Manchester United Vs Ipswich Town Preview
By: Babatunde Ajibade (Manchester United correspondent) Twitter: ollyzjinx01 Instagram: sir_ajirowo01
After a dramatic 2-2 comeback against Everton, Manchester United return to Old Trafford on Wednesday, facing a relegation-threatened Ipswich Town. But given United’s woeful home form this season, confidence is anything but high. Their struggles at the Theatre of Dreams have been a recurring nightmare, raising doubts about whether they can capitalize on this opportunity or if another disappointment awaits.
Will United carry the fighting spirit from their second-half resurgence at Goodison Park, or will another sluggish start leave them exposed? With their season hanging by a thread, this match promises tension, drama, and possibly another cruel twist in an already turbulent campaign.
Meanwhile, INEOS continues to reshape the club, announcing another round of staff layoffs to balance the books and free up funds for summer recruitment. But why not trim the Glazers’ profits instead? Or even consider parting ways with Luke Shaw, whose injury struggles have left him more a spectator than a contributor? The club’s financial decisions continue to raise questions, though one move that could prove pivotal is the appointment of Christopher Vivell as Director of Recruitment on a permanent basis. Having worked at Chelsea and RB Leipzig, Vivell is tasked with reshaping United’s squad ahead of what is expected to be a critical transfer window.
On the pitch, Rúben Amorim acknowledged his team’s poor first half against Everton but praised their second-half response, with goals from Bruno Fernandes and Manuel Ugarte salvaging a point after falling 2-0 behind to strikes from Beto and Abdoulaye Doucouré. The manager urged fans and players to treat this next match as a fresh start, but how can supporters simply move on when United have lost five of their last six league matches at home? The scars from their Old Trafford failures are still raw, and unless drastic changes are made, history is bound to repeat itself.
After drawing the first encounter at Portman Road, United will be eager to finally claim three points and move past any lingering relegation fears. A win would allow them to shift their focus toward rebuilding both the squad and their shattered confidence. However, they’ll have to do it without two key contributors from that earlier fixture—Marcus Rashford, now on loan at Aston Villa, and Amad Diallo, sidelined with injury. Even so, history favors the hosts, with United unbeaten in their last eight encounters against Ipswich at Old Trafford.
After drawing the first encounter at Portman Road, United will be eager to finally claim three points and move past any lingering relegation fears. A win would allow them to shift their focus toward rebuilding both the squad and their shattered confidence. However, they’ll have to do it without two key contributors from that earlier fixture—Marcus Rashford, now on loan at Aston Villa, and Amad Diallo, sidelined with injury. Even so, history favors the hosts, with United unbeaten in their last eight encounters against Ipswich at Old Trafford.
Ipswich, on the other hand, arrive in desperate need of a miracle. Their 4-1 thrashing at the hands of Tottenham last weekend deepened their relegation worries, and with Wolves picking up a crucial win over Bournemouth, the gap between the bottom three and safety has widened to five points. The newly promoted side is running out of time, and with six games without a win, their fight for survival is looking increasingly futile.
Interestingly, Ipswich have performed better on the road this season, picking up 10 away points compared to just seven at Portman Road. It’s a small reason for optimism, but their overall struggles remain glaring. Only Southampton have picked up fewer home points across England’s top four divisions, and only Southampton, Morecambe, and Shrewsbury Town have suffered more defeats.
The last time these two sides met in the league at Old Trafford was in 2001, but many still remember United’s record-breaking 9-0 demolition of Ipswich in 1995, a Premier League feat that has only been matched, never surpassed. Kieran McKenna’s side would need a miracle of similar magnitude to reignite their survival hopes, but given their form, that seems unlikely.
United are now just two defeats away from matching their highest league tally in over 60 years—a record they’ll be desperate to avoid. But after repeatedly failing to deliver at home this season, nothing is guaranteed.
Will United finally take control and turn the tide at Old Trafford, or can Ipswich stun them with a result that shakes up the relegation battle?
Share your predictions in the comments below!
Manchester United’s record against Ipswich Town:
| Games won: | 29 |
| Games drawn: | 10 |
| Games lost: | 19 |
Team News:
(As of today 25/02/2025)
Manchester United: Luke Shaw, Mason Mount, Johnny Evans, Amad, Martinez, Toby Collyer. Altay Bayindir, Tom Heaton and Kobbie Mainoo remain unavailable.
Ipswich Town: Kalvin Phillips, Jens Cajuste, and Wes Burns are out.
Prediction:
I can’t rely on Manchester United to keep a clean sheet, but they should be able to push forward and secure a win—not just for themselves, but for the fans.
Manchester United 2- 1 Ipswich Town
What’s your prediction? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
Come back to do wat
The team needs to be emptied and refill again
Man U to lose 2-1
but they won now.