Ipswich Town

Graeme McLoughlin
BBC Radio Suffolk reporter

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Throughout Wednesday, BBC Radio Suffolk Graeme McLoughlin will be answering your questions in a special Ipswich Town Q&A.

In part one, he dives into this season:

James asked: Of the numerous injuries that Town have suffered this season, which do you think is the one player we have missed the most, whose presence could have been the difference in Premier League survival?

Graeme: I'm going to say Axel Tuanzebe, which may seem somewhat bizarre given he has featured for Town in 20 Premier League games this season, but I think the defender was absent during a key period. Town lost him after a very encouraging home draw with Aston Villa, and just ahead of what looked like a favourable run of fixtures at the time against West Ham, Everton, Brentford and Leicester. They ended up taking just one point from those matches, conceding 11 goals in the process, and I really think Tuanzebe's presence and intelligence in defence was sorely missed. Upon his return, Town immediately got their first league win of the campaign, and would take four points from fixtures with Tottenham and Manchester United, only to lose him for another period of time with a hamstring issue.

Mark asked: Jock Stein famously said "If you're good enough, the referee doesn't matter". Do you think that the phrase "If we were good enough, VAR wouldn't have mattered" is a fair summary of our season?

Graeme: Ultimately, given Town's relegation was confirmed with four matches still to play, then it is fair to say referees and VAR have not been the overall key to the Blues going down. However, it is also fair to say that the Premier League table would have looked a little different during the first third of the season had a few controversial decisions gone in their favour.

Town were denied what looked like a clear penalty against Leicester when leading 1-0. VAR also ruled against Kieran McKenna's side during their first matches with Manchester City, Brentford and Everton. I'm not saying they would have gone on to beat City, but let's imagine they deservedly beat Leicester and take a point off both the Bees and the Toffees. That's four additional points that would have kept them afloat of the drop zone at the time, and maybe given the players a little more belief.

Come back at 1200 BST for part two of the Q&A

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For the players and fans, Nottingham Forest striker Taiwo Awoniyi getting this injury in a situation where the offside flag should have been raised is so frustrating.

The frustration is when it is clear and obvious. Officials have been overseeing games for many years and they would always flag whether they were right or wrong.

Now technology has come into it, they are very reliant on VAR to make the right decision, the factual decision, about an offside. But, I think when an offside is so clear and obvious, it should be the duty of the assistant referee to put their flag up and stop play from the off.

When it is marginal, I understand we are a bit more hesitant when there are really fine margins, and we have seen those fine margins when goals have been given and it is a toenail to keep them on-side. I would understand it from that point of view, but it was on the halfway-line where the offside happened on Sunday, only for play to be allowed to continue.

It has been a matter of time. It has been a time bomb waiting to go off for somebody to get seriously injured. Awoniyi is the one that has got that injury - that horrific injury - because of it. Some will say it is only the first time it has happened in the duration of this rule, but it should never happen. That is how players will be looking at it, how fans and managers will be looking at it and saying 'it should never happen'. We should not wait for something to happen to reassess rules like this.

I don't like the ruling of it - it is on the halfway-line, it is clear and obviously offside, everybody in the stadium could probably see it. It should be for the assistant referee to make the decision. There are small margins in the box, I understand why they are a bit hesitant, but in open play, if somebody is sprinting, you could cause hamstring, quad, and all types of muscle injuries.

I am totally against this rule of waiting to put up the flag and I think most players and managers are as well. It's disappointing. I think it's a rule that nobody likes, and I'm sure in the summer off the back of this injury, one that will probably be reassessed.

Fara Williams was speaking to BBC Sport's Nicola Pearson

Manchester United are leading the race to sign Ipswich's English forward Liam Delap, 22, who would be happy to move to Old Trafford this summer. (Sky Sports, external)

Nottingham Forest will make at least five gs this summer with Ipswich striker Delap and Manchester City's 22-year-old English midfielder James McAtee among those they have scouted. (Telegraph - subscription required, external)

Want more transfer stories? Read Wednesday's full gossip column

Follow the gossip column on BBC Sport

Ipswich Town's return to the Premier League may have been short-lived but the manner in which they have fought and performed this season has been widely praised by those involved in the club and beyond.

