Ipswich Town

Ipswich Town striker Ivan Azon hopes to increase his goal tally in the second half of the season to boost his chances of achieving his ambition of playing in the Premier League.

The 23-year-old Spaniard joined Town on loan from Serie A side Como last summer and has managed two goals in 19 Championship games so far - but has only started seven of them.

"Of course, when you're a striker you want to score goals - I must be calm and I'm sure the goals will come," he told BBC Radio Suffolk.

"My goal is to play in the Premier League, I really think it's the best league in the world, so I would love to play in it and if it's here (at Ipswich) it will be incredible."

Azon was in the starting line-up as the lone striker for Ipswich's win at leaders Coventry on 29 December, but was back on the bench for the New Year's Day victory over Oxford United at Portman Road.

"I think I played well (against Coventry) but sometimes there are rotations so you can rest a bit and I understand that also," he said.

Following the postponement of Sunday's game at Portsmouth, Ipswich are in FA Cup action on Saturday at home to Blackpool.

Wycombe Wanderers are interested in bringing back Ipswich Town midfielder Cameron Humphreys, 22, after a successful loan spell with the Chairboys last season. (Bucks Free Press), external

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

Marc Webber
5 Live reporter

Image source, Shutterstock

Third in the Championship - and it is an amazing turnaround from when they were 13th in November.

Ipswich Town have been here before. But this time, it feels different.

When I covered the Town's rocket rise to the Premier League two seasons ago, Portman Road was electric every game.

The most notable constant chant was "we've got Super Kieran McKenna. He knows exactly what we need!" You don't hear that so much now.

I don't think it is a sign the fans have lost faith in the manager. They know he is still one of the most successful managers the club has had, certainly in modern times.

It is an indication of two things.

Firstly, it is a different, tougher challenge these days.

Ipswich were the newly-promoted upstarts two seasons ago. That meant they had freedom to play the end-to-end bravado that got them promoted.

However, this time they are the big side that everyone wants to beat.

And it has made for some nail-biting moments at Portman Road. No more so than the Oxford United game that could have easily been at least a draw.

Secondly, the manager has rotated more than he did the first time. But, that is because he has been able to.

A bigger budget thanks to Premier League parachute payments means Ipswich have been able to splash the cash.

Look away Norwich fans. There is no better example of that than Marcelino Nunez, who has been a great utility asset for Ipswich.

So, it is hard for the Blue Army to have a chant with static names in it, when the boss has the luxury of shifting stuff around.

It is amazing how Ipswich rose from 13th in November to second on New Year's Day. But this is a different kind of push to the Premier League, and fans need to be tolerant of that.

Image source, Shutterstock

Ipswich Town midfielder Jens Cajuste insisted "scruffy" wins were just as important as stylish ones after they beat Oxford United to climb to second place in the table.

The Tractor Boys are seeking a second promotion from the Championship in three seasons following relegation from the Premier League last May.

"It was a bit scruffy but the three points were massive, the table's looking pretty good and we keep on pushing," the Swede told BBC Radio Suffolk.

"We knew from the last time we played them a couple of months ago (a 2-1 defeat at Oxford) that it can be tricky so we were prepared for that and this time it went our way.

"It feels great [to be in the top two] but we know it's tight and there are so many games to go so we have to stay focused and not look too far ahead."

Ipswich have won nine of their past 15 games - including the last four at home - and have lost only twice in that run.

"We've definitely grown a lot as a team and got a lot better since the start of the season," said Cajuste, who was restored to the starting line-up after being on the bench for their 2-0 win at Coventry which ended 2025.

"We have so much quality, but the team spirit is very together, we respect each other as players - we know there are so many games, you have to be a different type of monster to play every single game and we have those, but for most players, you have to be able to rotate sometimes."

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Ipswich Town manager Kieran McKenna bemoaned his side's inability to kill Oxford off in their 2-1 win at Portman Road.

