Ipswich Town are about to kick off their first Premier League season in 22 years. Our Town content team offer their predictions for the season ahead...
Stuart Watson, Chief Football Writer
Best summer signing (so far): Ben Johnson
Town have spent close to £60m on transfer fees, but I'm going to highlight this summer's one free agent addition.
Johnson reportedly turned down a new five-year deal at West Ham this summer, as well as other top-flight clubs, to join the Portman Road project.
Will provide the team with greater athleticism, balance and Premier League experience. Not only that, the 24-year-old seems like a grounded and driven individual who will fit right in with the group's culture.
Expect him to start more games than any other summer signing and thrive under Kieran McKenna's expert coaching.
Leading scorer (and how many): Omari Hutchinson (10)
Star boy makes no secret of wanting to become 'world class' and I'm certain there'll be times where he has MOTM pundits purring.
He contributed an impressive 10 goals from 25 starts and 25 sub appearances in his first full season of men's football. An ambitious target will be to match that tally again in a team that tends to share the goals around.
For perspective, only eight bottom-half players managed to hit double digits for Premier League goals last season and six of them - Dominic Solanke, Chris Wood, Hwang Hee-Chan, Yoane Wissa, Carlton Morris and Elijah Adebayo - played as out-and-out strikers.
MVP: Sam Morsy
Once more, I can't look past the skipper.
Will have to be an extension of Kieran McKenna on the pitch, showing those around him when to raise or slow the tempo, when to drop back or press higher and when to dial up or down the aggression.
Having taken the long route to the Premier League he'll be determined to seize this moment.
Surprise package: Jack Taylor
Taylor admitted he had mixed feelings about his debut campaign with Ipswich following a £1.5m switch from Peterborough.
There were certainly some memorable moments - who can forget those thunderous long-range goals against Wolves and Swansea or that crunching tackle late on against Bristol City? - but ultimately his game time was limited due to the embedded midfield partnership of Morsy and Massimo Luongo.
McKenna's current shortage of options could open the door for Taylor in a more favoured attacking role. I think the 26-year-old can kick on this season and finally get that first Republic of Ireland cap.
Town will finish: 17th
I have moments where I think that anything is possible. Town have one of the brightest young coaches in the game, a tight-knit group ready to run towards adversity once more and a packed Portman Road acting as the 12th man.
Then I remind myself of the wealth of top-flight and international experience that the Blues will be up against and have a slight reality check.
To me it looks like there are three mini leagues in this division and Ipswich will be in the bottom one. The goal is simply to do what Burnley, Luton and Sheffield United failed to do last year and survive.
I've got Brighton, Brentford, Nottingham Forest, Leicester and Southampton as the five teams that Town can potentially finish above and believe it'll go right to the wire.
I'll be positive and say the Blues can beat the drop... just.
Champions: Arsenal
Top four: Arsenal, Man City, Liverpool, Chelsea
Dark horse: West Ham
Relegated: Brentford, Leicester, Southampton
Alex Jones, Ipswich Town writer
Best summer signing: Omari Hutchinson
I had Omari Hutchinson for this category last season and I’m going with him again. It took some time for him to adjust in the Championship but I’m expecting him to hit the ground running this season.
He’s got everything he needs to be a top Premier League player and it’s some statement that Town have got him back.
The fact that he can play across the three positions behind the striker means that he’ll get loads of minutes next season and I think he’ll be the superstar to stand out when the Blues need someone to drag them over the line.
Leading scorer: Conor Chaplin (8)
This one probably hinges on Sammie Szmodics’ prospective move to Ipswich, but as it stands, it’s hard to look past Conor Chaplin, who’s the real goalscorer in this team.
He hit 26 in League One and 13 in the Championship. That number will drop again next season but I expect him to top Town’s list.
It’ll probably be a low number, which won’t be down to him or Ipswich’s quality in the Premier League, but rather that the squad spread the goals out. I think he’ll edge it and finish as top scorer. He’s going to be so determined to make the step up to the Premier League.
MVP: Sam Morsy
Sam Morsy started in League Two before bouncing between League One and the Championship as his career threatened to fizzle out. Now he’s captained his side to promotion and will lead them out in the Premier League for the first time in his career at the age of 32.
Morsy has waited his whole life for a season like this and it’s finally here. He’s going to show all the qualities both on and off the pitch to be an exemplary top-flight player and I can’t see any way past him being Town’s MVP.
