Vital Reading season preview
Club: Ipswich Town
Founded: 1878
Nickname: The Tractor Boys
Ground: Portman Road (Capacity: 30,311)
When we face off: Sat 3rd August (H), Sat 25th January (A)
Last season finish: 14th – Championship
Manager: Mick McCarthy – The wiley Irishman returned to management with Ipswich Town and dragged the Tractor Boys out of relegation trouble last season, to finish in a highly credible mid-table position. Mick will be glad to start fresh with his current squad and will want to add a few more players before the transfer window closes.
Key player: Aaron Cresswell – The young left back may not be a game changer for Ipswich, but shows years of experience beyond his age for his fantastic consistency. Cresswell has only missed three games in the league over the past two seasons, which speaks volumes about his value for the team and why some Premier League teams are casting an eye over him.
Season Preview – It wasn’t a great start last season under Paul Jewell, but Mick McCarthy turned their fortunes around. Under the Irishman, they achieved 15 wins in 34 games, which from the start of the season, would have meant Ipswich would have been in the play-off picture around March. Christophe Berra is another good signing to improve Ipswich’s defence, which was vulnerable last season. Mick will want to a few more attacking options before the transfer window shuts and will certainly have high expectations of his side, with his great record at this level.
