Ipswich Town

Pat Nevin
Former footballer and presenter

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The Premier League has opened a Pandora's box of problems which cannot be closed. However well-intentioned, however morally upright they mean to be, the way the product is perceived around the planet by fans will be negatively affected.

This looks like a gigantic mess, but could also become a bit of a joke, especially if they attempt to rewrite history, and change the winners' names on the Premier League and cup trophies over these past 15 years. I wouldn't want the engraver's job.

I believe financial rules brought in to prioritise financial sustainability were also aimed at limiting the money being spent by the clubs, especially the staggering, ever-inflating sums spent on sometimes fairly average players. It could lead to a de facto salary cap, which many fans would approve of.

The long-term problem for the league is easy to see here: if the top players are then offered significantly more money to play elsewhere, they will be off before you can say 'man on'.

I always thought the Premier League had taken a huge risk going down this regulatory road. As with Manchester City's future, nobody knows what the real long-term ramifications will be.

I have a suspicion it could end up being the greatest own goal in the sport's entire history.

The big take: If City are cast out of England's top leagues, what might the owners do – hang around the lower reaches, or find something else? Wasn't there the idea of a Super League? Keep that thought in the back of your mind.

Pat Nevin writes weekly in the Football Extra newsletter. If you're outside the UK and would like to receive it, sign up here.

Pat Nevin
Former footballer and presenter

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Most of the time it is not that big a deal if you go into the international break having just lost a club game if I am honest, as teams lose games frequently.

That is just the life of a professional footballer. You have to be able to cope with disappointment as an individual and as a team.

‌Admittedly, players will sometimes say that they want another domestic game quickly, but it is almost always specifically after a 'bad' defeat as opposed to just a run-of-the-mill loss.

‌However, if the team has genuinely played terribly, or lost a game they were expected to win comfortably, you will commonly hear the phrase "we want to have a chance to get back out there and put it right quickly".

‌Players who have had a stinker, even if their team won, might also want to get out again as soon as possible to put it right in front of their fans, or 'reset'. The 'reset' argument is just current football jargon to say, "we will try to get it right next time, and we blew it this week, sorry".

‌The international break can also have the beneficial effect of taking your mind away from a bad defeat. This is not to say that you don't care, it is just that you must compartmentalise your thoughts and feelings. Footballers are among the best at this.

‌You simply cannot go to play for your national team and spend the time brooding about what happened against Brentford last week. That way lies madness and another poor performance, only this time in front of the entire nation.

Pat Nevin writes weekly in the Football Extra newsletter. If you're outside the UK and would like to receive it, sign up here.

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Manchester City have responded to the Premier League's confirmation that the club has been found guilty of breaching 115 financial rules.

City have until Friday to appeal the decision but in a statement said: "Manchester City FC is both disappointed and surprised by the opinion of the Premier League Commission, that has been published today.

"The club is innocent of the accusations made by the Premier League and a comprehensive body of irrefutable evidence exists in support of all of its positions, relating to this case. The club will therefore be relentless, and where necessary proactive, in any and all appropriate regulatory and legal forums.

"The Premier League process remains ongoing, with significant elements uncompleted. Manchester City FC will now pursue the appeal avenues open to it, on the basis that the opinion contains clear material errors, of law, principle and fact, and is unsafe.

"The club has diligently respected due process for eight years on the basis that the Premier League Board and Executive would behave as an independent, impartial and fair-minded regulator, free from partisan influence.

"The club is obviously restricted in what it can say further until all future proceedings are complete."

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Manchester City arranged "sham contracts" with a number of its commercial partners as part of a scheme to disguise secret funding of more than £830m, the Premier League says.

The League confirmed that City have been found guilty of all charges related to breaches of Premier League financial rules between the 2009-10 and 2017-18 seasons.

An independent commission found that, during that time period, the club arranged the "sham contracts" as well as "relying on sham agreements to artificially inflate the club's revenues and reduce its costs".

