Ipswich Town

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Ipswich Town midfielder Jack Taylor says the current team should not be compared with the one which won promotion from the Championship two years ago.

Taylor is one of only a handful of players who were part of the side which reached the Premier League by finishing second with 96 points - their second successive promotion.

They are well placed in the automatic promotion race with Saturday's 2-1 win at Derby keeping them third in the table, five points behind second-placed Coventry, but with a game in hand.

"I don't think you can compare. The squad is completely different, if you look at all the players that have left and the players that have come in, it's a different profile so difficult to judge on that," he told BBC Radio Suffolk.

"Talent-wise, I'd say (there's) probably a little bit more now but the group we had at the time, we knew our jobs and the team didn't really rotate as much as it does this year."

He added: "The season we went up two years ago, teams didn't expect us to play how we did and came after us a little bit more - now we're playing against teams that are low blocking and getting bodies behind the ball, which is harder to break down.

"And we're expected to win every game now in the Championship, which is completely different to two years ago. That's the challenge we've got ahead of us."

Ipswich take a break from league action on Friday when they visit Wrexham in the FA Cup fourth round.

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Ipswich Town boss Kieran McKenna was full of praise for his side - and substitute Kasey McAteer's contribution - following the 2-1 win over in-form Derby County.

McAteer laid on the winner with a wonderful far-post cross for Leif Davis, who headed home an equally brilliant winner,

McKenna told BBC Radio Suffolk: "I really enjoyed that one, maybe more than many games this year, and we've had some really good wins.

"We played some really good football - the first goal was a bit lucky but we should have been two or three up.

"We gave away a poor penalty when I didn't think they looked like scoring, but [we] had to show a response, and it was a brilliant response.

"He [McAteer] has been taking big strides in training. He has been doing really well, taking steps forward.

"We think there is a lot more to come from him, and, of course, when you get an assist like that for a winning goal, that is a big boost for him that I think has been coming. Really happy with his impact, and the other subs as well."

Ipswich Town identified Millwall winger Femi Azeez as a potential signing during the transfer window but could not progress a deal, says head coach Kieran McKenna.

The Suffolk club signed Bristol City forward Anis Mehmeti for an undisclosed fee and Sunderland midfielder Dan Neil on loan as they challenge for an immediate return to the Premier League.

"I know he's [Azeez] a player the club have monitored for a while and likes and felt he could bring some different qualities to the squad, but in the end he's a Millwall player and wasn't attainable so we crack on as we are," McKenna told BBC Radio Suffolk.

Ipswich also allowed forward Sammie Szmodics (Derby), full-back Harry Clarke (Charlton) and midfielder Cameron Humphreys (Huddersfield) to leave on loan with McKenna comfortable with the exit of Szmodics.

"It's clear from a football perspective where Sammie is and what he's done. He had a positive first half of the season with us in the Premier League scoring four goals by Christmas," said McKenna.

"He's had two big injuries in the calendar year that have held him back a little bit but in the end it wasn't a football decision down to his performance. It was made in the best interests of our group dynamic, our dressing-room culture and the values of our dressing room and our team."

Ipswich are fourth in the Championship table and visit Derby on Saturday (12:31 GMT).

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There's a big game in the Championship promotion race on Saturday lunchtime as Derby welcome Ipswich to Pride Park (12:31 GMT).

The Rams like seventh, two points outside the play-off places and six points below the Tractor Boys, who start the day fourth, seven points outside the automatic promotion spots, though still with a game in hand on the sides above them.

Derby's 5-0 romp at Bristol City on Friday was their third straight away win, but they have won just one of their past eight home games in all competitions.

Ipswich salvaged a late point against Preston on Saturday but though they have a good record at Derby of late, Town have won only one of their past six on their travels.

• Derby are winless in their past four league games against Ipswich (D2 L2) since a 2-0 home win in August 2018.

• Ipswich have won four of their past five away league games against Derby (L1), keeping a clean sheet in each victory.

• Derby have won just one of their past seven home league games (D3 L3), beating Middlesbrough 1-0 on New Year's Day.

• Ipswich have won just one of their past six away league games (D2 L3), beating league leaders Coventry City 2-0 in December.

• Derby have scored in each of their past 20 league games, last having a longer scoring streak between November 1975 and April 1976 in the top-flight (21).

Graeme McLoughlin
BBC Radio Suffolk sport

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It feels harsh saying it because Ipswich Town have not been quiet this month, but by not bringing in a striker many supporters will have felt underwhelmed when the transfer window closed.

Players with guaranteed goals are hard to find in January, especially on the cheap, but Town have had success previously at this time of year. They brought in both Kieffer Moore and George Hirst during winter windows, with both players having a big impact on the club's rise from League One to the Premier League.

Hirst, who joined on loan in January 2023 before making the move to Portman Road permanent, has been struggling to recapture his best form of late, and his main competition comes from Como loanee Ivan Azon, who is also short of goals and experiencing English football for the first time.

