Ipswich Town

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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.

Image source, Getty Images

Image source, Getty Images

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.

Image source, Getty Images

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.

Ipswich Town manager Gary O'Neil speaking to BBC Sport: "I thought we were unfortunate to leave with nothing, we gave a lot and looked a threat. We conceded a very unfortunate goal. The main criticism of the performance is that we didn't show the cutting edge that we have in recent weeks."

On Abdul Fatawu's sending off: "I've seen them given, I've seen them not given. It looks like he is anticipating contact - and there is contact. I can understand it being a yellow card. Where it is on the pitch, I don't think the referee needs to get involved. I've spoken to him, he has been excellent for us. I suppose the lack of experience... it's making sure when you're on a yellow card that you don't take any risks. I thought we were excellent with 10-men and the home fans were restless.

"The only disappointment is the result. Liverpool and Manchester United are Champions League clubs where you just have a go, but against Sunderland, Crystal Palace and Everton we have shown we can be very competitive.

"We will get ready again for Fulham. Disappointed we have such a break [for the international break], they're a great group to work with."

Listen to O'Neil speaking to BBC Radio Suffolk here

Did you know?

• Ipswich remain without a clean sheet in each of their last 24 Premier League games, extending their worst run without one in the top-flight.

• Ipswich Town's Gary O'Neil has lost 50 of his 93 Premier League games as a manager, the seventh quickest to that tally. David Moyes has inflicted more of those defeats on him than any other coach (five).

Whether you were at the game or following from elsewhere, we want to know what you learned.

Have your say on Everton's performance

What did you make of Ipswich's display?

Reaction and analysis to follow - and come back on Monday for a selection of your replies.

There are five games in the Premier League on Saturday and BBC Sport will bring you every moment.

• Tottenham v Aston Villa (12:30)

• Brighton v Arsenal - listen on BBC Radio 5 Live

• Everton v Ipswich

• Newcastle v Hull City - listen on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra 2

• Nottingham Forest v Coventry (17:30) - listen on BBC Radio 5 Live

Kick-off times 15:00 BST unless stated.

Follow all of the action and reaction here

How to follow the Premier League weekend across the BBC

You can also listen to today's 5 Live Premier League commentaries on your smart speaker. Just say "Alexa, ask BBC Sounds to play Brighton v Arsenal" or "Alexa, ask BBC Sounds to play the Newcastle match", for example.

New this season: Live match updates

Fans of Premier League clubs can now get real-time scores live on their phone lock screen for every game.

Simply follow your favourite football teams on the BBC Sport app for updates throughout the 2026-27 season.

Find out more here

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New this season: Match of the Day Predictor

Simply predict the outcome of the six fixtures we've selected from across domestic and European competitions every week.

Players can join at any time, get involved with the latest round and start building a streak.

Read more about it here

You can find the predictor in the navigation bar at the top of this page, or on this link

I nearly went for an Ipswich draw last week but changed my mind and went for Crystal Palace to win.

That meant I'd predicted Ipswich would lose their first four league games and they are joint-bottom of the table based on my predictions.

Gary O'Neil's side have obviously done much better than that in reality - I know Palace went down to 10 men last week but, even so, well done to the Tractor Boys for finding a way to win that game.

Fair play to them, I like the ambition the club's owners have shown in the transfer market, and I really like the way O'Neil sets his team up. They are not just there to sit in in games, and they have got their reward.

I still fancy Everton to win this, though. They have made a great start to the season to stay unbeaten so far and, under David Moyes, they are a battle-hardened, resolute and well-organised outfit.

As a former Norwich striker, I often get accused of being biased against Ipswich, but I am not being overly negative about them here.

I just see it being a tough afternoon for them, without getting a goal, and then a long trip home for their fans on the A14 - hopefully they don't close any of the major roads on Saturday so it is not an even more miserable journey back for them.

Sutton's prediction: 1-0

Read the full predictions and have your say here

Matthew Hobbs
BBC Sport journalist

Everton aim to continue their unbeaten start against an Ipswich side bidding for back-to-back away wins.

BBC Sport examines some of the key themes going into their meeting at Hill Dickinson Stadium on Saturday.

The win over Wolves in the Carabao Cup on Wednesday provided the dual positives of extending Everton's unbeaten start to the season and allowing fringe players to come to the fore.

