Ipswich 'need Walton back at the earliest opportunity'published at 16:32 GMT 2 February
16:32 GMT 2 February
Sam Ashoo Final Score reporter
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You never want to single out a goalkeeper for a performance but when Arijanet Muric watches this one back against Southampton, I think he'll be really disappointed.
He would have hoped to have done much better for Joe Aribo's first-half scuffed strike and his parry in the second half gave Paul Onuachu a tap-in.
Muric has been a point of contention for Ipswich fans. Christian Walton was in goal for the Liverpool game and if they are going to mount any form of survival challenge you would think they need him back at the earliest opportunity.
Ipswich 1-2 Southampton - the fans' verdictpublished at 10:58 GMT 2 February
10:58 GMT 2 February
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We asked for your thoughts after Saturday's Premier League game between Ipswich Town and Southampton.
Here are some of your comments:
Ipswich fans
Dave: Simply not good enough. Muric has shown that he is not up to the required standard yet again. We can't score enough goals and then defend well enough to hold on, plus we no longer have the impact players on the bench to grab late goals. We are now staring down the barrel and it will take a minor miracle to save us from the drop.
Jon: It's a shame to see how we approach games. We had to go for the jugular but we have lost our way. We have the players to win games, but they are trying to be heroes. There is no connection running through them and we are too slow. We can't beat the worst team in the league at home, and Saints looked awful. That says it all. We must do much better.
Trevor: Absolute rubbish. Hugely disappointed. That's my weekend ruined.
Andy: It was always going to be a close game but being on the wrong side of it makes me feel, and probably the rest of the fanbase feel, that relegation is more likely than not. I'm still very much behind McKenna, but bringing Muric back into the starting line-up seemed destined to lead to mistakes. A costly choice.
Derek: If McKenna is so great, why do we still have no goalkeeper? Muric has lost us at least 12 points this season.
Southampton fans
John: Great win. The fans were amazing, as always. One more win to get the dreaded 'Derby record' tag away from us. The manager has definitely got the players performing well, so it is really pleasing for him to get his first win.
Bill: We did well, away from home with two new players. Our central defence is worrying, but we came through. Still a long way to go. Bournemouth blow hot and cold, so we might surprise them. The fans were great.
Steve: If we are going to do anything for the rest of the season, we need to have our best players on the pitch as much as possible. Unfortunately, I don't feel he knows who they are yet. This result was very welcome, but I don't think it changes anything.
Kenny: The spine we thought to be key to our starting XI is in fact... the problem. Stephens, Downes, Armstrong. Juric is no fool, it's not all about him. He looks up for this.
Ipswich 1-2 Southampton: Hosts lack clinical touchpublished at 19:20 GMT 1 February
19:20 GMT 1 February
Steve Sutcliffe BBC Sport journalist
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Ipswich's first league defeat to Southampton since August 2011 could not have come at a more untimely moment.
Kieran McKenna's side were briefly threatening to move out of the relegation zone after Liam Delap equalised.
Instead they remain 19th in the Premier League table, with goals and points in short supply over recent weeks.
The visit of the bottom club was supposed to be the big opportunity to press reset and get back on track in their bid to preserve their top-flight status.
But it proved another disappointing day for Ipswich, who have now shipped 14 goals in four matches.
While the hosts controlled possession and carved out the best opportunities, aside from Delap, they appear to have too few players capable adding a clinical touch to their neat and enterprising build-up play.
The England Under-21 forward has scored 41% of the Tractor Boys goals in the top flight this term but unless McKenna can find another effective source of goals, Ipswich will find it difficult to climb to safety.
'A point wouldn't have felt great and a defeat definitely doesn't'published at 18:48 GMT 1 February
18:48 GMT 1 February
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Ipswich Town manager Kieran McKenna has been speaking to BBC Match of the Day following the defeat: "No doubt it is a bad result for us. It was a poor way to lose the game. We were the better team, had the better chances, should have been ahead, should have killed the game but didn't. Then we lost it to a poor late goal from our point of view.
"I don't think a point would have felt too much better today, to be honest. We should have been well clear in the first half, we come in level in the game and we go behind from a really good start. A point wouldn't have felt great today and a defeat definitely doesn't."
On what was missing in the second half: "We didn't manage to break down their man-to-man pressure. We didn't sustain the pressure. It's an opportunity missed. Another home game that we have lost late and we have had too many of those.