With a long summer ahead, and a busy Championship schedule next season, there is plenty to get stuck into and BBC Radio Suffolk's Graeme McLoughlin is once again here to help.

Send us your questions here about transfer plans, life in the Championship or any Ipswich-related topic and we'll put a selection to him.

Come back to this page later this week for the answers.

Richard Woodward
Fan writer

With only a couple of Premier League games remaining before Ipswich Town drop back down to the Championship, I thought I'd scratch a 'whataboutery' itch for the season to date.

So for what limited good it will do, here's my top five 'Sliding Doors' moments for Ipswich's 2024-25 campaign - the situations which could have taken a far more positive path than what actually happened.

Palmer as goalkeeper

While the criticism of goalkeeper Aro Muric has been overblown, it's clear that Alex Palmer is a calmer pair of hands. Starting the season with him in goal might have given our defensive unit more confidence from the off.

Dropped points against Fulham

There was only one team that looked likely to score the winning goal in this game back in August, and sadly they had to settle for a point. Had Jack Clarke or Omari Hutchinson beaten the stoic Bernd Leno late on who knows what an early season victory would have done for confidence.

Beaten at Brentford

This incident-packed trip to west London ultimately led to a galling defeat, a season-ending injury and a suspension. If only the Blues had dug in at half-time and not gone on to lose in such a confidence-sapping manner.

Failure to beat Leicester at home

A shocking VAR-induced minute of madness - where an ascendant Town were denied a stonewall penalty before seconds later Kalvin Phillips was harshly sent off - started an unwelcome trend of dropping points late on at home to relegation rivals.

Clarke hits the post at Fulham

Off the back of victory over Chelsea, Town headed to Fulham with confidence and managed the game expertly. That all changed in the 89th minute, when Jack Clarke fired in a fearsome shot to secure the points which instead agonisingly came back off the post. Within a minute, the Blues had conceded a penalty to the hosts and were denied back-to-back wins for the first time.

Find more from Richard Woodward at the Blue Monday Podcast, external

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

Here are some of your comments:

Ipswich fans

Robert: Once again a poor loss. It sums up the season. Another defeat due to lack of quality, fight and commitment across the park. You cannot hide from the fact that we are not good enough. We need to focus in the close season on attracting quality players with a desire to win the Championship and give a good of ourselves when back in the Premier League.

Paul: Story of our season. Plenty of endeavour but lacking in quality. Same old formation and tactics mean we are too easy to play against. Kieran McKenna needs to broaden his horizons and be more adaptable.

Bob: Only four wins all season and conceding 77 goals. To say the season has been disappointing is an understatement. The fans deserve better. I hate to say this about my team but we have been outclassed all season and the players have not been good enough or up to the challenge. We need to rebuild a team who can return us back to the Premier League. I'm sure the manager (if he stays) will be planning for the future even now.

Richard: The game was tainted by the refereeing decisions. I think Ipswich played well, in particular Julio Enciso and Omari Hutchinson. A draw would have been a fair result.

Brentford fans

Vince: Four wins in a row with Kevin Schade on fire! Could the Bees be heading for Europe? Best wishes to Ipswich - great day out and hope they bounce back!

Mel: Lucky to get the points as Ipswich should have won this. We were very exposed in the left-back position in the second half, which let them run riot. On the positive side, we maintained eighth place and the European dream is still alive, just! All the best for next season, Tractor Boys.

Pete: Cheers ref! You were so biased towards us it was embarrassing! Good first half by us but Ipswich clearly the better team in the second half!

Mitch: Brentford dominated the match up to the 70 minutes when Matthias Jensen came on. Tactically it drew Ipswich up the field and we were lucky to come away with the win. But, in every season you need some luck.

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Ipswich manager Kieran McKenna speaking to BBC Match of the Day after the 1-0 defeat to Brentford: "The players gave everything and we competed well against one of the form sides in the league."

On his team's spirit: "That has been there in abundance and that has been a group who has had that. We haven't given up and that is going to be really important to the next stage of the journey. We pushed really hard for the goal at the end and we didn't get it. We've got to keep working to improve. Brentford have got one of the best attacking records and that was decisive today."

On Brentford's goal: "It was a really good delivery. I think the VAR was a problem as it has been in many games this season. Across the season, the stoppages in the game, I don't think it is working well. The stoppages for the people in the stadium. The decisions are marginal and subjective. I think there have been a few times where it has had a negative impact in the game actually."

