The Opposition’s View: Ipswich Town v Aston Villa

Aston Villa’s season so far has seen us gain points with a number of sub-par performances, so a comfortable win against Ipswich Town would be reassuring if anything.

For this weeks opposition’s view, I’ve enlisted the help of Ipswich Town fan and University of Brighton student Connor Bennett (@Connorbennett10).

What were your expectations for Ipswich Town going into the season?

I think most fans went into the new season with renewed optimism that has since swiftly faded. The summer signings seemed astute, and we looked to be able to cope with the loss of Martyn Waghorn, who was not only our top goal scorer last season, but arguably the only player to make watching the games a tad enjoyable at times.

How would you rate your pre-season out of 10 and why?

It would be hard to knock Ipswich on their preseason. Summer signings were arriving thick and fast, and the results were seemingly impressive. A home loss to West Ham, despite the overall result, proved to be an exciting reminder that Ipswich Town can actually play football and compete. They also looked to have seemingly shaken off the shackles of long, hoof ball football that Mick McCarthy was so clearly fond of.

Were you happy with Paul Hurst’s transfer business this summer?

10 signings. 10! Let that sink in. Absolutely unheard of by Ipswich Town. The likes of Gwion Edwards and Trevoh Chalobah (although only on loan from Chelsea) seem to be young, exciting talents who can bring some flair back in. However, despite all this, it was a tough one to take for all of us here in Suffolk when Waghorn left. It was as if we all got off our tractors and took a moment to reflect. We lost Waghorn, Joe Garner and David McGoldrick: Three huge personalities and goal scorers.

With just one point from two Championship games so far, what’s been going wrong at Ipswich Town?

I think what we need is time. The sheer amount of new faces at the club need time to gel and need time to settle.

Which Town players should Villa be wary of?

Gwion Edwards. Lively, nippy and tricky winger. Very much an un-Ipswich like player, who hopefully will be given freedom to express himself under Hurst. Our ‘keeper, Bartosz Bialkowski, who has returned from international duty with Poland at the World Cup, is arguably one of the top three keepers in the Championship could prove to be a tough person to beat.

Where do you see Villa finishing this season and why?

Axel Tuanzebe is a brilliant signing for Villa. A player who has endless amounts of potential. Similarly so, Jack Grealish. Still a wonder how any Premier League side is yet to pick him up. I expect him to give a shaky and aging Ipswich midfield and backline a torrid time. Villa are quite clearly a Premiership level side, especially with the players they have in. I expect nothing less than play-offs from the Villans, and realistically, automatic promotion.

Score prediction for Saturday?

Would love to be optimistic, but we are not ready to compete with the likes of Villa. Can see a 2-0 win at Portman Road for the Villans.