Jaden Philogene and Chuba Akpom scored in the first half, either side of Will Lankshear's equaliser.

Although pleased with the result, McKenna believes Ipswich made it more difficult than it needed to be.

"It should have been more comfortable for us," McKenna told BBC Radio Suffolk.

"The game was there; we got the goal in the first half and played some great stuff through the pitch. We lacked a clinical edge.

"We shouldn't have given away a goal with that level of control. It was harder than it needed to be."

Having climbed into the automatic promotion places, McKenna will hope his side learn lessons.

"We knew the game wasn't dead; it was a good reaction to their goal. But we wanted to win the second half. I thought we had good periods, but if you don't kill the game off, it is always going to be edgy."

Image source, Opta

Promotion-chasing Ipswich Town welcome relegation-battling Oxford United for a clash with permutations at both ends of the Championship table on New Year's Day (15:00 GMT kick-off).

The Tractor Boys moved within two points of the automatic promotion spots with an excellent 2-0 win at leaders Coventry City on Monday night.

Kieran McKenna's side have won four of their past six (D1 L1) and have only suffered one defeat at Portman Road so far this season (W7 D4).

The U's have won just one of their past six games (D1 L4) and are three points adrift of safety having played a game more than Portsmouth in 21st.

• Ipswich Town lost 2-1 to Oxford United in the reverse fixture back in November and could suffer a league double to the U's for the very first time.

• Oxford have only won two of their 12 away games against Ipswich in the EFL (D3 L7), winning 2-1 in October 1988 and 1-0 in February 2020.

• Ipswich have only won their opening game in one of the past 17 calendar years (D9 L7), beating Gillingham 4-0 in 2022.

• Oxford have won their opening league game in both of the past two calendar years, last doing so in three consecutive years between 2016 and 2018.

• Oxford's Mark Harris netted the opener in his side's 2-1 win against Ipswich earlier this season but only against Carlisle in 2023-24 and Norwich in 2024-25 has he scored home and away for the U's in a league campaign.

Ipswich Town boss Kieran McKenna's described Wes Burns' goal in only his second appearance since a lengthy injury lay-off as one of the top moments of the season.

The Wales international's strike sealed a 2-0 win at Coventry City - Jack Clarke having put Town ahead - and completed a seasonal double over the Championship leaders.

"The second goal was one of the moments of the season, a special moment for Wes, a brilliant moment for the medical staff that have worked with him, even as a manager there are some goals that are more special and Wes scoring that one in the last game of the year was a top moment," McKenna told BBC Radio Suffolk.

The victory cut the points gap between Coventry and Ipswich to 10 and ended the Sky Blues' unbeaten home record.

"In the first half, we took control of the game from the off, showed real confidence, belief, intensity - the quality of our play and connections through the pitch were really good and showed the growth in the team," said McKenna.

"We stuck at it in the second half and got the reward of the goals that the performance deserved. We should have been ahead at half-time and when you're not, a dangerous team like Coventry can score at any moment in different ways.

"Of course it gives the group a bit more belief in themselves and the direction of travel - I know we work hard and work well but you want results to validate it and of course big results can validate it a little bit more."

Ipswich are next in action at home to Oxford United on New Year's Day.

Image source, Getty Images

Luke Woolfenden hopes his patience will pay off with an extended run in the Coventry side after finally breaking into the starting line-up.

The defender, who arrived from Ipswich at the start of September, has had to wait for his opportunity with the Championship leaders but will start his third successive game against his former club on Monday [18:00 GMT].

"The timing of it has probably not helped me a bit," the 28-year-old told BBC CWR.

"Coming on deadline day, with the boys already flying, there's no reason to change the team. I knew that coming here. So it's just about being patient and biding my time.

"It has been difficult coming off the bench, getting minutes here and there and not really knowing when you are going to start. But I've really enjoyed being here, so it hasn't been an issue for me.

"The boys are winning [so] they're not going to change the team. Now that I'm in the team, we'll see what happens."

