Ipswich Town

Richard Woodward
Fan writer

Where will you finish in the league and why?

We have enough about us to avoid the drop - it will be tough, though. Everything we have come to know about our owners, the manager and his staff, and the squad in the past few years gives everyone hope that we have what it takes to establish ourselves back in the Premier League. We have been away for quite a while, but we return with some serious momentum. That was key for last season's promotion - hopefully we can harness it again.

Who is the best signing or has he not signed yet and who should it be?

Omari Hutchinson. Making his loan deal permanent after his hugely successful 2023-24 season at Portman Road not only ensures we retain one of our star performers from promotion, but set an early benchmark for our ambition for the season ahead. At least one top-quality central midfield recruit is an absolute must before the end of August, though.

What do you want from your manager this season?

More of the same. Keeping Kieran McKenna is probably the most crucial bit of business we have done this summer. He has Messiah-like status in Suffolk after the past two seasons of success. The commission of a new statue in his honour at Portman Road - alongside Sir Alf and Sir Bobby - could be assured if he continues our present trajectory this season!

Who will be the breakout star in your squad?

Leif Davis is an England left-back in waiting. We are all hoping that our assist king announces himself in the top flight in the best possible way. There is also confidence that Hutchinson can continue his exciting form from the end of last season a level up.

What is your one major concern?

Experience. We have already spent a good amount to evolve a squad mostly familiar with playing matches in the EFL. Ultimately though, our on-field Premier League IQ may be lacking somewhat. Sadly, it feels inevitable that some of the heroes from our back-to-back promotions find this season a step too far.

Richard Woodward can be found on the Blue Monday Podcast, external

Manchester City are willing to let 28-year-old England midfielder Kalvin Phillips leave on loan, with Ipswich, Everton and Fulham all interested. (Manchester Evening News), external

Wales defender Chris Mepham, 26, is expected to leave Bournemouth this summer on either a permanent or loan deal, with Ipswich, Torino and Anderlecht all interested. (Fabrizio Romano), external

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

Image source, Getty Images

The curtain opens on the 2024-25 Premier League season in just a matter of days, so why not take a look at how all 20 clubs performed in pre-season?

The games have been spread across the globe, from Tokyo and New York to Crawley and Preston.

See the results here

We asked for your thoughts after Saturday's pre-season friendly between Ipswich Town and Nice.

Here are some of your comments:

Peter: It was the perfect match-up with Liverpool next week. Nice played out from the back, moved the ball well and had good feet and pace. We were fortunate at points but Muric was in goal delivering as expecting. We are looking great with the ball but also offering up a good chance! We grew into the game and had a lot of control pleasingly.

Cliff: The injuries will have an effect so we will have to step up the pace up front and concentration at the back.

Ally: A win against a good team that gets Europa League is a good sign for the Tractor Boys.

Aaron: Hutchinson and Delap fulfilling their obvious potential will be key for us this season. Last year's players have been incredible so I'm hoping, as many will be, that they can make the step up. It will be interesting to see how they stand up to Liverpool on Saturday. Frightening but exciting!

Matt: A decent result to go with the other performances in pre-season. I am concerned we haven’t got Sammie Szmodics over the line yet, nor a solid midfielder to partner Sam Morsy. I am worried we are a bit light to face Liverpool and Manchester City! However, McKenna is a genius so I’m sure it’s all in hand.

Ipswich Town closed out their pre-season campaign with victory over Ligue 1 side Nice at Portman Road courtesy of a scrambled second-half goal from Axel Tuanzebe.

What did you learn from that performance, Ipswich fans?

Was it a blueprint for success in the Premier League?

Let us know your thoughts here, external - and come back on Monday to read the submissions.

Premier League clubs are hard at work preparing for the 2024-25 season, and the promoted teams are no exception.

Here's who the Premier League newcomers are playing in pre-season friendlies on Saturday.

All times BST

Image source, Getty Images

Ipswich Town have released their 2024-25 third kit, which has been created in collaboration with music superstar and Ipswich fan Ed Sheeran.

The release of the new 'Suffolk Pink' shirt was marked with a video to his song 'Castle on the Hill', which is inspired by local landmark Framlingham Castle - a silhouette of which is featured on the kit.

"It feels like such an honour to be involved in this football club, and be able to create things so close to my heart, which has always been my hometown, family and friends, which is what football is about really," said Sheeran,, external who has sponsored the club's shirts since 2021.

"I can’t wait for the kick-off and to see us in the Prem again."

Pat Nevin
Former footballer and presenter

Right now, brinkmanship is the name of the game. There have been times when some clubs sorted their transfer business early in the window and everyone wondered why so few others followed their lead. Put simply, it isn't in the selling clubs' financial interest, and it usually isn't in the moving player's financial interest either, to go early.

A selling club wants a bidding war to up the price and they don't mind a bit of panic buying when the window is creaking ever nearer the sill. If you still haven't signed that star player who you think, hope or maybe even actually believe, will make all the difference, clubs can get twitchy and make rash costly decisions.

I have watched it happen from within. Good intentions and a willingness to stick to a pre-arranged budget, suddenly evaporates when clubs are bounced into making these calls. There is also a bit of pride in there too. "We aren't losing out on our first choice to that lot!" is a common refrain, especially when it's to one of your close rivals.

As for the moving player, or more specifically his agent, last-minute brinkmanship is the dream scenario. Playing two or three suitors off against each other (and you don't even have to tell the truth of what you are being offered elsewhere) means you can exaggerate as much as you like to up the ante.

