Thunderbird Delta: International Footballing Rescue

[deltablue]

Summer 2024

The takeover was completed a couple of weeks into pre-season, bringing investment to get the training and youth facilities back up to scratch (they had been downgraded before promotion), and 6.5M into the balance itself, which admittedly wasn’t that much. At least having had to wait by that point I had a lot of reports in to get a good idea of who to target with a 30M transfer fund. It was only going to go so far given a majority of the squad would have to be replaced to get a good Premier League side, and a few of the weaker members (which included otherwise reliable servants like Kiemba and Garnier). As it happened I was still able to do a lot to improve the squad, which I really couldn’t do last time. A lot of the new signings were young, already decent Premier League players, but with the potential to form the basis of a good side. We’d keep making a lot of money from the league alone (projected to be 20M this year, probably excluding end of season prize money) to keep being able to strengthen. Given the surprise of last year’s 11th, even the strengthened team this year was much more likely to get close to it, rather than improve on it, but it didn’t seem too long before we started going places.

Akachar

Barreal

Benes

Myrkaskog

Traverso

Transfers

One to watch:

Wasted no time activating his 8.5M foreign release clause, and it's pretty obvious why. Fantastic technically, not too bad for mentals and physicals either. Hes going to add considerable extra spice to the midfield, a considerable one-man upgrade in that area.

[Mattias333]

Elsewhere

Premier League:

CL Final:

Interesting seeing CL holders PSG 'only' in the EL this time around (there was going to be a screenshot of that but for some reason it wasn't coming up), and Sochaux in the CL final. In former team news, Worcester got promoted as BSN champions.

have I gone back in time to the early premier league years???? my beloved NCFC 3rd in the league! WOWZERS!

[noikeee]

I've been lurking here sometimes but haven't commented the past 2 seasons, the year you went up to the Premier was almost miraculous given you were way down in the table early on, must've been a great feeling to nick it in the playoffs. After going up it's been a calm quiet ride, clear of any relegation battle, nice 1st season back in the top flight. Keep up and continue the progress at Ipswich.

[deltablue]

have I gone back in time to the early premier league years???? my beloved NCFC 3rd in the league! WOWZERS!

Well the good news has kept on coming for you guys.

I've been lurking here sometimes but haven't commented the past 2 seasons, the year you went up to the Premier was almost miraculous given you were way down in the table early on, must've been a great feeling to nick it in the playoffs. After going up it's been a calm quiet ride, clear of any relegation battle, nice 1st season back in the top flight. Keep up and continue the progress at Ipswich.

Cheers, I was amazed that just tweaking the training finally enabled us to unleash our potential and storm to promotion, and the Premier League has been surprisingly comfortable.

Aug/Sept 2024

Ipswich 4-1 Swansea (PRM)

The season started with a winnable game against Swansea. It was a great performance, starting with goals from Lacroix and Glavina in the first 20 minutes. Akachar made it 3-0 just before half-time, and Nikolaou, who had a terrible first season at the club (including multiple leaves of absence) scored our 4th in the 54th minute (though later went off injured and would e out for 2 months). A stoppage time consolation couldn’t spoil a great opening day.

Everton 4-2 Ipswich (PRM)

The defence had a massive fail day at Everton. Akachar equalized their opening goal in the 11th minute, but after Ferrara’s injury they ran up a 4-1 lead before the Dutchman scored again in the 79th minute. Admittedly they had been the better team on the day, but not that much better.

Barrow 0-4 Ipswich (LC)

We already had a few injuries when we went to Barrow in the League cup, but they were no problem. Akachar, Kayode and Arlati gave us a 3-0 lead after half an hour. Akachar grabbed his 5 goal in just 3 competitive games for the club in the second half as we won 4-0.

Ipswich 3-2 Aston Villa (PRM)

We were poor again against Aston Villa, going down in the 9th minute, and conceding again early in the second half. However Kayode scored in the 79th minute, followed by a Glavina penalty, and Akachar’s stoppage time goal gave us a win that was a prime example of a lucky one.

West Brom 1-1 Ipswich (PRM)

Akachar had been a massive hit so far this season, and gave us the lead after 15 minutes at West Brom. However we’d just get a single point this time, as they equalized before half-time, and we were a bit lucky to keep it that way.

Ipswich 0-5 Man Utd (PRM)

Man Utd were the first big side we’d face, and they were all over us. They took the lead in the 10th minute, and while we did well to keep it that way for the rest of the first half, but not so much afterwards as they tore us apart with 4 more goals.

Ipswich 3-0 Bolton (LC)

I was worried about facing Bolton in the league cup, relegated though they were, they still had players who were much stronger and highly paid than some of ours, especially their 100kpw star forward! As it happened we were the model of efficiency, Akachar giving us the lead with a 9th minute penalty, scoring another 8 minutes later, and Mumlek finishing off a surprisingly good-looking 3-0 win in the 53rd minute.

Spurs 2-2 Ipswich (PRM)

Akachar was an early contender for signing of the season, and scored his 10th goal in the 4th minute at Spurs. However they equalized in the 10th minute, and took the lead at the end of the half having pounded us throughout. Thankfully the boot was on the other foot in the second half, and while we could have completely turned it around, I was happy to snatched a 79th minute equalizer from Martinez.

Oct/Nov 2024

Ipswich 3-1 Newcastle (PRM)

Kayode proved he still had something to offer when he snatched an immediate equalizer to an early Newcastle goal. Like against Spurs, we were on the back foot for the rest of the half, but in a hard-fought second half Ferreira gave us the lead with just over 10 minutes left, and Kayode’s second clinched it.

West Ham 2-3 Ipswich (PRM)

We went to West Ham, hoping to take revenge for the league cup exit last season. Glavina fired us ahead in the 1st minute, and though they soon equalized, Martinez gave us a deserved lead on the strong of half-time, and Muftah sealed the win after an hour.

Ipswich 3-0 Spurs (LC)

We easily dominated Spurs in the league cup. Akachar eventually gave us the lead after 40 minutes, and Kayode’s sending off didn’t stop him getting another on the hour mark. Our flying Dutchman even completed a hat-trick with 5 minutes left!

Ipswich 1-0 Hull (PRM)

We were favourites against Hull, but despite an unimpressive performance, still snatched a lucky win thanks to Muftah’s 13th minute goal.

