Ipswich Town

Seb Brown
Fan writer

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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.

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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

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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."

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We asked for your thoughts after Saturday's Premier League game between Ipswich and Nottingham Forest.

Here are some of your comments:

Ipswich fans

Alf: Our team has overperformed for two seasons but we were not ready for the Premier League. We need more investment and players. Kieran McKenna has took them to where they are now. Obviously we will get relegated - I just hope McKenna is still here. He's a good coach, but he just doesn't have the skillful players he needs to keep us up.

Paul: Another sobering afternoon at Portman Road as the Premier League light fades. A lot for McKenna to reflect on, including his own stubborn refusal to change the formation. We are too predictable and have no plan B.

Spike: Not great. Majority of the game we weren't too abhorrent, but Forest really tore us apart in a 15-minute span and we never recovered. We scored two good goals but this game sort of epitomises the season for Town.

Simon: George Hirst's goal shows we'll be fine when Liam Delap is sold to a bigger club. Shame we won't take the same kind of risks at the start of the game that we do at the end. We're scared of giving the ball away in the final third but you have to take risks or else you'll never create anything.

Forest fans

Emma: What even is this season? I keep thinking I need to wake up. Unbelievable.

Sean: Keep doing as we've been doing all season, picking the right moment and doing damage to opposition. Anthony Elanga was on fire with the double, and Mr Tuchel will need to start paying attention to Morgan Gibbs-White's assists and work rate.

Al: It says something when I'm actually disappointed we conceded two. Excellent result in an excellent (so far) season.

Andy: Great in moments, but it says a lot about the standard we fans have come to expect when it feels like a defeat conceding two goals to Ipswich. Gibbs-White being a model pro and showing Tuchel what he brings to the table was good to see. All that being said, Europe beckons!

Newcastle want to keep Sweden striker Alexander Isak at the club but are keeping an eye on several players, including Ipswich's young English forward Liam Delap, 22, as a potential replacement if Isak leaves amid reported interest from Liverpool. (Teamtalk), external

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Highlights and analysis from Saturday's five Premier League fixtures.

If you missed Match of the Day, you can catch up now on BBC iPlayer.

Listen back to match commentaries on BBC Sounds:

• Ipswich 2-4 Nottingham Forest

• Bournemouth 1-2 Brentford

Steve Sutcliffe
BBC Sport journalist

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A bad afternoon for Ipswich only got worse when news of Wolves' victory at Southampton filtered through to Portman Road.

Kieran McKenna's team, who remain 18th in the table, are now nine points from safety and while there were some positives against Nottingham Forest, there were too few, crucially in the first half, when the scores were level.

By the time Ipswich looked like scoring they were already three goals down after a calamitous seven-minute period, when the game and any prospect of earning their first league win in 2025 had drifted away from them.

McKenna has spoken repeatedly about learning lessons but the basics of defending were not adhered and proved costly against Forest.

A poor defensive header from Liam Delap was punished by Nikola Milenkovic for Forest's first goal, while Anthony Elanga was allowed to run over 40 yards without being challenged to score his first of the day for the visitors.

Elanga's second and Forest's third arrived due to indecision in defence and Ipswich are showing few signs that they can extricate themselves from the bottom three with only nine fixtures remaining.

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Ipswich Town boss Kieran McKenna, speaking to Sky Sports: "It was a really frustrating game and result, everything. Three really poor goals in the first half in a short space of time in a tight game. It makes it a near impossible task at half-time.

"A lot of work goes into every game and when goals like that go in, in a short space of time it is really hard to accept and deliver the performance and result you want. It has happened a few times at home where we have conceded poor goals in a short space of time and we need to take accountability for it.

"We will learn from the situations. It is a painful experience for the boys involved in the goals but it is a sore one for now and it is the stage of the season where you want to take points."

On the gap to Wolves increasing: "There is a pretty big gap there and we can only focus on ourselves. We have two big games after the international break and we need to be ready for those and ready to compete.

On staying up: "It is possible. With six points to play for when we come back from the international break. We are running out of games. We need to take points soon, we know that but we are certainly not going to give up hope or stop fighting until the last game is done."

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Ipswich remain the only side across the top four tiers of English football without a league win in 2025, drawing two and losing eight of their 10 Premier League matches since the turn of the year.

Were you at the game or following from elsewhere?

Have your say on Ipswich's performance

What did you make of Nottingham Forest's display?

Come back to this page on Monday to find a selection of your replies

Five matches make up Saturday's Premier League action and BBC Sport will bring you every kick.

