Opposition briefing: Everything you need to know about Ipswich

Match previews

3 Oct 2024

Crystal Palace are on the road taking on Ipswich Town this evening (19:30 GMT) – and before kick-off it’s time to get the lowdown on our latest opponents…

Factfile

Manager: Kieran McKenna
Current Position: 19th
Nickname: The Tractor Boys
Ground: Portman Road
Founded: 1878 (146 years ago)

What’s the story?

What a journey it has been for Ipswich Town. This exact week two seasons ago, they had just drawn at home to Fleetwood Town in the third tier; now they are enjoying life back in the top-flight for the first time in 22 years.

Ipswich's rise under Kieran McKenna saw them beat heavily favoured Leeds United to automatic promotion last season, earning a reputation for attractive football and dramatic late goals - the 97th-minute winner against Southampton back in April just one example.

Now, though, they cannot merely bask in the glory of back-to-back promotions. Locked in an intense battle for survival, the focus is on picking up points to make their return to the Premier League more than a short-lived affair.

A first Premier League victory away at Tottenham Hotspur was followed by a creditable draw with Manchester United just after the international break, and with games against Arsenal, Chelsea, Manchester City and Liverpool to come before the end of January, they need to start accruing points in front of their home support.

The boss

Ipswich had to fight off interest from the biggest clubs in the country - including, reportedly, Chelsea and Manchester United - over the summer to convince McKenna to sign a new contract at the club, and his record tells you why.

After joining the club in 2021, having most recently managed Manchester United's Under-18s before becoming a part of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's coaching setup, he has taken them from League One to the Premier League in some style.

Boot in both camps

Plenty of players have represented both clubs, from Darren Ambrose to Damien Delaney, Shefki Kuqi to Conor Wickham, Jonny Williams to Jonathan Parr.

In the current squad, Trevoh Chalobah has an intimate knowledge of the opposition, having played 44 times for Ipswich during a spell on loan 2018/19.

Record against Palace

The Eagles won the last meeting between the two, coming out on top in a tight League Cup encounter in August 2017, with James McArthur scoring both of the goals at Selhurst Park.

The last league meeting came back in April 2013, with Palace losing 3-0 at Portman Road - although they did win the Selhurst Park encounter in November 2012, thrashing Ipswich 5-0 with Glenn Murray scoring a hat-trick.

Did you know?

Ipswich have three stars on the back of their shirt, formerly at the top of their badge before being moved in 2022.

The three stars represent the three major trophies won by the club: the FA Cup in 1978 and the UEFA Cup in 1981, both under Sir Bobby Robson, and the league title in 1962 under Sir Alf Ramsey.

Match details

Tuesday, 3rd December
19:30 GMT
Portman Road
Amazon Prime

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