Ipswich Town

Image source, Rex Features

Ipswich Town captain Dara O'Shea believes Republic of Ireland team-mate Kasey McAteer will have a big impact at Portman Road following last week's £12m move from Leicester City.

McAteer had a half-hour run-out as a substitute in Saturday's 1-0 defeat at Preston North End after just one training session with his new club.

"I think that's five Irish lads here now," O'Shea told BBC Radio Suffolk.

"I know Kasey quite well from playing with him in the international set-up and I know what he can do, and how effective he can be."

With just two points from their first three league games of the season, Ipswich will try again for their first victory in Saturday's home fixture against Derby County.

"There's lot of new partnerships everywhere, the whole group, everyone's getting to understand each other," said O'Shea.

"Cohesion's massive for us and the way we want to play, we're not a team that just lumps it (forward) - we're big on our patterns and how we can link and get up the pitch.

"The more time we have together, the more hard work we put in on the training pitch, I really do believe things are going to come good for us."

Gavin Ramjaun
Final Score reporter at Deepdale

Image source, Getty Images

Many were touting Preston to go down come the end of the season, a long, long way off, yes, but as their finish to the last campaign saw them just stay up, you'd be justified to call it.

It's a solid side this, built on a big back three, a good keeper who can set up attacks, and old-fashioned bull-dozery up front. Never write Milutin Osmajic off for delivering when it matters, as he did from the penalty spot to give them the winner against Ipswich.

A talented player - and served well from the impressive Thierry Small down the Preston left. A modest team perhaps punching above their weight, could they be a shout for the play-offs?

It's a brilliant start for Paul Heckingbottom's side, two wins and a draw, with victories over two of the relegated sides from the top flight.

A word on Ipswich too, who need a wake-up call, still searching for their first win after relegation from the Premier League.

They play neat, intricate football but lack a finish. George Hirst, Sammie Szmodics, and Conor Chaplin are missing great chances; they've got the money from selling Liam Delap and Omari Hutchinson. Kieran McKenna has to buy smart to stay in the hunt in this wily division.

Image source, Getty Images

Ipswich Town boss Kieran McKenna admits his side didn't create enough chances in a disappointing defeat to Preston at Deepdale.

Milutin Osmajic's penalty was enough to secure a win for the home side, but it is now three games without one for McKenna's men.

He was left "frustrated" as the pre-season promotion favourites suffered defeat after successive draws.

"Really frustrated and annoyed by the result," McKenna told BBC Radio Suffolk. Our supporters have travelled a long way; we wanted to get the win after a couple of hard fought draws and we didn't do it, so that is the overriding emotion.

"We gave away a goal which we can't concede at this level, we won't be successful if we concede goals like that. That is clear, the type of performance we are going to face we needed to be stronger in the few occasions we had to defend."

McKenna said his side were in control but they need to work on their cutting edge.

"Before and after we had control of the game, there was some nice passages to our play but we didn't create as may chances as we would like.

"The connections in the team aren't strong enough. I knew it would be a difficult summer; we need to improve and quickly."

Preston North End will hope to grab three points off promotion hopefuls Ipswich Town on Saturday (15:00 BST) following an impressive 2-1 win over Leicester City.

The Tractor Boys are yet to fire up their Championship campaign, having drawn 1-1 with both Birmingham City and Southampton.

• Preston North End have won two of their last three league games against Ipswich Town (L1), after failing to win any of their prior eight matches against the Tractor Boys between April 2011 and November 2018 (D3 L5).

• Ipswich Town have won just two of their last 16 away league games against Preston North End (D6 L8), losing 3-2 on their last visit to Deepdale in February 2024.

• Preston North End have only lost four of their home league games since the start of last season; only Bristol City (3) have lost fewer home league games than the Lilywhites.

• After drawing each of their opening two Championship matches, Ipswich have now won just one of their last 21 league games (D6 L14) and have failed to keep a single clean sheet during that time.

Ipswich Town have made an offer to Mexican side Club America for Uruguayan international defender Sebastian Caceres. (Ipswich Star), external

Meanwhile Ipswich are also reported to have agreed a deal worth £12m to sign Leicester City winger Kasey McAteer. (East Anglian Daily Times), external

Want more transfer news from the EFL? Take a look at Friday's gossip column here.

Image source, Rex Features

Ipswich Town have confirmed that the arm injury suffered by forward Sammie Szmodics against Southampton is not as bad as first feared.

Szmodics was hurt in a second-half collision with Saints keeper Gavin Bazunu during the 1-1 draw, but managed to stay on the pitch to complete the game.

"We feared it was a break, but X-rays have cleared that. He's got some really heavy bruising there, but he's recovering well," Town boss Kieran McKenna said.