"We had the better of the game, the better performance, but we didn't take the win. There's a lot of football to play and it's a sore one to take, but we need to make sure that we keep performing well. We need to work hard, respond in the right way and try to get stronger."
On whether the goals his side conceded were soft: "They were. The first goal is a goal kick and it is probably the first time that they entered our box and it should be saved as well. Two poor goals."
On whether there will be more transfer activity before the window closes: "No, I don't think so. My feeling is that there probably won't be. We are still going to try for sure to improve the squad, but I don't think anything will happen."
Ipswich 1-2 Southampton: Key statspublished at 17:38 GMT 1 February
17:38 GMT 1 February
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Ipswich suffered their first league defeat against Southampton since a 5-2 loss at Portman Road in the Championship in August 2011, having come into this meeting unbeaten in their last four games against the Saints.
Liam Delap has scored 41% of Ipswich's Premier League goals this season (9 out of 22), with only Chris Wood (43%) netting a higher share of his side's goals in the competition this term.
Sutton's predictions: Ipswich v Southamptonpublished at 11:20 GMT 1 February
11:20 GMT 1 February
Southampton's fight is not about whether they can stay up, it is whether they can avoid being the worst Premier League team of all time and beat Derby County's total of 11 points from 2007-08.
Ipswich are still battling to avoid relegation, but I am worried about them in this game.
I am not sure whether to go with my heart or my head - well, when I say my heart I am actually thinking of my daughter's teacher, Mr Fields, who is an Ipswich fan.
If they lose this, it would be very damaging for their hopes of surviving. I'd go so far as saying I'd be buying a white flag of surrender for Mr Fields to wave whenever he sees me when I drop my daughter off at school.
These two sides drew 1-1 earlier in the season, when a 95th-minute Sam Morsy goal denied Saints the win.
I don't think Ipswich will keep a clean sheet this time, either, but I am backing Liam Delap to come good, and help them pick up what would be a huge three points.
McKenna on Burns, no late transfer 'panic' and facing Southamptonpublished at 16:42 GMT 31 January
16:42 GMT 31 January
Nicola Pearson BBC Sport journalist
Ipswich Town boss Kieran McKenna has been speaking to the media before Saturday's Premier League game against Southampton (kick-off 15:00 GMT).
Here are the key lines from his news conference:
McKenna confirmed that Wes Burns will "miss the rest of the season" after picking up an ACL injury against Liverpool last time out, stating: "He will go for surgery next week. Of course we know that's a significant period of time out. He's seeing the very best people. It's not a very complicated tear, I believe. You can never call an ACL straight forward, but it's an orthodox procedure and everyone is really positive about the prognosis."
The injury is "a blow" for the side, but the Ipswich boss added: "We're not going to have any late panic in the transfer window. If there was a player who can look to improve us then we will do so, but we are not going to add numbers just for the sake of cover."
McKenna said he has "never labelled a game" as must-win, adding: "You understand it because terminology around must-win is different, but that implies it is something that the game isn't. Of course we are playing another team down towards the bottom of the division and we want to and need to pick up points along the way. We are coming off the back of a couple of difficult games and this is a home game and and opportunity for us to go and try and win."
He added: "The opposition will see it as one of their better opportunities too and whichever way it goes, there is still going to be a lot of games and will be really tight at the bottom. It won't be set one way or the other."
McKenna said it is "natural" there is more "expectation" on this game, but that fans "understand" the situation. He added: "The teams who were first, second and fourth in the Championship last year are now 20th, 19th and 17th in the Premier League. Whether at top or bottom, it is about taking care of details, focusing on performance and giving everything to go for the result. I think fans will understand and be right behind us."
On if he feels they have done enough business this transfer window: "I don't think you ever feel like you have done enough. We have tried to improve the squad. The three players brought in, I feel like they have improved the squad. Jaden [Philogene] can have a long-term impact. The other two have more experience and can help the squad now. We want the squad to be as strong as possible. In an ideal world there could have been one or two more but it is a difficult window."
On temptation to play Julio Enciso from the start: "Julio is ready to go in terms of minutes played this season. He trained really well. He has been really positive around the training ground this week and everyone is really enjoying him being here, so he is ready to make and impact tomorrow with whatever minutes he gets."
Woolfenden signs new deal until 2027published at 15:43 GMT 31 January
15:43 GMT 31 January
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Ipswich defender Luke Woolfenden has said he is "so pleased" to have signed a new contract with the club. The 26-year-old has committed to the club until the summer of 2027.