The club continues to deny any wrongdoing and has until Friday to appeal.

Premier League chief executive Richard Masters said: "The core decision establishes the facts of what happened at Manchester City during this period. It details how the club systematically broke Premier League Rules for nearly a decade.

"It also vindicates the Premier League's decision to pursue this case against Manchester City. While the process to date has been both long and difficult, the League has remained determined that the facts be established independently.

"It is a key responsibility of the Premier League to ensure that the Rules, approved by the clubs themselves, are upheld to protect the integrity of the competition. It is paramount that the League remains competitive and fair for all clubs and for the fans. We take that role extremely seriously.

"This disciplinary case, and this decision, are the most significant in Premier League history. There are elements of the case that remain to be decided, including, importantly, what sanction must follow for these breaches. Now we have the Commission's decision, we are committed to moving swiftly through the remainder of the process, to provide certainty for the League, our clubs and fans."

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Christian Walton says he is "incredibly proud of everything" he has achieved at Ipswich Town after signing a one-year contract extension until June 2029.

The 30-year-old goalkeeper joined the Tractor Boys in August 2021 from Premier League side Brighton, penning an initial loan deal before agreeing to a permanent move in January 2022.

Walton has made 138 appearances and kept 57 clean sheets, while also playing a key role in a squad which has won three promotions in the past four seasons.

"I'm very pleased to have signed a new deal at the club," said Walton, who has already been called on three times this season. "As I think all of the supporters will know, this club and this area mean so much to me.

"I'm incredibly proud of everything we have been able to achieve together over the past few years.

"To win promotion and then represent Ipswich Town in the Premier League once again is one of the highlights of my career so far.

"I'm excited to have extended my stay here for a further season."

Ipswich Town boss Gary O'Neil added: "He has obviously achieved so much here during his time as a player and he has shown himself to be a strong member of our goalkeeping group.

"We are delighted he will be with us for an extended period."

Another edition of BBC Radio Suffolk's The Blue Hour is available on BBC Sounds.

As the Tractor Boys take a break for internationals, supporters join Brenner Woolley for a first fans' forum since they made their pre-season predictions. How are they feeling now we're seven games into the 2026-27 campaign?

Listen below or on BBC Sounds here - and subscribe to the dedicated Ipswich Town page to get all Tractor Boys audio content.

Pat Nevin
Former footballer and presenter

Image source, Getty Images

Unbelievably, sensible and well-informed people are seriously discussing Manchester City getting a huge points deduction or being demoted or kicked out of the English leagues completely.

‌There is also reasonable talk about them being sued by just about every other major club in the domestic game, and a few beyond that. That is before you get to the concept of titles being stripped and trophies retrospectively re-awarded to others.

There is still an appeal to be heard, but they have been found guilty already. Serious consequences must be considered. Following the draconian punishments handed to Everton and Nottingham Forest, among others, City might find they don't just have the book thrown at them, it is the entire British Library lobbed in their general direction.

Those other clubs cooperated in the process. City have faced more charges and they involve larger sums and over a longer time period. In short, things are not looking good for the club that dominated English football for almost a decade.

This may be the biggest story in the Premier League's history and it is going to run and run.

Other serious considerations will follow hard on the heels of the Blues' dilemmas – specifically what long-term effects will this have on the Premier League? They will not all be good ones.

Some reasonably argue that the financial rules City have been found to have broken shouldn't have been put there in the first place. They were brought in to safeguard the financial security of the clubs and the league, but try telling that to many City, Everton and Nottingham Forest fans just now.

Newcastle and Aston Villa have plenty of financial backing, but these rules have hurt their ability to grow and stay competitive with the legacy clubs. This all feels unfair if you are a supporter of those two.

The money that will now be frittered away by the English game on lawyers and legal fees is eye-watering, and it will grow exponentially as the litigation increases.

Pat Nevin writes weekly in the Football Extra newsletter. If you're outside the UK and would like to receive it, sign up here.

