Ipswich Town

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Former Ipswich midfielder Dominic Ball thinks the progression at the club is "incredible" and believes the Tractor Boys have enough to avoid relegation this season.

Speaking on the latest episode of BBC Radio Suffolk's Final Whistle, Ball, who was part of the Ipswich side that achieved back-to-back promotions from League One to the Premier League said: "I fully believed before the start of the season that Ipswich would stay up - I still believe that.

"You can see the progression since the manager came in. The fact the lads are now performing in the Premier League at the level they are, I think they've got a very good chance."

"The patterns and the style of play have had continuous progression. Even around the stadium, the club has continued to improve and progress.

"To do that in the space of two-and-a-half years since the manager has been here is incredible."

"To do what the club and players have done is rare, but knowing what goes on with manager, the staff and the players and what they put in - it doesn't surprise me."

Ipswich comfortably beat Bristol Rovers in the FA Cup on Sunday and Ball was keen to praise boss Kieran McKenna for his influence on the team.

"He has that calming, humble attitude which I think goes through every player," Ball said. "I learned a lot from him - I think he's brilliant.

"You can see the respect that the players have shown and the way the manager and coaches prepare. Every game means everything and the FA Cup for Ipswich this year will be massive - he knows that."

Listen to the full episode on BBC Sounds

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We asked for your thoughts after Sunday's FA Cup game between Ipswich and Bristol Rovers.

Here are some of your comments:

Tim: Very comfortable and completely in control for the whole match. Nice to see that with all the personnel changes, we didn't miss a beat and kept a great formation. We haven't been used to this much possession this season and it was somewhat reminiscent of the last two years. We played 'keep ball' extremely well and Rovers struggled to get a foothold. A great performance.

James: Kalvin Phillips is clearly a confidence player. Hopefully, this goal will give him a boost and we can start to see the best of him.

Pete: Good all-round performance. With a capable striker, it would have been a lot more. Phillips was class and Ben Godfrey had a great debut. Arijanet Muric showed why he's slipped down the order and Ali Al-Hamadi showed why he needs to go out on loan. Jack Clarke's best game in a Town shirt. Brighton & Man City next - confident of four points!

James: As Kieran McKenna said, this was a very enjoyable performance, with lots to like from an all-changed team. We got off to a strong start, scored three good goals (albeit one which was very suspiciously offside!) and made the second half something of a procession. Too often in cup competitions in recent years, no-one in Town's colours has staked a claim for more regular minutes, but McKenna has at least been given food for thought with impressive cameos from Godfrey, Conor Townsend, Phillips and Clarke in particular. Another winnable tie in round four against Coventry, should give the fringe players more chance to shine as we look to build momentum in league and cup.

Thomas: Good solid performance from the reserve team - let's hope they can kick on and beat Brighton on Thursday.

The draw for the FA Cup fourth round has been made. Here is a list of all the ties involving Premier League teams in the order they were drawn.

Games will be played over the weekend of 8 February.

• Manchester United v Leicester

• Brighton v Chelsea

• Exeter v Nottingham Forest

• Coventry v Ipswich

• Blackburn v Wolves

• Mansfield/Wigan v Fulham

• Birmingham v Newcastle

• Plymouth v Liverpool

• Everton v Bournemouth

• Aston Villa v Tottenham

• Southampton v Burnley

• Leyton Orient/Derby v Manchester City

• Doncaster v Crystal Palace

See the full draw

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Kieran McKenna spoke to BBC Radio Suffolk after Ipswich defeated Bristol Rovers in the FA Cup: "I thought it was a really good one. Lots of good individual performances. Could have scored more and good to be in the next round. It was a really good match from our perspective and a really enjoyable watch, even from the sidelines. We gave nothing away and left with a clean sheet.

On Kalvin Phillips' goal: "Nice for him to get his first goal. They both did a really good job in there and connected well with their team-mates.

