Ipswich v Sheffield United: Big-hitters to strike sparks | OneFootball

Ipswich v Sheffield UnitedLive on Sky Sports Football

In many people's eyes, Ipswich and Sheffield United were genuine promotion contenders this term. They still may be, but the Tractor Boys and Blades haven't managed a single win between them across the first four matchdays. Indeed, Sheffield United are rock-bottom, even below their crisis-ridden neighbours Sheffield Wednesday.

Ipswich lost key players in the summer like Liam Delap and Omari Hutchinson, and it was always going to take a while for a much-changed squad to settle down. In addition, this is a group that contains players who spent most of last season getting whipped in the Premier League.

Ipswich needed last-gasp equalisers to secure draws against Birmingham and Derby, they lost at Preston and were held at home by Southampton. To make matters worse, the Suffolk side crashed out of the League Cup to Bromley. Manager Kieran McKenna has plenty of credit in the bank after winning two promotions, but he admits the patience of fans won't be infinite.

Sheffield United's patience is being tested even more sorely. New manager Ruben Selles has lost all four league games since replacing dyed-in-the-wool United fan Chris Wilder. The Yorkshire giants were smashed 4-1 at home by Bristol City on the opening weekend before losing the next three games 1-0 to Swansea, Millwall and leaders Middlesbrough.

Ipswich are perhaps performing better than results suggest, and their Expected Goals For Figure of 7.07 tells you they are making chances without taking them. I'm expecting the chance generation to continue against a Sheffield United side that hasn't yet managed a clean sheet this season, despite having some great individual defenders available.

Backing Over 2.5 Goals at 1.99 seems an attractive option here. When Ipswich were last in the Championship two seasons ago, 17 of their 23 home games featured three goals or more. That can't fully translate to this current crop of Ipswich players, but it tells you how attack-minded McKenna wants to be at this level, and all but one of Ipswich's competitive games this term have featured at least two goals. Against a Sheffield United side with big defensive problems (they are giving up over five shots on target per 90), I can see Ipswich making plenty of chances.