Ipswich Town - Bringing Back The Glory Days

I don’t know if people have been wondering about the titles for each update. I got bored in August and just typed in ‘August’ in the search bar and it came up with August Blues the song. Since then I’ve just been fascinated with calling each update after a song title for the month. Niche moment, very boring I can tell!


01/02/20

As we enter the final few months of the season, we get into the crutch matches. The play off push is going along nicely, but we need to string some results together against some tough teams in February. And the added possibility of more games this month if we beat Charlton and Chelsea.

Ipswich will be looking over their shoulders for the next few weeks as they look to keep the pace to Sunderland and Oxford, but will need to be wary of MK Dons, Blackpool and Fleetwood. Cole Skuse is closing in on a return and every one else is fit, but with more games coming up, what squad will be used?

Peterborough have been the poor surprise package of the season so far, as they sit in 19th place and on a woeful run of form. 4 losses in 5 puts them perilously near the drop. Without Josh Knight, can they overcome Ipswich Town?




Should have been a comfortable victory, but when you have to keep rotating, it’s tough to find some consistency. Kenlock scores his first goal for the club though, so that’s a small bonus in a very poor match.



04/02/20

Away from the league now as host Charlton Athletic in the FA Cup 4th Round. The winner of this tie travels to Millwall in the 5th round, but what kind of side will each team be playing?

Ipswich are blessed with a full squad bar the usual long term injuries, but will have one eye on Saturday as they travel to top of the league Sunderland. How key will that match be to the line up George Burley picks for this tie against Charlton.

The visitors are in a bit of rut themselves, having won only 1 of their last 5, and sit 18th in the Championship. They also have a large injury problem, with Chris Solly, Beram Kayal, Jonny Williams (shock) and Josh Cullen all either injured or doubtful for the game. With a busy period for themselves, how will they set up today?




Considering the fact we made a few changes, and Charlton went full strength, and had to rely on their best player to score in the 95th minute, I’m very proud of what the boys did in that game. Does mean an FA Cup exit, but also less games for us to tackle in the coming months



08/02/20

Attention turns back to the league after our defeat to Charlton, and it is the hardest game of the season for us to tackle. Sunderland away, sat top of the league. If we can get anything out of this game, I’ll be happy.

Sunderland come into this game as the best team in the league, but are only 4 points ahead of ourselves in 4th. The league is so tight right now, with 1st and 7th separated by only 6 points. Sunderland will have to make do without Joel Lynch for this tie, who is suspended.

Ipswich will be looking to bounce back from defeat against Charlton in the last game, but will have to play their next three games without Kane Vincent Young who has picked up 15 bookings this season. A win puts them closer to top, but a loss could see them fall out of the play offs.




An expected result, our toughest game of the season, but annoyingly we were the dominant team in this match, but we can’t score right now. Will Keane hasn’t been hitting the form his was earlier in the season, and that’s showing in our form table.



11/01/20

No rest for the wicked as we travel down to Wimbledon of the back of two defeats, and we need to find wins against these kind of teams that are struggling in the bottom half of the table.

Wimbledon are blessed with a full squad for this tie, and have just ended their winless run with a 3-1 win over play off hopefuls Fleetwood, so will be full of confidence against an Ipswich side struggling for goals.

Ipswich are still without Vincent Young for two games, and have also been dealt a blow with Luke Chambers now being suspended for the next few. Two key defenders missing in a big part of the season, could it be costly. One key positive for Ipswich though, is that Cole Skuse has returned to training




Might be the most important win for us right now. These games are most wins, and we dispatched Wimbledon with ease. Despite a make shift defence we battled through, and grabbed 3 goals in the process.



15/02/20

5th game in 15 days sees us host Burton Albion in another must win game. Burton are mid table in league one, but this is another game where Ipswich can push themselves even further up the table. The day before the game, we also received the news that my assistant manager Stuart Taylor had moved to West Brom to join up with Steven Gerrard.

Ipswich will be hampered by the suspensions to Luke Chambers and Kane Vincent-Young, but both will be back for the Leasing.Com Quarter Final tie with Chelsea. Other than that, it is the same squad that played against Wimbledon 4 days earlier.

Burton have been slowly moving up the table, and have picked up 3 wins from 5 to push themselves into 11th. However, they will be without key men Scott Fraser and Lucas Akins for this tie, and will need inspiration from someone else.




Back to what we were doing best, slapping teams for 3 each game. Finally Will Keane gets himself back on the score sheet, it feels like it’s been an age. Another Luke Woolfenden goal takes him to 8 for this season.



19/02/20

Another day, another game. This time we move out of the league and into the Leasing.Com Trophy. We are only a few games away from Wembley, but we have to overcome the Chelsea academy to get there. Amazingly, in the same day, our U18s are in FA Youth Cup action in the QUARTER FINAL against Manchester United. An incredible achievement by a youth team, very impressed!

