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Episode 144 - Relegation Confirmed, What's Next For Town?
0 Playsin 12 minutes
Ipswich's relegation from the Premier League was confirmed after defeat at St James Park this past weekend. On today's show, Richard and Tom look back at what went wrong for Town this season as well as looking ahead to what is still very much. a bright future for Ipswich Town Football Club.
The Daily Ipswich Podcast, part of the Global Sports Podcast Network, is the home of all your ITFC. Join us every weekday for the latest news, build-up and reaction in the club's first season back in the Premier League.
Host: Tom Crack
Guests: Richard Popple
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Transcript
Ipswich Town's Relegation Woes
00:00:09
Global Sports Podcast Network
Hello everybody and welcome back to another edition of the Daily Pitch here on the Global Sports Podcast Network. We hope you all had a great weekend. Did not turn out to be the best weekend for Ipswich Town, but of course with relegation now being officially confirmed after a 3-0 loss at St James' Park against Newcastle this weekend.
00:00:24
Global Sports Podcast Network
I think a lot of us did see it coming a few weeks before this, but not mathematically now it is... officially confirmed help me look back on the weekend's game in St. James' Park as well as looking ahead now for it's just town I'm delighted to say I'm once again joined by Mr. Richard Popple are you doing Richard?
00:00:40
Richard
I'm very well, Tom. I'm enjoying the sunshine. We've got a week of a bit of a heat wave coming this week, so very much enjoying that.
00:00:44
Global Sports Podcast Network
Hmm
00:00:47
Richard
And that's a bit of a, you know, a comfort after what's been going on with Ipswich Town.
Controversial Decisions and Their Impact?
00:00:53
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah it's like I feel like you know when when one bleak thing happens, you know start to notice the the birds and the trees and the nature and all that thing, realise everything's all good. It's just a game of football.
00:01:01
Richard
Everything's okay.
00:01:02
Global Sports Podcast Network
But yeah, as I said, we did lose freedom to Newcastle. I think very much, you know, try and be as optimistic as you can. But going into this game, especially considering how our meeting with them went in December and with how i think they've kicked on even more since then, really, haven't they? we're Winning a trophy and really finding their form and challenging for...
00:01:18
Global Sports Podcast Network
Champions League football very much did seem like a writing on the wall result before balls even kicked. And i did seem to be the case. We'll just go through some bits and bobs in the game. Just, I guess, before we get on relegation later on the show, Rich, just thoughts on the result at all. You know, 3-0, there seemed to be a lot of big VAR and refereeing decisions in this game that kind of overshadowed the performances of either side, really, didn't it?
Newcastle's Triumphs and Challenges
00:01:40
Richard
yeah it was pretty stop start wasn't it load loads of var stuff going on In terms of the result itself, i mean, it's and it's no surprise whatsoever, is it? I mean, the golf... is there for all to see. And as you mentioned, you know Newcastle era are having very good 2025. They were a bit indifferent in the first half of the season with the form pretty up and down.
00:01:59
Richard
And they still throw in the odd weird result. Obviously, they got you know smacked at Villa couple of weeks ago or 10 days ago.
00:02:05
Global Sports Podcast Network
Mm-hmm.
00:02:05
Richard
But generally speaking, they've had a really good year and obviously winning that trophy is could be, anyway, and a big stepping stone to them being... challenging you know for for bigger honours, potentially, if they manage to make a few signings this summer, of which obviously they weren't allowed to do last year, really.
00:02:21
Richard
So i think you know in terms of the result itself, there's no surprise
Red Cards and Their Consequences
00:02:26
Richard
whatsoever. I guess what's disappointing and we we can talk about is the fact that we've had yet another red card. I mean, i think that does, you know, you look at, I think we're level with Arsenal with the most in the league this year, I think five, isn't it?
00:02:39
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:02:39
Richard
is a lot that's a lot of red cards and like you know similarly for them I know a different end of the table but that has had a massive consequence on their season and I think it's had a massive consequence on our season because there's just been too many games where you're up against it when you already are anyway and I know it's a pretty obvious point but I think it speaks to a club and a side that maybe don't have the confidence you know they're making poor errors Ben Johnson's kind of second yellow card, even if the first one's kind of controversial.
