Opposition View - Ipswich Town

A new season is upon us and with that comes the hopes of dreams of Football fans across the country.

It’s part of the game that we thrive on, trying to predict which way the season could pan out, how those summer signings may fit in and dreaming of ultimate glory come May.

Now for some teams, success is defined in different measures, survival from the drop against all odds can mean just as much for a fanbase as clinching silverware, that’s just the unique beauty of the game we love.

Liverpool have undergone a summer of change, not so much on the playing front with no new signings to speak of to this point, but with Arne Slot following in the massive footprints of Jurgen Klopp.

The astute Reds fans realise that it will take time for the Dutchman strike a balance between implementing his own style on this team while also keeping in place what was already there and working fine.

The first official fixture of his tenure sees the team head to Portman Road to take on Ipswich Town for the first time in over 20 years.

The teams have not met in any competitive fixture since December 2002 where Liverpool edged out the visitors 5-4 on Penalties (1-1 after normal time) in the fourth round of the Worthington Cup.

The last league meeting came in the last game of the 2001/2 season where Liverpool thumped Ipswich 5-0, which also happened be their last Premier League game until the present day.

Liverpool’s last visit to Portman Road was a few months prior to that fixture which was a resounding 6-0 victory.

In doing these Opposition View pieces, it’s always nice to speak to fans of clubs who have ridden all the bumps and bruises with their team over a sustained period of time and finally come out of it the other side seeing their team back in the big time.

Seb Brown (@browns08)  from the team at @bluemondayitfc talks about the long path back to the Premier League, the impact of Kieran McKenna and what Ipswich players can potentially be crucial for the fortunes of the newly promoted team this season.

Every club that has come up the Premier League after a lengthy absence has their own story of overcoming adversity and emerging better for it. Can you perhaps share with our readers a little bit about Ipswich’s journey  to this point, the good, the bad and the ugly if you like?

It’s fair to say the 22 years since our last Premier League appearance (a defeat at Anfield as it happens) were a slow painful spiral down the EFL before a staggering recent resurgence. After a couple of play-off failures in the immediate aftermath of relegation in 2002, anyone of value was sold or escaped for nothing and mid-table mediocrity in the Championship ensued.

A takeover by the well-intended but ultimately hapless Marcus Evans peaked with an unsuccessful playoff campaign under Mick McCarthy a decade ago. Ultimately the level of investment needed to stay competitive outstripped the amount Evans was willing to pump in, and a painful 2018/19 season ended in a whimper with relegation to League One.

Following Paul Lambert’s miserable attempt at a quick return, another Paul – Paul Cook – was given a League One cheat code squad following a takeover by a US-based pension fund in 2021. After Cook failed to convince the ambitious new ownership group, CEO Mark Ashton’s recruitment of Man United coach Kieran McKenna finally jump-started the club’s fortunes. Promotion back to the Championship in McKenna’s first full season in charge was followed up with last season’s miraculous 2nd place finish and a return to the Premier League - ending nearly two decades of misery for the club and local community in the process.

It takes many individuals to get a team back to the highest level of English Football., you all need to have the same mindset, mentality and confidence to achieve success. Would you like to spotlight a few individuals maybe who have been unsung  heroes  that readily come to mind?

Cameron Burgess was signed as a ‘head it and kick it’ centre back from Accrington in 2021. Early performances were unconvincing as he was repeatedly exposed by pace, but Kieran McKenna has since developed him into a ball-playing defender. His range of passing out from the back gained him a couple of assists last season and his knack for getting his head onto every cross that comes into the box provides reassurance and authority. The Australian international’s name was forever etched into Ipswich Town history by scoring the winning goal in the pivotal win at Coventry which all but secured promotion last season.

On a personal level, how excited are you that Ipswich will be going toe to toe with some of biggest teams in Football. And do you have some abiding memories from when you were last in the division?