Also, just before the game started, George Burley’s announced the appointment of Kevin Summerfield as his new assistant manager. Summerfield had been a free agent having last worked at Derby County under Gary Rowett, where he followed him from Burton, to Birmingham and then to Derby.

For the first time this season, on the 19th of February, Ipswich Town have every single first team player fit and available for the game against Chelsea. Question is, how many of them will actually play? Will the kids get their turn or will a first team go out for the victory?

Chelsea U23s are blessed with the presence of Callum Hudson Odoi for their games in the Leasing.Com Trophy, which I found slightly unfair. However, 4 of their players will not be taking part today. Armando Broja, Henry Lawrence, Josh Grant and ex-Ipswich academy player Charlie Brown are all injured.




The rotation pays off, and even with Callum Hudson Odoi up top, we come through with flying colours. 3rd straight game scoring 3 goals, plus two goals for Danny Rowe is very good to see. He was on the verge of leaving in January, but he’s come back and fought for his place. That victory now puts us against Oxford away, conveniently place in between our only week gap of the month. Brilliant!



26/02/20

The first of the double header vs Oxford should have taken place on the 22nd, but the game was postponed because Portman Road had a waterlogged pitch. I mean that’s never happened before, but it does give me a slight break before our cup tie with them, for a place in the Southern Section Final

Oxford come into the game not on the greatest form, but out of the league you don’t know what team will come out and play. Both teams will be looking ahead to the rest of the league season, but will also be looking at that Wembley final. Today, they will be without Marcus Olsson who broke his leg, and Elliott Moore is a doubt.

I got to excited when I said that for the first time this season we had a full fit first team, as two days later Teddy Bishop goes and twists his ankle in training, he’ll miss the next month. Ipswich’s eyes will be looking at 3rd placed Blackpool and 4th places Oxford in their next two league games.




WE’RE GOING TO WEMBLEY! (Yes I know it’s only the Leasing.Com, but Ipswich are one of the only few teams to have never played at the new Wembley, so shush!). It took penalties but we are into the final vs Sunderland at the end of March.



29/02/20

The final game of the month sees us travel to Blackpool looking to leapfrog them in the table. That victory over Oxford should have lifted the boys, but with only three day’s rest, how many of them are going to be fully fit.

Blackpool have the luxury of a break between their last game, as all their players are fully fit for this play off clash. They have 4 wins from 5, and are the form side in the league. Can they keep it going against Ipswich Town, who themselves have won their last 4 in all competitions.

Ipswich are 3 days from their victory over Oxford, but will still be without Teddy Bishop for this game. Their will also be question marks over the fitness of some of their players, notably Alan Judge who came off with a slight knock.




I said previously that Wimbledon away was our biggest win in a while, but this tops it massively. What a performance from the lads. Up against it for most of the game, when they scored I feared, but much to the enjoyment of MJK46, Ben Morris stepped up to claw us back into the game, and the clinical Will Keane wrapped it up.



He didn’t have a great January, and he may not have the highest average rating this month, but Will Keane’s 2 goals and 2 assists were so key to our victories this month that he feel he deserves this award. His assist allowed Ben Morris to score his first senior goal, and then he scores his own to win us the game. Such a key leading striker.




This is going right down to the wire. I mean this is crazy, two points separate 1st and 5th. We are still in 4th despite losing two of our games this month, mainly because everyone keeps messing up around us. Gonna get nervy going into the final 3 months of the season.




Loan deals left right and centre for us to deal with. Colin Opping has joined up with Tommy Hughes at Brackley on loan, and has already got a goal and assist for his new team. Youngster Liam Gibbs has gone to Hemel Hempstead on loan, getting an assist in his first two games. Wonderkid Armando Dobra has also left to join Sutton for a few months. He was on the verge of the first team, but allowing him to play each week was key to letting him leave, and he’s already scored at Sutton. Oh, and I also made Summerfield’s graphic, thought he’d like it!

Bet you were feeling desperate for a few points after that poor start to the month! In the end you turned it on it's head and recovered, which shows great spirit managerially and within the team itself.

It’s seems weird looking at a month of fixtures and seeing a lot of gaps in between. It’s been an absolute age since we’ve had week long breaks, but we have a few here. 4 games in this update of March, let’s see if we can push ourselves into the top 2.

Some really unsettling news has come out on the 1st of March. The Carabao Cup Final has just been played, and the winners were................Norwich! Can’t believe it, bloody Tottenham what were you doing!


03/03/20

Ok, I’ve composed myself. 10 games to go until the season ends, first up is 3rd placed Oxford United. Going to be a very tough game to deal with, but if we can win this match it should put us into a good position for the final 9.

