adminIpswich Town: Ashley Young on Coventry City clash and Frank Lampard
Ipswich Town defender Ashley Young says he’s relishing the challenge of taking on Championship leaders Coventry City when they arrive at Portman Road tomorrow.
Coventry travel to Suffolk as strong favourites for automatic promotion, sitting comfortably at the top of the table—10 points clear of second place, 12 ahead of third, and 15 above Ipswich.
“I’m really looking forward to it,” Young said. “That goes for any game, and it’s not just me—everyone is excited. When the league leaders come to your place, of course it brings a bit of extra buzz.
“We’re treating it like any other match, though. We want to build on our recent games. Midweek was frustrating; even though we fought back, we should’ve taken all three points.
“We’ve been on the road a lot, so it’ll be good to play in front of our fans again. We’re all up for it.”
While Coventry have exceeded expectations this season, Ipswich have fallen short in recent weeks, losing to Oxford United before a disappointing performance in Tuesday’s 1-1 draw at Blackburn. Young didn’t shy away from acknowledging that the team fell below their usual standards.
“We spoke before the game, at half-time, and afterwards,” he said. “It just wasn’t the sort of performance we’ve shown this season.
“You heard what the manager said. As players, we were honest with each other—we all felt the same.
“That was Tuesday. It’s Friday now, and our focus is fully on the next game.
“Performances like that are rare at this club, and hopefully we won’t see another one. We’ve worked on things since then, and the positive is that despite playing poorly, we still came away with a point.
“It could prove to be an important one by the end of the season.”
Sindre Walle Egeli’s late equaliser pushed Ipswich up to seventh, leaving them as the chasers while Coventry try to stay ahead. Some argue that suits Ipswich, but Young knows which side will feel more comfortable.
“If you ask them, they’ll be happier being up there where everyone is trying to catch them,” he admitted.
“We want to be at the top as well, and I’ve got full belief in this squad that we can get ourselves there. We’ve shown it in spells—it’s about putting everything together.
“When you play the leaders, you want to make a statement and show you belong among the top sides.
“Hopefully we get the three points and start climbing the table.”
Young is also the only Championship player to have represented England alongside Coventry boss Frank Lampard, and the pair crossed paths regularly during their Manchester United–Chelsea battles.
“I know him really well,” Young said with a smile. “I could tell you a few stories, but I won’t!
“We played together for England. He’s gone into management and is doing really well. He was a fantastic player and he’s proving himself as a manager, too.
“Back then with England, players from different clubs would stick together—United lads, Chelsea lads—but as a young player coming in, I was welcomed straight away. Lamps was one of those who made that easy.”
Asked whether Lampard always seemed destined to manage, Young didn’t hesitate.
“Him and Stevie G—you could tell they’d go on to coach or manage. They just had that presence. No one would’ve said that about me!
“But Lamps always looked like he’d go into management, and he’s doing a great job at Coventry.”
Lampard’s open, attacking style has seen Coventry score 50 league goals already. It could make for an entertaining match, but Young insists Ipswich don’t care how the game looks—only about the points.
“Neutrals might want a goal-fest, but if we win 1-0, that’s enough for us,” he said.
“The key is to put in a strong performance and get the points. Sometimes the football is ugly, sometimes you play well and don’t get anything. Whatever it takes, we’ll fight for it.
“If it’s high scoring, hopefully it’s us doing the scoring.”
With Coventry so far ahead, can Ipswich catch them?
“How many games are left?” Young asked.
“Over half,” came the reply.
“Then they’re catchable,” he laughed. “There’s a long way to go. No one gets promoted before Christmas.
“You only really know where you stand in April or May. Until then, it’s one game at a time. Coventry is next, and that’s where our focus is.”
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