Ipswich v Leeds: the importance of key men

Can Pontus Jansson help Leeds to another victory?

Tom Lawrence’s absence could be a blow for Ipswich. His bookings for petulancy have handed him a suspension and Ipswich’s chances are hindered, not only in this match, but also the forthcoming East Anglia derby.

Mick McCarthy will have to manage Lawrence carefully: don’t change anything and he’ll keep getting suspensions, but equally, it is important he does not lose his aggressive streak entirely. The Leicester loanee has that bit of arrogance and unpredictability to his character, which is partly what has made him such an exciting prospect.

As Ipswich face games without their star man, Leeds see their own return. It may be no coincidence that their poor defending of set pieces had come without Pontus, nor that they got back to winning ways upon the centre-back’s return.

A 2-1 victory over Bristol City was preceded by back-to-back defeats which diminished faint hopes of a top two push. They were outplayed by Huddersfield, succumbing to a late winner, before another loss to Cardiff, even if the performance was more competitive.

They were let down by poor shooting, Kemar Roofe seeing his shot saved and Chris Wood uncharacteristically missing a simple near-post chance. Against the Robins, Wood opened the scoring and looked more like his clinical self, which will give Garry Monk confidence for the trip to Portman Road.

However, Ipswich themselves have built up some confidence after five points from their last three games, two of which coming against top four opposition. Youngsters Josh Emmanuel and Myles Kenlock are benefitting from the freedom of playing as wing-backs while loanees Emyr Huws and Toumani Diagouraga add energy and muscle respectively in midfield.

Their next performance could tell us much about whether Ipswich’s recent form is sustainable without Lawrence, their key man. Leeds’ struggles without Pontus Jansson suggests they are a worse team without theirs.

The Football Lab’s Verdict: 0-1. Get your tickets at Football Ticket Pad.