Will Ipswich bounce back after relegation and Delap exit?

Ipswich's relegation from the Premier League was confirmed by defeat at Newcastle on 26 April

It was always going to be the toughest of challenges for Ipswich Town to compete in the Premier League despite the impetus gained from back-to-back promotions.

But with a highly rated young head coach in Kieran McKenna, some promising signings and an enthusiastic fanbase eager to see their team mix it in the top flight after 22 seasons away, it was felt they had a chance.

What followed was a ruthless crushing of optimism as they failed to win any of their first 10 games, and just one of the final 19 since the start of this year.

Only four victories in the entire season and 22 points from 38 games resulted in two unwanted club records for McKenna's men as they returned to the Championship 12 months on from a magnificent second place with 96 points.

After relegation was confirmed, BBC Radio Suffolk commentator Brenner Woolley told listeners: "The hope is that their next spell in the Championship is as short as their last one and they bounce back at the earliest opportunity.

"They have just not been good enough this season, but don't be sad that it's over, just be happy that it happened. Ipswich Town will be back."

So, how ready will the Tractor Boys be for another tilt at promotion?

Management CVs can 'fluctuate'

Having been linked with clubs including Brighton, Chelsea and Manchester United a year ago, 39-year-old McKenna has said he is happy to remain with Ipswich in the second tier.

There seems to be no imminent threat to his position from their American owners, but that support could evaporate if they do not make a good start to the new campaign.

Of course, nothing can be taken for granted in the Championship as Luton Town found to their cost following relegation from the top flight - the Hatters will start 2025-26 back in League One.

Mick Mills, who captained Ipswich to FA Cup and Uefa Cup triumphs during 16 years at Portman Road in the 1970s and 80s, told BBC Radio Suffolk: "As these guys work their way through management, their CVs fluctuate.

"Sometimes they read beautifully and they are much in demand and then all of a sudden, they just get a little bit tarnished, and they're not in demand.

"At the moment, Kieran has got a little black mark on his. You'll have one or two [interested clubs] that were stepping forward last year, just retreating a little bit. If he gets us back up, they'll come forward again."

Is squad good enough for promotion?

McKenna's contract runs until the summer of 2028 and speaking following their final-day defeat by West Ham, the Northern Irishman insisted they had the basis of a really good squad in place for next season.

Top scorer Liam Delap, though, has left after a single season during which he attracted plenty of positive headlines, with Chelsea having signed the 22-year-old.

Massimo Luongo has been released but several players remain from the Championship squad of 2024, some of them perhaps not having enjoyed the amount of Premier League game time they wanted.

So, would McKenna be right to build a team around them again?

Conor Chaplin scored 13 league goals two seasons ago, but only one in the top flight, and the same downward trend affected forwards Nathan Broadhead and Omari Hutchinson.

Wing-back Leif Davis' goal assists total, meanwhile, fell from 18 to two.

"A lot of players that we've questioned in the Premier League will go back to the Championship and straight away will look pretty good - and pretty good might be an understatement," Mills added.

"They'll be comfortable at that level and all of a sudden, individually we'll be at the right level, and that will mean collectively we'll be right as well."

On the signings strategy, he added: "What we have to do now is buy the player that is good enough to get us out of the Championship and then is good enough to keep us in the Premier League.

"But there's not too many players out there that are of Premier League standard that will come and help you get out of the Championship. That scenario is difficult."

'Another striker is needed'

Liam Delap has joined Chelsea in a £30m deal

Despite that, Mills believes Town have a "great chance" to follow the example of Burnley, rather than Luton, and gain promotion at the first attempt after relegation.

And it would appear many Ipswich followers share his confidence if extra firepower can be added, despite being wary of other players including Davis and Hutchinson leaving.

"As much as I really love George Hirst, I think a full Championship season is quite unlikely for him with his injury record - we've got Ali [Al Hamadi] coming back from his loan but I think definitely another striker [is needed]," supporter Lukas told BBC Radio Suffolk's The Blue Hour.

"I'd like to see a Championship-proven striker and I think there's players out there who might not set the Premier League alight the year after if we go up, but will do the job in the Championship."

Another fan James added: "It was Kieran who said not that long ago that you learn more from the defeats than you do from the victories, he's certainly had plenty of opportunities for learning this season and you have a lot of confidence, a lot of faith in him to take those learnings on board and to really apply them going forward into the Championship."

Although they believe it will be "tricky" with clubs including Birmingham City and Wrexham coming up and looking to gain promotion at the first attempt, another supporter, Kallum, said: "We have every right to be confident.

"There's going to be an increased expectation, we're going into it as one of the favourites, if not the favourites.

"But I'd like to think there's good reason for that in terms of the manager looks like he's going to be staying. There's that consistency you're not going to have with the other two sides coming down. Southampton have a new manager in charge and Leicester, Ruud van Nistelrooy is almost certainly not going to be staying, but it's not a weak division.

"Two very ambitious clubs are coming up from League One, but there's no Leeds, no Burnley, no Sunderland, there'll be a few teams up there but I'm confident we'll be one of them."