Ipswich Town

Seb Brown
Fan writer

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Nine games for Ipswich Town to try to survive in the Premier League. Nine games to show some character, passion and fight to either achieve the required points to avoid relegation or build some momentum for a Championship promotion campaign.

Even the most optimistic of Ipswich fans will appreciate that a second season of Premier League football is unlikely. Ipswich play Wolves at Portman Road on Saturday and if the gap between the two stretches to more than the current nine points - effectively 10 accounting for the goal difference - then realistically Ipswich will be preparing for a return to English football's second tier.

Ipswich remain the only side in the 92 clubs without a league win in 2025. There will be opportunities for points in the run-in. April looks difficult with games against Bournemouth, Chelsea, Arsenal and Newcastle. May looks more favourable with Leicester, West Ham and Brentford to come, some of whom may well have nothing left to play for.

Despite the disappointment of this season, however, the future is still incredibly bright. Ipswich are two to three years ahead of schedule in their "project" and the parachute payments will give the club a huge financial advantage over most Championship sides.

The transfer planning has been clear in its strategy of developing young British talent and, aside from Liam Delap, it is not out of the question that the majority of the squad will remain next season. This year of Premier League football will have been a valuable learning experience.

In Jack Clarke, Sammie Szmodics, Omari Hutchinson and Jaden Philogene, Ipswich have signed the best attacking talent from the 2023-24 Championship campaign. This is before players such as Conor Chaplin and Nathan Broadhead are factored in, the joint-top scorers in Town's 96-point promotion-winning season.

Ipswich may well fall short in their battle to beat the drop but these nine games will be crucial come August, regardless of what league Town are in.

Find more from Seb Brown at the Blue Monday Podcast, external

Ciara Fleming
BBC Sport journalist

Ipswich Town boss Kieran McKenna has been speaking to the media before Wednesday's Premier League game against Bournemouth (kick-off 19:45 BST).

Here are the key lines from his news conference:

• McKenna says the Cherries have attacked transitions "better than anyone else in the league this season" and Ipswich will have to "find the right balance" between imposing their game and managing Bournemouth's strengths.

• On Andoni Iraola: "He has done very well. It seems like a really good fit. They have done very well as a club over the past couple of seasons, and recruitment has been excellent. They have a clear identity and have got players that fit the profile of how they want to play."

• McKenna says that during the international break players and staff have "used the time well" to reflect and recover ahead of the final stretch of the season.

• McKenna confirmed that forward Conor Chaplin has trained with the rest of the squad and is "not too far away" from a return, while Axel Tuanzebe and Kalvin Phillips are among a group of players whose fitness will be determined by a late "judgement call".

• When asked whether winger Jadon Philogene will be used more on the left, McKenna said it is "not impossible" that he plays more minutes on the left as the season progresses, but the "biggest area of need" is for him to play on the right.

• When asked if he will be keeping an eye on 17th-placed Wolves' match against West Ham, McKenna said he will be "saving my mental energy" for the things he can control.

• On whether Ipswich still believe they can survive the drop: "There are 27 points to play for, nearly a quarter of the season left, so we know from that perspective we are still in the fight. We know things can change quickly this week with one or two positive results so there is absolutely that belief that we can compete until the end of the season."

Follow all of Monday's Premier League news conferences and the rest of the day's football news on the BBC Sport website

Ipswich Town chairman Mark Ashton refused to reveal if striker Liam Delap has a release clause in his contract but said the club are "well protected" when it comes to the 22-year-old England Under-21 attacker's deal. (East Anglian Daily Times), external

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Besiktas, managed by former Manchester United boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, are interested in signing Ipswich Town winger Jaden Philogene, 23, on loan. (Fotomac - in Turkish), external

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Premier League clubs have agreed the dates for the summer transfer window.

The window will open early, between Sunday 1 June and Tuesday 10 June, due to an exceptional registration period relating to the Fifa Club World Cup.

It will then reopen on Monday 16 June and close on Monday 1 September.

Graeme McLoughlin
BBC Radio Suffolk sports editor

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Over the course of Wednesday, we have been putting your questions to BBC Radio Suffolk sports editor Graeme McLoughlin. In this second part, we look at the future of boss Kieran McKenna.

Wasim asked: Do you expect McKenna to stay once relegation is confirmed?

Graeme: I do at this moment in time but that is not to say I am not keeping a close eye on what is happening at Tottenham, which some would argue would be a perfect fit for McKenna should there be any change at the top there.

