Will Ipswich's Fairytale Continue Next Season? Why Kieran McKenna Will Bounce Back Up With The Tractor Boys

Since Kieran McKenna's arrival, the story of Ipswich Town has been one of sheer joy. Back-to-back promotions to reach the Premier League, finishing both League One and the Championship as the division's top scorers.

That is, until this season, where they found themselves relegated with almost a month to spare. While Kieran McKenna and the club have been fairly positive about their progress, their tough Premier League campaign has exposed gaps in experience and quality that they will factor into plans going forward - but they will equally hoping for stability to avoid following Luton Town with successive relegations.

Out Of Their Depth

The Tractor Boys' difficult start to life in the top flight - having to wait until November for their first win of the season - was a start they never looked likely to recover from. Opening their campaign with convincing losses to Liverpool and Manchester City knocked the wind out their sails and set the tone for the year, with Ipswich only managing two wins and twelve points prior to Christmas.

Through the storm, McKenna's position has never waivered. The Irishman has always been keen to point out the high quality of every Premier League team, and when relegation was confirmed two weeks ago, he was clear that despite the impending drop the club are "in a much better position than we've been over previous years. There's still a fantastic togetherness there. It's a step back now but that's often the way in terms of taking steps forward".

Having taken over at Portman Road in December 2021, success was all McKenna had known until this season. It's the first setback, and for a team that were in League One just two years ago, to have reached the top flight in the first place is commendable in itself.

Tractors and Hatters

The polar opposite of the Ipswich-McKenna harmony has been the dramatic decline of Luton Town. Last season, they were Premier League hopefuls who occasionally showed glimpses that they could compete at the top. Twelve months later, they've been relegated down to League One. The complete reverse of what Ipswich have done in recent years.

Fans will remember that the Hatters consistently showed glimpses of quality during their stay in the top flight. They persistently showed promise and were involved in some incredible games: squandering a 4-2 lead away at Newcastle, coming within seconds of a 3-3 draw with Arsenal, and a 4-0 thumping of Brighton which included a Elijah Adebayo hattrick.

May 26, 2023 - Luton Town win promotion to the Premier League

May 3, 2025 - Luton Town are relegated to League One#LTFC become the fourth team in history to suffer back-to-back relegations from the Premier League... pic.twitter.com/wnq0JuYXm6

— The Athletic | Football (@TheAthleticFC) May 3, 2025

In a similar fashion, Ipswich have attracted praise for their organisation - with the nous of McKenna taking most of the spotlight.

People have been quick to draw comparisons between Ipswich's 2024/25 and Luton's 2023/24, and for good reason. Both squads contained players more than capable of Premier League football: think Alfie Doughty or Ross Barkley at Luton and Liam Delap and Leif Davis at Ipswich. Having players who 'fit in' during their time in the world's best league allowed fans to dream.

Another key similarity is that both Ipswich and Luton were consistently able to 'stay in' games. Of Luton's 24 league defeats last season, 13 of them were by just one goal. 10 of Ipswich's 22 losses have been by one goal.

This leads fans and pundits alike to repeatedly think 'what if...' about different situations. When this happens, game after game, it's easy to think that their luck would turn.

But that's when McKenna would relish some extra quality. With a team that's able to compete but rarely able to succeed, an extra 1-2% is all it takes to turn that narrative around.

Having said that, their tendency to stay in games is important for preserving the 'feel-good' factor at a club. Despite winning just one home game all season, Portman Road has never turned on McKenna or his men. Supporters have remained upbeat, and to many fans, simply reaching the league in the first place was achievement enough.

The Long-Term Plan

Don't despair, Ipswich fans. Just because your club's Premier League story shares a few similarities with back-to-back relegated Luton, it doesn't mean you'll suffer the same fate.

McKenna is a top coach. He is tactically astute and a great communicator, but one of his greatest virtues is his realism. He has never lost grasp of what his club have achieved in a short space of time, and for him to consider relegation as a potential means to "take a step forward" in the future, shows his commitment and confidence that his squad are capable of bouncing straight back up.

"There's no one better to bring them back!"@Carra23 thinks Kieran McKenna is the right man to bring Ipswich straight back up next season, should they suffer relegation to the Championship 💬 pic.twitter.com/4TcwF90UnM

— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) April 20, 2025

His background working under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer at Manchester United and years within elite setups have shaped his methodical approach. McKenna's teams are defined by structure, clarity, and a clear identity - qualities that don’t disappear with relegation. As a young manager. there's no doubt that he is still learning and improving: both qualities which bode well for the long-term growth of a team.

The dream scenario will be that Town pull off something of 'a Bournemouth' - getting promoted to the Premier League, going back down, and then bouncing back with a similar group of players with an extra year of experience. McKenna will be fully aware of the gulf in quality between the Premier League and Championship, and with the club's apparent stability and talent within their squad, there are no reasons why the Tractor Boys can't be top of the second division come May next season.

Financially, Ipswich have also been pragmatic. Unlike some promoted teams, they avoided reckless spending, instead backing smart recruitment and internal development. This long-term approach is far more likely to prove sustainable - and is unlikely to put them at risk of losing momentum the same way Luton did.