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Bristol Post
Sport
Sam Frost

Inside line on Ipswich Town: Bristol Rovers face Tractor Boys side 'lacking momentum' in League One

Graham Coughlan's Bristol Rovers face their biggest test of the season so far on Saturday, travelling to Portman Road to face Ipswich Town.

Fifth-placed Rovers are hoping to turn heads in League One by making a statement in Suffolk, but Paul Lambert's Ipswich sit in second place and will be a stern test of the Gas' play-off credentials.

To get the inside line on the Tractor Boys, we spoke to the East Anglian Daily Times' Ipswich Town writer Andy Warren.

You can follow Andy on Twitter @AndyWarren_

Paul Lambert with his Ipswich Town coaching staff (Getty)

Ipswich enjoyed a strong start to the season, but are going through a difficult run of late. What is the mood among fans at Portman Road?

Much of the talk over the last two weeks has been whether Ipswich Town's glass is half-full or half-empty.

Obviously they are in a great position in the league – second with a game in hand – and pre-season fears of a nightmare start and relegation hangover were cast aside. There are key player to come back from injury and a feeling that they haven't got out of second gear.

That's also part of the worry, though. They're lacking momentum due to breaks from action and a squad rotation system which you could certainly argue has left some players undercooked.

How Ipswich get on during the next five games will say a lot for whether that glass is half-full or half-empty.

How much pressure is Paul Lambert under to deliver an immediate return to the Championship?

In short, a lot. We all know that big clubs dropping down don't always come straight back – ask Leeds and both Sheffield clubs about that.

There is a school of thought that dropping down a level could ultimately end up being a positive for Ipswich, but that will only be true if momentum can be built and an instant return secured.

Failure will mean further budget cuts and surely the sale of their best young players

After three consecutive draws in League One and just two wins in seven, is concern growing among the faithful at Portman Road?

As mentioned previously, recent form is certainly becoming a concern.

It's by no means a disaster, they're flying high in the table, but doubt has crept in.

Ipswich Town manager Paul Lambert (Getty)

How are the Tractor Boys likely to set up?

An excellent question. Lambert has constantly rotated his starting XI and switched between three different systems from game to game.

We've seen plenty of 4-4-2, a bit of 3-5-2 and some 4-3-2-1 as well.

My guess for this game would be the latter.

Who are the main threats Rovers need to be aware of?

Because of the answer to the previous question, it's pretty hard to say.

On their day, James Norwood and Kayden Jackson have been a dangerous front pairing with seven goals each. But both are scoreless since October and may be on the bench.

Alan Judge, Jon Nolan and Andre Dozzell are as creative as they come in this division but they have not always been able to do it consistently.

Luke Garbutt's delivery, especially at set-pieces, is extremely dangerous. He can find the net himself, too. Doing so five times this season.

Any injury or suspension news?

Gwion Edwards is suspended after picking up his fifth yellow card at Coventry.

Injury-wise, captain Luke Chambers is struggling with a neck problem and wing-back Kane Vincent-Young has been a big miss following groin surgery.

Get lots more news, opinion and transfer updates on our dedicated Bristol Rovers page and add a bookmark to find it quickly next time.

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