times GMT

Follow all of the action and reaction here

Seb Brown
Fan writer

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A rare three-game week in the Premier League football schedule now gives Ipswich the opportunity to pick up points with back-to-back fixtures at Portman Road against Crystal Palace and Bournemouth respectively.

Saturday's defeat at Nottingham Forest was frustrating, but in truth it was a game lacking quality from both sides. Forest stopped Ipswich from playing in the second period and produced a defensively solid display, which can be delivered off the back of three seasons of top-flight finances and signings.

So, on to Tuesday night we go with Crystal Palace the visitors to Portman Road. Over the past two seasons these three-game weeks have been navigated superbly by Kieran McKenna with clever squad rotation and planning often delivered seven to nine point returns.

Of the two upcoming games the Crystal Palace one feels the bigger of the two. Town are level on nine points with Palace but find themselves in the relegation zone courtesy of a poorer goal difference. Palace’s 94th-minute equaliser against Newcastle was a blow for Ipswich and it is crucial to keep them in the relegation mire.

Palace are winless on their travels so far this season with three draws and three defeats and we must take advantage. Portman Road has had some special nights under the lights recently and a full house roaring the team on will help the players get over the line.

We have won many plaudits for the way we have been playing in recent weeks, but we are now at a crucial stage in the season with the games coming thick and fast where we need some points on the board. With tough games against Newcastle, Arsenal and Chelsea to come in the latter part of December it is crucial to start the month strongly.

Find more from Seb Brown at the Blue Monday Podcast, external

Chris Sutton is making predictions for all 380 Premier League games this season, against a variety of guests.

For week 14 he takes on James Ryan, bassist with rock band The Slow Readers Club.

Sutton's prediction: 1-1

I watched Ipswich on Saturday and thought they played well. They were hard done by for the award of the penalty which Nottingham Forest scored their winner from.

Crystal Palace did get something out from their game with Newcastle - Daniel Munoz missed an unbelievable chance but made amends with his header right at the end.

I look through the Palace team and think they are too good to go down, but they have to start showing it.

These two sides have identical records, with only one win apiece from their first 13 league games.

They are both desperate for another win, so the obvious thing for me to do is call it a draw.

Ryan's prediction: 2-1

They are level on points but it feels like Ipswich are playing all right, while Palace are struggling.

Read the full predictions and have your say here

Crystal Palace are unbeaten in all four of their Premier League meetings with Ipswich Town (W3 D1) - though this is their first since February 1995.

Meanwhile, Ipswich are unbeaten in their past 28 midweek (Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday) league matches, since a 2- 0 loss to Charlton Athletic in League One in December 2021 (W21 D7).

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Ipswich Town have been drawn to play Bristol Rovers in the FA Cup third round at Portman Road.

The tie will take place between 9-13 January.

See the full draw here

Ipswich Town boss Kieran McKenna has been speaking to the media before Tuesday's home Premier League game against Crystal Palace (kick-off 19:30 GMT).

Here are the key lines from his news conference:

• Defender Axel Tuanzebe will be out "long term" with a "significant" hamstring injury sustained against Nottingham Forest with McKenna adding he has "some other knocks" in his squad which are "being assessed".

• Kalvin Phillips rolled his ankle against Leicester and Ben Johnson has a "small muscular injury" but both have trained today and should be fit for the visit of Bournemouth on Sunday if not for Tuesday evening.

• On Nathan Broadhead's first minutes of the season against Nottingham Forest: "He's training hard. Hopefully now he can stay injury-free for a period of time."

• When the first home win back in the Premier League comes it will be "brilliant": "We know it will come and we want it to come as soon as possible. In all of our draws at home we feel we could have won. We've got two chances to do that this week."

• On a busy December: "We're looking forward to it. We're used to busier spells like this. We'd love to have a full clean bill of health, but that hasn't been the case. We hope to have as many fit and available throughout this next spell. We're going into the period positive."

• Would he have taken this league position at this stage before the season?: "If you'd told me this is where we'd be in December, I think most would have been pretty pleased with that. We know we've got another step to make now in winning games more regularly."

• On the challenge posed by Palace: "Palace have a lot of top players, are picking up some form and we fully respect them. But it's about us trying to deliver a performance we can get behind. We'll approach it with a positive mindset like we do every home game. We'll try and start fast and score early. We believe we've got the qualities to go and win the game."

Follow all of Monday's Premier League news conferences and the rest of the day's football news

Listen to full commentary of Ipswich Town v Crystal Palace from 19:30 GMT on Tuesday on BBC Radio 5 Live

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We asked for your thoughts after Saturday's Premier League game between Nottingham Forest and Ipswich Town.

Here are some of your comments:

Forest fans

John: Phew. There was a lot riding on this game - we needed a bit of luck and the penalty gave it us. We were doing OK initially, but Ipswich have got spirit and came back into it, so the penalty came at a perfect time to make things easier. It is great to have Morgan Gibbs-White, Chris Wood, Neco Williams and Elliot Anderson back. Jota Silva now deserves his place - he works so hard.

Gary: Forest were pretty solid and organised for the entire game, which is a dramatic change from the previous two seasons in the Premier League. Ipswich Town look the best of the bunch at the other end of the table, and Forest had to be good to win the game.

Andy: A better performance than the last two games, but Callum Hudson-Odoi and Gibbs-White look rusty. This team can't rely on penalties and Chris Wood... this team needs more of a goal threat if we are going to really make the most of the start we have had to the season.

Michael: We should really be scoring more goals against a team that is second bottom of league, but of course three points is good. I think the current league position is very false for Forest, it gives the impression that they are better than they actually are. It is really great where they are, I just hope they can get more wins.

Ipswich fans

Billy: Town were good in the first half. They weathered the early Forest attack and created some good chances. Second half, they started slowly and were punished by Forest. Although the penalty seemed soft, we have made an error and made the referee make a decision against us. We had very little ideas going forward in the second half and didn't create enough clear chances for our attackers.

Kopmac: Unfortunately we turned up with a 'try-not-to-lose' attitude. We didn't start playing until we were behind. We won't stay up with this game plan.

Mike: We had them and their crowd exactly where we wanted them for 50 minutes - Forest and the stadium were flat. Then, out of nothing, a lapse in concentration gives them a new lease of life, lights up the place and it was difficult from that moment on. We never really showed enough guile to open up a stubborn defence, which went to a back five. A poor result!

Robert: I believe Ipswich are stuck at the bottom of the league, because we are lacking quality players in some vital areas and some of our players are struggling at the top level. I can see that we will continue at the bottom, apart from some good wins from time to time. We need to buy quality in January.

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It is one of the most eagerly anticipated dates in the football calendar as Premier League and Championship clubs join the FA Cup action from round three.

The draw will take place on Monday, 2 December from 19:00 GMT and can be watched live on BBC Two and BBC iPlayer.

Gary Lineker introduces highlights and analysis from Saturday's five Premier League fixtures, plus the best of the action from Friday's game between Brighton and Southampton.

If you missed Match of the Day, you can catch up now on BBC iPlayer.

Listen back to full match commentaries on BBC Sounds:

• Crystal Palace 1-1 Newcastle United

• West Ham United 2-5 Arsenal