It’s getting tight at the top, and Ipswich will have to deal without Teddy Bishop if they are to pick up a result in this game. Other than Bish, it is a full squad for Ipswich to work with, but having just played a tough game 3 days before, will have to monitor the players fitness.

Oxford will be looking for revenge when they travel to Portman Road, after losing to them in the Leasing.Com Semi Final, costing them a trip to Wembley. For this game, they will be without Chris Cadden, Marcus Olsson and Elliott Moore.




Oh this team is coming together nicely. What a huge win that was for us, against such a good Oxford side. That victory also takes us to the top of the league, by one point. Another goal for Will Keane, Gwion getting in on the act and Judgey being a beast.



07/03/20

We have what could possibly be our last mid week game of the season, as we host mid table Coventry. After that victory over Oxford, their should be too much quality for Coventry to handle.

Ipswich are once again without Teddy Bishop, but have the same squad as they did from the Oxford game. A victory here over Coventry could see Ipswich extend their lead at the top of the table.

The visitors are in excellent from right now, having won 4 of their last 5 games. However, they might be without Gervane Kastaneer, Marko Marosi and Callum O’Hare. Coventry’s late run of form has seen them move closer to the play offs, and a victory today could be massive for their late push.




How do we batter Oxford and then get all pathetic and lose that game. Horrible from the side. 75% possession and nothing happened with the ball. Don’t understand it, and it puts a massive dent in our promotion hopes. Despicable.



14/03/20

Ipswich desperately need a victory now after that horrible loss to Coventry, and will be hoping to watch other teams slip up around them.

Bristol Rovers are on a woeful run of form, having lost 3 of their last 5 games. They will also be without Tareiq Holmes-Dennis, Tom Davies and Victor Adeboyejo for this game, and are only 6 points above the relegation zone.

The news goes from bad to worse for Ipswich Town. Horrible lost to Coventry, Teddy Bishop out injured. And now parts of the season has been ruined, as Kayden Jackson looks set to be our for the rest of the season, Andre Dozzell is our for 2 weeks, and Luke Woolfenden is suspended for 3 games, which means he misses the Leasing.Com Trophy.




Massive result after the poor nature of the result against Coventry. Another goal for Will Keane and Gwion Edwards, plus Flynn Downes getting in on the action. A lot of yellows, but a win that puts us back to the top of the table.



21/03/20

The last league game of the month sees us host Portsmouth. The south coast side haven’t had the best season at all, as they sit 12th in the league. I saw this earlier in the season as the hardest game in our end of season run in, but they have performed well below expectation.

Ipswich are in a tough situation right now, especially squad wise. They are without Kayden Jackson, Andre Dozzell, Teddy Bishop, Luke Woolfenden and now James Wilson for this game. Luke Chambers is one yellow away from suspension that would keep him out of the final, so may be rested.

Portsmouth are in a inconsistent set of games right now, and because of that sit in mid table. However, they are blessed with a full squad at their disposal, and will be looking to poke holes in Ipswich’s already depleted side.




Possibly our best result of the season. With the amount of injuries and suspensions we were forced to deal with, that is a massive result that keeps us top of the table.



I swear it’s the same people each month that perform the best. Only 4 games were played this month as we prepare for the Leasing.Com Trophy Final match at Wembley. Alan Judge was our best players, picking up 3 goals and 1 assist in 4 games.




At the end of march, we sit 2nd in the table just behind League leaders Wycombe Wanderers. Once again, it’s insanely tight at the top of the table, with 4 points separating us and Sunderland in 3rd, but they have two games in hand. I can honestly say that I think we have enough quality to stay in the playoffs, 6 games to go and 11 clear, it’s just trying to push for that promotion that’s key.




We’ve had our yearly youth intake, and I never expect much to come out of it, but by god was I wrong about that. I don’t think I’ve ever had a player come out of the youth intake who is already two star current ability. It’s a madness. He’s got great stats, plays as a pressing forward but can be trained to be either an Advanced Forward, or even a right winger which could be key






Jack - I honestly thought the wheels were going to come off after those first three, but we were able to turn it around and it’s looking better than ever.

The day has final come. It’s been 9 months of rotation, laughing, mediocrity and truly shocking football, but March 29th 2020 is the date the Leasing.Com Trophy ends. For this season.

We’ve both battled our way to the coveted pitch of Wembley, and whilst sides are in the midst of a promotion battle, they would love to life a trophy at the new Wembley. Sunderland have been here before, last year they went oh so close before losing to Portsmouth, and will be hoping to do one better this year. For Ipswich, this will be the first time in history they will have graced the New Wembley.

