Ipswich v Nottingham Forest: Delap’s Return and O’Neil’s Strategy
Seven games in, the Premier League table still lies to you. It always does in October. But even with that caveat, Ipswich in 10th and Nottingham Forest stranded in 19th jars the eye.
Ipswich were supposed to scrap. Instead, they’ve settled. Portman Road, which felt anxious and resigned two seasons ago, now looks like a place you come to work hard for points. They already have more home wins than in that entire last top-flight relegation campaign. Three league victories on the board, the same tally as Liverpool in fifth, underline the shift. Gary O’Neil hasn’t turned them into a spectacle every week, but he’s turned them into a problem. Right now, that’s worth far more.
Forest are wrestling with the opposite reality. Oliver Glasner has not yet found a tune his players can hold. Five points, a goal difference of -4, and no goals in four home matches tell their own story. This is not a slow burn; it’s a team stuck in neutral. That’s why they arrive at Portman Road second from bottom, and there is no soft focus or tactical nuance that makes that look any better.
Ipswich: Shape Found, Options Returning
O’Neil’s work has been defined by clarity. At Manchester City, he shifted to a back three and, even in a 3-2 defeat, Ipswich looked organised and dangerous enough to stay in that system. There is little reason to abandon it now.
Sasa Lukic, who missed that game with a minor groin issue, is expected to return. If he’s ready, he walks straight back into midfield alongside Exequiel Palacios. That pair gives Ipswich control and bite, with Florentino Luis and Azor Matusiwa waiting if legs need protecting or the game tilts into a scrap.
Out wide, there’s a decision that carries a bit more tension. Jack Taylor remains sidelined with a knee problem and has yet to feature this season, but Abdul Fatawu is back from suspension and immediately sharpens the competition. Daizen Maeda, under pressure for his place, suddenly has someone breathing down his neck for that role on the flank.
If O’Neil sticks with the back three, Leif Davis and Abdoul Ouattara are set to continue as wing-backs. That pairing gives Ipswich natural width without tearing holes in their defensive shape. At home, against a Forest side short on confidence and rhythm, it feels pragmatic rather than timid. Ipswich can still commit bodies forward; they just don’t have to leave the back door swinging open to do it.
Forest: Injuries, Imbalance and a Familiar Face
Forest arrive with questions at both ends of the pitch. Igor Jesus is out until the end of the month with a calf injury, which leaves Liam Delap as the obvious choice to lead the line, with Chris Wood in reserve. Delap has already shown he can hurt Premier League defences, scoring the opener in Forest’s 2-1 win at Aston Villa, and his running will be central to any threat they pose on the break.
Behind him, Forest’s creative heartbeat has been flickering. Morgan Gibbs-White missed the defeat to Arsenal with a muscle issue, but Glasner suggested he was close to a return. If he’s fit, he starts. No debate. Forest badly need someone to stitch midfield to attack, and nobody in this squad does that job better than Gibbs-White. His presence would allow James McAtee to drop a little deeper and give Forest more structure in possession. If he doesn’t make it, Nicolas Dominguez is likely to keep his place, but the dynamic is very different without that primary playmaker.
At the back, there is at least a hint of stability returning. Nikola Milenkovic rejoined the matchday squad against Arsenal after recovering from a knee bone bruise and could be eased back into the side. Nicolo Savona, though, remains a long-term absentee with a knee injury and has not played since January, leaving Glasner short of another defensive option.
Delap’s Portman Road Return
The narrative thread is obvious and sharp. Liam Delap comes back to Portman Road, a stadium where he made a strong impression before his move away. Supporters know what he can do. So does O’Neil.
Delap’s game is built for nights like this. Ipswich are likely to defend with numbers, but O’Neil’s system still leaves lanes to attack in transition. If Forest can spring him early, with Gibbs-White feeding those runs, Delap has a genuine chance to get on the scoresheet. He has already shown flashes of that ruthless edge for Forest; this is the kind of fixture that can turn flashes into a statement.
False Positions or Early Warnings?
So where does it all land? The evidence splits.
Ipswich have the better league position, the home crowd, and a settled mood. They know what they are. Forest, despite the table, can point to stronger underlying numbers and the potential return of Gibbs-White, which instantly changes the way their attack feels and functions.
Kick-off is at 8pm BST on Friday, October 23 at Portman Road. By full-time, one of these teams may look like they’ve been miscast by the early table. Or the standings might be telling us exactly where this season is heading.
