You cannot spell Armando Dobra without the letters from maradona.
Yes, that is my worst ever opener, but with Diego Armando Maradona passing, it may drag in the google searches. Anyway, Armando Dobra is something of a cult hero at Ipswich Town, sent off on debut, banged in a wonder goal in last seasons EFL Trophy, and every time he has featured, he has delivered.
Yet, for some reason, the diminutive Albanian has yet to be a regular in Paul Lambert’s team. Today, Armando was omitted from the Under-23’s for the afternoon fixture, and this has convinced the whisperers that he may be the trump card in the Blue deck tonight.
Lambert is a man under pressure. It is no secret that the relationship between manager and fans at Ipswich is strained, and with five losses in the last eight league games, sitting sixth is not a good enough argument for a stay of execution.
Ipswich have up to twelve first teamers unfit, although Emyr Huws may return tonight. The squad is desperately short of midfielders with Liam Gibbs having made his league debut on Saturday at the tender age of 17 highlighting the problem.
Lambert will want to stick to his favoured 4-3-3 formation, and Dobra could be the key to the puzzle. A tough little workhorse with a flair not unlike former loanee Bersant Celina, he could bolster whichever position is needed.
Fans would like to see a return to 4-4-2, the tried and tested staple of a formation diet. But the fans would also like to see Dobra, and he is most likely to feature in an 4-3-3, so which way will the coin land?
Either way, the result needs to be a positive, or Lambert could be packing the boxes in his office, despite Head of Operations Lee O’Neill claiming his job is safe.