Second-half substitute Charly Alcaraz scored the winner after 80 minutes – his first goal for the club in 13 months – on his longest outing of the season so far.

Winger Tyler Dibling also impressed on what was only his eighth start since swapping Southampton for Merseyside in a £35m move a year ago, assisting the winning goal, while Brennan Johnson, usually utilised out wide, was effective as a central striker after replacing Thierno Barry.

The flexibility and impact of squad members is a welcome boon for manager David Moyes given he was limited to selecting from just 15 fit senior outfield players for the cup tie.

Christian Norgaard, Harrison Armstrong and Merlin Rohl are injured, and while Armstrong could return this weekend, Everton's arduous end to the summer transfer window is already being exacerbated by fitness issues.

The EFL Cup victory means that Everton prepare to face Ipswich Town having started their campaign by going undefeated in six games in for the first time since 2020-21, while it is only the second time in either Moyes reign that the Blue have gone unbeaten in their opening four Premier League matches.

While the midweek fixture was decided by players still earning their manager's trust, Everton's most recent league outing was influenced by somebody already assured of Moyes's good graces.

James Garner's all-action performance in the goalless draw at Tottenham was pivotal in earning a hard-earned point and a return to his superlative form of last season following groin surgery before this campaign.

Garner's physicality, creativity and versatility are all likely to be crucial assets if the Toffees are to push back towards the European places this season, but also in matches against unpredictable opposition.

Ipswich have impressed in beating Sunderland and Crystal Palace already this season, while they were competitive during the early stages of the defeat at Manchester United.

The Tractor Boys have earned six points after four matches, having taken 16 matches to do so during their previous Premier League campaign in 2024-25.

However, they are only the third team in the competition's history to earn six points at this stage while conceding as many as 10 goals.

The juxtaposition of Ipswich's points and goals-against tallies point to a side playing more open football than in their tactical approach to the top flight two years ago.

A key part of that increased ambition has been the threat posed by summer signing Julio Enciso. The 22-year-old tops most of Ipswich's attacking metrics, including touches in the opposition box (14), shots (14) and dribbles (20), while he has also drawn more fouls resulting in a card for an opponent than any other Premier League player this season.

Enciso also has form for troubling Everton having scored to help earn a 2-2 draw at Goodison Park in May 2025 while on loan from Brighton, on Ipswich's most recent trip to the blue half of Merseyside.

The hero last time out, however, was Zian Flemming, another summer signing scoring his first goal for the club in the 90th minute to seal a 3-2 win at Selhurst Park.

Flemming's involvement will not be lost on Moyes given Everton were reportedly interested on deadline day, nor Ipswich's summer outlay of £185m – a sharp contrast to Everton's trading profit of £25.4m.

Ipswich boss Gary O'Neil will hope the club's recruitment drive will prove decisive as he hunts a first Premier League victory as a manager against Moyes, having lost all four meetings so far.

His Everton counterpart can only hope his whole squad continues to contribute across the course of this season.

Grace Wheeler
BBC Sport

Ipswich boss Gary O'Neil has been speaking to the media before Saturday's Premier League game against Everton at Hill Dickinson Stadium (kick-off 15:00 BST).

Here are the key lines from his news conference:

• O'Neil began by talking about the loss of his father, who passed away this week, external: "The past 24 hours have been tough but I have been at separating things. I have managed to be there for the family and the team, so of course the mourning and the memories of my dad will continue over the next few days but full focus is on what we need to do here, and the team have been great, the club have been great. I appreciate everyone's support. A tough few days but as life dies, we need to move on. But I am looking forward to taking the club to a big game tomorrow."

• He moved on to talk about his team selection and whether he will be picking the same side most weeks: "The team is not set, and it is not like I am stuck on a starting XI. It is ever changing based off form and what we can do against the opposition."

• On team news, he added: "Everyone is fit apart from Jack Taylor. He is really close though, so the international break comes at a good time. As football normally does, it will throw up some new challenges, if it doesn't, we should be a fully fit squad."

• On when Azor Matusiwa could return: "We are just waiting for him to get enough reps in training for him to get comfortable. He is doing everything in training and is doing 11-v-11 with the guys on the grass, but he has been out quite a while, so we don't need to throw him back in. We have lots of midfielders and lots of players fit. We are trying to find the right moment to get him back in the team. He is available tomorrow, we haven't decided if he will play a part in it."

