Tractor Boys Gear Up for Premier League

Ed Sheeran Invests In Ipswich

First and foremost, results on the field are what will keep Ipswich up this season. But stability behind the scenes can be a massive boost to the players and fans. News that Ipswich fan and singing sensation Ed Sheeran has invested in the club should have a positive impact going into the new season.

The minority stake of 1.4% now owned by Sheeran won’t see sweeping changes to the Portman Road club, but his presence will help to boost the club’s profile in an age when marketing and social media are crucial to football clubs.

Sammie Szmodics Signs

Ipswich have made a lot of changes to playing personnel over the summer, and have beaten Leeds United to the signing of Irish forward Sammie Szmodics from Blackburn Rovers.

Szmodics finished last season as the Championship’s top scorer with 27 goals, and moves to Ipswich for a fee of around £9 million ($11.6m), with add-ons that could take the price up to around £11 million ($14.2m).

The Irishman’s former club Peterborough United will net 10% of the fee after negotiating a sell-on clause when he moved to Blackburn in 2022.

The Ireland international has 4-caps to his name and will be hoping to continue his fine form at his new club.

At 28, the diminutive forward has left it relatively late in his career to hit the big time, but looking at the success of players like Jamie Vardy could provide all the inspiration he needs.

He will join fellow new signing Liam Delap in a new look forward line, with Delap joining from Manchester City for around £15 million ($19.3m).

Can Phillips Find His Feet at Ipswich?

Another player to move to Ipswich from champions Manchester City is former Leeds and England midfielder Kalvin Phillips who joins on a season-long loan.

Phillips was an instrumental part of a Leeds team that enjoyed promotion to the Premiership and survived their first two seasons.

Born and bred in Leeds, the talented midfielder flourished under Marcelo Bielsa where he went on to become a mainstay of Gareth Southgate’s England team where he made 31 appearances and was named the England team’s player of the year for the 2020/21 season.

These impressive performances earned him a move to Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City for an initial fee of £42 million ($54m). Unfortunately, he wasn’t able to break into a Manchester City team that boasted world-class players in most positions.

A disappointing loan move to West Ham last season failed to kick-start the defensive midfielder’s career, but he has been praised for his attitude and commitment at every club he has played for.

Phillips’ 6-year contract with Manchester City has proven to be a bit of a stumbling block for any potential permanent transfers, with a multi-million pound-a-year deal difficult for most teams to match.

Ipswich are said to be paying a portion of Phillips’ wages and the former Leeds star is excited to start his new challenge.

Getting regular football is essential for the midfielder who is entering, what should be, the peak of his career. Lack of game-time saw him miss out on England’s Euro 2024 campaign, and he will be hopeful that a key role in Ipswich’s survival could see him back in contention.

Ipswich Town Season Preview

There is no doubt that the signings of last season’s top scorer in the Championship and a former England national team player of the year will improve Ipswich’s squad.

Under Kieran McKenna, Ipswich has risen from League One to the Premiership in around two and a half years. The former Tottenham and Manchester United Under 18s coach seemed to come out of nowhere and enjoy immediate success, and rumors of a move to Chelsea over the summer would have had the owners and fans worried.

His attack-minded brand of football has seen a lot of success in lower leagues, but there is a fear that the Premiership could be too big a hurdle to get over.

In recent years, teams like Norwich under Daniel Farke and Burnley under Vincent Kompany earned promotion to the Premiership by playing great football. A failure to adjust their style against a significantly higher-quality opposition saw them face immediate relegation.

Their high press and great work rate are other factors that worked really well for them in the Championship. McKenna’s game management could be the key to them staying up, having worked wonders by making the right changes at the right times.

The club has made a few signings that should complement and improve an already strong unit. Arijanet Muric joins from Burnley and is expected to fill the No.1 jersey, while Omari Hutchinson joins on a permanent transfer from Chelsea after a successful loan spell last season.

Ben Johnson brings Premier League experience from West Ham with Conor Townsend and Jacob Greaves joining from West Brom and Hull City respectively.

There is a positive feeling around Portman Road at the moment and their latest additions will add to that.

Starting the season at home against Liverpool and then away to Manchester City will always be a tough challenge and the top crypto gambling sites and sportsbooks will have very long odds on them.

Following a trip to AFC Wimbledon in the Carabao Cup, Ipswich restarts their Premier League campaign against Fulham, Brighton, and Southampton. This is when their season truly starts and these are the games they will need to start picking up points in if they are to survive.