They have a new manager and a higher net spend than Manchester City, but will that be enough for Ipswich to avoid another yo-yoing relegation?<\/p>\n
Guardian writers\u2019 predicted position: 19th (NB: this is not necessarily Will Unwin\u2019s prediction but the average of our writers\u2019 tips)<\/p>\n
Last season\u2019s position: 2nd (Championship)<\/p>\n
Back for another crack at the Premier League, the Tractor Boys are taking things very seriously. More than \u00a3100m has been spent on 10 new arrivals in an attempt to make the team fit for purpose, something that could not be said two years ago when they were relegated without being competitive after focusing on signing the Championship\u2019s finest. Being the league\u2019s fourth-biggest net spenders has created quiet optimism in Suffolk that things will go better this time. Lessons were learned, even if their galling relegation benefited the careers of Liam Delap and Omari Hutchinson, as the harsh reality of what happens when potential meets proven quality.<\/p>\n
Ensuring there is a core of players with Premier League experience has been fundamental. Issa Diop and Sasa Lukic joined from Fulham, while Florentino Lu\u00eds was snapped up after his baptism at Burnley to give a strong spine. The search for new players has stretched further and wider than in recent seasons, too, in a bid to find better valued talent than is available in England. Lu\u00eds and Lukic are required to provide physicality and a desire to win the ball back in the centre of the park, although another addition in there would be advantageous.<\/p>\n
The new manager, Gary O\u2019Neil, has the right battling qualities and intelligence to keep a side up, explaining why he was the man quickly targeted to replace the outgoing Kieran McKenna, who resigned after securing promotion. The constant cheque-signing may explain the slow start to pre-season, losing to Osasuna, as everyone learned about O\u2019Neil\u2019s methods and demands, but they looked effective against Rayo Vallecano and the return of Julio Enciso will add some much-needed creativity and ingenuity.<\/p>\n
If all else fails, Ipswich will at least make history after signing goalkeeper Kjell Scherpen, who at 6ft9 is set to become the Premier League\u2019s tallest ever player.<\/p>\n
Work on a \u00a330m training ground upgrade is close to completion. The regeneration will include a new first-team building, in addition to improved facilities for the academy and women\u2019s team. The construction was seen as necessary to bring the club in line with their rivals and help convince potential signings Suffolk is the place to be. In a rarity, the club\u2019s main shirt sponsor is a local business, the software company Halo. Ed Sheeran, meanwhile, is still represented on the kit with his \u2018Play\u2019 featuring on the sleeves.<\/p>\n
Being successful is always good for morale, and members of the Gamechanger 20 ownership group could be found celebrating promotion with fans in the town centre. They have made a number of promises since taking over the club in 2021 and have delivered on them all. The one blot was the decision to invite the Reform UK leader, Nigel Farage, to Portman Road, which was a PR disaster, creating a needless \u2013 and embarrassing \u2013 circus around the club, as Ipswich struggled to create a cohesive story about the situation, which was only forgotten thanks to them reaching the Premier League.<\/p>\n
It was a surprise when the universally popular McKenna decided to leave after securing another promotion, forcing some quick thinking to find a replacement. O\u2019Neil has plenty of experience from his time managing Bournemouth and Wolves, added to with a spell at Strasbourg, but has a tough act to follow. Always open and honest, his coaching career has been spent trying to keep teams above the red line. His time at Wolves ended poorly but circumstances dictated much of that as the club failed to invest, something he can\u2019t say in his new role.<\/p>\n
Emersonn is the record signing, costing \u00a324m from Toulouse, and he has the difficult task of providing the goals that could bring safety, although he is yet to prove himself as a consistent scorer. The 22-year-old is the first Brazilian to play for the Tractor Boys but had to work hard in pre-season to catch up with his colleagues, having arrived lacking the necessary fitness levels. Eager to run in behind, he will be dangerous against teams who leave space. He has all the attributes to excel but it is down to him and the coaches aligning to ensure that this expensive gamble pays off.<\/p>\n
Last season, Ipswich were masters of exploiting high turnovers. They generated shots from 22.2% of them, more than double the Championship\u2019s average rate of 10.4%. If O\u2019Neil can maintain this efficiency, it could be Ipswich\u2019s most effective method of creating chances.<\/p>\n
The \u00a317.5m fee for a then 19-year-old showed what Ipswich thought of Sindre Walle Egeli, the son of a former Norwegian lower league footballer. The record goalscorer for Norway at youth level has naturally drawn comparisons to a certain Erling Haaland, who has given advice to his compatriot and may have the chance to offer more in person when Ipswich come up against Manchester City. A boyhood Liverpool fan, his first year in England brought four Championships goals in 18 starts, laying the groundwork as he and his teammates look to step up. Walle Egeli returned after the break in fine shape and has looked promising in the No 10 position under O\u2019Neil, having previously played out wide.<\/p>\n
After suffering a rather pathetic relegation to League One with Leicester, Abdul Fatawu joined up with the Ghana squad for the World Cup. He came on in each of his country\u2019s four matches but playing as a winger for Carlos Queiroz was not particularly fun. The Black Stars were ultra-defensive, scoring only twice as they limped out of the tournament as one of the most forgettable teams involved. Fatawu will be hoping for more creative freedom under O\u2019Neil as he desperately seeks to avoid a third straight relegation.<\/p>\n