• On Emersonn Correia da Silva, who was injured with a tight quad: "All fine and all good. It has been another good week for him. Things have settled down with the tight quad he had, and the game in the week helped him. He is available."

• Discussing his team's progress so far this season, O'Neil said: "I think the two wins have been excellent for us, and to play two teams that aren't in the 'big club' category, it is a real good start. We do still need to try and do better. Everton will be a test. They are excellent at home, they always are. This is a game that we go in with confidence and belief and I have massive belief in us. We have prepped really well and trained well."

Hit play above to hear more from O'Neil or listen on BBC Sounds here

And winger Jack Clarke has also been previewing the Everton game - listen below or on BBC Sounds

Follow all of Friday's Premier League news conferences and the rest of the day's football news

Got a question about Ipswich? Get in touch here and we'll seek answers from our experts

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Legendary former Ipswich midfielder John Wark has said Leif Davis "should be a wing-back" because of his attacking prowess, but warned against an England call-up at this stage.

The 26-year-old defender has impressed so far this season and his one goal and assist has already equalled his tally from Ipswich's last Premier League campaign in 2024-25.

There have been some calls for his performances to be rewarded with a place in Thomas Tuchel's Three Lions squad for the upcoming international break, but Wark told BBC Radio Suffolk: "I think it's too much.

"For me, he should be a wing-back because I think he's better there than at left-back When he goes forward he makes goals and I think he's a real top player. But, when he's at full-back he's not as good."

On the other side of Gary O'Neil's defence, Darnell Furlong admitted after Tuesday's Carabao Cup exit at the hands of Arsenal that having limited game time so far this season has been difficult.

Wark believes Furlong will have opportunities, but there will be those in the squad who struggle.

"It's a big squad and there are not a lot of games to play," he added.

"Some players won't get the time but I think Furlong is a decent player and he will do well. But, it's difficult to get the game time."

Listen to the full chat below or on BBC Sounds

Graeme McLoughlin
BBC Radio Suffolk sports editor

Image source, Getty Images

Six points from Ipswich Town's opening four Premier League games, which have included both a win at home and away, is a return I am certain the majority of Blues supporters would have settled for before kick-off against Sunderland last month.

A win in the Carabao Cup as well is further improvement on the previous two campaigns, when the Blues fell at the first hurdle to League Two opposition.

This week, there was no disgrace for Gary O'Neil's side in losing to Premier League champions Arsenal in the cup, particularly as they made the scoreline look a bit more respectable thanks to yet another late goal - Ipswich have now scored five goals already this season in the 90th minute or beyond, which is another positive trait in terms of their attitude.

However, defeat by the Gunners was undoubtedly a blow to a number of players who are short of minutes this season.

As a result, there are now just 14 fixtures left this calendar year, with only a couple of two-game weeks within that stretch, and 27 first-team squad members to consider.

Recently, O'Neil batted away any concerns about keeping everyone at the training ground content.

"I'm more than happy to have those difficult conversations with people," he said. "They're never personal and the players understand hopefully. It only takes an injury, a change of form or something I see in training to go from not playing to being back in the staring XI."

You could sense post-match on Tuesday that the Ipswich captain for the night – Darnell Furlong – is among those particularly frustrated by a lack of game time.

The defender was a mainstay in the Town team that won promotion from the Championship, but has played less than 25 minutes in the league so far this time around.

"It's really tough, that's all I can say. I'll keep working hard and try to change things," he told us at BBC Radio Suffolk.

O'Neil is understanding of Furlong's disappointment, and has been quick to praise the player.

"I've not used Darnell anywhere near as much as I want to, but I love him to bits and he's a massively important part of what we're trying to do this season," the Ipswich boss explained. "How I value the players is not based on how many minutes they play, it's about how much you do to help the group."

Furlong, for his part, appears to be accepting of the situation, adding: "The squad is a level up from last year to meet the demands of this league. There have been some great signings, with some great players and some great humans. It's one very well knitted group."

Those words, if echoed by fellow squad members, bode well for O'Neil and Ipswich going forward.

They head to Everton this weekend, where victory would make it three wins from their opening five top-flight games for only the eighth time in club history.

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.