As a fanbase we are still in ‘pinch yourself’ territory. We all thought we would be competitive last season following promotion, but 96 points, most goals scored, and fewest defeats were beyond our wildest dreams. Last time we were promoted to the Premier League in 2000 we went onto finish 5th. Wins that season at Elland Road and Anfield (sorry!) were the standout moments, and a couple of similar away days in 2024/25 would be brilliant. Continuing our excellent home record of two defeats in the last two seasons will obviously face a serious test, but making Portman Road a horrible place for the opposition will be crucial to our survival chances.

Kieran McKenna, in many ways is an iconic figure for your club. In your view, what has he done to make the  players respond to his methods in the way that he has, and it must have been a relief  and a show of respect that he turned down the advances from Chelsea earlier in the summer?

Firstly, he is an elite coach with a clear playing philosophy, but is always willing to learn and adapt. He focuses on the positive attributes of his players, not their weaknesses, and by doing so enables them to reach higher levels of performance.

His emotional intelligence and man management skills mean he obtains complete buy-in from the squad, even those who know they will not be regular starters. The new deal he signed this summer was easily the best and most important bit of business the club have done. With the speculation regarding his short-term future over (for now), we can look forward to continue this incredible journey together.

Promotion to the top flight is one thing but staying there is a whole different matter. So Is their one promoted club over the years  that can be the blueprint of solidarity for Ipswich?

Brighton are clearly the model that most clubs want to follow as their combination of smart recruitment at both a player and managerial level ensures they can continue to progress every season, regardless of outgoings. We share some common strategies in terms of recruiting players to be developed and sold on at much higher fees and the brave appointment of young managers.

Are you able to highlight a couple of players that have been instrumental in your rise in the last few years and perhaps some new signings who have caught the eye in the  pre-season games?

Left back Leif Davis was a £1 million signing from Leeds in the summer of 2022 and is one of our best players. 14 assists in the League One promotion campaign was followed by a record-breaking 18 assists last season. He has an incredible engine to get up and down the left side for the whole 90 minutes, plus his set piece deliveries are a real attacking threat too.

Sam Morsy is our captain and was signed as a midfield destroyer for League One. He is probably the best example of McKenna’s coaching ability. Morsy now has completely evolved his game to be the player who drops deep and picks the ball up short from the goalkeeper, turn his man and look to drive us forward. He sets the standards on and off the pitch and is rarely less than an 8/10 every week.

Omari Hutchinson was on loan last season and has signed on a permenant deal from Chelsea this summer. He was the best attacking player in the league last season from March onwards and hs ability to pop up with big goals in big moments will be critical this season.

This fixture will be seeing both managers take charge for their first Premier League game. As Reds fans, we have been truly spoilt to have been a part of the Jurgen Klopp era and realise that Arne Slot will need time and patience to mould the team into his own identity. Watching on from afar over the years, what has impressed you about this Liverpool team and which player(s) do you admire the most?

I think it is fair to say that pound for pound, Jurgen Klopp was the best manager in the league over the last 6/7 years and built a brilliant team which in any other era would have been discussed as one of the greats. Taking players like Andy Robertson from Hull and turning him into a world class left back is an example.

The style of football, never give up attitude, and world class players have made Liverpool excellent to watch over the last few seasons and those ridiculous high standards would have resulted in more silverware had it not been for Man City. Mo Salah will be the headline player that most Ipswich fans will be most concerned with, but the vast array of forward options like Cody Gakpo, Luis Diaz, and the enigma that is Darwin Nunez means every single Ipswich player will have to be at the top of their game to get a positive result.

The first game of the season is quite often the hardest to predict as every team has their share of players not match fit due to shortened pre-seasons and the like. Adding to that  is the emotion factor of playing your first game at home. With that said, what is your confidence level and have you got a score prediction for this fixture?

I am reasonably confident given the new manager factor, some of your key players not having had a full preseason due to the Euros and Copa America, plus the fact Portman Road will be rocking. I am going for a 1-1 draw.