We asked you to send in your questions for BBC Radio Suffolk sports editor Graeme McLoughlin to answer. In the final part of a special Q&A, he addresses whether Ipswich will make further improvements to their squad and the strength of their defence.

John asked: Will Ipswich strengthen in the next transfer window?

Graeme: I wouldn't bet against the club bringing in a couple of additional players to freshen up the squad, but I would envisage that, before anyone else arrives, someone is likely to leave. I do have concerns about a lack of depth in defence, particularly if there was an injury or two in that department. Town are always monitoring players, and if they can reach a deal for a target that is sure to improve the squad, they will do it. That being said, there could also be a few outgoings in January, as Gary O'Neil is currently having to keep a squad of around 27 players happy, with only 12 games remaining between now and the New Year.

Hayden asked: We seem to have some decent firepower this season, but can Ipswich get away with having pretty much a Championship defence?

Graeme: I share concerns about Town in that part area of the pitch, but I think 'Championship defence' might be a tad harsh, Hayden. Dara O'Shea has a couple of Premier League campaigns under his belt now and is regularly a standout performer. Issa Diop's role in helping Fulham establish themselves in the top flight shouldn't be downplayed. He was one of the summer signings I was most excited about. Leif Davis has also been a contender for Town's player of the season so far, so it's not as if there is a lack of quality in the Ipswich backline. Undoubtedly, how they defend as a team is an area that needs looking at having conceded 11 goals already, but there were improvements at Everton, with O'Neil's only denied a draw because of a somewhat freak goal.

Find the first part of the special Q&A on the Ipswich page

Join Graeme Mac for The Matchday Preview every Friday from 18:00 and subscribe to the Ipswich Town page on BBC Sounds - plus, listen to BBC Radio Suffolk for full commentary of every Tractor Boys game.

We asked you to send in your questions for BBC Radio Suffolk sports editor Graeme McLoughlin to answer. In the first part of a special Q&A, he addresses Ipswich's survival hopes as well as good and bad points from the season so far.

Cameron asked: Will Ipswich stay in the Premier League this season? Also, what are your opinions on summer transfer business?

Graeme: Obviously I can't say for certain that Town will stay up, but I am confident they will. They have given themselves a good platform already, having taken double the amount of points from their opening five games compared with their previous Premier League campaign. I was impressed with the club's summer transfer window. There is far more top-flight experience in the squad now, along with some players who can turn matches in the blink of an eye, and some real prospects for the future. Manager Gary O'Neil - along with club's senior leadership team - deserve credit for how well the new faces appear to have settled in.

Julian asked: What are your biggest positives and negatives from the first part of the season? For me, it's great to have six points on the board already, but I still have concerns over the goalkeeping position.

Graeme: Julio Enciso has been a real positive, particularly his performance during the opening day win against Sunderland. While he caught the eye during his previous loan spell at the club, he looks a far better player now less than two years later. I've also been really impressed by Emersonn. I hadn't been expecting a huge amount from the young Brazilian striker during his first few weeks in English football, but he has looked the part and should only get better. A mention for Leif Davis as well, whose start to the campaign has been mightily impressive when compared with his debut Premier League season. He should be on four goals already from a full-back position. The negative has undoubtedly been the goals conceded and a difficult start to life in goal for Kjell Scherpen, which Gary O'Neil has been quick to address.

Come back to this page for part two of Monday's Q&A, which will focus on Ipswich's defence and whether they will strengthen in the January transfer window.

Join Graeme Mac for The Matchday Preview every Friday from 18:00 and subscribe to the Ipswich Town page on BBC Sounds - plus, listen to BBC Radio Suffolk for full commentary of every Tractor Boys game.

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We asked you to rate Ipswich Town's start to the season and tell us what Gary O'Neil should be focusing on during this extended international break.

