(Click here for some match pics)
A struggle to create enough up front with a lapse from a set piece at the back to cost us the game.
I'm more optimistic this time around and I think we will do OK this season but we have to improve in key areas.
I thought (and these are my opinions) we looked good for the most part in defence. I thought Purse did well and with no offence to Neil Cox would love to see Purse play for us with Ipswich's De Vos, both excellent centre halves.
In midfield we played Willie Boland and Jeff Whitley (no complaints on that choice if Koumas is not fully fit) but we had Ardley wide left and Cooper wide right, they looked as if the should be the other way around. Up from Jerome and Paul Parry were given a chance.
Parry struggled to make an impact and Jerome worked hard but wasn't able to convert the scraps he was fed.
Alan Lee came on in the second half and created for himself a superb chance that Lewis Price saved. All credit to the keeper. It was an exceptional save after a great control and turn by Lee.
With hindsight the win for Ipswich was deserved as they created the best chances. They had a spell in the second half where City failed to defend crosses into the box. Alexander had not had that much to do during the game decided to stick to his line and confuse the defence who were expecting some dominance from the Scotsman that never came. As a result Forster manged to score while unmarked and two other decent chances went begging, one of which parkin clipped the post with.
Late on Jason De Vos was heavily tackled. He spent a couple of minutes on the ground before coming the pitch to allow play to continue. I thought he was time wasting. It turns out he has several broken ribs and will be out for at least a month.
The table after 1 game is not nice with City in 23rd place but ignore that. You need at least 3 games and more like 6 to start to see a pattern forming.
No time to dwell. City welcome Leeds Utd on Tuesday. Leeds won at home to Millwall today and are considered one of the stronger teams this season. Expect a pretty volatile atmosphere. 1, because of Jan 6th 2002, 2, becuase 14 Leeds fans have just been jailed for fighting with police when City fans were locked in at Elland Rd and 3, because of our Deputy Chairman, Peter Ridsdale, the former Leeds Utd chairman.