Both sides had to get here the hard way. Ipswich were dealt a slightly easy hand in Crystal Palace U23s, Cheltenham and Wimbledon, but were made to work for it early on. A crushing 5-1 victory over Palace gave the club promise for the journey, Luke Chambers netting two that night. However, the first of four penalty shootouts led to a defeat, as they we shockingly beaten by Cheltenham. Was the pressure too much for them to handle. Not if Emyr Huws had anything to do with it. He single handedly pushed Ipswich to the top of the group, scoring and assisting in the 2-1 victory away at Wimbledon. A home tie vs Coventry was the prize, another test that went to penalties. This time they learnt from their mistakes. 5 penalties, 4 scored. Tomas Holy the hero in the net, saving 2. Next up was MK Dons, and yep you guessed it, another shootout. This time, there was no fear. 4 penalties, all scored, Ipswich were on their way to the Quarter Finals. They bumped into Chelsea at that point, and despite having Hudson Odoi up top, they were no match for the Tractor Boys. Danny Rowe showed his class with two goals, as they booked a semi final spot against Oxford. The fourth and final penalty shoot out was the best of all. 5 pens, 5 goals, a perfect end to a telling journey. Now all that stands in their way is Sunderland.

The Black Cats on the other hand, always looked comfortable. A 2-1 win over Manchester United’s kids set them on their way, and despite a 1-0 defeat to Shrewsbury, they bounced back and slapped Oldham for 4 goals. Their ticket to the final was temporarily halted by Scunthorpe, for about 5 minutes before they also were hit for 4 goals. A trip to Burton turned into a comfortable 2-0 win, as Sunderland reached the quarter finals have barely got a sweat on. League Two strugglers Salford were their next port of call, but a nervy 1-0 showed a sense of worry in their abilities. That worry was quickly eradicated when they thumped Rotherham 4-2, and for the second season in a row they reached the EFL trophy final.


George Burley speaks to the media ahead of Ipswich Town’s trip to Wembley to face Sunderland in the Leasing.Com Trophy.

Kieron James - You will be missing Emyr Huws for the match, just how big a blow is that to your team’s hopes?

George Burley - Clearly, to lose a player like Emyr is a big blow to us. Hopefully the other players can step up in his place.

Ryan Barnes - A number of people would agree that your 5-1 win over Crystal Palace Under 23s was the highlight of Ipswich’s run to the final. Is that something you also believe?

GB - I always thought if we could get past Crystal Palace Under 23s we’d have a good chance of winning this competition and we managed to beat them.

KJ - This game is one of the very biggest and all the Ipswich fans are sure to be watching with high expectations. Is that making you at all anxious?

GB - There is a little tension, but I wouldn’t be human if that wasn’t the case.

Darcie Russell - Will we see any changes to your first team line up for the big match?

GB - I don’t really think chopping and changing at this time would be helpful at all.

Paris Chadwick - Many pundits are suggesting that Sunderland’s Josh Sims could well be the deciding factor in the final. He’s a top player, wouldn’t you agree?

GB - Josh Sims is a player I can’t help admiring.

PC - Who are you relying on to counter the threat posed by Josh Sims?

GB - Luke Chambers.

KJ - Are you looking forward to the spectacle of the Leasing.Com Trophy?

GB - I am not exceptionally keen on it, teams rarely come into these sort of matches with a real desire to win and the match is often a drab affair.


George Burley pinpointed Luke Chambers as the main person to counter the threat of Josh Sims, after hearing that he decides to stretch to far and pulls his calf muscle. We now have 3 fit first team defenders. Brilliant!

29/03/20

The time has come, for the players to make their way into the dressing room to find out if they are playing or not. The tension rises, no one speaks because they don’t want to say something that could change the team talk or the managers line up.

Ipswich have a problem. A big problem going into this game. These are the first teams that will not take part in the game this afternoon: Kayden Jackson, Luke Woolfenden, Luke Garbutt, Luke Chambers, James Wilson, Andre Dozzell, Janoi Donacien and Emyr Huws. 8 very good players all unavailable for Ipswich Town this afternoon.

Sunderland don’t fair much better. They too have been struggling with injuries and international call ups. Bali Mumba, Tyreece John Jules, Laurens de Bock, Conor McLaughlin, Tom Flanagan, Will Grigg and Lynden Gooch are all unavailable for the game, so it will be two make shift sides taking to the field.




0’ KICK OFF - Ipswich kick the game off in front of a surprisingly packed out Wembley stadium.

1’ CORNER IPSWICH - Alan Judge stands over the corner, he crosses it to the near post but it’s headed away only as far as Barry Cotter. He loses the ball to O’Nien and now Sunderland counter at speed with Sims. Skips past Kenlock, but Vincent Young is there to put the ball out for a throw in.

3’ CHANCE SUNDERLAND - long ball over the top from Willis finds McNulty, he squares up Cotter, moves the ball to his left and strikes it towards goal, but Cotter gets his foot in the way to direct it for a corner. Good start by Sunderland.

