In the relegation zone and thrashed 4-0 at home, Ipswich
Town's players may have feared the reception coming their way. But the
strangest thing happened at Portman Road on Saturday.
While the Newcastle fans jubilantly celebrated a superb,
dominant victory in one corner, the supporters in blue and white were
also in an upbeat mood. Someone banged a drum, others jumped up and down,
thousands chanted in support, and those that stayed applauded.
Anyone entering the stadium would have thought the hosts had
snatched a point, not suffered their heaviest defeat in just over a year and
their worst at home since Aston Villa put four past them in the Championship in
2018.
It was a fact Ipswich boss Kieran McKenna was quick to
acknowledge and express gratitude for.
"The crowd were very good," said the 38-year-old
in the week of his three-year anniversary with the club, who were halfway up
League One when he took over.
"The game was realistically over at 3-0. Of course we
didn't give up and when they got the fourth it was about showing the right
character - and the crowd did too.
"They stuck with us really well. They know the journey
we've been on and understand how hard it's been to be as competitive as we've
been this season. We're grateful for their support and don't take that for
granted."
But the Premier League is a tough learning ground and the
lessons do not get any easier, with Arsenal away and Chelsea at home Ipswich's
next two assignments.
McKenna under no pressure of losing job - Mills
The ruthless nature of the Premier League has already seen
Ipswich's relegation rivals Leicester, Southampton and Wolves sack their
managers this season.
But Town legend Mick Mills, who captained the club to their
FA Cup and Uefa Cup glories in 1978 and 1981 and made a record 741 appearances
for Ipswich, felt there was no danger of McKenna losing his job.
Asked if there was any pressure on the Northern Irishman,
Mills replied "none whatsoever", adding: "If you use management
like a bank account then he has a lot of money in that account and will have to
do a lot of bad things to go overdrawn.
"I've loved these three years, I really have. Kieran is
the main person responsible for this, then it's people like [chairman] Mark
Ashton and the off-field team and the players, and the fans have come back to
the club.
"Southampton and Leicester are different to Ipswich as
we've been away from the Premier League for a long time. If we do slip back
down it's not a catastrophe and will be something we have to accept. But I'm
absolutely convinced this team that might go down is better than the team that
brought us up.
"Kieran will not be able to win over everyone, but
anybody that knows anything about football knows Kieran McKenna was a good
appointment and is a good manager to have."
'The job he has done has been breathtaking'
Ipswich, English champions in 1962, came fifth in the
Premier League and qualified for Europe in 2000-01, but were then relegated the
next season.
Home fans have not been able to celebrate a top-flight win
at Portman Road since a 1-0 victory over Middlesbrough in April 2002.
Relegation, administration, three play-off failures,
mediocrity and another relegation followed as a generation of Ipswich fans only
knew disappointment and heartbreak.
When Paul Cook was sacked in December 2021, the club,
heading towards their lowest league finish since 1952-53, was at its lowest
ebb.
A 0-0 home draw with League Two Barrow in front of fewer
than 6,500 supporters proved to be one humiliation too many, although
managerless Town then lost the FA Cup replay anyway.
In came McKenna. His playing career had ended at 22 because
of injury, but he built his coaching reputation at the youth set-ups at
Tottenham and then Manchester United, before working with their first-team
squad under Jose Mourinho, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Ralf Rangnick.
Ipswich was his first managerial job, at the age of 35. Fans
hoped it would not be a disaster. Instead, he has taken them on an adventure
beyond their wildest dreams.
Back-to-back promotions followed, and in style. They scored
101 goals and got 98 points in League One, followed by 92 goals and 96 points
as they swept straight through the Championship.
"The club had been stagnating for years and it was
unlikely to be a quick fix. There was no magic wand - or so we thought,"
said Brenner Woolley, who has commentated on Ipswich for OceanNewsUK
since 2003.
"Kieran's arrival has to be the best moment in the
club's recent history. There have been so many highs, bringing so much
enjoyment to an entire generation who'd had so little to enjoy."
'It's been a dream to be involved'
It is not only the fans who have been stunned by the club's
progress, but the players too.
Left-back Leif Davis joined Ipswich from Leeds in 2022 and
has been integral in Town's success.
"It's hard to take in considering where we were two
years ago," he said. "When I came, they said, 'We'd love to be
established in the Championship in four years'.
"That seemed realistic, but getting to the Premier
League within two years, it's been a dream and amazing to be involved with. But
we're not satisfied just being here. We want to do well."
Ipswich's starting 11 on Saturday included six players who
were with the club in League One. But this was the first time the team had
looked out of their depth, a harsh reality check a week after they had gained
their second away win, a 2-1 success at Wolves.
"This was one of the most disappointing days of the
season," said lifelong Ipswich fan Phil Ham, editor of independent
supporters' website TWTD., external
"It's always going to be tough against a team like
Newcastle with their line-up. You come into home games hoping, and most times
we've been competitive, but every time Newcastle broke they looked like they
were going to score.
"People are realistic about the size of the challenge,
having come up two divisions in two years, and there was an expectation there
would be days like this. But there's no clamour for a change and people realise
we've come a long way in a short time."
After 17 matches, Town are 19th, level on points with Wolves
and ahead of Southampton, but still only two points adrift of safety.
They drew 2-2 with Aston Villa, beat Tottenham 2-1 away, and
were unlucky to not defeat Manchester United in Rubén Amorim's first game in
charge, drawing 1-1. But a big concern for Ipswich fans is the 15 points they
have let slip from winning positions.
"We believe Town are capable of staying up, and while
it's going to be very tough, there are signs they can upset the odds,"
added Woolley. "It would be a monumental achievement though."
And McKenna has a lot of credit with loyal supporters, he
said.
"The tiniest minority of fans have had the odd grumble
when wins have been hard to come by, but the vast majority worship him.
"I would be staggered if relegation resulted in him
getting the sack. I can't see that at all. Whatever happens this season,
there's no-one I'd rather see in charge of Ipswich Town."
