Ipswich Town manager Gary O’Neil insists Fulham are in a ‘false position’ ahead of the two teams clashing at Portman Road tomorrow (3pm ko).
After four successive mid-table finishes in the Premier League, the Cottagers saw manager Marco Silva depart in the summer. New boss Alvaro Arbeloa sold experienced duo Issa Diop and Sasa Lukic to Ipswich and has lowered the average age of the squad with an eye on the future.
The West London club arrive in Suffolk second bottom after a five-game winless start, but O’Neil is not underestimating them at all.
“They easily deserved their point at Anfield (0-0 draw v Liverpool), which is not easy to do. They controlled the ball well against Manchester United at home and could easily have won (conceding a late equaliser to draw 1-1).
“They don’t have as many points as their performances would suggest they should have. The position they’re in is a false one. They’ve signed some good players and I think they’re going to have a good season.
“But that doesn’t mean that we can’t cause them real problems. I’m confident we can do that.”
Due to a new extended international break, it’s been three weeks since Ipswich last played a competitive game (a 1-0 defeat at Everton). And it’s been five weeks since the last league game at Portman Road (2-0 defeat to Liverpool).
“It’s a home game that we’re really excited about – we can’t wait,” said O’Neil.
“We’re in a really good spot and this is an opportunity to add another three points to our tally.
“There’s no better place to do it than Portman Road in front of the fans. We’ve not been there too much. I know we’ve had Liverpool and Arsenal (in the League Cup), but the Sunderland one feels like a long time ago.
“Let’s see if we can add another memorable three points and move forward.”
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