Town fans 'emotional' over departure of promotion heroes

Conor Chaplin was a fan favourite with the Town faithful, but has now departed on loan

Fans of Ipswich Town have experienced a rollercoaster of emotions over the last few years after back-to-back promotions and then immediate relegation from the Premier League.

The same can be said for the cohort of players who defied expectations and became squad mainstays as the team journeyed from League One all the way to the top flight.

But following the return to the Championship, some fans feel there has been a mass exodus at Portman Road.

Players that fans had grown fond of as their team soared to the top of the footballing pyramid are no longer there.

Omari Hutchinson is one of the many Ipswich Town players to have left the club in recent weeks

Ipswich Town fan Tim Kenny told the BBC it was a "sad" time for the club but it had to move on

The shake-up has left some fans feeling disillusioned and upset over the fact the team that brought them so much joy is no longer the one that is taking to the pitch this year.

"It's sad that so many of the players who gave us two wonderful seasons have left, but sentiment doesn't get you promoted," said lifelong fan Tim Kenny.

"Manager Kieran McKenna now has the task of hitting the same heights with a new group of players, and this will be a true test of his management credentials.

"Of course, we all hope he succeeds."

Departures

Captain Sam Morsy, defender Axel Tuanzebe and centre-back Cameron Burgess all left the club for free, joining Kuwait SC, Burnley, and Swansea City respectively.

As did Marcus Harness, who had been on loan during the Blues' Premier League stint, but will now line-up for Huddersfield Town.

Tricky winger Omari Hutchinson joined Nottingham Forest for a reported fee of £37.5m, and fan favourite Conor Chaplin has just been loaned to Portsmouth.

Luke Woolfenden, an academy player with more than 200 games for the club, has sealed a permanent move to Coventry City.

Elsewhere, Massimo Luongo moved to Millwall and Nathan Broadhead to Wrexham, while Cieran Slicker was loaned to Barnet and Ali Al-Hamadi to Luton.

Sam Morsy helped Ipswich win promotion to the top flight of English football for the first time since 2002

Craig Finbow, from the Blue Monday podcast, said this transfer window had been "emotional".

"We knew there would be some trimming of the squad, but the players that went out struck a few emotional chords with fans," he said.

"It's that chipping away at that famous team that got us those two back-to-back promotions to the Premier League, and there are not too many of that squad left.

"We obviously are trying to improve the squad and take the club on, but it might be argued that it is a little bit quick."

'It's a shame'

Talking on BBC Radio Suffolk's Blue Hour, supporter and hairdresser Ciro De Lellis said he was particularly saddened by the departure of Chaplin.

"It's all the League One team, even the one that got us promoted to the Premier League [that's gone], and that's a shame and it's a tough one," he said.

"All those players were tried and tested at this [Championship] level, so it's always a balancing act of getting players that will get you up.

"It's going to take time for the new team to gel; we just have to hope that these players that we've bought in are good enough to take us up – this is their season to prove it."

Forward Liam Delap moved to Portman Road after the team was promoted to the Premier League, but joined Chelsea soon after the relegation season ended

Some players who were only bought by the Tractor Boys after the club's promotion to the Premier League have also already made their way back out of the door.

Forward Liam Delap joined Chelsea for £30m and Chieo Ogbene, who missed most of last season with a serious injury, was loaned to Sheffield United.

Goalie Arijanet Muric, who was signed for the Premier League campaign but then dropped, has also been loaned to Sassuolo of Italy.

'A fond farewell'

But not all fans are downbeat about the plethora of changes — in fact, some see it as simply a new era.

"Kieran McKenna faced a massive call this transfer window to either stick with the heroes of our back-to-back promotions or go all-in for glory," said supporter Sean Salter.

"And the gaffer chose to twist, smashing the Championship transfer record, nicking Norwich's prized star, and raiding Europe's elite leagues for electrifying forwards.

"A fond farewell to the departing lads, but let's be real, our team's now stacked with pure class and firepower.

"A few wins and McKenna's first side will be a distant happy memory, but get to Christmas still outside of the top six and the players of seasons past will start to haunt the Ipswich manager."

One of the Blues' newest signing - controversially - is Marcelino Nunez, who joined from East Anglian rivals, Norwich City

As much as there has been a great deal of outgoings, the club has also brought in a raft of new players, including Marcelino Nunez from East Anglian rivals Norwich City.

Veteran full-back Ashley Young, who is now 40 years old, also joined Ipswich Town ahead of the new season.

Talking to the BBC he said: "It doesn't take long to integrate into this squad - you are welcomed by the players and the staff with open arms.

"I am sure they are looking forward to getting down to work."

Analysis: Connor Bennett, BBC Suffolk

BBC Suffolk's Connor Bennett said he was "shocked" by the club's business this transfer window

It's been a window with some much needed additions for Town, but I am somewhat shocked and saddened by the sheer number of "heroes" leaving.

Having watched Town frustrated at home to Derby at the weekend, it was those sorts players who would break those deadlocks in tight games with big moments.

Especially Chaplin, a player who I always felt made this Town team tick and gets into my best Ipswich XI.

There was an identity to those promotion winning sides, that a new generation of Ipswich Town fans identified with them.

Football clubs evolve, and so do squads. The incomings have been welcome, needed and impressive.

However, as I sat on deadline day watching the news that Chaplin and academy boy Woolfenden were moving on, the feeling of flatness outweighed the excitement of a generally good summer of incomings.