By Aston
November 18 2006

STB brings you team news, manager previews and betting odds ahead of Towns first real East Anglian derby of the season, Town Vs Norwich tomorrow (KO 11:30am).

New Town loaning signings Mike Pollitt and Matt Bates both look set to make their debuts with Pollitt in goal and Bates either partnering De Vos in the middle of defence or at right back. Simon Walton looks like the natural replacement for Mark Noble who has now gone back to West Ham after three month loan at Town. Billy Clarke looks set to return to first team action after a knee injury, if he starts it will be alongside Alan Lee.

 

Town manager Jim Magilton: “Derby day is all about the supporters, with local pride and bragging rights at stake, but from a personal point of view I am only concerned with getting the win and the three points that will get us back on track after a spell of three games that earned us just one point.

 

“It's not that a derby game isn't important to me as a manager, but I want Ipswich to win every game. They are all big games when you are a manager. I cannot afford to say that this game is more important than any other, although I know what it means to the fans and we'll be doing our utmost to get the right result for them.

 

“It's more a case of expecting, rather than just wanting, us to win our home games. We have already lost four this season and that's four too many for my liking, and because we are going into this one on the back of a defeat by Sheffield Wednesday in front of our own fans it means there is a little bit more pressure on us to win on Sunday.

 

“You tend to make your own pressure in this game, however, because if we had taken our chances on Saturday we could have comfortably won the game against Wednesday.

 

“The one thing I will demand on Sunday is a positive reaction from my players in trying to bounce back from last week's defeat. It was a massive disappointment to lose that one and the fact that Norwich are our opponents is certain to add a bit more flavour to the pot.

 

“I had plenty of experience of this fixture as a player but my approach this Sunday will be completely different. As a player you are a bit selfish and self-centred in that you concentrate on your own preparation and you get your mind set accordingly. It's different being a manager because you have responsibility for all the players, so instead of just worrying about yourself you concern yourself with everyone else - and you are also much more aware of the thousands of supporters who are every bit as desperate for a win and will react accordingly.

 

“My job on Sunday will be to concentrate on the 16 players in my squad, but at the back of my mind I will be thinking what this game means to the fans and I would love to give them the home win they have been waiting a long time to see in this fixture.

 

“It is a strange coincidence that both clubs have managers for whom this is a first East Anglian derby, yet both myself and Peter Grant know all about it from our playing days.”

 

New Norwich loanee Luke Chadwick also looks set to make his debut in place of Andy Hughes, while defender Gary Doherty is training again after a back injury, but is unlikely to displace Dion Dublin who has performed well in his absence.

 

Norwich manager Peter Grant: “Local pride is a big issue with supporters of both clubs and I'm not going to try to kid anybody that it isn't. There is no getting away from it.

 

“It matters just as much to the players, too. Every player wants to play in the local derby and wants to win against their biggest rivals.

 

“It is a massive three points, and I'm not going to be kidding anyone by trying to dilute that terrific local pride.

 

“We are being labelled the form team but I think over the past two or three weeks it's been more a case of good results than good form.

 

“At West Brom on Saturday, we gave a much better performance than of late. We controlled a big part of the game, created more chances and looked as if we knew our jobs.

 

“But anyone who saw us in the previous two games at home to Colchester and Sunderland wouldn't say we were in great form.

 

“Getting off to a good start is important in every game, never more so than on Sunday.

 

“I would prefer the game to kick off at three o'clock but our preparation and training will be exactly the same.

 

“There's no time to warm yourself up once the game starts. The warm-up comes before the game and you've got to be ready from the kick-off.

 

“It can be very difficult to claw back a deficit, the longer a game goes on, so I want us to play on the front foot from the start and not take a single backward step.

 

“The Ipswich team will be totally fired up after their disappointing result - though not performance - against Sheffield Wednesday last week.

 

“It's a difficult place to go as I know from my previous visits.”

 

This is the 134^th time Town have played Norwich in all, with Town winning 57 of the previous games with Norwich just 51 and Town have scored 195 compared to Norwich’s 175.

 

Officials:

Referee: T M Kettle

Assistants: C J Francis and G R Young

Fourth Official: D Deadman

 

Betting Odds (found using Sportsnetwork Odds Checker):

Town: 8/5

Draw: 11/5

Norwich: 7/4

 

Tickets for the game tomorrow can be brought from Town’s ticket office in the morning.

 

Source: Evening Star

 

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