So that is why the deals go to the wire, and why they are so lucrative. It is also why I never have too much sympathy for a player, when a huge deal falls through at the last moment. Greed can push it too far in the end and it can all come crashing down, which is why they call it brinkmanship! If you dance on the edge of a volcano you might just fall in.

Image source, Getty Images

A quarter of the managers in the Premier League will be taking charge of an English top-flight game for the first time on the opening weekend of the season.

They are Arne Slot at Liverpool, Enzo Maresca at Chelsea, Russell Martin at Southampton, Kieran McKenna at Ipswich and Fabian Hurzeler at Brighton.

So, what can you expect from the quintet?

Slot led Feyenoord to the 2022-23 Eredivisie title, and the Dutch Cup last season. Reds midfielder Harvey Elliott says his playing philosophy is a typically "elegant" Dutch style - compared to Jurgen Klopp's 'heavy metal football'.

Maresca prefers a heavy possession-based style - which is how he has started his reign at Chelsea too - and was sometimes criticised for his reluctance to make substitutions while at Leicester City.

It is possession-based football that Martin has brought to Southampton too but fans and local media have warned he will need to be smarter with style this season.

McKenna is considered one of the top managerial prospects around. His expansive brand of football saw Ipswich gain promotion with successive second-placed finishes, scoring 101 goals in League One and 92 in the Championship.

Hurzeler, who joined Brighton from German second-tier side St Pauli, is the least known name in England of the managers on this list. He is known for his passionate side line antics and his teams dominating games on the ball.

Read more on what each manager has to offer here

Image source, Getty Images

Ipswich Town defender Leif Davis has been nominated for the PFA Championship Player of the Year award.

During a promotion-winning 2023-24 campaign, Davis was solid at the back while also contributing with two goals and 18 assists.

He is nominated alongside Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, Adam Armstrong, Georginio Rutter, Crysencio Summerville and Sammie Szmodics.

The winner will be announced at the PFA Awards on Tuesday 20 August.

Graeme McLoughlin
BBC Radio Suffolk sports editor

I suspect there will be a fair few supporters with mixed feelings on this talented academy product playing his football elsewhere again, but this time around a loan deal for Elkan Baggott probably makes more sense than any previous deal.

There are eight fewer league games for Town now of course, and following the arrival of Jacob Greaves from Hull, the 21-year-old is now probably sixth choice centre-back with Luke Woolfenden, Cameron Burgess, George Edmundson and Axel Tuanzebe also all realistically ahead of him in the pecking order. There would be very little - if any - game time in senior matches this season should he remain at Portman Road.

It would have been nice to see the player join a Championship club and play at a higher level, although Blackpool's aim is of course to challenge this season and get themselves back there. Baggott will hopefully play a part in any promotion push and benefit from the pressure that comes with that.

I guess the perfect scenario from a Town perspective would be for him to excel at Bloomfield Road and perhaps earn a temporary switch to a second-tier side in January when Town have a recall option on him.

For now though, he seems excited by this new challenge with the Tangerines, and we wish him well.

Image source, Getty Images

Ipswich Town have added former Premier League defender Mark Hudson to their first team coaching staff.

The 42-year-old has been appointed as set-play and first-team coach.

Hudson made nearly 500 professional appearances as a player, representing the likes of Crystal Palace, Cardiff City and Huddersfield Town.

He began his coaching career in the Terriers' academy setup before taking caretaker charge of the first-team on two separate occasions.

The Englishman then joined Cardiff as first-team coach before being appointed manager during the 2022-23 season. He went on to spend the 2023-24 campaign coaching in the Premier League with Sheffield United.

Hudson has been working with the Ipswich squad during pre-season and flew to Germany with the group on Wednesday for the club's training camp.

Image source, Getty Images

Conor Townsend is looking forward to the challenge of playing at Premier League level once more after joining top-flight newcomers Ipswich Town from Championship club West Bromwich Albion.

The left-back, 31, who had a year left on his contract, has moved for an undisclosed fee.

Townsend played regularly for Albion during the 2020-21 campaign, their most recent season in the top division.

The Baggies missed out on promotion from the Championship last term, losing in the play-offs to Southampton.

Townsend, who has signed a two-year contract, told club media: "To play in the Premier League again is a big challenge for me and this kind of opportunity doesn't come around very often so I jumped at the chance.

"The move came around quite quickly and I'm excited to get started. I have had good conversations with the manager and everyone speaks very highly of him, so I'm looking forward to getting started and working under him.

"I played against Ipswich twice last season and both were very tough games. What the team was able to achieve last season was special, so I’m excited to be a part of it now."

Image source, Getty Images

Mike O'Leary is retiring from his position as chairman of Ipswich Town.

Chief Executive Mark Ashton will take on the role of chairman in place of the 71-year-old, who has been in the post since 2021.

During his time as chairman, Ipswich have won successive promotions from League One to the Premier League.

O'Leary said: "As I approach my 72nd birthday, I know that this is the right decision.

"My family home is in Worcestershire, some 200 miles from Portman Road. The considerable travel involved in continuing to serve as chairman has been taking its toll.

"Reaching the Premier League was always the dream when I became chairman in 2021, but I never dared to believe that it would happen so quickly.

"I have a strong sense of ‘mission accomplished’ as I prepare to say my farewells."