Ipswich 0-3 Liverpool (PRM)

We paid for that luck against Liverpool. Having beaten them last time I had hopes that we could get a result, and having been firmly on top in the first half, we were stunned when they scored just before half-time, and followed it up with 2 goals early in the second half.

Birmingham 0-3 Ipswich (PRM)

We easily bounced back at Birmingham. Akachar gave us the lead in the 37th minute. Nikolaou’s penalty extended it in the 54th minute, and Hajji soon gave us a 3-0 win.

Ipswich 2-0 Wolves (PRM)

Nikolaou gave us the lead after half an hour against Wolves. Hajji had a goal disallowed in the second half, but any fears of letting the game slip were quickly put to rest by Akachar.

Man City 2-0 Ipswich (PRM)

Again we had avoided most of the tough teams until later on, and that luck just ran out as a trip to Man City would be followed by having to face Arsenal. Holding out half an hour against Man City could almost be seen as good innings, as was the fact that while the kept pounding at the door all game long, Sakamoto (carrying a knock) kept them out, including saving a penalty. I couldn’t begrudge them a second goal when it eventually came in injury time.

Ipswich 0-0 Arsenal (PRM) 200th Ipswich match!!!

Sakamoto’s knock became a full injury that kept him out of the Arsenal game, my 200th at the club (how time flies). I thought that would reduce our chances of getting anything to almost nothing, but they were actually very quiet in the first half, and we even had the better of things in the second half, at least until late on, and I was actually a little disappointed that we didn’t grab a win, like it looked like we might for a while.

It has been a surprisingly strong start to the season, given that we're still punching way above our weight in theory. Still not dreaming of Europe, as we need to beef ourselves up quite a bit more before that becomes likely. Probably won't be making any waves, positives or negatives, but otherwise having a season to be very happy with. It's also great being, and very surprising, being above Norwich all season so far. Admitedly that's only because since pretty much the start of the season, they've played at least a couple of games less than everyone else. Not sure why.

They're hardly the only team that's had European games since August (especially as the final Europa League playoff round was the first since the domestic season started) and are still in the League Cup. They have as many as 5 games in hand over a lot of other teams, instead of 4 over us, because the first derby has been one of the games effected, being moved from October to January. As things are very busy from the festive period to the end of January, that won't be much fun. As they're looking at least as strong as ever, getting anywhere near them in the table when everything balances out is another of those things that's realistically some way off, but like us being top two early last season, it's an interesting thing to see.

The last game took me up to 200 matches at the club, and the way things are going, the should be plenty to look forward to for the next 200.

[B.W.G]

A very good first 14 games to the season with exception to the Utd result.Hopefully you can keep a positive run going and finish above your rivals this season!

[withnail316]

A solid start to the new season.

[JackJCFC]

Great start to the season so far, beating the teams you should but getting beat by the very top teams which is no great shame.

Ferreira looks very good too!

[AK22]

That's an encouraging start. Can you keep it going and look to qualify for Europe?

[DazRTaylor]

Excellent start mate.

[deltablue]

A solid start to the new season.

Excellent start mate.

Thanks, following on from last year, I can't remember the Premier League ever being this comfortable after promotion before.

A very good first 14 games to the season with exception to the Utd result.Hopefully you can keep a positive run going and finish above your rivals this season!

We've slipped a bit form-wise, but are still looking good.

Great start to the season so far, beating the teams you should but getting beat by the very top teams which is no great shame.

Ferreira looks very good too!

Before long it still still be something we should avoid, losing to the top teams every time. Plus we have had a few other disappointing losses. Still a same being slaughtered like Man Utd.

That's an encouraging start. Can you keep it going and look to qualify for Europe?

We're holding steady on to 7th for now, though even if we can, were at the mercy of what goes on in the cups. 6th is possible but maybe a bit of a stretch, so no looking for passports yet.

Dec 2024

Newcastle 1-0 Ipswich (LC)

We went to Newcastle for our first League Cup quarter-final, and from the start it was the end of the line as they battered us continuously, eventually scoring in the 60th minute.

Ipswich 4-1 Reading (PRM)

We had a surprisingly easy time against Reading, Akachar taking a pair of long awaited goals just before half time, and completing his hat-trick in the 52nd minute. They pulled a goal back just afterwards but Kayode finished a 4-1 win with 10 minutes left.

Sunderland 1-4 Ipswich (PRM)

We went behind at Sunderland in the 2nd minute, which was a shock as they were 19th as I expected to win. As it happened it was no trouble. Muftah equalized in the 14th minute, and Akachar gave us the lead before the break. He scored again in the 56th minute (taking him to 20 goals in as many games this season), and Ferreira gave us a second 4-1 win in a row with 5 minutes left.

Southampton 3-1 Ipswich (PRM)

There was a massive disappointment when we went to Southampton, going 2-0 down in the first half. Akachar pulled a goal back but we still lost 3-1, and yes, it really was that underwhelming.

Ipswich 1-2 Chelsea (PRM)

We didn’t cover ourselves in glory against Chelsea either, going 2-0 down in the first 2-0 minutes despite the game being pretty even. Kramer pulled a goal back at the start of the second half, but ironically only then did Chelsea start to dominate, though we still had a penalty claim turned down which could have given us a point.

Swansea 0-2 Ipswich (PRM)

More festive misery was averted at Swansea thanks to Akachar, who restored his goal a game ratio with goals in the 26th and 30th minutes. They had a goal disallowed before half-time, which led to a much less panicked second half than otherwise would have been.

Ipswich 2-2 Everton (PRM)

Having had a second good win against Swansea of the season, we looked like falling to a second poor defeat against Everton. They took the lead in the 24th minute, and we had an own-goal equalizer disallowed before the break, falling a second goal behind before Lacroix scored in the 68th minute. It looked like being too late, but with a few minutes left, Italian flair and Dutch brilliance combined as Arlati set up Akachar to give us a point, which was a great relief. Akachar was also ‘European Golden Boy’ for 2024, unsurprising after 24 goals in as many games.

Jan 2025

Chesterfield 0-4 Ipswich (FA)

We had the first week and a half of the year off before going to Chesterfield in the FA Cup. Nikolaou got us going after 15 minutes, followed by Akachar before the break. It was far from straightforward against the strong Championship side (the shot stats were exactly even), but Akachar got 2 goals in the last few minutes to make it look convincing enough.

