Ipswich Town: Stuart Watson previews Blues' Premier League return

Holly Valance was No.1 in the UK charts when Ipswich Town kissed goodbye to the Premier League in May 2002.

After the likes of Michael Owen, Steven Gerrard and John Arne Riise ran riot for Liverpool in a 5-0 thrashing at Anfield, two teenage Blues fans held up a banner in the away end that declared ‘we’ll be back’. To be fair, they never stated when.  

A quick bounce back was a fair assumption. This was a club that had claimed three major pieces of silverware, produced two of England’s greatest-ever managers, spent 23 out of the previous 34 seasons in the top flight and narrowly missed out on Champions League qualification just the year before. 

Two Ipswich Town fans contemplate relegation back to the Championship following a 5-0 defeat at Liverpool in 2002. (Image: PA)

You know what followed. Administration, a takeover, new money squandered, the purse strings tightened and a painfully drawn-out decline. Ipswich had gone from being every football fan’s ‘soft spot’ second team to not even being first choice for the region’s young residents. Apathy gripped. It was a sad state of affairs. 

Then along came ambitious new American owners vowing to ‘awaken a sleeping giant’. They put Mark Ashton in place as chief executive and he, in turn, handed bright, young Manchester United assistant boss Kieran McKenna his first senior management role. Everything has come together on and off the pitch. From January 2023 onwards, juggernaut-like momentum has been gained. Back-to-back automatic promotions were secured with a combined 194 points and 193 goals scored. 

A county has fallen in love with its football team again. Suffolk superstar Ed Sheeran has given this phoenix from the flames story additional global reach. Ipswich Town is back on the map. 

So what does the next chapter in this journey look like? I’ve started this piece looking back, rather than ahead, because I don’t really know what’s in store. No-one does. To be honest, with the big kick-off now just hours away, it still feels surreal to be talking of Liverpool coming to town. 

Harry Clarke at the centre of the joyous Portman Road pitch invasion that greeted Ipswich Town securing promotion back in May. (Image: PA Sport)

There have been times this summer when I’ve convinced myself anything is possible. Ipswich have managed to keep one of the best player developers in the game following a period of intense speculation where he was linked to Manchester United and Chelsea. McKenna has kept the core of a well-bonded, keen-to-learn, settled squad well-versed in ‘running towards adversity’ and added some new talent that has plenty of room to grow. A packed Portman Road will act as a febrile 12th man. The value of so much of the above is unquantifiable, but combined it surely has to count for a hell of a lot.  

Then there are moments when reality hits. This isn’t the relentless Championship, where every game has fine margins and ‘anyone can beat anyone’. This is a global superstars’ playground where the crème de la crème earn £400k-a-week.  

Just as sinking into League One provided a horrible case of the bends, a rapid ascent to the Premier peaks brings the very real danger of altitude sickness. It’s only 18 months ago, we mustn’t forget, that Ipswich were facing Forest Green Rovers as peers. 

Some recalibration is undoubtedly going to be required. This group have lost just 10 of their last 92 league games. For context, Aston Villa suffered that same number of Premier League defeats last season when securing a Champions League spot. Learning how to deal with defeat is going to be a learning process for players, staff and fans alike.

Manchester City are seeking a fifth straight Premier League title under manager Pep Guardiola. (Image: PA)

To me, it looks like a division in three parts. Last season’s top eight – Man City, Arsenal, Liverpool, Aston Villa, Tottenham, Chelsea, Newcastle and Man United – are likely to be vying for the European spots again. Can Ipswich finish above any of them? No chance. 

In all likelihood, last season’s middle pack – West Ham, Crystal Palace, Brighton, Bournemouth, Fulham and Wolves – will be in the same vicinity again.  

Again, some context. West Ham have just signed an in-form German international striker, a midfielder with 30 caps for Argentina, paid £40m for a centre-back and lured away last season’s Championship Player of the Year. Palace had four players in England’s Euro 2024 squad. Fulham looked a class above when winning at Portman Road in the League Cup last November. 

Could Ipswich finish above any of them? There might be one established top-flight side, at a push, who will suffer a major drop off. Brighton, with untested Fabian Hürzeler at the helm and midfield stalwart Pascal Gross having departed, would be my tip for a season of regression. 

Then there’s the three who flirted with the drop last season - Everton, Brentford, Nottingham Forest. 

Things have been messy off the field for Everton and a takeover rumbles on. They still would have comfortably finished mid-table last season under the steady guidance of Sean Dyche though had it not been for an eight-point deduction. The Toffees will want to sign off from Goodison Park on a high. 

Ben Johnson has the most Premier League experience in Ipswich's squad. (Image: Ross Halls)

Have Brentford peaked under Thomas Frank? Much could depend on whether they keep hold of talisman Ivan Toney. Will Nottingham Forest, docked four points last season, be in another dogfight or have they got through their toughest period? Again, for context, they’ve spent £35m on a player this summer (Elliott Anderson). 

Finally, there are the two other teams who were promoted – Leicester and Southampton. Don’t forget, they were rightly seen as the big dogs that Town had to topple last season. Now, suddenly, they are seen as the most realistic clubs to finish above. Time will tell if the Foxes get hit with a points deduction at some stage. 

McKenna, a man who has experienced this elite end of the game from the Old Trafford dugout, is under no illusions to the scale of the challenge ahead. He was quick to label it ‘a humungous step up in every department of the football club’ within hours of promotion being sealed back on that glorious Bank Holiday weekend in early May. 

Conor Chaplin is one of several Ipswich Town players who were part of the League One promotion-winning squad. (Image: Steve Waller)

There’s no getting away from the fact that pre-season injuries to George Hirst and Nathan Broadhead are major blows. It’s also valid to be concerned about the lack of Premier League experience in the squad. My thoughts on how well-equipped Town are for the months ahead will solidify more once the transfer window is closed. Right now, the squad does look light on numbers. 

There are reasons to believe Town can replicate what well-run Brighton and Brentford have done in recent years, first surviving and then thriving. There are also reasons why the bookies believe that, just like last season, all three newly-promoted sides will go straight back down. Excitement and trepidation comes in equal measure. 

Eight thousand, one hundred and thirty-four days later, Ipswich face Liverpool again. This time, Charlie XCX and Billie Eilish top the charts with ‘Guess’. To be honest, yours is as good as mine. Try and enjoy it. We've waited a long time for this!