3’ SUNDERLAND CORNER - McGeouch with the corner, he crosses it to the near post for DOBSONNNNN........and it’s 1-0 to Sunderland after only 3 minutes. Ipswich Town’s makeshift defence couldn’t handle the cross, and now they are down so early on.

35’ IPSWICH THROW - 30 minutes has gone by without a single highlight to show for it, but Ipswich have a throw in on this near side with Vincent Young. He finds Edwards, back to Downes, he floats one into the penalty spot......... and Freddie Sears is there slam the ball home to make it 1-1. A beautiful delivery by Flynn Downes and Sears’ shot is too powerful for McLaughlin to keep out. All square.

42’ IPSWICH CORNER - The Ipswich captain Alan Judge stands over this one, he swings it into the near post..........AND ITS BARRY COTTER WHO GETS THERE FIRST. It’s 2-1 to Ipswich Town. The youngster wasn’t even supposed to be playing a few days ago, but the injury to Chambers has pushed him into the team, and he is making it count. His first ever senior goal and it came at Wembley. What a moment for the 20-year-old.

45’ HALF TIME - Ipswich 2-1 Sunderland.



Sunderland started the brighter of the two sides, and deservedly got their goal in the 3rd minute, but since then haven’t had a shot on target, and barely even a shot either. Since that goal went in it has been all Ipswich, they have had 65% of the ball this half, and rightfully got their reward. A lovely volley from Freddie Sears got them level, and then a trademark Ipswich Town gave them the leader. Luke Woolfenden has scored 9 near post headers this season, and Barry Cotter comes in and does the same. The second half is going to be a belter.


46’ KICK OFF - Sunderland will get us underway here as they look to come from behind.

61’ IPSWICH FREE KICK - Vincent Young from just inside his own half stands over the ball. He tries to float one over the top, but it’s intercepted by Ozturk. No wait, he’s given it away straight to Jon Nolan, out to Sears, inside to Downes, who switches it Edwards. Ipswich playing with such freedom here. Edwards cuts inside, and loops one over to Sears on the edge of the box. Headed away by O’Nien only to Kenlock. To Nolan, inside again to Judge, Sunderland can’t get the ball back. But Judge slips, Max Power steals the ball, plays in Sims. Their second attack of the game...... and they’ve scored! It’s 2-2! Sunderland have gone forward twice in this game and scored both times. They’ve looked so out of this game with no possession and no chances, but somehow they are level!

65’ SUNDERLAND SUB - McGeady On, Watmore Off.

68’ IPSWICH SUB - Rowe on, Edwards off.

73’ SUNDERLAND CORNER. Sunderland have a corner on the far side, this is the third attack they’ve had this game. McGeouch swings it in...... but it’s just over from Lynch. So close to taking the lead there.

78’ SUNDERLAND FREE KICK. McGeouch stands over it...... and Ozturk is there to nod it home! IT'S 3-2! Their 3rd shot on target results in a third goal, how on earth are Ipswich Town losing this game I do not know!

86’ IPSWICH BALL - Vincent Young has it at the back, lifts it clear to Will Keane. He plays a superb ball over the top for Freddie Sears. He’s one on one with the keeper.......but the keeper makes the save. Ipswich Corner.

86’ IPSWICH SUB - Norwood on, Judge Off.

88’ IPSWICH THROW - Vincent Young has it. Throws it to Downes, he floats it in, Jon Nolan is there 3 yards out......and he puts it over. That was the chance. That was the chance for Ipswich to take the game to penalties, and they blew it.

90’ FULL TIME - the whistle blows. Sunderland have won it. 3 shots on target, 3 goals. 28% possession, but they won’t care one bit. Ipswich’s injury problems come to haunt them, but they would have felt like they did enough to win the game.


Once again, I have been FM’d. Don’t know how we didn’t win that, but I can guarantee if we had Chambers, Woolfenden, Jackson and Huws, we would have absolutely battered them. And that’s the annoying part. Still, onto the April I guess, now into the closing stages of the season.

That win over Oxford was massive but I can't help but feel the Coventry loss could cost you automatic promotion with Sunderland holding two games in hand. On Sunderland, a massive shame in losing the final. Not particularly a trophy anyone really cares about but to win anything is great.

The intake looks good with Thorne looking like he could potentially be in with a chance of making the first team squad as early as next season!

Here we are then, 6 games to define our season. 5 in April, and 1 in May. What will George Burley’s fate be? Automatic Promotion and he keeps his job. Play offs, he’ll need to win at Wembley, but if he doesn’t get there, I don’t see Marcus Evans keeping him on much longer. Let’s see what happens.


04/04/20

It may only be the start of the month but I truly believe this is going to go down to wire. The only thing I will say, is that we don’t have a favourable run in to the end of the season, as we play 3 of the bottom 4 teams to end the season. Our tougher games are Shrewsbury and MK Dons, so getting some points from them could be key, but today our attention turns to Southend.