Ipswich have taken two points from their first two Championship games, the first was also a 1-1 draw at Birmingham City, and they are away to Preston North End on Saturday.

"Preston sides over their years in the Championship have been really hard to beat, have been physical, have been robust, trying to cross the ball and get bodies in your box, and been strong in the boxes," McKenna added.

"You know you are going to be in for a tough game there and we expect one on Saturday."

Ipswich Town legend John Wark says the club should not sell defender Luke Woolfenden.

The 26-year-old won promotion with the Tractor Boys in 2024 and went on to make 15 appearances in the Premier League last season - but has yet to start a league game since returning to the Championship, with Dara O'Shea favoured instead.

Wark expected Woolfenden to be playing regularly in the first team this season.

He told BBC Radio Suffolk's matchday team: "I think he's good enough to play and I was surprised he didn't play at the weekend."

Woolfenden has been linked with a move away, with Coventry City seeing a bid for the centre-back rejected.

Ipswich have already sold a number of first-team players during the summer transfer window, with forward Liam Delap joining Chelsea for £30m and Omari Hutchinson moving to Nottingham Forest for £37.5m.

Town will visit Preston North End on Saturday aiming to pick up their first win of the Championship season.

Listen to the full discussion and more on Ipswich Town on BBC Sounds.

Coventry have seen a bid for Ipswich defender Luke Woolfenden rejected, with the Tractor Boys keen to keep the 26-year-old at Portman Road. (Sky Sports, external)

Want more transfer news from the EFL? Take a look at Thursday's gossip column here.

Ipswich have failed in a bid to take Newcastle's 19-year-old English midfielder Lewis Miley on loan for the season. (Sky Sports, external)

Want more transfer news from the EFL? Take a look at Wednesday's gossip column here.

Kieran McKenna felt Ipswich Town's draw against Southampton was "a step in the right direction" for his side.

The Tractor Boys took an early lead when Taylor Harwood-Bellis knocked the ball into his own net, but a header by Saints' Jay Robinson after that cancelled the earlier goal out.

Ipswich have drawn both of their games so far this season but boss McKenna felt there were more positives to take.

"The performance was better and a step in the right direction from last week," he told BBC Radio Suffolk.

"We could have won the game and on the balance of play maybe deserved to win the game.

"As we we improve over the next few weeks, hopefully we will be able to get that winning goal that we couldn't get today.

"I don't think you can be happy with draws at this level but it isn't about points at this stage. Of course you have to pick them up, but we just have to keep going with the group and trying to improve.

"The core group and the mindset we have is good. The boys are really keen to have a good season."

If the opening weekend is anything to go by, you don't want to turn this one off early.

Kieran McKenna's Ipswich grabbed a point in the Championship curtain-raiser at Birmingham last Friday with George Hirst's 95th-minute penalty ensuring a 1-1 draw.

Will Still's Saints were trailing 1-0 at home to another newly-promoted side, Wrexham, until the 90th minute when Ryan Manning curled home a sublime free-kick to level it, and Manning then laid on a dramatic winner for Jack Stephens in the sixth minute of stoppage time.

This fixture was a Premier League one last season, but this time the three points might prove pivotal in deciding which, if either, of the clubs make it back to the top-flight this season.

• Ipswich Town have won just two of their past nine league games against Southampton (D4 L3), doing the double over the Saints the last time these two sides featured in the Championship in 2023-24.

• Southampton have won three of their past four away league games against Ipswich Town (L1), scoring 12 goals in total at Portman Road across that time.

• After drawing 1-1 with Birmingham in their opener, Ipswich will be looking to avoid going winless across their opening two Championship matchdays of a campaign for just the second time since 2009-10, also suffering that fate in 2018-19 when they were last relegated from the second tier.

• Against Wrexham, Southampton had the highest xG total (4.1), completed the most successful passes (527) and had the highest share of possession (74.4%) in the Championship.

• On his Championship debut last weekend, Southampton's Jay Robinson attempted six shots, the joint-most, and had an xG total of 1.1, the most of any player in the competition on the opening day.

"I think it's all about carrying the journey we're on. There is an endgame, it's to ensure there is a legacy of a football club that is established in the Football League that represents the town of Bromley."

Aaron Paul, Jobi McAnuff and Phil Brown are joined by Bromley owner Robin Stanton-Greaves to discuss the EFL after the Ravens' shock win against Ipswich in the Carabao Cup on penalties.

They discuss the season ahead for the clubs in the Championship, new signings for Ipswich and Queens Park Rangers, an all-time EFL starting XI and the goalkeeper howlers from the new season so far.

Listen to the full episode of 72+ and more on BBC Sounds.