A product of the Ipswich academy, the centre-back has played 10 times this season and made more than 200 appearances for the club.
"I'm proud of what I have achieved at the club and I'm so pleased to have signed a new deal," he told TownTV. "The last two years have been amazing.
Ipswich v Southampton: Did you know?published at 09:30 GMT 31 January
09:30 GMT 31 January
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Ipswich Town and Southampton have both conceded 14 Premier League goals in 2025, the joint most of any side. The Saints have also faced the most shots on target (34) and have conceded the most expected goals (12.9).
Only Southampton (four) have picked up fewer home Premier League points than Ipswich (seven) this season, with the Tractor Boys picking up just one win.
Ipswich have also only scored eight goals at Portman Road, accumulating the lowest xG on home soil of any side this season (10.9).
'Players must brush off heavy defeats and focus on Saints showdown'published at 12:38 GMT 28 January
12:38 GMT 28 January
Seb Brown Fan writer
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The run-in starts here. There are 15 games to go - 15 games for Ipswich to secure their Premier League status for another season.
Next weekend's game against Southampton is the club's biggest of the season to date. Many will look at the table and believe a win is a foregone conclusion, but that is not how the Premier League works.
Last April produced one of the most dramatic and memorable matches at Portman Road for decades as Ipswich ran out 3-2 winners over the Saints with a 97th-minute winner from Jeremy Sarmiento - a young South American loanee from Brighton.
This year's young South American loanee from Brighton gave a moment of optimism on a difficult afternoon at Anfield as Julio Enciso curled an inswinging corner onto the head of Jacob Greaves for a 90th-minute consolation.
Back-to-back games against Manchester City and Liverpool have knocked confidence but the players must brush off these two heavy defeats and focus on the task in hand. Southampton will not be easy, no games at this level are.
To be only one point from safety after facing City and Liverpool is a positive, but with Everton picking up successive wins under David Moyes, Town now find themselves in a four-team mini-league. Leicester's victory at Tottenham was unhelpful, but there will be plenty more twists and turns.
An average of 34 points has been enough for survival across the past 10 seasons. Ipswich will need to find 18 from the remaining games to secure this total. This will mean a points-per-game improvement from 0.69 to 1.2.
And this is why next Saturday looks so critical - a chance to reset, get three points on the board and find some confidence with a victory.
Liverpool 4-1 Ipswich - the fans' verdictpublished at 11:27 GMT 27 January
11:27 GMT 27 January
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We asked for your thoughts after Saturday's Premier League game between Liverpool and Ipswich.
Here are some of your comments:
Liverpool fans
Yusuf: A routine performance from Liverpool. Knew what they had to do and they executed it well. Great to see Dom back to his best and Salah and Gakpo keep on scoring. Defensively, we have been good in the last few games, but a clean sheet would be convenient to boost the backline. Now we can focus on securing top spot in the Champions League on Wednesday, before a difficult trip away to an in-form Bournemouth.
Fraser: Great all round performance. Gakpo once again on fire and a massive improvement from last season. He's crucial to our attack and goals. Salah and Szoboszlai also really good and their goals were absolute crackers. Shame about conceding a clean sheet though but overall, job well done. We go onto the next game.
Ken: Another professional job done but conceding a goal at the end felt deflating. The lack of clean sheets is so frustrating. Trent was brilliant with solid performances from the others. Despite the positives, I despair at the standard of refereeing. Enciso almost dropkicked Endo in the face but only got a yellow. Dangerous and reckless play in my book.
Paul: Brilliant, just brilliant from Liverpool. Measured, controlled aggression. Pressing when right to do so and able to bring quality subs off the bench to finish the game off.
Ipswich fans
Matt: Nowhere near as bad as last week. Let's put these two games behind us and concentrate on finishing above Wolves. Encisco looks the business. He needs to start every game. We must beat Southampton next week!
Terry: Tame at best. Liverpool showed their gulf in class. However, these games will not be the ones that define Town's season. It is difficult to integrate new players at this time of the season. Some good play at times to keep me optimistic that we can survive.
Simon: With Everton getting a result against Brighton, February could be a crucial month. If Wolves sell Cunha it may well turn into a dogfight between Ipswich and Wolves for survival given the games each team plays. I feel if Town can stay up then they will go on to improve next season.
William: It was a disgrace. No effort to attack and happy to keep score down. At least have a go.