Ipswich were dealt a massive body blow when they faced Sunderland in the Leasing.Com Trophy final, as they have 8 first teamers out. For this game however, they will be boosted by the returns of Emyr Huws, Andre Dozzell, Teddy Bishop, James Wilson and Janoi Donacien. However, Cole Skuse joins Kayden Jackson as being out for the season.

Southend look doomed to relegation, even falling behind Bolton in the league table. They sit 7 points behind 19th, and will need a miracle run of results to stay up. They will have to do so today without Nathan Ralph and Harry Lennon.




That was way tougher than it needed to be, shouldn’t have been as tight as it was. The only saving grace from this game was that Wycombe lost 2-0 at home to Rotherham, and Blackpool drew 0-0 with Burton. So us, Sunderland and Oxford have taken the initiative early in the month.



10/04/20

After the stress of the last game against Southend, we now host 22nd in the league Bolton at home. They game is making these easy fixtures much tougher than it should be, but currently we sit top of the league, and a win here could be massive for the promotion push. Just before the game, Sunderland played Blackpool for both teams game in hand, and drew 0-0. That is huge as we know have a 3 point lead at the top, and Sunderland have only 1 game in hand. It’s tight, but we are in the drivers seat.

Ipswich are once again without Cole Skuse, Luke Chambers and Kayden Jackson, who is showing signs of a return just before the final two of the season, so could be in line for a return. Ipswich’s season will also be massively boosted by the return of Luke Woolfenden, who is back from suspension.

Bolton are blessed by a full squad for this trip to Ipswich, but are in the same boat as Southend, as they need to start picking up results. The sad part is, if they didn’t have their 12 point deduction, they’d be 17th right now. Really well done from Bolton this year, but Ipswich might put the final nail in the coffin.




It’s all coming together at the perfect time, 3 goals sends us on our way to a victory. But the luck is now turning onto our side, as both Wycombe and Sunderland drew their games, so we have a 5 point lead over 3rd place Wycombe with 4 games to play. Could be over before the season is done at this rate.



13/04/20

4 games to play, and despite having a 5 point lead, any slip up could be costly. We are away to Shrewsbury in a crunch tie, where are victory all but assures us a place in the Championship next season.

Shrewsbury are stuck in mid table, unable to relegated but to far away to be promoted, so they are preparing for another season in League One. They have a full squad to choose from, as they look to dent Ipswich’s promotion hopes.

Ipswich are in the driving seat for the league, and will be happy seeing the news that Kayden Jackson and Luke Chambers are nearing a return, and should be fully fit for the Doncaster game. They will be looking at results elsewhere, but will need to do the job themselves.




Horrible way to lose the game, but we were dominated throughout the match. Annoyed that we let the lead slip, and it could have been costly for the promotion race. But the gods are shining over Ipswich in April, as none of the 4 chasers won their games, and only Wycombe picked up a point. We are still 4 points clear with 3 to play. All in our hands.



18/04/20

3 games to play, 4 point lead. If Sunderland won their game in hand they overtake Wycombe and go second, 3 points behind us. We play 20th placed Rochdale at home, a game that should surely result in 3 points for us, but we keep slipping up and not performing to expectations this month.

Ipswich are on the verge of promotion, and will be boosted by the news that Luke Chambers has returned to full training. Could be the spark that the club needs to take themselves to the next level. Kayden Jackson is also on the verge of a return for Doncaster.

Rochdale are in a fight of their own, as they sit 3 points below 19th, and a win here could do wonders for their survival hopes, but will have to do so without Robert Sanchez, and Ipswich loaner Jordon Roberts for this game.




Oh what a win for us to grab right near the end of the season. We are still not promoted completely, but both Wycombe and Sunderland drew their games, so we are 6 clear of Wycombe in 2nd, and 7 clear of Sunderland in 3rd, but they still have their game in hand. If Sunderland lose to Southend in midweek, then we are promoted to the Championship.



25/04/20

Southend Sunderland was played in midweek. A win for Southend would mean we are promoted. At 85 minutes, Southend were 2-0 up and we were promoted to the Championship, 2 minutes later, Sunderland score twice and draw level, so we wait another day. But we are 6 clear with two games to play, so a point at Doncaster secures is the promotion.

Doncaster are desperate for a win, they sit 20th and 2 points behind Accrington, but they will have to challenge Ipswich without Kazaiah Sterling, and possibly Reece James and Ben Whiteman. This game is huge for both sides, but who will blink first?

The game is doing everything possible to make it impossible for us to go up, as Luke Chambers, Gwion Edwards and Andre Dozzell have all been ruled out for the rest of the season due to injury. We only need a point, but it means Toto Nsiala and Ben Morris are going to need to step up for us.