On Jack Clarke's first goal: "It's an important one and it's nice for him to get it. His relationship with Townsend looked really good down the left.

"It's a brilliant competition and we want to go as far as we can and give the supporters some memories. We also want the games this year, we've got a big squad we want to give them some minutes.

On Ben Godfrey's debut: "It was good to get him in, it was an opportunity to do so. He hasn't had much game time but he did well and showed his quality on the ball.

On fourth round draw: "Let's see who we get. We've had some good away ties this year and if we get a home one then so be it."

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Jack Clarke was directly involved in as many goals in Sunday's victory as in his first 17 games for Ipswich combined (two assists).

Were you at the game or following from elsewhere?

What did you make of Ipswich's display?

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

The FA Cup third round continues on Sunday, with several Premier League teams in action:

• Tamworth v Tottenham (12:30) - listen on BBC Radio 5 Live

• Arsenal v Manchester United - watch live on BBC One, iPlayer, the BBC Sport website & app

• Crystal Palace v Stockport - listen on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra

• Ipswich v Bristol Rovers

• Newcastle v Bromley - watch live on Red Button, iPlayer, the BBC Sport website & app and listen on BBC Radio 5 Live

• Southampton v Swansea (16:30)

All kick-off times 15:00 GMT unless stated

Follow all of the action and reaction

BBC Sport football expert Chris Sutton has made his predictions for all 32 FA Cup third round games and given his verdict on who will make it into round four.

For this week's matches he is up against actor and musician Billy Bob Thornton, who is a Liverpool fan.

Sutton's prediction: 3-0

Less than two years ago this was a game in League One - which shows how far Ipswich have come, and so quickly.

Ipswich are giving staying up a real go. I can't help my feelings for them as an ex-Norwich player, but my admiration for them is growing on a weekly basis because they are competitive in every game and they always give themselves a chance.

Still, they must have been kicking themselves after their draw with Fulham on Sunday. That was not the first time they have conceded late on this season, and those careless goals are really costing them.

Ipswich are not going to struggle in this one though. They will have too much for Bristol Rovers, who are having a tough time in League One.

Billy's prediction: 2-1

Read the full predictions and have your say here

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The FA Cup third round is well under way, with Premier League sides Everton, Fulham and Aston Villa the clubs already booking their places in the fourth-round draw with wins on Thursday and Friday.

But for other sides hoping for a healthy cup run this season, when will the draw take place?

The draw will be live on BBC One and BBC iPlayer following the conclusion of the Arsenal v Manchester United tie, which kicks off at 15:00 GMT on Sunday.

It will include 32 teams - with all third-round matches this weekend settled on the day - and the resulting ties will be played over the weekend commencing Saturday, 8 February.

Nicola Pearson
BBC Sport journalist

Ipswich Town boss Kieran McKenna has been speaking to the media before Sunday's FA Cup third-round tie against Bristol Rovers (kick-off 15:00 GMT).

Here are the key lines from his news conference:

• George Hirst could return from injury, which would be a "big boost" for the side, while Conor Chaplin is still "a few weeks away" and Sam Szmodics is in a boot after being injured in the match against Fulham - he will be "assessed on Monday".

• McKenna said new signing Ben Godfrey is "ready" to feature: "He has been training been very hard. He hasn't had a lot of match minutes recently but he has looked fit and ready in training. He will be involved in the game on Sunday."

• On whether there could be more incomings or outgoings before Sunday: "You never know. Things can move a bit quicker than expected but also slower than expected. It is not where my focus is at the moment. We have been getting ready in training, not just for Bristol Rovers but we know the turnaround in games is pretty quick to Brighton and Manchester City."

• Despite reports that Ipswich have agreed a deal with Aston Villa for Jaden Philogene, McKenna said: "Nothing to say really. He is still an Aston Villa player first and foremost. There is no deal or completion as far as I'm aware. Until that changes, or if it changes, then I'm sure the club will announce."