Woolfenden's first home start came in the Boxing-Day victory over Swansea, which gave him a proper taste of the CBS Arena atmosphere.

"It's different playing to being on the bench." he said.

"It gives you goosebumps at the start when they sing that song. My little girl has been singing it over Christmas.

"I was giving her a bath the other day and she came out with 'We'll Live And Die in These Towns'

"The fans are unbelievable and they do get right behind you."

Image source, Getty Images

Ipswich Town boss Kieran McKenna said his side failed to make the most of some excellent positions in the 0-0 draw with Millwall.

"I thought we found some great spaces against one of the best pressing teams in the league," McKenna said.

"We played through their press and controlled their press really, really well. We got into great situations carrying the ball through the middle of the pitch, working to wide areas.

"We created some chances and even with the shots we had, on another day one could go in and we can win the game 1-0 – I don't think that's too far away.

"But also we could have done a little bit better on the last pass sometimes and we could have had even more big chances."

Image source, Opta

Millwall welcome Ipswich Town for an important encounter between two sides battling it out in the Championship play-off places on Friday (13:00 GMT kick-off).

Since a run of three straight victories, the Lions are now without a win in three (D1 L2) and are one point clear of QPR in seventh.

The Tractor Boys have won three of their past four games (L1) and are five points behind Middlesbrough in the automatic promotion places.

• Millwall have lost three of their past four home league games against Ipswich (L1), more than they had in their previous 16 (W8 D6 L2).

• Ipswich Town have won five of their past eight league games against Millwall (D1 L2), completing the double over them the last time they met in 2023-24.

• Millwall have lost just one of their previous seven league games on Boxing Day (W4 D2), though that defeat did come last season at the hands of Norwich (1-2).

• Ipswich have won just one of their past six Boxing Day league games (D3 L2), beating Oxford 3-0 in League One in 2022.

• Ipswich have kept just one clean sheet in their past 27 away league games, winning 2-0 at Hull City last month.

Image source, Getty Images

Ipswich Town defender Cedric Kipre believes their home win over bottom club Sheffield Wednesday could be "massive" in the context of the season.

"We needed to bounce back from the last game [defeat by Leicester City], we needed a response and did it well," he told BBC Radio Suffolk.

"There's a lot of pressure in games like this. People expect you to win, but in reality it's a tougher game than they expect."

Kipre headed the opening goal, his second of the season, but Ipswich needed a third from Jack Clarke to make sure of three points - and third place in the table - after Wednesday had fought back to 2-1.

"Set-pieces are very important in the Championship. Two, even three or four times a week, we work on them - it's a very important part of the game. I don't set any targets for goals but if I can get five, that would be good," he said.

"I try not to look at the table, I take it game after game and we will see at the end of the season."

Kipre has played the last six games, having been alternated with Jacob Graves as Dara O'Shea's partner in central defence earlier in the season.

"I'm ready to play every game, but it's the manager's decision in the end. If he wants to do some rotations, I have to accept it," he added.

Marc Webber
BBC Final Score reporter

Image source, Getty Images

The festive period can often mean a lot of travelling for some - and Ipswich Town are no exception.

The Tractor Boys will only play one of their next four Championship games at home between now and the FA Cup third round on 10 January.

That may be a problem for them, as they've proven to be a bit travel sick in their away record so far.

On the road, Ipswich have lost four, drawn three and won three. Their away goal difference is +3.

Their overall goal difference is the second highest in the league at +15 and they have only lost one game in 12 at Portman Road (W7 D4).

So, you can see why - much like some of us dread having to visit certain relatives at Christmas - Ipswich are perhaps not looking forward to the next few days.

The journeys to Millwall, Coventry and Portsmouth will be no walkovers, as all have the ability and the need to get a win for their own ambitions.

The next couple of weeks could be crucial for the Tractor Boys' attempt to bounce back into the Premier League.