00:03:08
Richard
It's just dumb. You know, it's 35 minutes into the game. Let him go past you.
00:03:11
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah
00:03:11
Richard
Let him get a shot away. But going down to 10 men obviously put the nail in the coffin, even though it was only 0-0 at the time.
00:03:19
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, absolutely. I think, yeah as you said, red red cards for us this season. like It's not even a stat sometimes you think about in terms of, because you five out 30 plus games on paper doesn't seem that bad, but really does affect you, doesn't it?
00:03:31
Global Sports Podcast Network
like There's five results, which, yeah, five results, which
00:03:31
Richard
a lot.
00:03:34
Global Sports Podcast Network
you know I think one of those games was the only anomaly out of that was Villa away where we got red cup but still managed to hold them for a decent result. But for the most part, it's a 12 points
Injuries, Suspensions, and Squad Depth
00:03:42
Global Sports Podcast Network
loss, isn't it? So it really can impact you. Just looking at a few things like starting lineups, one thing that stood out to me before the game was our back four, which consisted of Greaves at left back, Burgess and Wolfie in the middle and O'Shea at right back. you know A lot of our fullbacks are injured and a few, like Davis, obviously with the red card the week before against Arsenal, a lot are suspended.
00:04:06
Global Sports Podcast Network
few, i guess, you know, maybe Ben Godfrey was one the bench who could have maybe thrown his hat in the ring, but it shows like like depth-wise as we were struggling again in that part of the field and having all four of our starting centre-backs, if you call them starting, all four of our centre-backs being there, it kind of, I don't think it was a really good sign to see, was it like we are very depleted as a squad?
00:04:25
Richard
Yeah, I mean, i think McKenna talked about that after the game, didn't he, where he was basically saying, you know, it's been a very difficult week just being able to get you know, a team out there basically or so or a squad out there.
00:04:35
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:04:37
Richard
And, you know, you saw on the bench, you had like Somto Boniface and Tom Taylor, like young players on the bench and stuff, which we've obviously not seen all season. And that's because of of the injuries that the squad's got at the moment.
00:04:49
Richard
Yeah, I mean, a back four of that is is not particularly what you want to see, to be honest. there's no There's not going to be any progression up the pitch out of O'Shea and Greaves as fullbacks. it's very much a kind of like plant yourselves in and hope for the best sort of thing.
00:05:03
Richard
So, yeah, I mean, that that's that's just playing what's in front of you, really. There's not much the club could have done about that particularly. It's just a slightly unfortunate series of events.
Bobby Robson: A Tribute
00:05:11
Richard
But again, you know, it goes back to discipline to a certain extent.
00:05:14
Richard
Leif Davis got frustrated and raked his studs down the back of Bakayi Saka's leg last week. You know, he didn't need to do that. and And that's cost us, you know, having a proper left back on the pitch.
00:05:24
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, absolutely. I think just, you know, this this game, but more more be it the context of what followed after as well, which we'll get into the next part of the show. But it was quite a bleak affair. I think the only sort of like positive, which, you know, it's it's a big connection we have with Newcastle pre-game and any any time of year, isn't it? But it's always nice to see the the love for...
00:05:43
Global Sports Podcast Network
our greatest manager in Bobby Robson and obviously Newcastle share that sentiment as well there was chants from both both sets of fans singing his name during the game after the game before the game i think on our socials there was a nice with his statue outside of James Lippert a town scarf and a
00:05:49
Richard
so
00:05:58
Global Sports Podcast Network
Newcastle scarf over. I think Newcastle fans as well said how we were the best away fans we've had all season. But I think it's always a nice reminder, this fixture for me anyway, of how important he was to football because you know it's's you know it's it's a long time since yeah he's he's he's gone now, isn't he? And people kind of kind of forget about you know your Pep's Mourinho's are always ones who grab the headlines and stuff. But he was such a key figure to English football and to both clubs, wasn't it's nice to see that tribute from the the clubs before the game, wasn't it?