Aston Villa 3-0 Ipswich (PRM)

The first league game of the year was one to forget at Aston Villa. They took the lead in the 20th minute, and while we were close to an equalizer before the break. They sunk us completely with a goal early in the second half, later getting a 3rd.

Ipswich 1-0 West Brom (PRM)

We had a surprise when playing bottom club West Brom, as they gave as good as they got. For a while it looked like we might not get anything at all, but not for the first time this season, luck was in our favour. We won a penalty that Ferreira converted in the 82nd minute, then they had a stoppage time equalizer disallowed. Still, an undeserved win is still a win.

Wolves 1-1 Ipswich (FA)

The injuries were really mounting up again (along with internationals, though neither Hajji nor Kayode were called up for the ACN) this month, and it showed when we went to Wolves in the cup and were utterly dominated in the first half, going behind in the 34th minute. We were far better in the second half, having a penalty claim rejected before their goalscorer put it in the other net in the 74th minute to earn a replay. The prospect of League 1 Middlesbrough in the next round would provide plenty of incentive to win that.

Man Utd 6-1 Ipswich (PRM)

The month ended with a trip to Man Utd, who were top. It went about as well as expected. They had a goal disallowed after a minute, but that didn’t stop them going 4-0 up at the break. Akachar pulling a goal back 10 minutes into the second half was immediately followed by their 5th, and they won 6-1, showing just how far out of our depth we were against the likes of them, given an aggregate score of 11-1 over the 2 games this season.

The Man Utd defeat was obviously pretty crushing, and we've had a few more disappointing defeats in the past couple of months. However were still holding steady, and might just be in Europe, but we'll have to see how things go. Man Utd look set to win the League cup, which isn't a problem, but we still have to hold on to 7th and wait for the FA cup if we don't managed to improve and challenge to 6th. Either way it still looks like a much better season than I expected, again.

We still haven't faced Norwich yet, the first game having been put back about 5 times now, at least a couple of times due to cup games, but as said games were early enough in both cups that they should have been accounted for, someone needs to be fired. As it is, it looks like we'll face them twice in 3 games (Liverpool being the one in between, which if we're still in with a shout for 6th should also be important) in March.

[noikeee]

Europe this season would be brilliant, looks possible too, just watch out to ensure the squad doesn't sink in morale past that defeat in Old Trafford.

[deltablue]

Europe this season would be brilliant, looks possible too, just watch out to ensure the squad doesn't sink in morale past that defeat in Old Trafford.

Struggled to finish the season as I've been a bit ill. Unfortunately form has dipped a bit. Not that it matters as Everton won the League cup so we'd have had to be 6th at least, which was always looking unlikely even wen things were going well. Even challenging for Europe wasn't something I was expecting so its not too much of a blow. Still not played Norwich, in fact we'll be playing the 'return' game first.

There is good news though, my new laptop has been ordered so will probably come in the next week or so. Hopefully that'll mean the game will no longer close down every month or so (and numerous times in pre-season), and I no longer need to save after we get points, plus its going to be a lot faster (2.9Ghz instead of 2, the fact that's its now underspec for FM being I think the main reason I'm having problems).

[AcidBurn]

Very good season so far good luck challenging for 6th place.

[deltablue]

Very good season so far good luck challenging for 6th place.

Unfortunately a slim chance early in the year quickly turned to none

Feb/Mar 2025

Newcastle 2-0 Ipswich (PRM)

We were painfully soft at Newcastle, going behind in the 6th minute. They had a goal disallowed but scored again anyway just before the break, as we practically gifted them the game by only half the team even looking like they had turned up.

Ipswich 3-2 Spurs (PRM)

I had sense a bit of a drop-off in form since December, and we looked set for a 3rd league defeat in a row against Spurs. They took the lead after 15 minutes, and again immediately after Glavina’s 22nd minute equalizer. The Croat winger scored again in the 53rd minute, followed by Akachar waking up to give us the lead in the 64th minute. They equalized but Akachar scored again in stoppage time to give us an unlikely win.

Ipswich 1-4 Wolves (FA)

We faced Wolves in the FA cup replay, hoping to win and get a theoretically easy 5th round tie against Middlesbrough. Unfortunately they tore through us like a hot knife through butter. They took the lead in the 10th minute, and were 3-0 up after 25, soon getting a 4th for good measure. Martinez got a header in the 59th minute but our hopes of progressing were over even before then.

Ipswich 1-1 West Ham (PRM)

Akachar had an early goal disallowed against West Ham, though gave us the lead in the 11th minute anyway. The disallowed goal proved costly as they equalized in the second half, but we really should still have gone on and got a winner anyway.

Hull 3-1 Ipswich (PRM)

Myrkaskog gave us the lead in the 9th minute at Hull, but as they were up in 9th it wouldn’t be that easy. They equalized in first half stoppage time, easily going on to win 3-1.

Liverpool 2-0 Ipswich (PRM)

I didn’t expect anything when going to Liverpool, and in the end we didn’t have a single shot on target. Their domination brought them goals in the 10th and 28th minute, and I was slightly surprised it wasn’t worse. That meant the top 6 was pretty much out of sight, and Everton’s League Cup victory meant our European ambitions were almost certainly over.

Ipswich 0-0 Birmingham (PRM)

The second Norwich match had been pushed back as well (and we still hadn’t even played the first yet!), and against Birmingham we really should have grabbed a win, but despite many chances we couldn’t even do it against them. 2 very poor points dropped.

Apr/May 2025

Wolves 3-2 Ipswich (PRM)

The postponed Norwich matches would make for a hectic end of the season, and we still had a long wait as next we went to Wolves where there was yet more frustration. Akachar gave us the lead in the 14th minute. They soon took control, and equalized 20 minutes later, but Akachar restored the lead on the stroke of half-time. However they equalized early in the second half, late taking advantage of a Sakamoto blunder to get a winner!

Arsenal 2-1 Ipswich (PRM)

Spurs had been our only win for almost two months, and we were unlikely to change that in the next couple of games, starting at Arsenal. Muftah actually gave us the lead in the 33rd minute, but we were never going to be so lucky as to hold onto it in the face of constant pressure, they equalized before the break, and got their winner 10 minutes into the second half.