There is therefore a popular opinion that a proven number nine could well have been the difference between Kieran McKenna's side achieving play-off football this May, or earning automatic promotion.

However, in the previous runs to promotion, Town's top goalscorers were Conor Chaplin and Nathan Broadhead, neither of whom play at centre forward.

Town have brought in a goal threat in Anis Mehmeti from Bristol City, who at 25 could have a lot to offer the Blues going forward. That said, there is a lot of competition for places in his area of the field.

The loan signing of Dan Neil from Sunderland could be a very shrewd move. The midfielder brings leadership and control, and has been a proven winner at Sunderland. Like Mehmeti, Neil's best years in football ought to be ahead of him, and if the next few months go well he could be in line for an extended stay at Portman Road.

Supporters who feared that double-promotion winner Wes Burns might move on in January can breathe easier. The Welsh international has made an impressive comeback following a near year-long injury lay-off, and appears to be first choice again on the right wing.

Sammie Szmodics has moved on, and his loan switch to Derby County suits all parties. Injuries have blighted the 30-year-old's stay at Ipswich, and he will hope to find his way again under John Eustace with whom he enjoyed good times at Blackburn.

Other outgoing loans in Harry Clarke and Cameron Humphreys have also made sense, with both players enjoying regular game time at Charlton Athletic and Huddersfield Town respectively, which they would not have received with their parent club.

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Ipswich Town boss Kieran McKenna has backed striker George Hirst to "stick at it" for the team in the remaining months of the Championship season.

Town did not sign any senior outfield players on transfer deadline day despite many believing additional firepower was needed.

Even though the Tractor Boys are third in the table, Hirst, Ivan Azon and Chuba Akpom have only scored 10 goals between them.

"He'd probably stand up himself and say it's probably not been his best run but he's a tough character and he's done well for us every season in every division," McKenna told BBC Radio Suffolk, when asked about Hirst.

"He just has to keep going and get in the right positions, do the right things in training and in games. I don't think there's a striker in history who hasn't had a period like that but he'll stick at it and he has a part to play for sure."

Ipswich were due to start a run of four successive away games in league and cup at Portsmouth on Tuesday evening, but the game was postponed because of a waterlogged pitch.

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Today is the final chance of the season for your Championship team to do transfer business.

The window closes at 19:00 GMT, meaning teams - and fans - can avoid the usual late-night transfer scramble.

It has already been a busy window - for some teams anyway - but whether it turns out to be a day of transfer action or a pretty quiet one for your club, you will be able to keep across it all on BBC Sport.

Follow our live text coverage throughout the day here

Ipswich Town will look to regain their form against relegation battlers Portsmouth when the two meet at Fratton Park on Tuesday (19:45 GMT).

Ipswich have not won either of their past two league games (D1 L1) and as a result have slipped seven points adrift of the top two.

While Pompey are in fine form, undefeated across their past four (W2 D2) to help lift them out of striking distance from the bottom three.

• Portsmouth are winless in each of their last five league games against Ipswich Town (D2 L3), since a 2-1 home win in League One in March 2021.

• Ipswich won 2-1 at Portman Road in the reverse fixture with Portsmouth in September this season, and could now complete a league double over Pompey for the first time since 2011-12 under Paul Jewell.

• Portsmouth are winless in each of their last nine midweek Championship games (Tue/Wed/Thu - D3 L6), since beating Cardiff City 2-1 in February 2025 – Pompey have failed to score in four of their last five midweek games.

• Ipswich Town have won only one of their last six Championship away games (D2 L3), and could lose back-to-back league matches on the road outside of the Premier League for the first time since December 2021 in League One.

• Portsmouth's Colby Bishop has scored more goals in the Football League against Ipswich Town than any other opponent (6 goals – 3 for Accrington Stanley, 3 for Pompey)

Marc Webber
Final Score reporter

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In the next month, Ipswich Town fans will have to do almost double the miles The Proclaimers did to see their team play.

No game in the next 27 days at Portman Road means supporters having to travel a total of 1,736 miles to see their next five encounters.

And every one of those games has the potential to be a banana skin just waiting to trip up Ipswich's push for promotion and FA Cup success.

Portsmouth are becoming the form team in the relegation fight; Derby and Wrexham are also showing form at the other end of the table.

Even Watford could be perked up by a new manager bounce by the time they meet Ipswich, after Javi Gracia's resignation Sunday.

And those fans who believe in stats will not be cheered by the fact Ipswich are 14th in the table of away performances with four wins, four draws and five defeats. They are second in the league table of home-only games.

The good news is only two of their four forthcoming hosts boast decent home form. That's Watford at fifth place and Wrexham at 11th.

Portsmouth are 14th and Derby would be flirting with relegation if only their games at Pride Park counted.

They are a woeful 20th in the home-only league table.