00:06:25
Richard
Yeah, definitely. And there's there's a video, I think, on on YouTube where you know somebody is singing, I think it was his favourite song or something, a a singer is singing My Way at Portman Road where they have the Bobby Robson kind of like memorial match or whatever, which is an amazing watch because
00:06:42
Global Sports Podcast Network
Oh,
00:06:43
Richard
You know, obviously we're we're biased, but Portman Road is still like, it still looks absolutely brilliant on the TV, even back then before before some of the changes to it and stuff. And obviously they've tarted up for this season and things, but it was just a really magical moment.
00:06:57
Richard
And I think you're right, that there's it's always a reminder. And he was one of, as you say, he's 100% Ipswich's best manager of all time, but he's kind of one of England's best managers of all time, I suppose.
00:07:09
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, definitely. So it's always a good reminder when the football zeitgeist can be reminded of how great of manager he was in in a get and a game like this between both clubs.
00:07:16
Richard
so
00:07:17
Global Sports Podcast Network
really does do that, doesn't it? We'll take our first break now.
Acceptance and Future Strategies?
00:07:20
Global Sports Podcast Network
That's that's enough of that that game. And when we come back, we'll discuss relegation being confirmed.
00:08:03
Global Sports Podcast Network
Amir back here on the Daily Up Switch. Sorry, Richard. Relegation is confirmed. I feel like maybe the writing was on the wall for a long time. You saw McKenna after the game scene, probably since the wall's result.
00:08:15
Global Sports Podcast Network
it's It's sort of been an unwritten rule. We've kind of been expecting it, let's not talk about it until it's actually made official. Just really, like before we get into an iterative at all, just thoughts on it now being the case. I feel like it's kind of been, let's not mention the wall, so to speak, about relegation for a lot of time this season.
00:08:32
Global Sports Podcast Network
It has come now, hasn't it? And I think, you know, it's a bit of a bleak affair, but also could be slightly positive because i think the club maybe have gone up too quickly, shall we say. but yeah, just where's your head at after it now being confirmed?
00:08:47
Richard
well it's that thing isn't it when something kind of like you know bad is happening to you and you know again this is football so it's not it's not life and death But you kind of you have different responses to it. At first, it's quite a strong response and maybe a bit of denial about it or whatever.
00:09:02
Richard
And then obviously acceptance kind of comes in somewhere along the line. And I think with this, I mean, maybe it was the Wolves game. I can't remember now. I think the last sort of six weeks has felt a little bit like Groundhog Day because you can tell on the pitch that the kind of belief...
00:09:13
Global Sports Podcast Network
Mm-hmm.
00:09:17
Richard
It's not that the belief is gone, but it probably has, even though they will say the right things in you know press conferences and stuff. And I'm sure they're preparing, obviously, to win the games. Obviously, they are. But in the fan base and in the reality of the games being played out in front of you and the eye test, you know what's going to happen.
00:09:35
Richard
So, you know, this game, for example, no one, no one would have thought we would get anything out of this game. And it felt pretty academic anyway. And it's kind of felt like that for a few weeks, unfortunately. So I think, yeah, it's, you know, maybe there's a bit of relief now that it's kind of finally been done.
The Ipswich Journey: Promotions and Challenges
00:09:51
Richard
i think the club behind the scenes absolutely would have been talking about the future already.
00:09:56
Richard
Probably, as you say, from the Wolves game kind of onwards, because it's not just been our trajectory, which has been like stagnant and going down. Wolves have won six games in a row and they were the team that we were hoping to catch. So that, you know, two things have happened at the same time where it's just been like, you know, this this ain't going to happen.
00:10:12
Richard
So, Yeah, it's a bit of relief, I think, from me and start to think about moving forward. how how about How about yourself?
00:10:22
Global Sports Podcast Network
I don't know. yeah I mean, obviously, when when it happens immediately, I think, yeah, post-Wolves, because obviously there was a brief moment, not brief moment, a decent amount of the game when we were one nil We were leading 1-0 against them. We thought maybe if if that went away, you never know what could have happened. A few weeks after, it could have gone. But yeah, I think just with it now after that game, you kind of resided yourself to the fact. And the first sort of an initial reaction is a bit of sadness and that sort of stuff. But I've said a lot all season, you know, like look at where you were a few years ago. And obviously, yeah, you know, you don't want to be getting relegated. But the fact we're down about this shows how much we've sort of come up as a club.