• Everton v West Ham

• Southampton v Wolves

• Ipswich Town v Nottingham Forest - full commentary on BBC Radio 5 Live

• Man City v Brighton

• Bournemouth v Brentford (17:30) - full commentary starts on BBC Radio 5 Live Extra

All kick-off times 15:00 GMT unless stated

Follow all of the action and reaction here

I feel like some people don't believe that I am a lifelong Nottingham Forest fan, because I do support about eight other teams too, but there are photos of me as a kid in a new bright red Forest kit at Christmas one year, playing on a little snooker table that my parents had bought me.

So, this is a big game for Bruce and myself. He says the first game he went to at Portman Road in the mid-80s was against Brian Clough's Forest.

Ipswich won 1-0 and his abiding memory is of walking out of Portman Road afterwards and seeing the Forest team bus with Clough, in his green jumper, sitting in the front seat with a face like thunder.

The Tractor Boys desperately need a repeat of that result but I just can't see it happening.

Ipswich pushed Forest all the way in the FA Cup a couple of weeks ago, only losing on penalties, but both teams made changes for that game and I am not sure it will have too much bearing on what happens here.

It feels like it is now or never for Kieran McKenna's side in their fight to stay up, but I have been saying that for a while now and they still haven't won a league game this year.

Forest were impressive when they beat Manchester City last week and, when I think about their attacking players, I am convinced they are going to score enough to win this.

Sutton's prediction: 1-2

Read the full predictions and have your say here

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Ipswich goalkeeper Alex Palmer has praised the "close bond and relationship" between the team as it proving to be a big positive in their fight to stay in the Premier League.

Despite only signing from West Bromwich Albion in the January transfer window, Palmer has already seen the impact of having a squad that has progressed through the ranks together during the tough times.

"It has been a bit of a whirlwind," said Palmer. "Knowing a few of the lads has helped me to settle in a little bit quicker and so has just being thrown in. Everyone is then able to see what you are about. It's all well and good doing that in training, but getting stuck into games helps.

"I've really enjoyed the day-to-day training environment and camaraderie. You can see why they have been so successful in the past few years.

"It's hugely important to have that and keeping the players who have had that success has been pivotal. There is a close bond and relationship, so that helps when it is tough on the pitch.

"It helps to have that friendship and bond when we've got to roll up our sleeves and dig in together. I think you can see that we are not rolling over lightly.

"But the Premier League is ruthless. Hopefully we can be on the right side of a result this weekend."

Katie Stafford
BBC Sport journalist

Ipswich Town boss Kieran McKenna has been speaking to the media before Saturday's Premier League game against Nottingham Forest (kick-off 15:00 GMT).

Here are the key lines from his news conference:

• There are no new injury concerns "so it's been a better week from that perspective".

• Conor Chaplin "isn't training with the group yet as he's had to take a slightly different course of treatment", but McKenna is hopeful to have the forward back after the international break.

• He said there "won't be too much of an ease off" over the break but that is "more from a mental point of view so we stay sharp and tuned in" for the final block of games.

• On a recent upturn in performances: "We're disappointed that we've not picked up more points. I believe the team has improved and so have they as individuals, despite results not reflecting that. We are getting to a point where we are consistently competing well, but it is about picking up points. It is not about looking back at what we've done well - it is about pushing to make the next step."

• In response to whether he looks back and wishes Ipswich had done anything differently: "It's not the stage of the season where it's time to reflect as we are still very much in it and we are fighting. I am 100% certain that when we look back it won't be through any lack of trying or effort, so hopefully that will bring success in the end. We will be stronger as a football club either way."

• He wants Ipswich to be on the right side of the small margins: "If we don't score a goal, then it's about making sure we don't concede a goal."

• On opponents Nottingham Forest, who they lost to in an FA Cup penalty shootout less than two weeks ago: "We've had two games against them and both were pretty close. There will probably be areas of the game that will be the same, but I'm sure both teams will make tweaks or adjustments as well. It's a new game and we will do everything we can to come out on top."

Follow all of Friday's Premier League news conferences and the rest of the day's football news

Full commentary of Ipswich Town v Nottingham Forest on BBC Radio 5 Live from 15:00 GMT on Saturday

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Ipswich have not won any of their past 14 Premier League games against sides in the top three of the table since a 1-0 win against Liverpool at Anfield in January 1995 (D2 L12). Those 12 defeats in that run have come by an aggregate score of 40-3.

Ipswich are the only side in England's top four tiers without a league win so far in 2025 - their longest run without a league victory from the start of a calendar year in their history.

This will be Nuno Espirito Santo's 50th Premier League game in charge of Nottingham Forest. He has won 21 of his 49 so far, with only Brian Clough (27) and Frank Clark (25) winning more of their first 50 top-flight games in charge of Forest.

Newcastle are plotting a move for Ipswich Town forward Liam Delap, 22, as the Englishman wants to stay in the Premier League amid his current club's struggles. (Football Insider), external

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