Ipswich 2-2 Man City (PRM)

Akachar gave us another surprise lead, against Man City, with Martinez extending it 10 minutes later. We looked like we might hold on to it, but they scored twice in the space of a few minutes to level the scores with 15 minutes left, and what otherwise would have been seen as an excellent point seemed a bit underwhelming.

Ipswich 3-0 Sunderland (PRM)

Sunderland were pretty much set for relegation (Sorry AcidBurn), and even we couldn’t fail to win. It looked like we would again be disappointed after a goalless first half, but Akachar scored his 25th league goal of the season (and 35th overall) a couple of minutes into the second half, getting another late on following Martinez’s goal, as we won our first game for almost 2 months!

Ipswich 0-1 Norwich (PRM)

Only now, at the end of April, did we finally play Norwich. Not that I expected to get anything, and despite managing to keep it even, the won with a goal just before half-time.

Reading 3-1 Ipswich (PRM)

We crashed again at a strong Reading side, conceding in the 35th minute, and not having a chance of anything after that, as they followed up with 2 more in the second half, Muftah giving us our only response.

Norwich 0-1 Ipswich (PRM)

We finally faced the trip to Norwich (which was supposed to be the first derby, in October), and while I expected a heavy defeat, and we were seriously on the back foot for most of the game, Akachar gave us a fantastic win in the 63rd minute, the first Ipswich win over Norwich for 16 years, and the first away derby win for Ipswich for almost 20 (Thank you Danny Haynes)!

Chelsea 1-1 Ipswich (PRM)

Our last trip of the season was to Chelsea. We went behind after 10 minutes, but after 12 games of drawing a blank, Traverso finally got his first goal for the club, with one that was well worth waiting for. They had a goal disallowed so we held on for a point.

Ipswich 1-1 Southampton (PRM)

The last game was against Southampton, which was part of a battle for 8th between us and a couple of other teams, where we had the advantage. They took the lead in the 29th minute, but Traverso hit back 5 minutes later (when you’re hot, you’re hot), and we held out against a lot of pressure for the rest of the match to keep hold of 8th. Not that we’d get anything for it but it felt good.

I was worried about whether we’d be able to match a great first season after promotion, but needn’t have worried. We spent a surprising amount of the season in the relatively lofty heights of 7th. The spring went pretty badly (though picked up a bit near the end, including that historic Norwich win!), but 7th was pretty much confirmed not to be enough for European football, and we were already doing so much better than I expected, so I didn’t mind too much, especially as we only dropped one place in the end, though that had a lot to do with the massive lead we had in 7th to start off with.

We were still very much in a building process before we could seriously think of Europe, especially as the top 6 would be incredibly tough to crack, and at best we’d be heavily reliant on the cups, while somehow managing to get 7th at least. The scale of the task ahead being well illustrated by Akachar’s 27 league goals (a very good total that left him as the 5th highest scorer, just 2 goals off 2nd) was just half of that of the league’s top scorer, a Russian playing for Man Utd who scored 58 goals in 37, and 72 in 60 overall! 3 of the top 4 scored over 100 league goals, and despite a few points won in the past couple of years, we were light-years behind the big 6 of Man Utd, Chelsea, Man City, Liverpool, Arsenal and Norwich. The wage budget is not only a fraction of any of theirs (and probably far less than the teams around us) but would probably only go up gradually.

We did have a few good players, and a bunch more (especially in defence) who were very young but with excellent potential, so the future looked promising with some more signings, but we still had a long way to go to do any better, and while I said the same last year, this time it looked much more certain. However all the sponsorship deals were from the Championship and some would soon expire so soon we could see a good increase in that area.

Squad Stats

Star player: When I first saw him I thought 'finishing needs work, but otherwise he could be a pretty dangerous poacher'. He ended up being an instant hit, with a very good return of goals, and before the massive slump from late January, he had pretty much a consistent 'goal a game' ratio. He also got the winner at Norwich, which can't hurt his already soaring popularity. I think we have a fan favourite in the making.

[AK22]

Shame you tailed off a bit, but it's still a solid top half finish. And you won the East Anglia Derby too!

[snootyjim]

At first glance, I was thinking "not far off Europe now", but the gap between Arsenal and the rest is absolutely tremendous.

You're doing some great work though, and hopefully as some of the youngsters develop you'll be able to challenge for the Europa League places.

[Karnage94]

Doing a great job at Ipswich. Akachar does a great job at hogging the goal scoring rights

[deltablue]

Shame you tailed off a bit, but it's still a solid top half finish. And you won the East Anglia Derby too!

It was a lot better than I expected, which is why I wasn't too disappointed with the dip in form. Fantastic winning the derby, especially as it was quite the smash and grab

At first glance, I was thinking "not far off Europe now", but the gap between Arsenal and the rest is absolutely tremendous.

You're doing some great work though, and hopefully as some of the youngsters develop you'll be able to challenge for the Europa League places.

Yep, breaking into the top 6 is going to be a monumental job, but we'll soon look at least slightly capable of doing it.

Doing a great job at Ipswich. Akachar does a great job at hogging the goal scoring rights

We'll see how well he manages to do that now I've got him a playmate

Summer 2025

The pre-season budgets were a source for joy. 550kpw was almost 200kpw spare that I could used to boost a transfer budget of just over 30M. That meant I could keep pushing the boundaries of what I could spend. With extra help from releasing and selling some players who were little better than decent now (a process that would continue for a while), the centrepieces were 2 transfers of around 15M each, with wage demands fitting of big deals like that, which were hard to fit in but worth it to help give us a good boost. There was also room for a few more deals to improve a few more areas. We were now looking like a team that meant business. European qualification would still be very hard, especially if 7th wouldn’t be enough, but we now looked well equipped enough that it was a at least a possibility. The past couple of years have seen us punching well above our weight, but now we were starting to look like a team fitting the sort of form we had been showing.

Lavie

Saldana

Sanchez

Sarabia

Transfers

One to watch:

A fitting partner for Akachar. If it works well we should have a very good season on our hands.

[DazRTaylor]

Bigot looks unbelieveably good!

[P O\'D]

Wow last time I read this you were still at Nesta... now your pushing for Europe in the Prem. Great going.

[Karnage94]

Oooh yes that is a quality partner indeed. A good push for European football this season as the aim then?

[AK22]

Oooh, you've got a Bigot too! Yours is better than mine

[deltablue]

Bigot looks unbelieveably good!