Here are some of your comments:

Andy: Cautiously delighted with our start. So important to get the first home win at the first attempt after it took so long two years ago. We've won home and away already, and also scored late winners. In our failed campaign two years ago, we didn't win for ages and lost so many points in the last 15 minutes of games. We have a much better squad, have already got points on the board and look good going forward. Here's hoping this season can continue as it has started.

Bob: Very satisfactory start. The quality of players signed is there for all to see. Mid-table finish looking assured. Enjoyable season ahead.

John: It's been mixed. We're clearly decent going forward and the midfield is solid, but defensively we're shaky. There is plenty of talent in team and Gary O'Neil is flexible tactically. Definitely more quality than last time in the Premier League. It's still very tough, though.

Reg: Ipswich have got off to good start. The only worry is the defence and goalkeeper. If we could shore up the mistakes at the back it will all gel and we have a good chance to stay up.

Lee: We do seem vulnerable at the back. When we concede, we seem to do so in clutches against the bigger teams. Hopefully, if we can pick up points here and there against the teams around us, we will stay up. Happy that we are a threat going forward. Still gutted about Kieran McKenna - but in O'Neil, we trust.

Allan: I have no doubt that the Town will stay up. They know how to score goals and will get better as time goes by. They have some very good players who will come to the forefront. I saw my first game in 1964 and I am feeling excited about the current squad.

The BBC Radio Suffolk team are joined by former Ipswich Town midfielder John Wark to give their early term report on Gary O'Neil's latest recruits.

Who has shined from the opening five games and who still has work to do?

Hit the play icon above to hear their marks, or listen on BBC Sounds here

As we enter the season's first international break, we want to hear your thoughts on the opening five games of the Premier League.

It has been an impressive start to the campaign for Ipswich under new manager Gary O'Neil, with last-minute goals against Sunderland and Crystal Palace sealing welcome early points.

Two wins and three defeats leaves Ipswich Town mid-table, having set a new record for the most money spent by a newly promoted club in the Premier League this summer.

The Tractor Boys have just 13 fixtures remaining this calendar year after being knocked out of the Carabao Cup, so rather than having to rotate his squad to keep players fresh, O'Neil's issue might be keeping a 27-man pool content with playing time.

How do you rate Ipswich's start to the season and why? And what should O'Neil be focusing on during the extended break?

Get in touch with your views here

Graeme McLoughlin
BBC Radio Suffolk sports editor

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Heading into the international break, Ipswich Town have double the amount of points at this stage of the season compared with their previous Premier League campaign.

However, I can't help but feel slightly disappointed. While I probably would have taken a tally of six from the opening five matches when the fixtures were announced in June, Town's efforts have, in my opinion, warranted more.

Bear in mind as well that they've played four teams who are featuring in Europe this season.

Saturday at Hill Dickinson Stadium - against a team with just their domestic fixtures to worry about - was particularly frustrating, as Gary O'Neil's side didn't deserve to come away with nothing.

The fact that they did - and will also be without Abdul Fatawu next time because of a daft suspension - leaves a bit of a sour taste.

Let's focus on some of the positives from that afternoon on Merseyside though, beginning in goal, where Christian Walton justified the manager's big call in making a change between the posts.

I was perhaps among the minority in thinking that four games in might be too soon to drop Kjell Scherpen, but Walton looked assured and composed, just as he did when he took a similar chance last season.

He appears to have solved Town's goalkeeping conundrum with little fuss, and deserves to now be given an extended chance in the top-flight. Oh, and there was very little he could have done about Everton's somewhat freak winning goal.

Player of the match Abdoul Ouattara is another that deserves more than a mention.

The 20-year-old, making his first Premier League start, was outstanding at right-back, and justified another big call from the manager in choosing the Ivorian over the more experienced Darnell Furlong, who was so impressive during last season's run to promotion.

Town's plethora of summer arrivals have, in general, given supporters real hope that their latest Premier League stay will be an extended one.

Issa Diop has complemented Jacob Greaves or Dara O'Shea very well at centre-back, while Exequiel Palacios and Sasa Lukic are undoubtedly an upgrade on the midfield starters of two years ago .

