Ipswich Town dey face Queens Park Rangers for Saturday afternoon with victory wey go guarantee dem promotion to Premier League. Di Tractor Boys dey sit for second position for Championship table, while QPR don drop to 14th place.
Kieran McKenna go be disappointed say im team don win only one of dia last five matches, but di 2-2 draw against in-form Southampton don move dem to brink of promotion. If Ipswich beat QPR, dem go secure immediate return to England top flight.
If Ipswich lose, dem go allow Millwall and Middlesbrough to overtake dem. A draw go see dem drop to third if Millwall defeat Oxford United. McKenna fit take confidence from di fact say Ipswich don lose only one of dia last 14 Championship matches. Dem also suffer just one defeat for 22 games at Portman Road, with 13 wins and eight draws.
However, nine games don pass without dem netting more than twice for a second-tier contest. Meanwhile, QPR travel to East Anglia with head coach Julien Stephan wey sabi say he fit need all three points to keep im job. Up until April 11, di Hoops had five-match unbeaten streak, but dem don suffer three consecutive defeats since then.
After losing to Millwall and Swansea City, QPR fall by 3-2 scoreline to Derby County for dia final home match of di season. QPR don accumulate 25 points from dia 22 away fixtures dis campaign, with two of dia six wins coming across dia last half-a-dozen encounters.
McKenna dey expected to recall Jack Clarke to im Ipswich XI, potentially at di expense of Wes Burns. Anis Mehmeti and George Hirst also dey contention for opportunities for di final third, but Joe Taylor be major doubt after di midfielder miss di game at Southampton. Di injured Ashley Young don announce say he go retire at end of season.
As well as Rumarn Burrell wey be ruled out through injury, Paul Smyth and Richard Kone fit not be risked due to issues dem pick for di Derby fixture. Ilias Chair and Rayan Kolli fit both start, with Harvey Vale moving into wide position.
Ipswich Town possible starting lineup: Walton; Furlong, O'Shea, Greaves, Davis; Matusiwa, Neil; Philogene, Nunez, Clarke; Hirst. Queens Park Rangers possible starting lineup: Nardi; Mbengue, Edwards, Clarke-Salter, Norrington-Davies; Vale, Varane, Morgan, Chair; Bennie, Kolli.
While dis fit prove to be nervy afternoon for Ipswich, we no fit ignore QPR recent losing streak. Taking dat into consideration, di Tractor Boys should get enough to come through with maximum points to secure immediate return to Premier League.
Ipswich Town boss Kieran McKenna hope say history go repeat itself as dem look for win to return to Premier League. Town win dia final home game of di season when dem go up from League One for 2023 and again 12 months later as dem reach top flight for first time for 22 years.
Dem dey home to Queens Park Rangers on Saturday and three points go seal second promotion from Championship under McKenna – any other result fit see dem forced to settle for play-off place. “You accept di extra adrenaline and pressure wey come around di game, but you also try and enjoy am,” McKenna tok.
“E go be wonderful atmosphere for our stadium – e be di third time for four years wey we get home game to try and get promoted. E no lost on us say dese be special times. We want to deliver big performance and big result.” McKenna get no fresh injury problems for im squad as dem prepare to face mid-table QPR side wey don beat for dia past three matches.
“I watch dia game against Derby last week, dem get nearly 70 per cent possession against team for di play-offs – dem get very good manager, very professional manager, I’m sure dem go train and prepare dis week,” McKenna tok. “Dem go be motivated to come and finish dia season on high for front of dia away supporters and do demselves proud.”
“We dey prepared to face good side. If you look at di strength of di teams near bottom of di division, dere be reason why dem no dey anywhere near dat all season – because dem get good players and good manager. We respect dia strengths and we go enter di game with humility but also we know say over dis season and plenty seasons now, we don be really good side at Portman Road.”
Captain and centre-back Dara O'Shea go play im 45th league match of di season on Saturday – and 55th for total – and never receive single yellow card. O’Shea be for di West Brom squad wey win promotion to Premier League behind closed doors for di Covid-affected 2019-20 season.
“E be really strange. I be younger den and probably no understand di magnitude of getting promoted – I maybe tink say e be something wey happen all di time,” O’Shea tok. “E so hard to achieve, I don find out, and to do am for our stadium, for front of our people [go be special] – no doubt e go be unbelievable atmosphere, something I dey really look forward to playing, e go be amazing.”
“E no matter whether I be captain or not. I just want to get promoted and get dis club back for Premier League, I want to be part of dat, like everybody else for our squad. Dis club belong for Premier League, di way we dey go, di ambition, di people at di club deserve am, and e be about going out and earning dat right.”
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