Manager of Ipswich Town, Kieran McKenna and Assistant Manager of Ipswich Town, Martyn Pert - Cambridge United v Ipswich Town, Pre-Season Friendly, Abbey Stadium, Cambridge, UK - 22nd July 2023
Ipswich Town And Middlesbrough Ask About Leeds United Target
Ipswich Town and Middlesbrough are amongst the three clubs who have made loan enquiries with Nottingham Forest for Leeds United target Lewis O’Brien, according to journalist Alan Nixon.
O’Brien had a short loan spell in the MLS last season and is surplus to requirements at Nottingham Forest this summer.
However, the club have so far failed to shift him despite interest from several clubs in the Championship.
Leeds are interested in getting their hands on him before Friday’s transfer deadline but are only keen on signing him on loan.
It has been claimed that Coventry City, Ipswich and Middlesbrough have also made enquiries for the midfielder.
All three clubs are in the market for midfield men and O’Brien is a player they are interested in signing.
However, like Leeds, the other three clubs are also interested in only signing him on a loan this summer.
All three clubs are in the market for midfield men and O’Brien is a player they are interested in signing.
However, like Leeds, the other three clubs are also interested in only signing him on a loan this summer.
Reading v Ipswich Town: Martyn Pert on Carabao Cup clash
Ipswich Town assistant boss Martyn Pert has confirmed that the Blues will ring the changes again for tomorrow night’s trip to Reading in the Carabao Cup.
The Blues head to the League One Royals (8pm ko) bidding to reach the third round of the competition for the first time since the 2015/16 season, when they fell 3-0 to Manchester United at Old Trafford.
They eased into the second round with a comfortable 2-0 home win against Bristol Rovers earlier this month, a clash which saw boss Kieran McKenna make 11 changes from the league side.
And Pert is expecting more of the same tomorrow.
“Yeah, I think we’ll change it,” he told TownTV. “Obviously we changed it for the previous game (against Bristol Rovers) and I think it will be similar in terms of changes.
“I’m not sure what the changes will be. We’re discussing it at the moment and there will definitely be changes, getting players minutes and going there to try to get the win.”
Asked about facing Reading, who were relegated from the Championship last season, Pert insisted that the Blues are expecting a tough battle.
Everyone’s got a point to prove and every team wants to win their home games,” he stressed.
“They’ll look to win the game for sure, and they’ve got some good players and a good coach.
“They look like a well-coached team and it’ll be a difficult game going down there.
“Obviously in these games you’re not 100% sure what the teams will look like. We’ll make changes and I’d expect them to make changes.
“We’ll go into the game trying to win it, but it will be a tough game.”
Town enter the clash with a couple of injury concerns, aside from keeper Christian Walton’s long-term foot injury.
Right back Janoi Donacien came off injured in the win at QPR on August 19, while striker George Hirst missed Saturday’s 4-3 defeat against Leeds United.
“I think JD it was a groin injury from QPR and I think he’ll probably struggle for the weekend,” Pert said, when asked for an update.
“George was touch and go and will probably just miss out on Tuesday night, but we’ll see how it goes the rest of the week.”
Town tasted defeat in a legaue match for the first time since January on Saturday, beaten by a Leeds side stacked with multi-million pound players.
But Pert said the Blues can take pride from the clash.
“It was a cracking game for the fans,” he said. “The manager said it would be 4-3 before the game – to us – and it was a cracking game in terms of action.
“I thought we played really well. We conceded four goals so there’s moments you’d want to improve on, but generally I thought as a team we played really well.
“We attacked them, had a large number of shots, particularly in the first half. They were defending and putting bodies behind the ball in the second half.
“We were trying to push for that goal and in the end they broke away and showed a little bit of quality to get their fourth goal, which took it away from us until Chappers got that late goal.
“It was a great strike late on, but the time just ran out.”