That said, they have a long way to go before achieving the club legendary status of Sam Morsy and Massimo Luongo.

In Julio Encisio, Town have a player who can turn a game in an instant, but the surprise package for me has been Emersonn in the number nine role.

I hadn't been expecting a huge amount from the Brazil striker during the early stages of his first spell in English football but, to his credit, he has already become a fixture in the side.

The former Toulouse player has a couple of goals to his name already, and his hold-up play has been very impressive.

With that in mind, it is no surprise that Zian Flemming is still waiting for a first league start in his new club colours, but the Dutchman will be needed further down the line.

He has shown from his cameos so far that he will be ready to take any chance that comes his way.

In summary, O'Neil and his players have given themselves a very good platform from which to kick on, and Town supporters will be relishing the return of domestic football after the internationals, rather than fearing it.

Join Graeme Mac for The Matchday Preview every Friday from 18:00 and subscribe to the Ipswich Town page on BBC Sounds - plus, listen to BBC Radio Suffolk for full commentary of every Tractor Boys game.

The defeat to Everton on Saturday did not leave Ipswich fans downbeat as the 1-0 loss in Liverpool was analysed on BBC Radio Suffolk's Blue Hour.

Brenner Woolley oversaw all the reaction and analysis of a result that leaves the Tractor Boys in 11th position going into the international break.

Ipswich fan David was at Hill Dickinson Stadium and phoned in to the show with high praise for left-back Leif Davis.

He said: "He's magnificent. You want good players but you want even better individuals - what an individual he is."

David was "very impressed" with Everton's new stadium, saying "there wasn't a bad seat in the house, a very good atmosphere and a really good day". He felt there were aspects of the new stadium that could be replicated at Portman Road.

Ipswich Town 'On This Day' author Dan Botten also joined the podcast and told Woolley that "Ipswich Town is like my second family, I love it - it means everything".

He added: "I'm not even from Ipswich, I'm from north London - but from the first time I went I fell in love with it.

"It's going to be tough, but we've recruited well, we can do it. We've had a decent-ish start. I didn't think Everton were great on Saturday and it's a shame we didn't get anything there. But there are some positive signs."

Listen to the full show by hitting the play button above or on BBC Sounds here.

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Two wins and three defeats leave Ipswich Town sitting comfortably in 11th place in the Premier League.

Now, Gary O'Neil has the worry of a lengthy international break to contend with.

The Tractor Boys will have eight players in action across the three-week break, namely: Daizen Maeda (Japan), Ali Al‑Hamadi (Iraq), Exequiel Palacios (Argentina), Marcelino Nunez (Chile), Sindre Walle Egeli (Norway Under-21s), Issa Diop (Morocco), Dara O'Shea (Republic of Ireland) and Chieo Ogbene (Republic of Ireland).

And these three Tractor Boys are worth keeping a special eye on:

Exequiel Palacios - Argentina

The 2022 World Cup winner returns to national team duty after featuring in four of Ipswich's first five league games of the season.

The 27-year-old would become the first Ipswich player to feature for Argentina if he is given game time by Lionel Scaloni.

It is a notable squad to be part of given it is the final time Lionel Messi will complete international duty as he is set to retire after facing Bolivia, Burkina Faso and Benin.

Dara O'Shea - Republic of Ireland

Tractor Boys captain O'Shea has been called up to the national team and will hope to add to his 45 caps.

The defender has been a stalwart in O'Neill's defence this season and has only missed one game. He is set to captain his national side as Brentford's Nathan Collins recovers from injury.

The Republic of Ireland will play Kosovo, Israel and Austria in the Nations League.

Daizen Maeda - Japan

The former Celtic forward will be in action for Japan during the international break as the Samurai Blue face Uruguay and Venezuela in friendlies.

Japan will then take part in the Kirin Cup against Ecuador, with the winner facing New Zealand or Panama in the final.