Matthew Howarth
BBC Sport journalist

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Ipswich started brightly enough against Brentford on Saturday, top scorer Liam Delap heading Omari Hutchinson's delivery straight at goalkeeper Mark Flekken inside two minutes.

But the hosts didn't really create any further opportunities until the latter stages of the second half.

A fierce Hutchinson drive struck the outside of the post, while George Hirst scuffed an effort wide after an error from Brentford defender Sepp van den Berg.

The hosts came closest to an equaliser deep into added time, when Cameron Burgess had a first-time shot from another Hutchinson cross saved by Flekken.

Saturday's defeat was Ipswich's 13th home reverse of the campaign – equalling their club record from the 1994-95 season – while eight straight defeats at Portman Road represents their longest losing run at home.

Only bottom club Southampton have taken fewer points on their own turf than Ipswich, who will hope to end the season on a high note in their final two games against Leicester and West Ham.

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Ipswich have lost each of their last eight Premier League games at Portman Road, their longest ever home losing run in any division. They have also lost 13 home games in total this season, their t-most in a single campaign (also 13 in 1994-95).

Were you at the game or following from elsewhere?

Have your say on Ipswich's performance

What did you make of Brentford's display?

Come back to this page on Monday to find a selection of your replies

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Ipswich did well to fight back for a draw against Everton last week but this is a really tough game for them.

Brentford are such a dynamic team and now they have got Kevin Schade scoring as well as Bryan Mbeumo and Yoane Wissa, so it is going to be hard to keep them quiet.

The Bees recovered from 2-0 down to win 4-3 when they played Ipswich at home in October, with Mbeumo scoring the winner in the 96th minute.

That was a big blow for the Tractor Boys at the time, but I don't think this will be anywhere near as close. Brentford have won three games in a row, and this will make it four.

Sutton's prediction: 0-2

Read the full predictions and have your say here.

Five matches make up Saturday's Premier League action and BBC Sport will bring you every kick.

• Fulham v Everton

• Ipswich Town v Brentford

• Southampton v Manchester City - listen on BBC Radio 5 Live

• Wolves v Brighton

• Bournemouth v Aston Villa (17:30 BST) - listen on BBC Radio 5 Live

All kick-off times 15:00 BST unless stated

Follow all of the action and reaction here

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Ipswich Town defender Jacob Greaves has lauded the level of the Premier League.

Greaves made his debut in the competition this season with Ipswich after g last summer from Hull City, where he had risen through the ranks.

"All-round concentration, I don't think you've got time to switch off in moments where you are a little out of position or wrong body position. The technical ability of these players is second to none," said the 24-year-old.

"You've got to make sure you are doing everything week in and week out to be dialled in, to make sure you give yourself the best chance to perform at the weekend."

Greaves also revealed that the trending social media question of whether100 men could beat one gorilla in a fight has been a topic of conversation in the Ipswich dressing room.

"I've had this argument with so many lads in the building. I'd back the 100 men but my one was 10 Jon Jones [MMA fighter] against one gorilla," he said.

"The Jon Jones question took over the dressing room and it caused a lot of argument. A lot of the lads backing the gorilla, to be honest. [Liam] Delap actually said he'd have 10 of him against a gorilla."

Karan Vinod
BBC Sport Journalist

Ipswich Town boss Kieran McKenna has been speaking to the media before Saturday's Premier League game against Brentford (kick-off 15:00 BST).

Here are the key lines from his news conference:

• On team news: "Axel (Tuanzebe) came through the week well and he's had a good training week. Still struggling a little bit with Kalvin (Phillips) and Jens Cajuste in of the ongoing issues they have and getting them to fully available to train and get to their best. But we will have to make a decision tomorrow. I don't think anything else new from where we've been."

• McKenna confirmed neither he nor the players will "accept anything else" than fighting for every game despite being relegated. He said "it's the minimum requirement between now and end of the season".

• On Brentford: "They are a really good side, they've done terrifically well - manager and club and players - and I think they had a really good home record at the start of the season up until the halfway point. And then the home record has not been as good in the second half but their away record has been really good. We are sort of in a similar position as our away record has been better than the home record but truthfully football sometimes is a random sport. We know they are a good side home and away and we are going to be at our very best to compete."