Wouldn't quite go that far, but I have high hopes for him.

Wow last time I read this you were still at Nesta... now your pushing for Europe in the Prem. Great going.

That's Nest-Sotra (Not that I blame you for not remembering right) Pushing for Europe's right but it's going to be a very hard push.

Oooh yes that is a quality partner indeed. A good push for European football this season as the aim then?

That would be nice. Oddly when at Ipswich I dream a lot more long-term from the start (probably the only club where I can arrive in the Championship or League 1 and start thinking of Europe), but I'm a lot more patient short-term. I wouldn't mind another decent top half finish, especially as breaking into the top 6 will be a mega task indeed, so 7th could well be the limit of our ambition for now, and we'll have to see how the cups pan out to see if that will be enough.

[Karnage94]

Wouldn't quite go that far, but I have high hopes for him.

That's Nest-Sotra (Not that I blame you for not remembering right) Pushing for Europe's right but it's going to be a very hard push.

That would be nice. Oddly when at Ipswich I dream a lot more long-term from the start (probably the only club where I can arrive in the Championship or League 1 and start thinking of Europe), but I'm a lot more patient short-term. I wouldn't mind another decent top half finish, especially as breaking into the top 6 will be a mega task indeed, so 7th could well be the limit of our ambition for now, and we'll have to see how the cups pan out to see if that will be enough.

Understandable. I would sometimes expect too much of the squad that I have and then get pretty frustrated when things don't go our way so to go about it the way your are is I think the right move

[deltablue]

Oooh, you've got a Bigot too! Yours is better than mine

Small world

Understandable. I would sometimes expect too much of the squad that I have and then get pretty frustrated when things don't go our way so to go about it the way your are is I think the right move

Well that is in contrast to almost everywhere else, especially earlier on in a career when I'm really after a promotion or two before long, I often take things one step at the time, but also feel 'I really want to be challenging for promotion in a year or two' quite a bit.

[SRL88]

Cracking work last season fella.

[B.W.G]

Very good season,Bigot looks like he should be brilliant for you.Hopefully you'll be able to surpass Norwich in the near future.

[JackJCFC]

Great work last season, i can see you qualifying for Europe next year.

[deltablue]

Cracking work last season fella.

Thanks, I'm amazed at how things have gone in the league.

Very good season,Bigot looks like he should be brilliant for you.Hopefully you'll be able to surpass Norwich in the near future.

Unfortunately he broke his foot a few games into the season, so we'll have to wait a bit, as for surpassing Norwich...

Great work last season, i can see you qualifying for Europe next year.

I think you ned a new crystal ball given how things haven't gone according to plan this year so far to put it mildly

Missed out on doing these for the past couple of years...

2023/24

2023/24

FA: Arsenal 1-0 Everton

LC: Arsenal 4-1 Chelsea

EL: PSV 6-1 Arsenal

La Liga: R Madrid; Valencia; Barca

Serie A: Juventus; Milan; Fiorentina

Bundesliga: Leverkusen; Dortmund; Bayern

Ligue 1: Marseille; PSG; Monaco

2024/25

2024/25

FA: Liverpool 6-1 Wolves

LC: Everton 2-1 Man Utd

EL: Norwich 2-1 Monaco

La Liga: Barcelona; R Madrid; Sociedad

Serie A: Juventus; Roma; Fiorentina

Bundesliga: Bayern; Leverkusen; Dortmund

Ligue 1: PSG; Lyon; Marseille

[deltablue]

Ouch

[deltablue]

Aug 2025

Ipwich 0-1 Bolton (PRM)

We started against promoted Bolton, which should have been a win. Unfortunately we went behind in the 4th minute, and despite coming close to equalizing a few times, so slow was our start that they were far more deserving of a second, only being denied by a man of the match performance from Sakamoto.

Arsenal 5-2 Ipswich (PRM)

It didn’t bode well for a trip to Arsenal. They scored after 10 and 20 minutes, before Akachar pulled a goal back. However it was otherwise all their way (40 shots, 22 on target) as they ran up a 4-1 lead in the second half. Akachar scored again but his performance was in dire contrast everyone else as we lost 5-2.

Burnley 1-4 Ipswich (LC)

Thankfully we couldn’t mess up a League cup trip to Burnley. Bigot gave us the lead a few minutes in, then provided the second of two goals in as many minutes after 15 minutes (Akachar getting the other). He then went off injured with a broken foot that would rule him out until the new year, and we slowed down somewhat, but Martinez gave us a 4th with a header, Ferreira having another disallowed, while they got a consolation after having one disallowed themselves.

Ipswich 1-4 Liverpool (PRM)

This year we had a few big boys early on, and now faced Liverpool. Akachar gave us the lead in the 18th minute, but I knew it would always be a fragile one. They had the lead by half-time, and went on to win 4-1 as they easily took control and sent us to the bottom of the table. However Akachar at least got young player of the month.

Sept/Oct 2025

Swansea 3-1 Ipswich (PRM)

We couldn’t afford to waste a trip to Swansea, but went behind in the 33rd minute. Akachar (who else?) soon equalized, but we were otherwise a clear second best, and they won 3-1 after two quick goals after an hour.

Man City 8-1 Ipswich (PRM)

It’s fair to say that expectations were low about a trip to Man City. In the first half the defence at least looked like they’d showed up, limiting them to just a 13th minute goal, which allowed Glavina to equalize during a rare good spell for us. That all changed in the second half however. They scored two goals at the start of the second half, and had ran up a 5-1 lead before Martinez got sent off in the 82nd minute, after which they helped themselves to 3 more!

Ipswich 1-4 Liverpool (LC)

We had more pain against Liverpool in the League cup. Like at Man City, they had just a single goal in the first half (though no equalizer from us), but ran amok early in the second half, going 4-0 up by the 63rd minute before Akachar got one back for us.

Ipswich 1-1 QPR (PRM)

QPR was a bit of a ‘now or never’ game. Nikolaou gave us the lead in the 34th minute, but it was always going to be hard to keep. They eventually equalized in the 77th minute, but we at least had our first league point of the season, even if we really needed to hold on to all 3.

Aston Villa 1-0 Ipswich (PRM)

We were dominated at an Aston Villa team that had made a surprisingly strong start, going down in the 17th minute. However more efficiency up front would definitely have seen us grab a point.

