Kieran McKenna & Mark Ashton Share How Ipswich Will Approach Premier League

Externally, everything at Ipswich Town has been about Kieran McKenna, his future, and his new long-term deal.

The manager was linked with Manchester United, Chelsea, and Brighton & Hove Albion, but he ultimately elected to stay at Portman Road, signing a new contract until 2028.

Internally, CEO Mark Ashton believes that the clamor was never that loud, but now that the dust has settled, the Blues can begin to plan ahead.

The Premier League season begins in a little more than two months, and the team has a lot of work to do to assure their competitiveness after gaining consecutive promotions.

“It’s enormous, and it breaks down into different buckets,” Ashton told Town TV of the scale of the endeavor. “Myself, Luke Werhun [COO], and Tom Ball [CFO] have been at the Premier League headquarters, reviewing the details, rules, and regulations.

“We have the Premier League AGM next week, and we’ll be formally given with our Premier League share certificate, which will be an honour to receive on behalf of this football club.

“We’ve got multi-million-pound projects already underway at Portman Road, with buildings emerging at the training complex and pitches being prepped.

“We have secured the manager and his staff; now it is time to focus on the players. “We have a lot of work to do.”

The transfer market is what the supporters are most interested in, and Ashton has made it clear that Ipswich will be very busy. They have already been connected to a number of players, and the speculation will only grow between now and August 30th, when the window closes.

When asked if recruitment will be a top priority in the next weeks, McKenna answered, “Yes, and probably for the next few months, given how football works. As always, we’ll strive to do as much of our business as possible early in order to have a successful pre-season with them.

“There is a lot of work to be done, and it will be thrilling. Recruitment is clearly part of that; we know we need to enhance and grow the squad in preparation for the next big step.

“Pre-season is going to be extremely crucial; we have a very exciting pre-season ahead of us, and the players will have had plenty of rest by the time they return. We have a good, full preseason, which we must make excellent use of.

“We don’t have as many players as other clubs in the Euros or the Copa America, so we need to make the most of our time. We’re looking forward to a trip to Austria with some excellent friends.

“As much as it will be about bringing in some new players and integrating them into the group, it will also be about preparing the guys that we now have here, who have been a part of it, for their contributions and taking the next step.

“There is a lot of work ahead, but what a terrific situation to be in. What a wonderful summer to be a part of, and how much we have to look forward to.”

Regardless matter what Ipswich does in the transfer market, they will always have detractors and doubters. That is logical for any team moving up from the Championship, let alone one that was playing League One football as recently as May 2023.

It doesn’t help that all three promoted sides – Burnley, Sheffield United, and Luton Town – were relegated from the Premier League last season, and McKenna accepts that his team will have to’respect’ the distinction between the second and top tiers.

“We know everyone’s going to queue up to tell us that the step-up is massive,” he said.

“Everyone is going to argue that freshly promoted teams will most likely drop back down. Last year, the three teams who went up went straight down.

“We’ll be humble enough to respect the level and know what we’re coming up against, but we’re also going to back ourselves to do it in our way and to be competitive in our way.

“We’ll focus internally on the work and constantly attempt to strengthen this team, better the players, bring in players that can help us, and do it in our Ipswich style. We’ll approach the division in that manner.

“It’s a tremendous and exciting challenge. We know there will be a lot of fuss, and every time a team comes up now, they will be written off, especially if they have been promoted twice in a row.

“I’m feeling really confident about how we’re going to go about it.”

Ashton believes in that strategy as well, but while he is confident that Ipswich can challenge for the Premier League next season, he is also aware that this is only the start of a long-term project.

“I want the club to thrive,” he remarked. “We understand that we are far from finished, both on and off the pitch.

“The learning environment, the systems we’ve implemented, and the hard work Kieran has put in on the training ground will not change. We just need to get our heads down and work hard.

“We have to be the very best version of ourselves. If we do that, we will give ourselves the best chance.