The skipper, suspensions aside, will feature in every Premier League game that he’s fit to play, and will drag the team along by the scruff of the neck if he has to.
Surprise package: Jack Taylor
Ipswich’s current lack of depth in midfield opens the door for someone to step up. Jack Taylor had limited minutes last season, but with only Morsy and Massimo Luongo ahead of him in the pecking order at the time of writing, he may be given an opportunity to show his worth.
Kieran McKenna has been keen to try him in more advanced roles during pre-season, but I do wonder if he’ll be given some minutes next to Morsy. He’s had a season to settle in at Ipswich and will feel that he’s ready to make the step up to the Premier League.
Town will finish: 17th
With Ipswich’s squad as it is, it’s hard to look past relegation. There are clear gaps that need filling heading into the Liverpool game and nothing looks particularly imminent. However, I have faith that the club will get everything they need before the window shuts.
With that in mind, I think consistency will be their best friend. The squad has progressed up the football pyramid as a unit and will continue to do so. It’s crucial that they kept McKenna and he’ll know how to guide them above the dotted line.
Champions: Arsenal
Top four: Arsenal, Manchester City, Liverpool, Spurs
Dark horse: Bournemouth
Relegated: Leicester City, Everton, Southampton
Ross Halls, multimedia journalist
Best summer signing: Liam Delap
I really like this signing - some people will say it’s a bit of a risk with the big fee and him not having much Premier League pedigree but I back Delap to make the step up and be a key player for Town this season.
Leading scorer: Liam Delap (12)
Once again, I have a feeling the goals will be shared around - but I'm sticking with Delap, who I fancy will notch 12.
It's big step up for him, but he has already shown that he can be a real handful up top and I fancy him scoring from some rebounds this season.
MVP: Sam Morsy
I’ve gone for the easy answer here but the skipper is so key to this side.
He will be stepping up to the top tier of English football for the first time but I back him to be a top player at this level and Mr Consistent for Town again.
Suprise package: Ben Johnson
The club have splashed the cash on multiple players, but I think this free agent signing will prove to be key in a position we needed to strengthen in - and his Premier League experience will be valuable in the early games.
Town will finish: 16th
It will be a long and tough season ahead but I back Kieran McKenna and the players to stay up.
This team have so much togetherness, which will be key for each game this season, and if we make Portman Road a hard place to come we can plunder valuable points at home.
Champions: Arsenal
Top 4: Arsenal, Man City, Spurs, Liverpool
Dark horse: Crystal Palace
Relegated: Leicester, Southampton, Nottingham Forest
Mark Heath, Head of Sport
Best summer signing: Kieran McKenna
A lazy way out, I appreciate. But it all starts with McKenna and, had he left when the big clubs were circling at the start of the summer, it would have been a disaster for Town. You only have to listen to him talk about football to realise he's ahead of the game in many ways, and his mere presence at the Blues will be a major selling point to potential targets. He's already coached at the highest level with Manchester United, and will be fired up to show just how good he is again by keeping Town in a division where few expect them to survive.
Top scorer: Conor Chaplin (9)
Chaplin has been Town's leading scorer the past two seasons, so why look away from him? Goals are going to be much harder to come by, clearly, but he has an otherworldly ability to find space in the box and appears to have whipped himself into peak physical condition this summer. He's going to be super fit and fired up to prove he can score goals at the highest level.
MVP: Sam Morsy
We've all chosen Morsy as our MVP, and there's a reason why. He's the beating heart of this band of brothers, McKenna's voice on the pitch and an incredibly driven human being. If Town are indeed in a fight for survival, there's no-one else I'd rather have leading that fight.
Surprise package: Axel Tuanzebe
A bit of a forgotten man this summer, with the big money signing of Jacob Greaves and a predicted CB pairing of the new man and Luke Woolfenden. But don't forget Tunazebe, who ended last season as the starting right back, is a player of real class and pedigree, having already played in the Premier League, Champions League and the Europa League. Has all the physical tools and skills required at the highest level and I just wonder if he'll end up starting games at CB before too long.
Town will finish: 17th
Let's be honest, realistic and pragmatic. Town are highly likely to spend most of the season in and around the bottom three. If they can stay up, it would be a remarkable continuation of their record for defying the odds - and I just think Kieran McKenna will find a way to guide his side to safety. The guy is different gravy.
Champions: Man City
Top four: Man City, Arsenal, Liverpool, Manchester United
Dark horse: Crystal Palace
Relegated: Leicester City, Southampton, Nottingham Forest
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