00:10:58
Global Sports Podcast Network
And, you know, it it could be seen as an excuse, but, you back-to-back promotions, I think for where we are right now, very much didn't expect it to happen last season. The fact that it was incredible and like its memories will last a lifetime, but...
00:11:09
Richard
you
00:11:11
Global Sports Podcast Network
you know i think I don't think we expected to get it far. You saw the quality of the squad, the fact, predominantly, the entire team was completely overhauled this season. That sort of spirit that was there. Spirit can only get you so far, but it is a big factor. the exception of, you know we had like three or four guys in the starting XI yesterday who were part of the squad from yesteryear, but predominantly, it's all been new players. so I think that's been a big issue this season. But you know i think with...
00:11:35
Global Sports Podcast Network
We've said a lot in the past two weeks. I think with the majority of the squad hopefully staying on next year with exception of De Lapp and a couple of others, I think we're in really good stead next year to then push on. what If we do hopefully go up again, that squad's going experience and also more importantly the togetherness, which hasn't been there.
00:11:47
Richard
Hmm.
00:11:49
Global Sports Podcast Network
We've had to combine the two this season of having that quality and having that team spirit, which is really hard to manufacture in such a short space of time. I think we only saw it in brief moments across a few weeks for the season. When they were there, it was really, really good to see. But I think once relegation has kind of been...
00:12:04
Global Sports Podcast Network
give or take, confirm, even mathematically or emotionally, it's kind of been hard to, you know, pick the spirits up, which is fair enough, to be honest. I think new Newcastle and Arsenal, Chelsea was, you know, anyone can get result against them.
Communicating Post-Relegation
00:12:14
Global Sports Podcast Network
We proved it with four points against them this season. But the last two games against two of the best sides in the country, it's it's shown, like,
00:12:22
Global Sports Podcast Network
when quality is not there, but also your emotions are kind of gone because, you know, you're kind of down. It's it's even harder. Nine-nil aggregate the last two weeks is not a good thing to look at, is it? But there's very much positives.
00:12:32
Richard
No.
00:12:33
Global Sports Podcast Network
We'll get into, like, previews of stuff for next season in the coming weeks and things, but yeah.
00:12:37
Richard
Yeah. Yeah, it's quite interesting what what's what is going to happen next. And obviously there is lots of lots for us to discuss. And I think the club have been very, particularly McKenna, because he seems to be the the, you know, obviously is the one being interviewed post, pre, all the time.
00:12:55
Richard
And I think he's the one that's kind of like sending out the message a little bit at the moment. There's not there's not really been much from from anybody else, which is very much removed from how the club's operated in the past. Obviously, they did that big interview with Ashton and McKenna, didn't they?
00:13:09
Richard
Just before the kind of last 10 games of the season, something like that, where it was yeah where it was still like, come on, let's galvanise everything.
00:13:12
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, for you United, I think.
00:13:16
Richard
And then obviously, you know, results haven't haven't sort of changed too much. So you've not really heard much
Adapting to Championship Life
00:13:21
Richard
else. And I guess that's been because... They're working behind the scenes to sort of think about what happens next. like Again, we will talk about it in much more detail. But I think it's not just on the pitch that things, I think, will change a little bit because the Premier League is literally so different. And because we haven't experienced it as fans, you know, we obviously watch the Premier League all the time. But when you're not supporting a club, you don't really think about the kind of overall ecosystem of the whole thing, the media scrutiny of the whole thing.
00:13:50
Richard
Because when we go back to the Championship, the Nationals won't be there every single week. You know, they there won't be all of this kind of like and focus on the club all the time and kind of like what they're doing. v yeah yeah We won't have VAR and
VAR, Technology, and Football Preferences?
