In their Manager's words...
In his pre-match press conference, new Ipswich Town manager Gary O'Neil spoke about the qualities possessed by Adam Wharton, in the week the midfielder made his 100th appearance for the Eagles.
O'Neil, a midfielder himself in his playing days, said his team will need to be able to navigate the challenge of coming up against Wharton if they want to return to Suffolk with points on the board.
"He's [Wharton] an unbelievable talent, a fantastic passer of the ball. He'll be part of what we need to deal with. You don't win a European competition without having good players.
"It's an exciting game for us. We have respect for Crystal Palace and the quality that they have, but we'll go there full of optimism and intensity, trying to make it as difficult for them as possible and looking to put our first away win on the board."
O'Neil has already come up against Sage this calendar year, when both were coaching in Ligue 1, and believes the Frenchman's tactical tweaks to the Palace side are already showing.
