New Year’s Day football always has a slightly odd rhythm to it.
People wander up to Portman Road a bit slower than usual, clutching coffees, scarves half‑tightened, trying to shake off the night before while the place gradually wakes up around them.
Ipswich Town steps into 2026 with a bit of purpose about them, even if nobody in this league ever gets too comfortable making plans.
Oxford United arrive in a different sort of mood, still adjusting to Craig Short taking charge after Gary Rowett’s sacking left them scrambling just before Christmas.
It’s not the tidiest build‑up for the visitors, but it does give the afternoon a bit of edge.
There’s a real sense of calm around Kieran McKenna these days.
He carries himself like someone who knows the club inside out, the rhythms of the place, the expectations, the way Portman Road feels on a matchday.
Nothing about him feels rushed or uncertain. He has that steady, thoughtful presence that settles everyone around him before a ball’s even been kicked.
Under him, Town feel sure of themselves. Not perfect, we’ve all seen the odd nervy spell, but there’s a clear identity in the way we play, even when a match gets a little scruffy.
Oxford arrive in a very different moment. Craig Short has stepped into the job at a tricky time, with fixtures piling up and pressure building around them.
He’s not trying to overhaul everything; you can see he just wants them organised and a bit steadier.
It’s not the sort of approach that grabs headlines, but sometimes it’s exactly what a side needs when they’re trying to find their feet again.
Meetings between Ipswich and Oxford have a habit of ignoring the script. Over the last few years, the form guide hasn’t meant much at all.
One team plays the nicer football, the other somehow walks away with the points. A strange bounce, a missed chance, a moment of madness, these fixtures tend to turn on the little things:
It’s a run that’s left us feeling like we’re due a bit of fortune. Too many afternoons where Ipswich have played the better stuff but come away with very little, especially in the last two meetings with Oxford United.
Looking back over those games, a familiar pattern appears. Ipswich have often been the side trying to make things happen, keeping the ball, pushing the tempo, asking the questions. And yet Oxford have been the ones finding a way to edge it.
That November meeting still lingers a little; Ipswich had long spells of control, moved it nicely, and somehow still ended up empty‑handed. It’s the sort of match where you walk away wondering how it slipped through the fingers.
Both managers are likely to stick with what they know, so we’re probably looking at two teams lining up in the same shape. For Ipswich, that familiar 4‑2‑3‑1 has become second nature.
It gives us a solid base in midfield, lets the full‑backs join in when the moment’s right, and keeps that trio behind the striker drifting into pockets and linking things together.
Ipswich don’t tend to rush the play; they build patiently, recycle the ball, and wait for the right opening.
Oxford are expected to mirror that setup under Short.
The manager hasn’t been in the job long, and therefore has kept things straightforward: two deeper midfielders to protect the back four, a No.10 looking for little pockets of space, and wide players who work hard both ways.
It’s more about being organised than being adventurous, which makes sense for a side trying to steady itself.
When both teams set up like this, the match often becomes a battle for those small spaces between the lines.
Whoever gets a grip on that area usually ends up controlling the rhythm. The big question is how bold Oxford feel without the ball.
Some teams come to Portman Road and sit deep, hoping to frustrate Ipswich.
Others try to press higher, which can work for a spell but leaves gaps if you mistime it. We’ll probably get a sense of their approach fairly early on.
There’s a noticeable gap between the two sides at the moment.
Ipswich sit 3rd on 41 points from 24 games (W11, D8, L5), which is a solid enough return to keep them right in the mix, with being 3 points off second place in the league.
Oxford, meanwhile, are down in 22nd with 22 points (W5, D7, L11), and that tells you plenty about how their season has been unfolding and why the mood around the club has been a little tense.
Ipswich Town Predicted Starting XI: Christian Walton, Darnell Furlong, Dara O’Shea, Cedric Kipre, Jacob Greaves, Azor Matusiwa, Jens-Lys Cajuste, Sindre Walle-Egeli, Marcelino Nunez, Jaden Philogene, Ivàn Azon.
Town’s Injuries/Illness: Conor Townsend (ACL), George Hirst (Groin), Smzodics (Illness), Davis (Illness).
Oxford United Predicted Starting XI: Jamie Cumming, Brodie Spencer, Ciaron Brown, Jack Currie, Michal Helik, Brian De Keersmacker, Luke Harris, Nik Prelec, Przemyslaw Placheta, Stanley Mills.
United’s Injuries: Cameron Brannagan (Calf), Hidde ter Avest (Hamstring), Matthew Phillips (Thigh).
There’s been a slightly flat feel around Portman Road in recent weeks, not unhappy, just a bit muted, like everyone’s waiting for something to spark the place back into life.
Performances have been steady enough, but the noise hasn’t always matched the moments on the pitch.
This feels like the sort of game that could shift that mood a little.
Oxford will come here organised and stubborn, and they’ll try to slow things down whenever they can.
They usually make a contest of it, and there’ll be spells where patience is needed.
But if Ipswich keep the ball moving and trust the structure that’s become second nature, the chances should come.
One good moment, a clever pass, a sharp finish might be all it takes to wake the place up again
Score Prediction: Ipswich Town 2–1 Oxford United
