What went wrong and what next for Ipswich?
Ipswich Town’s rapid rise to the top is now starting a descent the club itself has been braced for.
Successive promotions from League One to the Premier League ended their 22-year exile from the top flight last summer, but they have been unable to stave off an immediate return to the Championship.
The Tractor Boys’ fate was sealed on Saturday afternoon by Champions League-chasing Newcastle, who capitalised on Ben Johnson’s first-half red card to secure a comfortable 3-0 victory.
Ipswich’s relegation is not a huge surprise, even within Portman Road. They are in better shape than fellow relegated sides Southampton and Leicester – financially and in terms of strategy and togetherness.
But that did not make the sound of Michael Salisbury’s final whistle at St James’ Park any less painful for boss Kieran McKenna and his players, who looked crestfallen as they applauded their fans at full time.
“We’re disappointed and gutted the dream is over,” said defender Luke Woolfenden. “We’ve not been at it this season. I think we have probably let ourselves down one too many times.”
McKenna, meanwhile, admitted he had come to terms with the prospect of relegation following the 2-1 defeat by Wolves at Portman Road earlier this month.
“We knew we had given ourselves too much to do,” he told Sky Sports. “We knew the games had run out.”
‘There are so many lessons’
With the Saints and the Foxes joining Ipswich in the Championship next season, all three promoted sides have suffered instant demotion.
It is the first time in Premier League history that the identity of all three relegated sides has been known with as many as four games to go, and the second time after 2005-06 that all three have been confirmed before May.
It is not difficult to understand why McKenna cut a resigned figure after the Wolves defeat, which left the Tractor Boys 12 points adrift of safety with seven matches remaining.
His team have lost a league-high 27 points from winning positions this season – including the loss against Wolves, who recovered from 1-0 down to triumph 2-1.
They have also struggled to turn Portman Road into a fortress, collecting just seven of their 21 points so far in front of their own supporters.
Only rock-bottom Southampton have picked up fewer points on home soil this season.
“There are so many lessons,” McKenna said. “Ours might be different from other clubs’ because we’ve climbed so quickly from League One. It’s been a massive challenge.
“There are many things we have done positively that will set us up well for the years ahead, and there are some things we could have done better and things we will learn from.”
Injuries have not been kind to Ipswich either this season. They were without 10 first-team players at Newcastle on Saturday, with Leif Davis’ suspension leaving them without a recognised left-back.
Discipline – or a lack of it – has also been an issue. Johnson’s dismissal was Ipswich’s fifth red card of the season – only Arsenal have had as many red cards in the top flight in 2024-25.
“[Red cards] have been costly,” McKenna told BBC Match of the Day. “I think we had one in my two-and-half years before this season.
“To have five this season is a reflection of a lot of things.”
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