00:14:01
Richard
all this kind of stuff. So will it go back to sort of like slightly operating the way it has done for the last few years, which has been much more, I think, community, you know, facing and sort of like open and stuff? And is that just the Premier League that kind of changes things?
00:14:16
Richard
Because I do think that that matters to how... people respond to the club and all the rest of it. So I think there will be changes off the pitch as well. with you know and And maybe that will that would be interesting to to to basically monitor, I think, as much as how the squad will change too.
00:14:31
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah. You touched on it there, but are there other things you are like, I'm glad we haven't got that. The AR is the big outlier, isn't it? Are you glad we haven't got that to deal with next season? I mean...
00:14:40
Richard
Rob and I were talking about that. I don't know. I don't really care about it, to be honest, because i prefer I prefer football without it.
00:14:44
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:14:47
Richard
But I think if you sort of like, you know, bang that drum, you sound like a bit of a Luddite and, you know, back to what it was before. I think goal line technology is good to have. I don't i don't see why that isn't the thing, because I think that's the most controversial thing in football, really.
00:14:59
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:14:59
Richard
offside Like marginal offsides because someone's toe is sticking out really drive me mad. And I don't think that that's what it should be for.
00:15:07
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah
00:15:09
Richard
But then other people would argue, you know, offside's offside. off site And, you know, if you if it is a marginal thing, and that's important. But I think, don't know, that just takes out slightly some of the human side of the game, I suppose.
00:15:20
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, yeah.
00:15:20
Richard
But yeah, i'm I'm not that bothered, really. You know, we're we're obviously going to get a slightly lower standard of referee again, potentially. But I don't know, really.
00:15:28
Global Sports Podcast Network
That was pretty average this year, I suppose.
00:15:29
Richard
It's... Yeah. Exactly. I mean, think for for me, it will be nice not to have all of the scrutiny again, because I don't think the club was quite ready for all of that.
00:15:32
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, yeah.
00:15:39
Richard
And fair enough, because we've not been there for 22 years.
00:15:40
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:15:41
Richard
They did an incredible job to get Portman Road up to the standards that they had to.
Season Reflections and Predictions
00:15:45
Richard
But I think all of that, combined with having a squad that wasn't ready, just felt like a lot for them to cope with. And they've done really, really well to kind of...
00:15:54
Richard
do what they've done. But I think another year in the championship or two or three might give us an even stronger base to have another go at some point in the future.
00:15:55
Global Sports Podcast Network
you know
00:16:03
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, yeah, definitely. It's not obviously guaranteed going back up, look at Luton.
00:16:06
Richard
No, not at all.
00:16:06
Global Sports Podcast Network
Obviously, we got in Leeds.
00:16:07
Richard
Not at all.
00:16:08
Global Sports Podcast Network
We got in Leeds way last year. and Unfortunately, I've managed to go over that hump. Before we go to the next bit, i obviously, we'll do like a proper season preview later or in bit in the summer. But anything you're looking forward to next year?
00:16:19
Global Sports Podcast Network
you know, we've got East Anglia Derby. You know, Hollywood Boys of Wrexham are now are going to be there again.
00:16:23
Richard
Oh, right. Yeah.
00:16:26
Global Sports Podcast Network
That's three promotions in a row.
00:16:28
Richard
Yeah.
00:16:28
Global Sports Podcast Network
There's just some things, isn't there, to sink your teeth into.
00:16:32
Richard
Yeah. The Wrexham story is going to be the story, isn't it? of the champion, of the champ.
00:16:35
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, can I do it again? Yeah.
00:16:36
Richard
Yeah. Can they do it again? Championship next year, next season. Uh, yeah, it would be interesting because that is obviously, you know, American owned, similar kind of vibes to us to a certain extent.
00:16:50
Richard
So yeah, that that that will be an interesting kind of like narrative to follow. The Norwich thing doesn't ever bother me. i don't i mean i'm But I'm not like that with football.
00:16:55
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah,
00:16:58
Richard
I don't really care about... I quite like having friends as your rivals because I think that's all part of it. So don't care don't care about the Norwich thing.
00:17:03
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah.