Chelsea 6-1 Ipswich (PRM)

A trip to Chelsea was a familiar story. They scored in the 24th minute, with Glavina equalizing 5 minutes later, but they immediately took total control, running up a 4-1 lead at the break, and it was 6-1 in the end.

Ipswic 1-1 West Ham (PRM)

We went behind again against West Ham in the 4th minute, but afterwards we managed to get better. Traverso had no love for the referee who disallowed a goal at the start of the second half, denied us a penalty, then really took the **** by disallowing another Traverso goal. Thankfully we at least got something thanks to an Akachar shot that was deflected in in stoppage time, but we should have had the win.

This can't be happening!!!!!!! We massively overachieve for 2 years, finally have a decent side and this happens! We may have had a lot of big sides already but aside from the fact that they shouldn't be walking over us like that, there's still the matter of other games, especially the opening one. We're unlucky not to have a few more points, but again we'd still be doing poorly. After all the progress made, it looks like I won't last long. I'll keep going until sacked but its looking very depressing indeed.

[DazRTaylor]

Keep the faith and it will come good.

[noikeee]

Shame you lost form near the end of last season but it was still a great year to come 8th.

This season however you really lost form. Oh dear that's disheartening, as a manager of a side that's also forgotten how to play I certainly sympathize with the situation. Write off the year and concentrate on saving your job (I'm not even mentioning staying clear of relegation as I'm entirely confident you'll do that) - next season the real Ipswich will be back.

[deltablue]

Keep the faith and it will come good.

Shame you lost form near the end of last season but it was still a great year to come 8th.

This season however you really lost form. Oh dear that's disheartening, as a manager of a side that's also forgotten how to play I certainly sympathize with the situation. Write off the year and concentrate on saving your job (I'm not even mentioning staying clear of relegation as I'm entirely confident you'll do that) - next season the real Ipswich will be back.

Relegation's not my big worry. The board want a top half finish, and while they were still 'satisfied' in the October confidence update (A match on Nov 1st mean's I haven't seen the updated one yet) unless we start really climbing, the confidence will drop like a stone. Plus the players are getting really unhappy. I'll be amazed if I'm still around at the end of the season (maybe even at the end of the day, depending on how much I play), but we do have a slim chance. With Chelsea, Man City, Liverpool and Arsenal out of the way, things do look easier for the next couple of months, so we should be able to get some more results, and Bigot's return in the new year might give us more of a chance afterwards. Hopefully it won't be 'too little too late'.

[Karnage94]

As long as you don't panic and try to make too much happen too soon, you'll drag that side up the table

[AK22]

Oh dear Hope you turn it around, otherwise they'll be bringing in Harry Houdini before long.

[deltablue]

As long as you don't panic and try to make too much happen too soon, you'll drag that side up the table

I wish!

Oh dear Hope you turn it around, otherwise they'll be bringing in Harry Houdini before long.

That's all I need, him boasting about '2 points from 9 games when I arrived'. Thankfully he's been retired for ages. Just checked the board confidence at the start of December. It still says 'satisfied', and having looked at the detail, it's all about club stature and board promises, as the confidence for the Premier League is 0%!!!!!! I might survive after all as it can't get any worse.

[deltablue]

Nov 2025

Ipswich 0-0 Hull (PRM)

Hull was one of those ‘if we can’t get anything, we might as well give up and go home’ games. We had yet another goal disallowed, after 17 minutes, and had the chances to win anyway, in another ‘1 point but should have had /needed 3’ result.

Leeds 3-1 Ipswich (PRM) 500th career game!!!!

The trip to Leeds was my 500th career match, but there wasn’t much to celebrate. They went ahead in the 9th minute, and we looked capable of equalizing before a dodgy penalty allowed them to extend the lead, and finish us off with a 3rd before the break.

Everton 2-0 Ipswich (PRM)

We had a few early chances at Everton, but otherwise were dominated as usual. They had just the one goal in the 12th minute, so a decent late spell raised hopes of snatching an equalizer, but they got a fully deserved 2nd in stoppage time.

Ipswich 1-1 Spurs (PRM)

When we went down against Spurs in the 26th minute, I was expecting another defeat. Nikolaou equalized with a penalty on the hour mark, followed by easily our brightest spell so far in the league. though sadly no winner.

Ipswich 1-3 Norwich (PRM)

I really wasn’t looking forward to facing Norwich right now, and a Barreal own-goal gave them the lead after a few minutes. Arlati equalized after half an hour, but otherwise they were completely battering us. Sakamoto was doing an amazing job in goal, but otherwise couldn’t stop them scoring twice early in the second half to give them a comfortable win, but it could have been another Man City and I’m glad it wasn’t in the end.

Dec 2025

Man Utd 6-1 Ipswich (PRM)

A trip to Man Utd was likely to be even less enjoyable, and in the end we were never even in the game. They scored after 5 minutes, and were 4-0 up at the break. They went 6-0 up before Arlati scored his second goal in as many games in the 77th minute.

Reading 4-1 Ipswich (PRM)

We went to Reading and gave them a good game for a while, Mumlek quickly equalizing their 21st minute opener. However after they retook the lead it was business as usual and we were hammered 4-1.

Ipswich 3-1 Newcastle (PRM)

We were decent enough against Newcastle to the point that it was easy to forget the mess we were in. They took the lead in the 37th minute, but again Mumlek gave us a quick equalizer. Martinez headed us into the lead on the stroke of half-time (can’t remember the last time that happened) and the so-far disappointing Belgian Lavie secured a 3-1 win early in the second half. It was our first league win since Norwich in May, and it felt just as sweet!

Ipswich 1-6 Southampton (PRM)

Bigot was back in when we played Southampton, but otherwise it was back to being terrible. They took the lead in the 9th minute, and though Akachar snatched an equalizer against the run of play, they broke us with a header just before half-time, just as we did to Newcastle, and we went on to lose 6-1!

Wolves 0-3 Ipswich (PRM)

We went to a Wolves side who were down there with us (though with a few games in hand), so it was great to see Akachar give us the lead in the 10th minute. Nikolaou extended the lead with a penalty after 40 minutes, and I knew we’d be alright from that point on, and Akachar clinched it when he scored again in the 68th minute.