• The Ipswich boss feels this round of the FA Cup "comes at a good time" after the busy Christmas period and confirmed there "will be changes to the team".

• On how "special" the FA Cup is: "If you can win one or two rounds in this competition then everyone will start to dream a bit. Supporters, staff and players alike will all think what is possible. But that is not for now. Sunday is about doing best to get through to the next round."

• McKenna said of defender Janoi Donacien, who has joined Chesterfield: "Just a great guy, positive energy, great vibe all the time, really good in the dressing room and has written his place in the history of the football club, like so many others in that group."

Catch up on Friday's FA Cup news conferences and the rest of the day's football news

Nick Mashiter
BBC Sport football news reporter

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Aston Villa's Jaden Philogene is due for a medical at Ipswich ahead of a permanent move to Portman Road.

The winger is expected to complete the switch for around £20m plus add ons, ending his brief six-month return to Villa Park.

Philogene also had European interest, including from La Liga, but Ipswich are due to finally end their pursuit of the England Under-21 international.

They agreed a fee of around £18m with Hull in the summer only for Villa to activate their buy-back option - having sold Philogene to the Tigers in 2023.

Hull received about £13.5m of the fee because Villa had a 30% sell-on clause in the agreement which took him to the KC Stadium.

The 22-year-old chose to rejoin Unai Emery's side but has managed just four starts, including against Bayern Munich in the Champions League, and 11 substitute appearances.

Ipswich maintained their interest and have now convinced Philogene - who was keen on working with boss Kieran McKenna last summer - to move to Suffolk.

The Tractor Boys are looking to add to their squad as they battle for survival and have already signed defender Ben Godfrey on loan from Atalanta.

Ipswich and Crystal Palace are set to make improved bids worth £20m for Liverpool's 19-year-old Scotland midfielder Ben Doak, who is on loan at Middlesbrough. (Guardian, external)

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

Follow the gossip column on BBC Sport

Nick Mashiter
BBC Sport football news reporter

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Matheus Cunha's offer to pay for new glasses for a member of Ipswich's security helped save him from a longer ban and heavier fine.

The Wolves striker was suspended for two games and given an £80,000 fine after clashing with a member of the Tractor Boys' security team last month.

He had been charged by the Football Association with misconduct following the altercation - where he snatched the glasses off the face of a security guard - at the final whistle of Wolves' 2-1 defeat at Molineux.

A regulatory commission initially considered hitting the 25-year-old with a £120,000 fine and a three game ban.

But in their written reasons the commission agreed Cunha's acceptance of the charge, his sincere personal apology and the offer to pay for new glasses were mitigating factors.

It also wrote: "The Commission unanimously agreed that a significant financial penalty was also appropriate, given the serious nature of the incident.

"It initially considered that a fine of £120,000 would be commensurate with the offence. However, it took account of the mitigating factors and decided to apply a similar 'discount' to that applied to the sporting sanction. It concluded that a fine of £80,000 would be appropriate."

In his witness statement Cunha explained his reasons, although the commission did not accept his version of events having studied the video evidence.

Tempers flared after Jack Taylor's injury-time header won the game for the visitors. Gary O'Neil was sacked as Wolves boss less than 24 hours later.

Cunha wrote: "As I tried to get closer to Rayan [Ait-Nouri] to make sure he was OK, I was suddenly surrounded by a lot of people. I felt like I was being shoved by the ITFC security personnel, so I shoved them back in an effort to break away from them to protect myself.

"It was never my intention to come into contact with Mr [redacted] and I certainly never meant to elbow him. I simply wanted to push him away from Rayan. Then all of a sudden, I remember Mr [redacted] turned round and had his hands on my shirt, and I shouted 'stop' but he kept hold of my shirt.

"I was surrounded by a large number of people, mainly ITFC personnel, so I remember feeling quite threatened at the time."