Ipswich Town boss Kieran McKenna spoke to BBC Radio Suffolk after their 1-1 draw against Preston North End.

"It was a tough challenge. They came today with a gameplan, they defended really deep, put an extra body in midfield which they don't usually do and they made it really hard for us to break them down," he said.

"We did some good things, we came close a few times but we didn't quite do enough or execute enough. We need to keep working on it.

"We didn't quite manage to counter enough throughout the game. Daniel Jebbison was a big threat with his running and then they scored their goal from a set play which was a bit lucky as well to be honest in terms of how it fell but we didn't defend it well enough.

"After that I thought the reaction from the team and the stadium was really good."

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Ipswich Town boss Kieran McKenna has urged Kasey McAteer to follow the example of team-mate Wes Burns as he looks establish himself at Portman Road.

McAteer joined Town from Leicester City for £12m last summer, but has only started eight of his 16 league appearances - and has yet to score his first goal.

Wales international Burns has been preferred on the right flank by McKenna in the past two games - but the manager has no doubt McAteer will come good in time.

"He's making some really good strides, both behind the scenes, and with the minutes that he's had on the pitch of late," McKenna said.

"He's 24, but football-wise he's really young. He's a late developer who started playing first-team football late. He's absolutely rapid, is good with both feet, can go forwards and backwards, and we think he's got potential to keep improving.

"He didn't quite have the rhythm at the start of the season, which can happen to the best players in the world transferring to the best clubs in the world, but he's stuck at it, we're seeing growth in training.

"It's difficult because Wes has come back into the group [after injury] and has the benefit of promotions here, goals here, and the confidence of the crowd and everyone behind him."

McKenna added: "Look at where Wes was at 24. I think he was maybe playing right-back for Fleetwood for the next three or four years.

"Kasey's got some of the same qualities but he's still a bit younger in terms of learning the game. We're happy with how he's progressing and know he's ready to contribute as and when the team needs him."

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Sheffield United manager Chris Wilder has dismissed accusations that the Blades try to "bully" opponents.

Ipswich captain Dara O'Shea told the East Anglian Daily Times his side needed to do better against "teams like that, teams who want to come and bully us", external after Saturday's 3-1 defeat by the Blades.

Wilder has taken exception to the comments, saying they show a lack of respect for his side.

"The perception of that game on Saturday is that we wanted it to be a rough and tumble game, we wanted it to be a spiky game, we wanted it to be a bitty game, we wanted it not to be a game of football - absolute nonsense," Wilder told BBC Radio Sheffield.

"I heard their captain come out and say 'Oh it's a direct game and we can't get sucked into that type of game' and I just thought it was absolute nonsense and a lack of respect really for us, if I'm honest, because the name of the game is to run around, win tackles, win headers, win races and play - and we did.

"They've got a lot of good players, Ipswich - really good players - and in my opinion they're going to go up but we asked the question and we'll get asked the question this weekend."

The Blades, 17th in the Championship, travel to fifth-placed Millwall on Saturday.

Ipswich Town and Preston North End are both hoping to return to winning ways when they meet at Portman Road.

The Suffolk side's 3-1 defeat by Sheffield United last weekend means they are now five points outside the automatic promotion places - albeit with a game in hand on the top two - while Preston have slipped to ninth after a three-match losing streak.

• Ipswich have lost their past two Championship games against Preston (3-2 in February 2024 and 1-0 in August 2025), only once previously losing three in a row against them in the second tier: a run of four between August 2005 and March 2007.

• Preston will be aiming to complete a league double over Ipswich for the first time since 2008-09, when they beat them home (3-2) and away (2-1) under Alan Irvine.

• Ipswich were beaten by Sheffield United last time out (3-1 at Bramall Lane), but have only lost consecutive Championship matches under Kieran McKenna once previously (2-1 v Middlesbrough and 3-0 v Charlton in October 2025).

• Preston have lost their past three Championship games without scoring a single goal, last having a longer streak in a single campaign in April-May 2024 (five losses, zero goals).

• Ipswich's Marcelino Nunez has assisted seven goals in the Championship this season – since 2018-19, only one midfielder has registered more in a single second-tier campaign for the club (eight by Conor Chaplin in 2023-24).

Ipswich Town have expressed an interest in signing Leeds United striker Joel Piroe but it is thought the 26-year-old, who is also wanted by FC Twente, Paris FC and Celtic, is keen to stay at Elland Road and fight for his place. (Sky Sports), external

Ipswich are also weighing up a move to bring in striker Sam Surridge, 27, from MLS side Nashville SC. (The Telegraph), external

For more transfer news and rumours, read Thursday's full gossip column here.

Derby County are keen on a deal for Ipswich Town and Republic of Ireland forward Sammie Szmodics, 30, who has struggled for game time at Portman Road this season. (Mike McGrath, Telegraph), external

Want more transfer news from the EFL? Take a look at Wednesday's gossip column here.