If nothing else I have a few submissions for the hall of shame now It's been seriously depressing for most of the year, but there are a couple of positives now. Firstly, even with competition confidence at 0%, job confidence is still 'stable' so I'm not so worried about the job. The second thing is that two strong wins in the last 3 games is a very good step in the right direction (never mind about the Southampton hammering), especially as tey're our first 2 of the season. Seriously I celebrated Newcastle as if we'd won the league, I was that desperate to finally get 3 points I'm now focussing on survival. If we can avoid the drop, hopefully I can avoid the sack, so that's the important thing for both club and manager. It's not looking easy, especially with the big teams coming up again soon, but for the first time in a few months it's looking achievable, and I'd be delighted if we can turn things around by that much at least.

[deltablue]

Jan 2026

Ipswich 4-2 Charlton (FA)

We started the year against Charlton in the cup. They had a goal disallowed just before Bigot’s 28th minute opener, then equalized immediately, and had the lead by half-time. We managed to keep it much tighter in the second half, with 2 Akachar goals and a Barreal header putting us 4-2 up before they had another goal disallowed.

Bolton 4-2 Ipswich (PRM)

We went to Bolton hoping to make up for the opening day disappointment. In the end we were even more disappointed. They took the lead after 5 minutes, and we battered them in search of an equalizer but they got another. We had yet more chances before going 3-0 down, then a man down after Myrkaskog got sent off. We were 4-0 down by the time we finally scored from Akachar, Lavie getting another with 5 minutes left, and we were wondering what might have been had we been more efficient early on.

Liverpool 4-1 Ipswich (PRM)

I felt we had wasted a great opportunity to get a point or three ahead of a trip to Liverpool. They had an early goal disallowed, but we so dominant that it was inevitable they’d take the lead in the 24th minute, with another 15 minutes later. We were better in the second half, but still conceded twice more before Arlati’s late goal.

Millwall 2-3 Ipswich (FA)

Bigot (who still hadn’t scored a league goal yet) gave us the lead in the 1st minute at Millwall in the cup, followed by Akachar’s 50th goal for the club (in just 1 ½ years) in the 10th. Things looked comfortable, but in the second half they made it 2-2 after just 10 minutes, and we were lucky not to go behind before Lavie’s last minute winner.

Ipswich 1-2 Arsenal (PRM)

As expected, we went behind early on against Arsenal, in the 4th minute. Mumlek (one of the more impressive players this season) equalized in the 26th minute, but they cruelly restored the lead just afterwards, and admittedly dominated the second half so we would have gone down anyway.

Ipswich 5-2 Swansea (PRM)

We needed to grab the opportunity of a game against Swansea, and we very much took it. Bigot gave us the lead with his first league goal in the 7th minute, followed by a brace from Akachar. They pulled a goal back in the 27th minute, but Glavina made it 4-1. Saldana took us 5-1 up in the second half before they finished the game off with their 2nd. The win took us off the bottom for the first time since the end of August!

Bolton was a wasted opportunity, and it looked like we were sinking fast before Swansea. QPR away next which is also a critical one to win, or at least draw. Peterborough in the 5th round of the FA cup mean we have a good chance of the quarter-finals, which is a minor positive, but otherwise we've not been storming to survival as I hoped. Still, Liverpool and Arsenal are done with, Man City and Chelsea will be soon, and hopefully the position will be retrievable afterwards.

[B.W.G]

Not looking too god,hopefully you can turn things around.

[deltablue]

Not looking too god,hopefully you can turn things around.

Well the news is improving...

Feb 2026

QPR 1-2 Ipswich (PRM)

QPR away was absolutely critical, and it was great to take the lead after just a few minutes from an Akachar penalty. We were on top for a while, so it was frustrating to concede an equalizer just before half time. We huffed and puffed and were rewarded when Bigot gave us the win with a few minutes left. That took us level with them, and 3 points off safety. It was also the first time we managed back to back wins in the league since December 2024, having not done it at all in 2025.

Ipswich 3-2 Man City (PRM)

We weren’t going to get a 3rd against Man City, but Bigot gave us the lead in the 4th minute. It only lasted until the 10th minute, unsurprisingly, but we kept the game even for the rest of the half. The first 15 minutes of the second half however saw Bigot and Akachar put us 3-1 up! I wouldn’t have minded if they fought back to get a point, and they scored in the 74th minute, but despite some close calls we somehow got all 3 points!

Peterborough 2-3 Ipswich (FA)

We went to Peterborough, hoping to make the FA cup quarter-finals. Bigot and Saldana gave us a 2-0 lead after 15 minutes, though like Millwall they suddenly became a threat. Sakamoto saved a penalty before the scored at the start of the second half, and they had another penalty shout rejected. We were mostly comfortable for the rest of the game, with Akachar eventually giving us a 3rd, before they scored a late 2nd.

Ipswich 1-1 Aston Villa (PRM)

We looked good for yet another win against Aston Villa when Akachar gave us the lead in the 4th minute. However they equalized 5 minutes later, and we struggled to regain momentum, having to settle for a point.

West Ham 1-3 Ipswich (PRM)

We went to West Ham, and had Bigot injured early on, but Akachar punished them with an 11th minute goal. Lacroix added to it with a header after 25 minutes. They pulled a goal back just before the break, but Akachar scored again just afterwards.

Mar 2026

Ipswich 2-3 Chelsea (PRM)

We looked like repeating the Man City win against Chelsea when Saldana gave us the lead in the 9th minute, followed by Kramer 8 minutes later. Unfortunately it was too much to hope for. They pulled one back in the 59th minute, soon equalizing, and eventually got a late winner.

Hull 1-2 Ipswich (PRM)

We went behind in the 2nd minute at bottom club Hull, and it looked like getting worse until Akachar scored in the 66th minute, soon followed by Nikolaou giving us the lead and a win that took us out of the relegation zone for the first time since the start of the season, though Wolves (3 points behind) had 2 games in hand.

Ipswich 0-2 Leeds (PRM)

I expected to pick up more points against Leeds, but after an even first half, where both sides came close to scoring, they took control in the second half, eventually beating us with 2 goals.

Man Utd 3-2 Ipswich (FA)

We hadn’t faced a Premier League side so far in the FA Cup, which was balanced by having to go to Man Utd in the quarter-finals. Akachar gave us the lead after half an hour, very much against the run of play. They equalized just before the break, but Bigot restored the lead early in the second half. A shock result was very unlikely however, and after equalizing in the 68th minute, they eventually got a late winner.