McKenna will still have his suitors and be the subject of plenty of speculation throughout the summer, but I will do my very best to steer clear of the clickbait and wait for any official club announcement, which right now I cannot see coming.

Robert asked: Assuming we go down, if we do not get promoted next year do you think McKenna will be sacked?

Graeme: As we know, things can change very quickly in football, and while McKenna is adored by the majority of Ipswich supporters and has the full backing of the club's hierarchy, relegation followed by a poor season in the Championship could trigger what feels like the unthinkable right now.

It would have to be a disastrous campaign, however, whereby Town have an almighty dip and do not look capable of a top-half finish in the second tier. It is something I just cannot envisage.

• Not an Ipswich fan? Find and follow your team here

And a different future to finish off the Q&A...

Richie asked: Something totally different, will there be a return of the Tractor Social podcast?

Graeme: That is up to people at the BBC with a little bit more power than me. When I was asked to produce a podcast about Ipswich Town, I initially questioned the need for one, given there were so many good and established ones out there already, driven by passionate supporters.

Anyway, together with Connor Bennett, we ended up recording on a weekly basis and really enjoyed it (episode nine and Connor's Hermione Granger impersonation being the pinnacle). What a time to be doing one as well, given all of Town's success during that period.

However, we were told a couple of months before the end of last season that the podcast was to end, and so it did. We have recorded one or two reunions since then, but for radio only. I would not rule any more out, but whatever happens, there are 88 episodes still sitting somewhere on BBC Sounds that follow Town's rise from League One to the Premier League, so if you are feeling nostalgic, by all means give them another listen!

Graeme McLoughlin
BBC Radio Suffolk sports editor

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More of your questions to BBC Radio Suffolk's Graeme McLoughlin - these look at how Ipswich's squad is shaping up for the summer.

Sonny asked: If Ipswich do go down, who do you think will move on to a Premier League club, and who will continue the project here?

Graeme: An interesting one, Sonny, that is no doubt being debated on a regular basis among supporters.

There seems to be a general consensus that Liam Delap would be off and it is hard to argue against that being the case given the season he has had and the interest he is attracting as a result. The club would not let him go cheaply, though.

Would fellow England Under-21 star and prize asset Omari Hutchinson follow suit? I am not so sure. Would there be bids for Axel Tuanzebe and Leif Davis from other Premier League clubs? Quite possibly. Dara O'Shea, Jacob Greaves, Jaden Philogene, Sam Szmodics? My feeling is they would all want to play essential roles for Town in a Championship promotion push next season, should the club be relegated in May.

I also think it is far more likely that stalwarts Cameron Burgess, Sam Morsy, Wes Burns and Conor Chaplin would remain at Portman Road should Ipswich be lining up in the second tier come August.

Mark asked: My impression is that the players who have come all the way up with Kieran McKenna have performed better, with more conviction and more according to his game plans. Does your reading of the games support that impression?

Graeme: In my last Q&A, I touched on the fact a few members of the League One contingent have had to be more patient this season with regards to game time, given the host of new arrivals last summer.

When they have had their chance to shine, they have often taken it. For example, I've not seen a huge amount of difference at centre-half between Dara O'Shea and Jacob Greaves, when compared with Luke Woolfenden and Cameron Burgess. Similarly, it is almost the toss of a coin as to who would start out of summer signing Jack Clarke and double- promotion winner Nathan Broadhead.

I also feel Conor Chaplin was underused earlier on in the season and sadly injury has put paid to any hopes of him establishing himself as the number 10 in recent months. A fully fit Wes Burns would also start for me, at this moment in time, over Jaden Philogene, although I do think the latter has the potential to become an important player.

It works the other way as well.

Jens Cajuste and Liam Delap have been two of Town's best performers, adapting to McKenna's game plans very well. I've also been very impressed with the conviction shown by Conor Townsend, who – like Chaplin – has been unfortunate when it comes to game time.

Graeme McLoughlin
BBC Radio Suffolk sports editor

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Over the course of Wednesday, we are putting your questions to BBC Radio Suffolk sports editor Graeme McLoughlin. In the first part, we ponder the level of Kieran McKenna's achievements this season.

Andy asked: What is your view on Kieran McKenna's tactics throughout the season, which do not seem to have altered?

Graeme: It is quite hard for me to question the tactics of a manager who has won two promotions with the club and also masterminded wins this season over Chelsea and Tottenham (on both occasions using half a dozen players who featured in League One just two years ago).