Not the greatest result for us to work with at the end of the season, shouldn’t be losing to a team in the relegation zone.......................BUT IT DOESNT MATTER WHEN SUNDERLAND AND WYCOMBE BOTH DRAW!!!!!!!!!!! We have won Sky Bet League One with one game to spare! Oh it’s such a good feeling, especially after that abysmal start to the season. It’s been one of the most stressful end to the seasons I’ve been a part off, with 4 teams still in contention to join us as automatic promotion sides. Bring on the Championship!



The man responsible for this amazing season is the player of the month for Ipswich Town in April, as Will Keane leads us to the title. I needed a striker to step up, and Keano has done exactly that. A brilliant month that sends us back to where we belong.




Oh that letter C is a beautiful thing to see. We are the champions of League One, and we lost 11 games. Christ we were not very good this year at all! Still, I will take that promotion. Burley had been under the cosh the whole season, but he has delivered when necessary. The fight for 2nd is still on, and the fight to survive as well.






TheLFCFan - I felt at that time that Sunderland were going to be the favourites with their games in hand, but since the Leasing.Com final, they have really slipped and we have taken advantage of that. Thorne might even make his debut against MK Dons, who knows?

After the disappointment at Wembley, Ipswich win the one that mattered the most. Although form wasn't always ideal, Burley's side had enough about them when the other contenders didn't. Congratulations!

ScottT - it seemed every team felt the nerves heading into the final few games, we just had enough in us to push ourselves through and into the Championship. Going to be a tough season no doubt, wonder how Burley will fair back in the second division.

So, the season is one game from over. We have done what was set for us at the beginning of the season. We had to do it the hard way, struggling bad in August, smashing it up in September, slowly creeping in October, a prefect month of November, a worrying section of December, a stressful January, a developing February, a mixed month of March, and a demanding April. We host MK Dons in the last game of the season, and with about 9 new injuries to handle, the youth might need to step up.


05/05/20

The final game of the season sees Ipswich host play off pushing MK Dons, the hosts have already secured their position in the Championship, but MK Dons are teetering on the edge of the play offs, currently sat in 6th and battling Tranmere for that final spot.

Ipswich are dealing with a lot of injuries to their players, with Gwion Edwards, Andre Dozzell, Luke Chambers, Teddy Bishop and Flynn Downes all our injuried. With the title already secured, could this be the time for some kids to prove their talent?

MK Dons needed a victory to secure their play off spot, so don’t be surprised if they go all out for the result. They are battling Tranmere for the final position, and will want to make sure they capitalise on Ipswich’s possible rotation system for this game.




HaaHaa even the reserves can beat MK Dons. That loss also pushed Tranmere into the play offs, so that’s a double win. 2 goals for Jon Nolan in what could be his last appearance for the club as we may be looking to move him on in July, but still a great performance from some of the kids as well.



We have reached the end of the league season, and we have secured ourselves a place in the Sky Bet Championship for the 2020/21 season. Now that the 2019/20 season has come to a close, its time to look back across the world to see what’s being going on in our save this year.

LEAGUE TABLES

TROPHIES AND AWARDS

IPSWICH POSITIONS

CLUB STATS

So, that’s the round up of all the extra bits that have happened this season. I hope you have enjoyed reading my 2019/20 season with Ipswich Town, and let’s hope 2020/21 can be a belter as well. Our next update will be a look ahead to Pre Season, and any interesting things that happen between now and the 1st of July.

A lot to process in this update, admittedly I haven't read through everything just yet. I look forward to doing so over the course of the day! A lot of surprises in the winners of certain competitions. Bournemouth and Norwich winning domestic trophies, whilst Inter and Dortmund triumphed over their dominant rivals of Juventus and Bayern. My team, Accrington, just about survived too. Good stuff. Exeter dropping back to the Conference is a surprise.

Congrats on the promotion. That was an exciting season. Are you ready for the next season in the Championship?

Congrats on the promotion! Sunderland really did help you out with that one but you won and are champions so who cares. Next season will be a tough one I fear but hopefully you can bring back Norris and have a more settled defense. Moving forward I think a striker has to be a top priority in the summer as you really struggled to convert chances at times this year and in the championship you won't be able to just rely on one player like you did this year. Hope you have a good summer window and next year we see less injuries!

ScottT - haahaa sorry about that I went a bit stats heavy with the update. Thought it would be a nice round up for the season to see what was going on in the world whilst I was focusing entirely on Ipswich. Most of the leagues seem to play out as expected but the cups were the biggest shock for me, besides the Champions League Final.

MJK46 - honestly, no. There are a lot of week spots in this team, and we were able to paper over the cracks in league one just because we had a bigger squad than others. This summer will have to be a lot of wheeling and dealing to remove the 'league one level' players, and try and bring in some more quality.