Spurs 5-4 Ipswich (PRM)

Akachar gave us an early lead with a penalty at Spurs, kicking off a hectic game. Arlati made it 2-0 in the 16th minute, but they had levelled it by the half-hour mark, including from a penalty of their own. Akachar restored the lead in the 43rd minute, but they quickly equalized. The Dutchman completed his hat-trick in the 51st minute, but again they immediately levelled it. Kramer later got sent off, and they took advantage to get a winner. Akachar’s words to the defenders (Sakamoto was otherwise very good) could only be imagined.

Much better, but still in squeaky bum time to be sure. What makes it potentially exciting is that the last game is Wolves at home!

[withnail316]

That's really tight! Hope you can keep your head above water...

[Karnage94]

Hanging in there lad. Hopefully you can stay up

[DazRTaylor]

Fantastic February for you!

[noikeee]

Finally breathing a little! It's still all very tight particularly given Wolves' games in hand, but I'm certain you'll make it.

[deltablue]

That's really tight! Hope you can keep your head above water...

Hanging in there lad. Hopefully you can stay up

Fantastic February for you!

Finally breathing a little! It's still all very tight particularly given Wolves' games in hand, but I'm certain you'll make it.

Thankfully the real Ipswich finally appeared, and after being so truely terrible for half the season, we were fine in the end.

Apr/May 2026

Ipswich 3-0 Everton (PRM)

We really needed to step up against Everton, and managed to do so. Lacroix gave us the lead in the 43rd minute, in a very hard fought first half. Things were easier in the second half, which saw 2 more goals for Akachar. Wolves won as well though, but we at least moved above Swansea.

Norwich 2-1 Ipswich (PRM)

We had a very tough couple of games, starting at Norwich. We were on the back foot a bit for the first half, but struck from Akachar just before the break. They had strong periods of pressure in the second half, and while I couldn’t begrudge them an equalizer with 15 minutes left, I was seriously annoyed that they soon snatched a winner, and that Lacroix got sent off.

Ipswich 1-1 Man Utd (PRM)

We next faced Man Utd, and kept it surprisingly tight in the first half. They eventually scored in the 68th minute, but Akachar soon equalized with his 50th league goal (in his 71st game) to give us a point.

Newcastle 1-3 Ipswich (PRM)

We went behind at Newcastle in the 42nd minute. Results elsewhere were putting us back in the drop zone, but the second half went all our way. Akachar equalized in the 69th minute, followed by Barreal giving us the lead 10 minutes later, and Akachar finished it off. At the end of the day we had overtaken the Geordies and gone to 15th, 4 points clear of the drop.

Ipswich 1-1 Reading (PRM)

Luck wasn’t on our side in the first 20 minutes against Reading. Glavina’s missed penalty was followed by Benes having a goal disallowed. Admitedly they pounded us for the rest of the half and we were lucky not to go behind. Benes finally scored in the 62nd minute, soon followed by an equalized after we had another goal disallowed, from Arlati, but the pressure was off now so a point wasn’t too bad.

Southampton 4-2 Ipswich (PRM)

The last away game was at a Southampton side who had been a surprise package this season, and who had hammered us 6-1 at home just before Christmas. Akachar again shone early on, giving us the lead in the 12th minute, and assisting an own-goal after half an hour. It was never likely to last. They pulled a goal back before the break, and walked all over us in the second half, winning 4-2, however we were now safe, which is what mattered.

Ipswich 4-1 Wolves (PRM)

Wolves had potentially been a critical survival match, however, as it was they were confirmed as the last team to go down. Lavie gave us the lead in the 18th minute, followed by Benes. Saldana’s shot was deflected in for an own-goal in the 54th, making it a comfortable 3-0. They pulled a goal back and were on top for a while, but Akachar finished our season off in the 86th minute.

Crikey! I never thought I’d be so happy about survival. The first half of the season was a total disaster. We were not just being beaten on a regular basis, but being well and truly hammered as well, giving us a woeful goal difference for the rest of the season. We had just 2 points by the end of October, and didn’t win a game until mid December. It looked like we were heading for an appalling relegation, and I was getting the chop. 2025 in general was a poor year, where we only won 6 league games, but we managed to turn in around. Aside from February, we were hardly shining, but we were doing well enough to gradually get us into a survival position.

Akachar’s form was a great reflection of our ‘season of 2 halves’. He started off with a goal a game in August, got a couple in September, then completely dried up until our 6-1 hammering against September, his return to the score-sheet being the only positive. It got to the point where he picked up a suspension and I wasn’t bothered at all. You’d never know it from his tally for the season. Blimey that kid can score goals. It was a pity that a runtime error occurred against Norwich, which was an epic 4-4 at the time where he had all 4 of our goals! I spoke last year how he was potentially an Ipswich legend in the making. Had that game been completed, even if we had lost, that would have been a major hero point in his favour.

From Swansea onwards it was like we suddenly remembered that we were at least a good mid-table team, rather than no-hopers, and the old Ipswich returned. It was an epic season, though not really for the reasons I’d hoped, memorable as the great escape rather then moving up into getting European football. Hopefully we could put this year behind us and never have to worry again.

It did come at a price regarding want-away players. Thankfully Muftah (who I would probably have wanted to release anyway) and Sakamoto were the only players on expiring contracts, as they both decided very early on that the intended to leave on a free, and I’d probably be losing a lot more players if more contracts had been running out. Sakamoto was a potential club legend who it would be a shame to lose, and it did mean we urgently needed a quality keeper.

Squad Stats

Star player: While Akachar more than made up for being completely useless for in the entire autumn, Mumlek (or 'Mamluk', as I keep accidentally calling him in my head, even after 4 years at the club) deserves credit for his consistency (useful with Ferreira out for months through injury), especially as just about the only player to emerge from that catastrophic first half of the season with any credit whatsoever.

[B.W.G]

Nice to see you have some breathing room.

[noikeee]

Congratulations on staying up. I'm fully confident next season you'll be back to full strength, good luck for next year.

[Goldesel23]

Great improvement on the second half of the season. Glad you make it

[JackJCFC]

Surprising to see such a stuggle but a relegation battle is pretty rare and a good read! Congrats on staying up, next season will be the one where you make Europe.