Ipswich Town eye Carabao Cup progression as Fulham visit Portman Road
Ipswich Town turn their attentions to the Carabao Cup this evening, with Premier League side Fulham travelling to Portman Road for a big game under the lights. Alex Jones previews the action.
It’s two wins and a draw for Town in the Carabao Cup so far this season.
They started with a home tie against Bristol Rovers in August, who were a familiar foe for the Blues, having met them in League One last season. It was their first home match since winning promotion against Exeter City back at the end of April, and Kieran McKenna marked it with making 11 changes.
It was still a comfortable win, with goals from Jack Taylor and Sone Aluko sealing progression to the second round.
They earned a glamorous trip to the Madejski Stadium, where they faced Reading for the first time since 2019.
An early own-goal from Brandon Williams set the tone for a difficult half, but Ipswich turned things around with strikes from Cameron Humphreys and Freddie Ladapo.
Just as the tie looked done and dusted, Kelvin Ehibhatiomhan decided to ruin what looked to be a simple night for McKenna’s men by equalising late on, sending the match to penalties, where Town progressed 3-1.
So the visitors marched on, with a third-round tie against Premier League side Wolves their reward.
Quick-fire goals from Hee-Chan Hwang and Toti Gomes put Gary O’Neil’s side into a commanding lead, but the Blues fought back to win 3-2.
Omari Hutchinson and Ladapo both struck in the first half before Taylor won the match with a stunning strike just before the hour-mark.
The result moved the Blues into the fourth round of the competition for the first time since 2010/11.
The risk of progression
McKenna would love a place in the quarter-finals of the Carabao Cup, but a win against Fulham will come at a cost in terns of fixture congestion.
That’s because the next round of the cup will take place on the week of December 18th, meaning that the game will be played less than a week before Christmas.
It would set up a hellish run of fixtures, starting with a long trip to in-form Middlesbrough before facing Watford away from home just three days later. The East Anglian derby against Norwich City will take place the following weekend, followed by a midweek Carabao Cup tie before a journey up to Elland Road to play promotion rivals Leeds United.
If that’s how the fixture list pans out, they’ll be shattered by the time league leaders Leicester City visit Portman Road on Boxing Day.
It’s already looking like Town’s most demanding month of the campaign, and a Carabao Cup game would only make it harder despite the squad depth at McKenna’s disposal, especially if it’s a long trip up north to face a Premier League behemoth like Manchester United or Liverpool.
Fulham are hoping to consolidate their place in the Premier League after winning promotion from the Championship in 2022 (Image: PA Images)
Fulham face mediocrity
It looks like another season of mediocrity for Fulham, who seem to be too good to go down and not good enough to challenge the teams in the top half of the Premier League.
A lot can change in the space of a few games in the top flight, but their squad simply looks solid. Aside from Joao Palhinha, they have no real standout quality in their team, but they also have more talent at their disposal than the teams facing a relegation battle.
Marco Silva’s side sit 14th in the table heading into a home game against Manchester United this weekend, with three wins, three draws and four defeats to their name. They’ve won just one of their last five league games, which was against rock-bottom Sheffield United, but travel to Suffolk off the back of an impressive 1-1 draw against Brighton at the Amex Stadium.
Perhaps their underwhelming league campaign opens the door for them to turn their attentions elsewhere.
Neither Town nor Fulham have ever won the League Cup (Image: PA Images)
Eyes on the prize
Fulham should really be taking the Carabao Cup seriously.
The Cottagers are yet to win a major trophy in their history, finishing as runners-up in the FA Cup in 1974/75 and the Europa League in 2009/10. They also have little to no chance of earning European football via their league position this season, and as we all know, playing in continental tournaments unlocks a new level of quality when it comes to the transfer market.
Simply put, winning the Carabao Cup could help Fulham take that next step. Of course, Town won’t give anyone an easy game, but if they are to progress, they could come up against the likes of Exeter City, Middlesbrough, Mansfield Town and Port Vale in the next round.
They’ve already seen off Tottenham Hotspur and our old friends from up the road, Norwich City, putting out strong teams in both games.
Manchester City are already out, leaving Arsenal and Liverpool as the clear favourites, but if luck goes their way, there’s no reason why Silva’s men can’t go deep into the competition.
Could the same be said for Ipswich? Perhaps. Winning the trophy might be a bridge too far while in the Championship, but a weakened quarter-final slate could give them a chance to replicate their famous run from 2010/11.
If nothing else, we’d all love to watch Ipswich play at Anfield or Stamford Bridge, right? That being said, they’ll be hoping to make such trips in the league sooner rather than later.
Axel Tuanzebe could be handed his first minutes in an Ipswich shirt tonight (Image: Ross Halls)
Who’s could start?
Fans can expect at least 10 changes to be made for tonight’s game. In truth, it’s hard to see anyone who started in the 3-2 win against Plymouth Argyle being risked except for George Edmundson, who may keep his place if Elkan Baggott is still struggling with his back injury.
Christian Walton is expected to start in goal for the first time since injuring his plantar fascia in pre-season, while Janoi Donacien and Harry Clarke could be brought in at the back alongside Axel Tuanzebe, who’s in line to make his first appearance since arriving at Portman Road in September.
Ahead of them, Taylor will certainly be given the nod to start, but with Lee Evans set to miss most of the season with a knee injury, it looks like Dom Ball could be brought in to partner him in his natural deep-lying midfield role.
Marcus Harness, who’s been in fine form recently, should start with fellow cameo king Kayden Jackson, while Cameron Humphreys will also be hoping to earn a place in the team if Hutchinson is left on the bench.
Dane Scarlett is cup-tied, presenting Ladapo with a good opportunity to bounce back from his recent Achilles injury in a competition where he already has two goals to his name.
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