Tommy Smith (Braintree Town FC | England)

It’s a surprise, therefore, that the average age of Town’s starting line-up across the 48 games was as low as 27.72. That’s not far off the average age of the Norwich and QPR sides which won promotion from the Championship in 2010/11. Aaron Cresswell (pictured), Tommy Smith and Jay Emmanuel-Thomas, all aged between 21 and 22, made a whopping 100 starts between them, while 22-year-old keeper Alex McCarthy started 10 games during a loan spell.

http://www.eadt.co.uk/sport/ipswich-town/the_myths_surrounding_ipswich_town_s_season_1_1375411

Has signed a new deal with Ipswich. See front page.

Our Captain Fantastic

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/soccer-football/news/article.cfm?c_id=86&objectid=10808713

Although many have said that Chambers would make a good captain, others have claimed that youngcentre back Tommy Smith should have been named captain.

At the age of 22, Smith is young enough to lead the team for many years and he did impress at the end of last season. It would be great to see Smith take the captaincy and have a great season but personally I don’t think he is quite ready for that role. It would be hard for Smith to boss the team around as he still has a lot to learn himself and he hasn’t even played consistently well for a whole season yet. If anyone was going to take the captaincy off Edwards, for me it was always going to be new arrival Chambers.

http://www.footballfancast.com/2012/07/championship/who-should-really-be-captain-at-ipswich-town

Tommy talks about the Olympics and the new Ipswich season on the BBC:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/19146382

Review of 3-1 win in friendly over Winston Reid's Hammers:

http://www.itfc.co.uk/news/article/town-v-west-ham-292011.aspx?pageView=full#anchored

Town: Loach, Edwards (Ainsley 61), Chambers, Smith (Delaney 61), Cresswell, Carson, Hyam (Murray 79), Luongo (Kourouma 71), Emmanuel-Thomas (Lawrence 67), Martin (Stevenson 46), Chopra (Scotland 46). Subs not used: Lee-Barrett, Whight.

West Ham: Jaaskelainen (Henderson 79), Reid, Collins, Demel, Potts (O’Brien 46), O’Neil, Noble, Taylor, Vaz Te, Maiga (Maynard 59), Cole. Subs not used: Lletget, Moncur, Fanimo.

Att: 7, 682 (2, 075 visitors)

Video highlights:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K60Fjr2TfCc

Final pre-season friendly 2-1 v Colchester:

http://www.itfc.co.uk/news/article/colchester-v-town-300308.aspx

Ipswich have a new Aussie midfielder on loan from Spurs, Massimo Luongo (never heard of him).

Scored in a 3-1 win over Bristol Rovers in league cup overnight:

http://www.twtd.co.uk/ipswich-town-news/21223/town-3-1-bristol-rovers

full 90 in a 1-1 draw

http://soccernet.espn.go.com/report/_/id/343878?cc=5901

Rough arvo for Tommy. Blackpool smacked them 5-0 and it sounds like he made a couple of decent sized blunders!

6-0, wasn't it?

Yes, yes it was. Neither ideal really....

At fault for two of the goals apparently.

Playd the full 90 in their 2 - 1 loss to Carlisle mid week. Had a chance to equalise in last part but put a header wide

Full game in a 2 all draw with Huddrsfield.

 Full 90 in a 2 nil loss to Middlesbrough.

Scored a 'comical' own goal as they lost 2-0 at home to Wolved.  In the relegation zone.

 Sigh

 Ha. Is that the opposite to 'The hand of God' goal?

'The hand of the Devil'?

What was he trying to do there? Looks like he just collapsed into a heap and it's come off the back of his head or arm. Basically no one around him too, own goals don't come much uglier.

 Worse than I imagined.

 SHUT UP

 Hmmm, who will he replace in the backline  ??

Town have signed Premier League defender Danny Higginbotham on a month’s loan from Stoke.

The 33-year-old is travelling down from the Potteries tonight and will be added to the squad for Saturday’s game against Charlton.

 Got 92 mins in a 2 - 1 loss to Charlton, and then replaced by Higginbotham, what does that mean ?

It means one of two things... either injured and they wanted to get him off or two, his bad start, and it has been a shocker has cost him his place and he'll soon be on the bench.

Smith benched all day today in a 1 all draw

Paid the price for a terrible start... seems to do this the last few years, have a poor start to the season and then finish quite strong.

 On the bench on Tuesday, wonder if he will get on the field today

Didnt

 On the bench today in a 1 all draw with Derby

 That game still has half an hour to go... every chance we'll lose.

 I was right though...

 yes, 90th minute, gutting

 par for the course.