Maeda will become the first Ipswich player to feature for Japan if he plays. Since his debut in 2019, Maeda has won 30 caps.

As we enter a three-week international break, there is no better time to discuss the start of the 2026-27 season and Ipswich's return to the Premier League so far.

So what questions do you have about the Tractor Boys? They could be on the squad, injury concerns, Gary O'Neil's tactics, the boardroom or a topic of your choice.

BBC Radio Suffolk sports editor Graeme McLoughlin will be on hand to answer a selection early next week.

Get in touch with your question here

Join Brenner Woolley for BBC Radio Suffolk's latest episode of The Blue Hour.

You can hear from left-back Leif Davis after Ipswich Town's defeat by Everton on Saturday, as Woolley and guests discuss the return to the Premier League so far.

Listen below or on BBC Sounds here - and subscribe to the dedicated Ipswich Town page to get all Tractor Boys audio content.

We asked for your thoughts after Saturday's Premier League game between Everton and Ipswich Town.

Here are some of your comments:

Everton fans

Dusty: A great result in the end. Three points and a clean sheet - yet we made it look really hard at times, even with an extra man. The final third seems to be an area we need to work on. Defensively solid, though. The second goal should've stood. But we are doing great so far with such a thin squad.

David: Steady but not spectacular, Great to see Jack Grealish getting more minutes. Happy going into the break on a bit of a roll.

Brett: I've been a supporter for 67 years. I love the club. I remember the time when we were one of the big five. We will get there again. Soon. Against Ipswich, we were clearly the better quality side - 2-0 would have been a fair reflection of the match, and the second Barry header shouldn't have been disallowed. But we need to convert our chances on goal.

Robert: Pickford's saves were key again. Strange to reward Dibling with the bench while Moyes continues with Johnson. Take the win but this season looks a lot like the others. While our comparables -Brighton, etc - play with so much more joy and possibility.

Ipswich fans

Nick: Unlucky to lose as we had chances, but the sending-off was avoidable and the lad needs to know he has let the team down.

Mel: We should have won that game. But for a very lucky deflected goal and stupid mistakes by our then best player to get sent off, we could have had three points, not zero.

John: Encouraging performance but it's results that matter. The next home game will be telling.

Tony: Ipswich deserved a point. Everton got a fortunate deflection to score. Walton played well. We got nothing from the ref. Pickford and Everton defence were too good. Our finishing was a bit off.

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Ipswich defender Leif Davis has said Town "lacked quality in the final third" in Saturday's 1-0 defeat at Everton.

"It was tough game," he told BBC Radio Suffolk.

"We went toe to toe with a good team but we do need to get points on the board. We've got to get together as a team.

"I think we did control the game for a lot of it. We were very good on the ball in the first half, but lacked quality in the final third.

"That's where we have to tidy up a little bit because there were opportunities when we could have grabbed goals."

Hit play below to hear more from Davis or listen on BBC Sounds here

Michael Emons
BBC Sport journalist

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Ipswich scored last-minute goals in their wins over Sunderland and Crystal Palace and their fans would have had hopes of more late drama when seven minutes were added on at Hill Dickinson Stadium.

Town had sent on Zian Flemming, who scored their winner against Palace, but the 10 men could not score, with Flemming wasting a good chance in injury time when he fired over the top.

Centre-half Issa Diop almost snatched a point right at the end, only for his effort to be charged down by a combination of Branthwaite and Garner.

But there would still be plenty for boss Gary O'Neil to be encouraged about from his side.

Everton's Jordan Pickford, another to be included in Thomas Tuchel's England squad, had to make four excellent saves as Ipswich battled well, before the sending-off of Abdul Fatawu midway through the second half meant the visitors were forced on to the back foot.

O'Neil, whose father died earlier this week, watched his side determinedly chase an equaliser, but it was a fruitless pursuit.

Nevertheless, going into the three-week international break, O'Neil's team have six points from their first five matches back at the top level, staying out of early trouble.