TheLFCFan - None of the top 6 wanted to go up! somehow we just performed not as bad as the others. The defence was really annoying last season just because it kept changing. I need to work on KVY and Woolfy's temperament in games, and maybe look for two new boys next to them. A Striker is the first thing I am going to look for, someone to either challenge Keane or overthrow him.

The first season of the save has flown by, and now as we prepare for our adventure back into the Sky Bet Championship, we must first tackle the off season between June and July. I’m not sure what this off season will bring, but I can assume some player movements and new deals being in the pipeline.


01/06/20

We begin the month with the news that two of our loanees, Will Norris and Luke Garbutt have returned to Wolves and Everton respectively. They were both absolute essentials in our side last season. However, both players contracts are up in the summer, so could be open to moves back to us. The problem with that is that a) Luke Garbutt is only £27,000 at Everton, and we can’t afford anywhere near that, and b) we’ve just received the news that Bartosz Bialkowski has returned from Millwall. Despite the Lions having an underwhelming season, finishing 20th, Bart did keep 10 clean sheets for the club. He could be the guy we have taking the reigns this season if he doesn’t want to leave.


02/06/20


The early news coming out of pre season is that Gwion Edwards has signed a new deal at Ipswich Town football club until 2023. The player is said to be excited with his new deal, and can’t wait to help Ipswich next season in the Championship.

However, their is some bad news emerging from Ipswich, that Bartosz Bialkowski has handed in a transfer request after admitting to feeling homesick. What will this do for George Burley, and how much will he be able to negotiate for him?

First of all, I’m very happy for Gwion. He really made that right wing position his own last season, and I’m excited to see what he can bring to the side in the Championship. As for Bart, I can understand where he is coming from, but I can’t see any polish sides coming in for his signature when he is worth 1.7mill.


08/06/20

Looks like George Burley has changed the attitude of Marcus Evans throughout the season, as he has been able to ask for a development for the youth facilities, to take the clubs academy to the next level. It will cost a fair amount of money; but clearly Evans is keen on making the youth facilities at Ipswich Town the best in the game.

We are also hearing that Marcus has granted the request for the Youth Recruitment to be increased to an established set up, one away from the highest level you can get.

I am really pleased that these requests got granted. One of the visions Marcus set out when I am arrived at the club was to develop players using the clubs youth system, and this is exactly what I wanted to happen. The academy is getting a boost, and hopefully the players coming through will help as well. A better youth recruitment system could be massive, and with one of the best Head of Youth Developments in the country in Bryan Klug, we are in a very good position for the next 10 years.

In other news, Liverpool just signed Raphael Varane from Real Madrid for 83mill. Alisson, Trent, Van Dijk, Varane, Robertson. Yikes!


14/06/20


Ipswich Town have announced this extension to the contract of Kane Vincent Young, after rejecting a £2million bid from newly promoted Sunderland, until 2024 .The Young full back is said to be very happy that Ipswich have shown this much faith in him, as he looks to repay their faith for the next 4 years.

Honestly ecstatic about this deal. I know he wasn’t amazing last season, but if he can lower his aggression this season, then he will be such a key player for us. He didn’t get many assists, but when he was out of the side, we lost more games than we won. He adds that confidence to the back line, and I’m so happy he didn’t want to leave.

Also, Norwich just spent £58million on Hamza Choudary from Leicester. Sure.


24/06/20

In a shock turn of events, Marcus Evans has gone to George Burley with a request to boost the clubs scouting range. It wasn’t an idea that Burley was looking at for the summer, but Marcus Evans must be keen for the club to take that next step, and increasing the scouting system to analyse the whole world seems to be the best step forward.

I was shocked when Marcus came to be asking to increase the scouting knowledge. You get the customary one on the first day of pre season, usually saying he wants to increase the wages for the U23 Data Analysts, but I’ve never seen him be this enthusiastic and outlandish with a request. Yes please let’s go and grab some Fiji internationals !


28/06/20


We are hearing news of a double extension for the contracts of Teddy Bishop and Flynn Downes. Two youngsters who have come through the youth side in recent years and haven’t cemented themselves as first teamers, have seen their deals extended until 2022 and 2023 respectively.

Two more kids signing for the long term. Teddy Bishop was cursed with injuries last season, but has 5 star potential and I want him to get as many games as possible. Flynn Downes was an obvious player to get tied down for 3 more years, our best midfielder at the age of 21, and will be wanted by Prem sides if he has even only a half decent season.


So, that’s the off season between June and July. A few new contracts for some of our key players, and also a whole host of bids rejected for a few of ours as well. I have sold and brought in a few players already, but I want to do a full transfer run through in the July update. I have also listed up about 7 of our players, just so that we can get some of them of our wage. Let’s see what the team will look like at the beginning of the new year. But first we must take a look at who we play in pre season.

I like how you made the presentation and it is always good to keep some of the core players that will be an assert for the upcoming season.