However, I will give it a go, Andy! I think there have been too many occasions this season where the line-up has featured one too many changes (although Ipswich's appalling luck with injuries has not helped McKenna on that front). There have been less impactful substitutions as well. There was super-sub Jack Taylor's heroics at Wolves, but there were many more moments like that last term.

I am sure the manager would say otherwise given what he sees day to day in training, but it feels as if Town have taken a step or two backwards from where they were at the turn of the year. There was so much optimism after the Chelsea win, but just two points from the 10 league games since might prove fatal.

While they kicked on after the January signings in both 2023 and 2024 bedded in, there has not been the same growth this time around. That is ultimately down to the level they are playing at. Championship to Premier League is a bigger step up than ever before.

• Find and follow your team on BBC Sport

Julian asked: Do you think McKenna has underachieved this season considering the £120m spend?

Graeme: I do not feel he has underachieved, but I do feel he has learned a great deal more about the Premier League and how much stronger it is across the board compared with when he was last in the top flight working as an assistant to Ole Gunnar Solskjaer at Manchester United.

Every side, not just the regular trophy winners, is so much more competitive. It feels odd saying it, but was a £120m spend enough? Was it the ownership that underachieved by not breaking the bank further, especially given so little was spent the previous summer when Ipswich made the jump from League One to Championship?

Well, the owners certainly could not do much more than what they did or else they would have run the risk of breaking financial rules. For me, there was more than a decade of underachievement at this football club not so long ago, but not right now.

Graeme McLoughlin
BBC Radio Suffolk sports editor

Image source, Getty Images

More of your questions to BBC Radio Suffolk sports editor Graeme McLoughlin. In this section, he looks at what hope there is left in Ipswich's season.

Glyn asked: After last weekend, "they think it's all over, it is now" sums up our chances. Convince me otherwise, please?

Graeme: It is going to be very difficult to convince you, Glyn. My last Q&A followed the Southampton defeat in February. At the time, I said I felt Town could still double their points tally for the season and should they do that, they might just have a chance of finishing above Wolves. Town were on 16 points at that stage, but in the five Premier League games since then they have added just one, while Wolves have taken seven. Not good.

If the great escape is to be achieved, surely Ipswich have to win at Bournemouth next week before seeing off Wolves a few days later? If they do not, then I am with you and Kenneth Wolstenholme.

Steve asked: Can we come back up next year?

Graeme: Should what is looking like the inevitable happen, Ipswich would be well placed to make a speedy return to the top flight.

While there will be a few departures and some new arrivals, the club will also be keeping hold of plenty of talent well proven at Championship level. There are no guarantees, of course, but Town are backed by ambitious owners intent on enjoying more than just a brief fling with the Premier League.

Richard Woodward
Fan writer

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Like a few of Ipswich's summer recruits, winger Jack Clarke has found the level up somewhat challenging to showcase his evident quality.

However, there is much he offers Kieran McKenna both in the short term - as Town seek to survive in the Premier League - and in the longer term (including a level down should the worst happen).

Clarke, who joined Ipswich from Sunderland in the summer, has struggled to make a consistent impact when called upon by McKenna in a left-wing role. Despite this, he has four assists in 16 appearances - the same amount he accumulated for Sunderland last season in nearly double the number of games.

Consequently, Clarke could make the biggest impact in Town's remaining fixtures by finding the net in the Premier League. His 15 goals for the Mackems last season have been followed up this campaign by just four - all in the FA Cup.

What might have been had Clarke scored late on at Fulham? Instead, his effort cannoned off the post and Fulham broke away and won a penalty to square the match (potentially the most significant of all the marginal moments to go against Town this season).

Infrequent starts will not have been helping the 24-year-old build familiarity with his role at Ipswich - and, of course, starts lead to confidence and confidence leads to goals.

Clarke seems to struggle with second guessing whether to shoot or pass at the key moment. The confident Jack Clarke who terrorised Championship defences (including Town's) last season would not hesitate to pull the trigger when presented with a sight of goal.

While McKenna's style of play favours take-ons into the opposition box, surely the Town boss can find a place to allow Clarke to express himself, not least when Town are struggling to impose themselves in front of goal?

Find more from Richard Woodward at the Blue Monday Podcast, external

It's international break. It's quiet. There's not much to talk about. But we know you'll have plenty on your minds when it comes to Ipswich.