• McKenna said that they will have to for Brentford's threats and it is "clear to see what they are very good at." However, he stressed it is "important to go and impose ourselves and have belief in ourselves on what we can do".

• On the short turnaround from the Premier League to Championship- season: "We'll have five weeks off and it is plenty. It is a little bit more challenging for the boys that go on international duty but we'll have to manage that and make sure they get enough rest. We are a few weeks ahead knowing where we are going to be next year so pre-season planning is well underway and the players will have plenty of time for physical rest."

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

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Ipswich have won just one of their past 16 Premier League games - 2-1 at Bournemouth in April. They have conceded two or more goals in 13 of those 16 matches, but did come from 2-0 down to draw 2-2 at Everton last time out.

The Tractor Boys have lost 10 of their past 11 Premier League home games, including all their last seven - the longest home losing run in their league history.

Arsenal have made an offer to the representatives of Ipswich's English striker Liam Delap, 22, as they seek to sign a ing forward alongside a more experienced and proven option. (Football Transfers)

Want more transfer stories? Read Thursday's full gossip column

Follow the gossip column on BBC Sport

Richard Woodward
Fan writer

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What an evocative experience it was visiting Goodison Park as an away fan on Saturday (even if my view from the away end was compromised by steel rafters and pillars!).

The pre-match scenes were exactly what I hoped for, and while the buoyant atmosphere amongst the home fans waned as Town got themselves back in the game, you could easily imagine what a vibrant place it could be for a bigger match.

While the new stadium will lack the character of its predecessor, the key is to ensure the existing fanbase give it a soul by creating a new shared history. Stuffing it full of corporate hospitality and pricing out generations of ers that made Goodison special would be a huge error by the club.

As for Ipswich, Saturday's game very much had the feeling of looking ahead to next season. While Julio's Enciso's worldie rightly drew the headlines, it was great to see the likes of Jack Taylor, Conor Chaplin and George Hirst in particular make key contributions – all of whom will likely be key players in 2025-26.

While Taylor hasn't necessarily shown that he has the influence to be a regular midfield starter in the Premier League, his second half against Everton gave some insight into what Kieran McKenna sees in the former Peterborough man. The hope is that he can dominate more a level down.

Hirst meanwhile demonstrated once again his abilities to lead the line in a way that brings others into the game. His impressive towering header to earn the point was the least his efforts deserved.

After a taxing second half of the season, it was great to see us demonstrate the kind of resilience and determination on Saturday that this club has shown consistently in the EFL under McKenna. It will be needed back in the Championship if we are to bounce back at the first time of asking.

Find more from Richard Woodward at the Blue Monday Podcast, external

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We asked for your views on Everton's Premier League game against Ipswich.

Here are some of your comments:

Everton fans

Oliver: The full-backs simply weren't up to standard. Vitaliy Mykolenko offers solid defensive cover but lacks the quality or confidence going forward, while Nathan Patterson contributes more in attack but is too often caught out defensively. Strengthening the full-back positions will surely be high on David Moyes' agenda this summer.

Mike: Jekyll-and-Hyde performance once again from Everton. Second half we just didn't turn up but credit to Ipswich who were good value for the draw. On far too many occasions this season, a two-goal lead has been squandered. Moyes knows this is not good enough and a major overhaul is needed in the summer.

Harry: I can't believe how sluggish and lazy we looked. On a day, when the fans made such an effort to give the Old Lady the beginning of a memorable send-off, the players thought they'd just go through the motions. Fifteen draws and counting.

Anton: Extremely frustrating result. Clearly too many players thought that 2-0 up after 35 mins at home to an already-relegated side equated to three pts. They'd better not produce this kind of performance against Southampton. This summer is going to be extremely interesting, not frustrating...we hope!

Ipswich fans

David: This was one of very few games this season where I felt we matched the opposition and weren't outclassed.

James: Where have those performances been hiding?! Great resilience to come back and get a point. My concern is how many of those players are going to be there next season.

Steve: The team have not given up - a good sign.

Robert: A fighting display to get the draw but sadly too little too late. My greatest worries are whether the manager will stay if approached by other clubs, how many players will move on and, if we sign new players, how long will it take them to gel together. We need to be on the front foot from the very start of next season.