Football Season Guide

A poor start to the season with just three wins in their first 10 matches was followed by a turnaround in the new calendar year, as the Tractor Boys lost only three times from January to May to finish second in the table, clinching automatic promotion and immediate return to the Premier League after their relegation in 2024/25. A month or so after securing promotion, Kieran McKenna decided to take time away from management, with Gary O’Neil being the successor. He is expected to favour a 4-2-3-1 formation, at least in the early stages, while looking to play more proactively whenever possible. With Julio Enciso, Emersonn, Abdul Fatawu and Daizen Maeda joining, Ipswich have considerably strengthened and reshaped their attacking options. Meanwhile, the signings of Florentino Luis, Saša Lukić and Issa Diop ensure that the starting line-up will boast Premier League experience heading into a challenging season. In fact, Ipswich’s wide areas could prove their biggest strength, with Enciso, Fatawu and Maeda adding pace and attacking quality to the flanks. Meanwhile, the arrival of Emersonn, Ipswich’s first Brazilian player, gives them a striker who can drop deep to link with the wingers, but the bigger concern is their lack of a proven goalscorer, having never properly replaced Liam Delap after his move to Chelsea.