So BBC Radio Suffolk sports editor Graeme McLoughlin will be on hand to tackle your questions.

It could be the relegation battle, tactics, recruitment, summer plans, hierarchy - or something totally different.

Send them in and he will tackle a selection.

Submit your questions here

Come back early next week to read his replies

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We asked you to tell us one thing - good or bad - that nobody is talking about at Ipswich Town.

Here are some of your replies:

Sam: Call me mad but nobody is talking about the success of this season. What were people's expectations, having been in League One just under two years ago? We are building, we haven't been built - yet somehow we are still close in games. They are not all wins, I know, but what incredible growth. We haven't stayed up but we are battling and we are better than the other two promoted sides.

Tom: Possibly surprising to many, considering Delap's excellent breakthrough season, many fans are calling for George Hirst to start over him against Bournemouth. Hirst has three goals in his past three games he has started. He also scored goals off the bench last time out against Nottingham Forest. There is no doubt about Delap's talent and very high ceiling, but Hirst is arguably the more complete striker overall.

Ben: Jens Cajuste has been our best player this season.

Harry: Delap is not the only bright talent coming out of this season. Cajuste has been incredible, O'Shea remains solid and, when given his opportunity, Broadhead has shone. We have missed out on so many points because of a lack of Premier League experience rather than a lack of quality. However, spending £40m combined on Philogene and Clarke was poor recruitment. Despite this, these two young English talents are assets for the future.

Shaun: We are going down, that is incredibly likely. The question is: will Kieran McKenna stay and what players will we lose? I think that will determine if we come straight back up or not.

Richard: While the journey to the Premier League was exciting, and the company fantastic, the destination is awful. The gap between Championship teams coming up and established Premier League teams is huge. Nobody is talking about how the Championship is a much more competitive league to be a part of. If you look at the Championship table, at least half the teams have still got a chance of getting into the play-offs.

Ipswich Town are yet to win a Premier League game in 2025 and, barring a miraculous recovery in the final nine games, their stay in the top flight is likely to last a single season.

But is there something else that is slipping under the radar? What is the one thing - good or bad - nobody is talking about in relation to Ipswich?

Let us know here

Seb Brown
Fan writer

Image source, Getty Images

Have Ipswich Town lost some of their identity?

Saturday's latest Premier League defeat to Nottingham Forest, combined with Wolves winning away at Southampton, means Ipswich will most likely be playing Championship football again next season.

Successive promotions from League One to the Premier League was always going to result in a high transfer spend and high turnover of players but some of the characteristics associated with the last two years seem to have gone missing in recent weeks.

Three goals in six first half minutes on Saturday ended the game as a contest. Ipswich were guilty of poor defending for all three, but the capitulation was perhaps the most concerning aspect.

'Running Towards Adversity' has been the mantra by which the club has been run since the takeover in April 2021 and on countless occasions, in both the League One and Championship promotion campaigns, the players and manager found ways to win.

A total of 25 goals were scored last season after the 76th minute as the never give up attitude shone through. Ipswich seem to have lost some desire and mental fortitude, key cornerstones of the last two campaigns.

Stepping up to the elite level of top flight football was always going to be a challenge but while the physical differences are clear, the mental strength has at times been a surprising absence. Ipswich have won three games all season and taken just two points from the last 30 available, a team which became so used to winning games has seemingly forgotten how to.

The future should still be viewed with optimism. The project is ahead of schedule and the squad has been built with the future in mind, containing the top attacking talent from last season's Championship. Currently Ipswich are going down with a whimper, let's hope to see some of the old characteristics return and bloody a few noses on the way out.

Find more from Seb Brown at the Blue Monday Podcast, external

Manchester City midfielder Kalvin Phillips is pushing for a return to Leeds United following his loan spell at Ipswich Town this season. (Football Insider), external

Want more transfer news? Read Tuesday's full gossip column

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Former Ipswich captain Mick Mills says his former side's inability to perform over the full 90 minutes will cost them but he remains confident they can bounce back next season.

"The problem we have had against the level of teams that we are playing against in the Premier League is actually beating them, winning the game, getting the points on the board," he told BBC Radio Suffolk.

"We've been OK mainly in the first halves of those games and looked as if we can handle it but we don't seem to be able to do that over the 90 minutes and it's going to cost us in the end.

"I always thought it would be difficult. I always worried that it would be just one season in the Premier League and I think it will be. But from what I've seen we will come straight back up and I'm pretty sure about that."