Richard Woodward
Fan writer

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Ipswich Town have trended over a point per game in their past 10 Premier League matches.

While this does not seem much to write home about (or even blog about), extrapolated over the course of the season that is nearly 42 points and probable survival.

What is more, in the five-game form table, Town are 10th. But yes, the Blues are still in the relegation zone, behind Wolves on goal difference.

These metrics, however, help paint a brighter picture for Town fans. There is one notable downward trend, though.

Kieran McKenna's survival strategy was never likely to rely on bossing possession, unlike some of our promotion peers. However, his League One team dominated 60% of the ball on average across their 2022-23 promotion campaign (the most of anyone). Even in the improbable Championship promotion season last year, Ipswich averaged more than 50% possession.

But while there has long been evocative chat around Portman Road of 'McKenna-ball', has the Northern Irishman been slowly, secretly, evolving Town into a brutally efficient counter-punch team? More akin with the strategies deployed (to mixed effect) by one of his predecessors (hello, Mick McCarthy!)?

While Ipswich's average possession of 40.3% to date currently ranks 18th in the league, McKenna's side have recently relinquished even more of the ball. For the three games before the Newcastle thrashing, Town averaged 48% possession. In the three subsequent games, it has been 28%.

In part, that is due to the calibre of opposition, but it might be more relevant in demonstrating an astute tactical shift by McKenna to frustrate opponents and attack sparingly, but brutally.

It has worked in those three post-Newcastle games - only three goals conceded (just one in open play), four goals scored, and four points on the board against top half opponents.

Hopefully it is these particular trends that continue when Premier League battle resumes in a fortnight.

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

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We asked for your views on Ben Godfrey, who has joined Ipswich on loan until the end of the season.

Former Town defender Mick Mills said earlier [11:28] that he did not think the signing "rectified" the problems Kieran McKenna's side faced.

Here are some of your comments:

Richard: We do need defenders who are Premier League quality. Too many times we have lost points from winning positions due to defensive errors, not because of bad play but just that lack of Premier League experience. Shore the defence up and we can look forward hopefully to another season in the top flight.

John: I think we did Mick. AxelTuanzebe is out injured and then with recovery, rehabilitation and match fitness, who knows? Harry Clarke is not up to Premier League standard, which only leaves Ben Johnson as Dara O'Shea is needed in the three.

Andrew: He has England caps and should bring quality to the team - he also covers the right side with his versatility. He faces a fight to get into the team with the last three defensive performances though! We still need a striker and a right forward.

James: It's about improving the squad. This guy has played at the top level and is proven. He will add depth to our squad - he can play centre-back, full-back and in midfield.

Chris Collinson
BBC Sport statistician

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There is still a way to go, but it is looking a remarkably similar story for the three promoted sides this season as it was last season.

Ipswich, Leicester and Southampton have taken just 35 points from 59 games between them – the exact same amount of points Luton, Burnley and Sheffield United had on this day last year who ended up being the worst promoted trio in PL history.

Southampton being the worst-side ever at this stage does not help, but it is uncanny how similar not just points total is, but also how similar their goal differences are to last year's trio.

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Former Ipswich defender Mick Mills spoke to BBC Radio Suffolk about the signing of Ben Godfrey on loan:

"I'm not sure that we needed another [defender] but if he wants to come and be a part of the group at the back end of the team then that's fine. He can cover injuries and loss of form.

"I don't think that's where we needed our first signing to be, but it's been made. The problem with January is finding players who are available. He was available - if we hesitated then maybe someone else would have taken him. I think we've decided that it's better to have one extra number.

"It doesn't particularly rectify the main areas that we should be strengthening - which I think is central midfield - but he will be a bonus to us.

"He's here, he wants to play, he's a decent player and it's nice to have him as part of our numbers."

What do you make of the signing, Ipswich fans? Do you agree with Mills, or do you think Godfrey can have a bigger impact on the squad?

Let us know here