Ipswich vs Wolves: Inside track on the Tractor Boys

Luke Hatfield spoke with Stuart Watson, Chief football writer for the East Anglian Daily Times to get an insight into the Tractor Boys' camp.

Wolves obviously got the better of Ipswich last month at home, do you expect a change in tact from that game for the Tractor Boys?

Ipswich were beaten but far from disgraced in that 1-0 defeat at Molineux.

Cole Skuse – the understated but important defensive shield – was a big miss in that game through injury and could miss out again.

It will be another keep it tight, look to be clinical on the counter type approach.

Mick McCarthy's men seem settled in mid-table now, do you think they can make a push for the play-offs?

Never say never, but for me – no. In truth it’s felt like a bit of a faux play-off push all season.

Under Mick McCarthy’s management there is plenty of spirit, togetherness and character to pull a result or two out the bag when needed, but a limited budget and lengthy injury list means there are too many limitations for them to get the real momentum going that is required.

This looks very much like a mid-table side.

Mick McCarthy is a man Wolves fans know well, how has he got on with Ipswich, is he meeting expectations?

Where do I start… He’s been in charge for five years now and finishes of 14th, 9th, 6th, 7th and 16th don’t really tell the full tale. I guess you could call it a tenure of two halves.

Mick inherited a real mess, got rid of bad eggs, quickly stabilised things and generated a real togetherness as the Championship longest-serving club secured its first play-off place in a decade (2014/15).

Ipswich limped over the line that season though and since then the entertainment value, in general, hasn’t been great. We must always add the caveat that he has been working on a shoestring budget and, this season, has been dealt some terrible luck regarding injuries.

However, instead of nurturing fragile relations with the supporters, McCarthy has fuelled the fire with several digs in his press conferences.

Wolves fans won’t need telling what Mick is like – both in terms of his ultra-pragmatism and straight-talking personality. They were probably having the same debates about his pros and cons towards the end of his lengthy spell in the Midlands.

He’s out of contract in the summer and remains coy about his future. Should Mick’s critics ‘be careful what they wish for’ (as he so often reminds people) – time will tell.

Have Ipswich done any transfer business so far this month? Could their business play a part in the game?

Centre-back Cameron Carter-Vickers is on loan from Tottenham until the end of the season having played a big part in Sheffield United’s impressive start to the season, while midfielder Stephen Gleeson has been signed on a free transfer from Birmingham on a short-term contract.

Both made their debuts in last weekend’s 1-1 draw at Bolton. Carter-Vickers played the whole game, while Gleeson impressed after coming on at half-time with his positive passing and may well start.

We've seen Dominic Iorfa head out on loan to Ipswich, although he obviously can't feature against his parent club, how has he got on?

Up and down, I think it’s fair to say. When he opens up those long legs and strides forwards he looks a real attacking weapon, but defensively his positioning hasn’t always been great and there have been occasions where he’s looked a little awkward on the ball.

Started the opening 11 league games, but has been limited to six of the last 17.

How do you expect Ipswich to face up against the league leaders? Do you think they'll try and frustrate Wolves?

It will be the usual 4-2-3-1 formation.

In terms of personnel the line-ups have generally included plenty of attack-minded players – often including four forwards – but, as you can imagine, McCarthy expects everyone to be defensively diligent.

Counter-attack, even at home, has been the team’s strongest weapon. Martyn Waghorn’s excellent set-piece delivery has also been a source of goals.

Like everyone else in this division, there will be a focus on trying to stop Wolves playing – that’s easier said than done though.

What do you make of Wolves' promotion credentials, judging by what you've seen, could they cut it in the Premier League?

Definitely. Wolves obviously have some star quality, but more impressively they look to be well-drilled, organised and have the team spirit that is required to grind out 1-0s during the Championship slog.

They were, from what I gather, below-par against Ipswich but found a way to get the job done.

The top end of the Premier League is on a different planet, but I really don’t think the gap between the rest of them and the Championship is that vast.

The likes of Watford and Bournemouth have established themselves, while Huddersfield and Brighton are proving competitive this season. Wolves, to me, are a better team than all four of those were during their promotion seasons.

Your match prediction?

Ipswich have endured a difficult turn of the year and the goals have dried up. Wolves haven’t been blowing people away, but I think the gulf in class will ultimately show again.

Could well be another 1-0 win for Nuno Espirito Santo’s men.

You can follow Stuart by searching for @Stuart_Watson on Twitter.