Ipswich never stood a chance in a system stacked against them

Daniel Storey went to Ipswich Town to ask a difficult question with no easy answers: what is happening to promoted clubs in the Premier League?

Doing the 92 is Daniel Storey’s odyssey to every English football league club in a single season. This is club 82/92. The best way to follow his journey and read all of the previous pieces is by subscribing here

The one positive spin is that pride has not fully evaporated with hope. Throughout the first 10 minutes at Portman Road on Sunday, the Sir Bobby Robson stand chants together: “Blue and white army.”

When Arsenal score their first goal – and it has been coming – Ipswich Town supporters barely miss a beat. It is as if they are convinced that loudly proclaiming their support is the only way to suspend reality. If we keep on singing, this Premier League dream will never end.

How long Kieran McKenna’s contract is at Ipswich Town amid potential Portman Road exit fear

Ipswich Town are preparing for life back in the Championship, where the expectation will be to win promotion.

The Tractor Boys have enjoyed a remarkable rise under Kieran McKenna, with the former Man Utd coach leading the club from League One to the Premier League.

However, this season has been tough for Ipswich, as they’re set to be relegated with several games to go.

Kieran McKenna’s Ipswich Town future

Despite their struggles, McKenna’s stock remains high, as many recognise it was always going to be difficult to keep Ipswich in the top-flight given how quickly they had gone up the divisions.

Recent reports have claimed that McKenna could have Premier League interest this summer, so it remains to be seen whether he sticks around at Portman Road.

For his part, McKenna has tried to shut down any speculation, as he recently confirmed he was happy at Ipswich and wanted to stay when he was quizzed on his future.

Kieran McKenna’s contract situation

So, it will be interesting to see how it plays out, but Ipswich won’t be overly concerned about McKenna’s future, as they are well protected.

Following successive promotions, Ipswich faced a major battle to retain McKenna, as it was reported that Brighton, Chelsea and Man Utd all considered the Northern Irishman.

However, McKenna decided to stay with Ipswich, as he signed a contract that kept him at the club until the summer of 2028, with the Guardian claiming at the time that it made him one of the highest-paid managers in the country.

Of course, we don’t know the details of the contract, so there’s every chance it will contain a wage deduction following Ipswich’s relegation.

Furthermore, there may be a release clause as part of the agreement, which would make it easier for any club to prise McKenna away, although it’s not known if that’s the case.

From Ipswich’s perspective, they will feel McKenna is committed, and he will have a big say in what is a huge summer for the club.

Realistically, some key players will have to depart, and the books will need to be balanced. Yet, it won’t all be about sales and negativity, as McKenna and the recruitment team will want new faces through the door to freshen up the group.

At 38, McKenna is still very young for a manager, so Ipswich will still feel he can lead their project for the long-term, with the next challenge set to be trying to win promotion from the Championship in the 2025/26 season.