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Full League Record of Spurs -v- Ipswich Town

Premier      Pl   W   D   L   For-Ag  Pts
Home          5   2   1   2     8-6    7
Away          5   1   2   2     7-9    5
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Total (Prem) 10   3   3   4    15-15  12   1.2 Pts per game
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Football Lge 
Home (Div 1) 20  12   3   5    40-24  31
Away (Div 1) 20   7   2  11    26-36  18
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Total(Div 1) 40  19   5  16    66-60  49
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Total(Prem)  10   3   3   4    15-15  12
Total(Div 1) 40  19   5  16    66-60  49
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Grand Total  50  22   8  20    81-75  61
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Last Six Premier League results:-

Spurs       -     WWLWLW
           
Spurs      3-1    Brentford
Man Utd    0-3    Spurs  
Brighton   3-2    Spurs  
Spurs      4-1    West Ham
C. Palace  1-0    Spurs  
Spurs      4-1    A. Villa

Ipswich     -     DDLLLD

S'hampton  1-1    Ipswich
Ipswich    2-2    A. Villa
West Ham   4-1    Ipswich
Ipswich    0-2    Everton
Brentford  4-3    Ipswich
Ipswich    1-1    Leicester

Pos           P  W  D  L   F-A   GD  Pts
 7. Spurs    10  5  1  4  22-11  11  16
18. Ipswich  10  0  5  5  10-21 -11   5

A Spurs old boy returns to his school

After the trials and tribulations of Europa League defeat to Galatasaray, Spurs return to domestic duties tomorrow in a 2pm game which is not being televised here in the UK. We host newly promoted Ipswich Town.

It's nearly 23 years since we last played Ipswich. After 10 games, and Wolves win tonight (Saturday) they are the only team without a Premier League win.

Kieran McKenna's Ipswich confirmed their automatic promotion from The Championship on the last day of the season on May 4th. This is their first Premier League season in 23 years. Ipswich were members of the Premier League in its first season after winning the second tier championship with former West Ham boss John Lyall in charge.

Kieran McKenna was subsequently named the League Managers Association's manager of the year. (Pep Guardiola won the Premier League award) Soon after the end of the season, McKenna was being linked to the vacancies at Chelsea and Brighton and even the possible vacancy at Manchester United. However, he signed a new long-term deal at Ipswich Town.

Older fans will remember that "The Tractor Boys" were promoted from Division Two as Champions in 1961 and won the First Division Title the following year with a very famous former Spurs player - Alf Ramsey - in charge. Ipswich were back in the second division in 1964, but returned again in 1968 for an 18-year spell in the top flight. They've had their ups and downs since.

Kieran McKenna is a less well-known former Spurs player, but he has led Ipswich to two successive promotions from League One and now The Championship. Kieran retired early from his playing career, due to a hip injury, but he was on Spurs books between 2004 and 2009. He did not make a competitive first team appearance. I saw him play effectively in midfield for our reserves on many occasions. Kieran has served a very useful apprenticeship as a coach, as he spent several years on the Manchester United coaching staff under Jose Mourinho, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Ralf Rangnick before Ipswich came a-calling and appointed the former Northern Ireland Youth International in December 2021.

Among the successful Ipswich squad was another former Spur - Australian Massimo Luongo - who played for his country 44 times and was managed for some of that time by Ange Postecoglou. Luongo's first-team career with Spurs was restricted to a substitute appearance in a League Cup tie at Stoke in September 2011 in which he had the courage to take the decisive penalty of the shoot-out, which was saved.

Luongo spent a brief period on loan at Ipswich before a loan and transfer to Swindon. He spent several seasons at both QPR and Sheffield Wednesday before being signed by McKenna on a free from Middlesbrough for Ipswich.

Another stalwart for Ipswich has been Egypt International midfielder Sam Morsy. Morsy turned 33 on September 10th. He spent three seasons playing at Chesterfield (where I have lived since 2008) and played 40 minutes of a 2018 World Cup game against Uruguay. He was in the same squad as Mo Salah (who missed the Uruguay game) and played against Rodrigo Bentancur and "Biter" Suarez!

Ipswich's top league scorers last season were Nathan Broadhead, Conor Chaplin (both with 13 goals) and Jamaican Omari Hutchinson (10). Of these three, Hutchinson has had most involvement, starting 9 Premier League games. He was a Chelsea loanee last season, but has signed full terms now for a club record fee. Top scorer so far though is 21-year-old Liam Delap, signed from Man City. Delap has 5 Premier League goals, scoring both in one of Ipswich's best results - a 2-2 draw at home to Villa.

Other signings include Ben Johnson on a free from West Ham, former Spur Jack Clarke from Sunderland, defender Jacob Greaves from Hull, Burnley goalkeeper Arijanet Muric, 31-year-old midfielder Conor Townsend from West Brom, forward Sammie Szmodics from Blackburn, and Chiedozie Ogbene from Luton.

It's a long list of incoming players and also included Kalvin Phillips (still on loan) from Man City. Phillips was shown two yellows last week, so has to sit out this game. Ogbene is now a long term absentee.

Surprisingly, Spurs have a worse points per game record than that against Ipswich (1.2) only against Arsenal (1.08), Liverpool (0.97), Manchester United (0.73) and Chelsea (0.7). We have met Ipswich just ten times in the Premier League. They beat us twice in their last relegation season, and have actually won their last three Premier League games against us. I well remember a disastrous 3-0 defeat at Portman Road in December 2000 when we didn't muster a shot on target until the 58th minute!

Ange Postecoglou said in yesterday's press conference that the team "came through unscathed" so there are no new injury concerns after the Galatasaray game. Cristian Romero could be available. Sadly, Richarlison is now out for another long term after his set back against Villa. I'm going for a 3-1 home win.

Before last week's home draw against Leicester, Ipswich mourned their 70s striker Trevor Whymark, who died on October 31st, aged 74. Whymark was Norfolk-born and a Spurs fan. He was signed by Bobby Robson in 1969 and played 334 times for the club, three times scoring four goals in a game. The most famous occasion was when he scored all four goals in a 4-0 UEFA Cup home win over Lazio in 1973. Whymark also scored a hat-trick against Norwich in 1977. After his playing days Whymark worked as a Youth coach at both Norwich and Ipswich. He was yet another footballing victim of Alzheimer's Disease.

Referee Darren England is in charge of a Spurs competitive game for just the sixth time. This is his second Spurs game of the season, having overseen our 2-1 Carabao Cup success at Coventry in September. Mr. England is in the middle for just the fourth time in this season's Premier League programme.

Did you know? - One of Bill Nicholson's last 7 games in charge of Spurs was against Ipswich 50 years ago in the opening game of the 1974/75 season. Ipswich won the game 1-0 thanks to a goal by David Johnson. Johnson's career began at Everton and he would return there after 6 seasons with Liverpool. Johnson, who died in November 2022, aged 71 was the first player to score for both Merseyside clubs in their derby match. Johnson was a Liverpool fan by upbringing.

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