72 Hours Until Kickoff

ByIAIN MACINTOSH, JACK LANG AND JAMES TYLER
January 19, 2017, 11:01 AM

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Mick McCarthy's Zen management • Life as a Die-Hard Ipswich Town fan

As October draws to a close, there is trouble brewing in Ipswich. Three consecutive top-10 finishes under Mick McCarthy had raised hopes that the 2016-17 season might end with promotion back to the Premier League after a 13-year exile. But it hasn't quite worked out like that.

Ipswich have won only four games all season and look more likely to be embroiled in a relegation battle than a promotion chase. To make matters worse, the football has been uninspiring. In their past seven games, they've failed to score on six occasions. If they don't beat Rotherham, a club sat at the bottom of the table with only one win all season, McCarthy could be in real trouble.

Recognising the importance of the match, McCarthy gave everyone Monday off. On Tuesday, he was in early with the coaching staff to review the tape of the Newcastle game ahead of training. Wednesday saw the entire squad interact with supporters at a golf day, something that McCarthy hopes will keep spirits high.

Now it's Thursday. The players are fresh and ready to prepare. Now it's time to get serious.


- Luke Chambers, club captain


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