Ipswich Town Surge Back Towards The Premier League

Arching his body over the ball Ipswich Town midfielder Jack Taylor swivelled and sent a curling right-footed shot into the top corner of the Wolverhampton Wanderers net.

Wearing a look of wide-eyed delight he ran toward the 20,000 rapturous fans spinning his finger overjoyed at having put the club 3-2 against a team from the Premier League.

But the goal, according to his manager Kieran McKenna, was not unexpected.

“We’ve just been waiting for that because he has an incredible shot from outside the box,” he said post-game, “he hasn’t had too many chances to show it, but when you see him get his head down and wind up the shot, you know it’s going to be a good one.”

As sweet a finish as it was by the summer signing from Peterborough United the strike was arguably not even the most impressive aspect of the goal.

Taylor’s strike went crashing into the Wolves net following an extended period of Ipswich patiently building up the play from defense.

Keeping the ball on the floor and resisting the urge to hit a hopeful forward pass, the Tractor Boys developed possession in a manner more associated with teams at a higher level.

The methodical approach showed bravery, Town continued playing the ball to feet even when a Wolves interception threatened to disrupt its flow.

Such dedication to a style of possession soccer, which popular perception dictates cannot be used by a side of inferior talents, was all the more powerful in that it came in a game when Ipswich Town looked like being overrun.

After 15 minutes the Suffolk side trailed 0-2 to Wolves and looked like being picked off for such a naïve approach.

But the team stuck at their patient buildup to pull level and eventually created the space for Taylor’s goal.

“I’m just so proud of the players,” McKenna said of the performance.

“What bravery. We’re 2-0 down after their first two attacks and we’d not started badly, we’d started quite sharply, but we’ve made a mistake and a Premier League side punishes you, then they score a set piece goal.

“It would have been easy at that point to take a backward step off the ball but we stayed brave and kept playing, trying to press and play through the opponent.

“It was an incredible effort to get back into the game and credit to the crowd, firstly for the turnout and then for the way they stuck with the players. But I think by now they know the players deserve that to be fair.

“We got back into the game and played really well in the first half. Terrific on the ball, great bravery, and what a goal to win it.”

McKenna’s Ascent

Before being handed the top job at Ipswich McKenna was most famous for being Manchester United coach TV cameras would spot whispering in Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s ear.

Barely in his 30s and bearing more than a passing resemblance to ex-Red Devils player Darren Fletcher, the headlines the Northern Irishman made at Old Trafford were mainly for the wrong reasons. He had to contend with reports of senior players being “unconvinced” and “unprepared” by his methods.

Although Solskjaer was always effusive in his praise for McKenna, the Norweigan’s less-than-impressive reign at United was hardly the most impressive body of work to be associated with.

So when Ipswich Town appointed him in December 2021 it was hardly viewed as a coup.

But the young coach has proved all doubters wrong. Since he was appointed no club in the top four tiers of English soccer has won more league points (160).

Only treble-winning Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has more league wins or goals in this period than McKenna in the entire pyramid.

So far this season the Tractor Boys have won seven of a possible eight games and sit second in the Championship table.

It’s still early days, but for a club in its first season back in English soccer’s second tier this record is incredibly impressive.

Why Ipswich Deserves A Promotion

Despite being a around fifth of the size of soccer hotbeds like Manchester or Liverpool there are few clubs outside the elite with a richer history than Ipswich Town.

The club gained prominence with a remarkable rise through the divisions in the early 1960s culminating in it becoming English champions at the first attempt.

That success was masterminded by manager Alf Ramsey who earned the national team job as a result and subsequently delivered England’s only ever World Cup win.

Around 15 years after the club shocked the nation with its league title, another legendary coach, Bobby Robson, built an incredible team that would win the FA and UEFA
EFA
Cups.

He too departed to become coach of the national team where he also earned a special place in the nation’s hearts with a run to the World Cup semi-finals in 1990.

As well as producing two of English soccer’s most iconic coaches the club is also backed by fierce local support.

A quarter of the town’s population can fit inside Ipswich Town’s 29,000-seater stadium yet it is regularly filled to near capacity thanks to an avid following from the surrounding county of Suffolk.

However, two decades have passed since the club was in the top division.

In that time many other teams with far less storied histories have established themselves above the Tractor Boys in English soccer’s hierarchy and it felt at times as if there was a danger they could be cut adrift.

Under McKenna that has changed, for one of the few moments of the past 20 years, a return to the promised land of the Premier League feels possible.

Anyone with a passing knowledge of Ipswich Town’s legacy and oversized impact on the English game could begrudge the side returning to the top flight. Well, that is except for fans of their bitter rivals Norwich City.