00:17:06
Richard
But yeah, I mean, I love the 46-game format. The games come thick and fast. You can bounce back from poor runs of form and all the rest of it. And I think... it'll be really interesting to see who we've got and who's in charge and, you know, whether a director of football comes on board or, a you know, Ashton splits his role as as chairman and CEO and all that kind of stuff.
00:17:19
Global Sports Podcast Network
Mm-hmm.
00:17:27
Richard
I think, I think there are changes that are going to happen, which, which will be interesting.
00:17:31
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, I feel like the change is coming this summer. it's it's I think last year was very unpredictable of who we're going to bring in, whereas now I feel we've got it we kind of have not a list of certain individuals, but sort an ideal list of what we want filled up.
00:17:42
Global Sports Podcast Network
Because last summer it kind of felt like we'll just bring anyone in and if that works, bolster it and all that sort of stuff. I think we have desired areas of the field now that we know need bolstering or improving or yeah all that sort of stuff.
00:17:52
Richard
Yeah.
00:17:52
Global Sports Podcast Network
And that comes of on and off the pitch. But yeah.
00:17:56
Richard
I can't wait to do a squad audit. I think we should, the four of us should sit down and do a squad audit when all is said and done later in May.
00:17:57
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:18:00
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah Yeah, definitely. yeah definite We're also going to be, I'm not sure when this episode will be coming out, but I've been bantering about all year, but we are going have a reaction to our table preview but start of the year.
00:18:12
Global Sports Podcast Network
Which, those who aren't aware, me, Rob and James optimistically picked 17th and Richard, I guess now you can call it blissful ignorance.
00:18:18
Richard
I know.
00:18:20
Global Sports Podcast Network
Back then, i'd I think I'd call it sort giddy optimism. pretty But yeah.
00:18:23
Richard
Do you know what? it It was more, it was more of the former. Like, I think I i will hold my hands up and say, i don't think, I never thought we would be as bad as we've fundamentally been.
00:18:33
Global Sports Podcast Network
No, me neither.
00:18:34
Richard
and
00:18:34
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:18:35
Richard
I really didn't think that. And I think for the first half of the season, you could probably say that I was maybe right. Obviously, we weren't winning enough games.
00:18:41
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah. Yeah.
00:18:42
Richard
But second half, it's yeah it's gone. But I don't think I appreciated how strong the Premier League is down to kind of like 17th place, ultimately. You've got Spurs, who are 16th.
00:18:52
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah
00:18:54
Richard
You know what I mean?
00:18:54
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah
00:18:55
Richard
it's like It's kind of ridiculous. So I think i I was a bit ignorant about that. Yes, I hold my hands up.
00:19:01
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, yeah. Already pleading his case. But like I said, we'll get into those probably in May time sometime when we've got all the season reaction stuff. But we're going our final break. When we come back, we'll just discuss a few more things to relegation and a few good news also to come from Ipswich Town's women's team.
Women's Team Success
00:19:42
Global Sports Podcast Network
we're back here on the final part of today's show. Richard, one other thing to talk about, and it's it's very it's very much a topic that you know was sort of brushed over us right at the start the season, especially how last season went in the Premier League, is that now it has been, i think for the first time, consecutive teams going down.
00:19:45
Richard
Okay.
00:19:58
Global Sports Podcast Network
So the teams that went up have gone straight back down again. With us, Leicester and Southampton, the year before. with Luton, Sheffield and Burnley. But do you hold creed to this argument that now the league is getting a bit too much of a close shop? And know as you said, the quality of know seeing Spurs and United near the bottom, or is there maybe an argument, you know it's only only been the past two seasons, but it's been the case before that, you know teams have stayed up and your Forest, your Brentford, Brighton, Bournemouth, et cetera, and now solid teams. Is it just a case of Bad results or is it now a closed shop or can you survive one year? You are hopefully going kick on from there.
00:20:35
Global Sports Podcast Network
Well, where's your head out of all this? Because it's a big topic of debate right now, isn't it?
The Premier League: A Closed Shop?
00:20:40
Richard
It is, yeah. i think I think the way that clubs in the Premier League operate has just is is a little bit different from, and I mean money aside, a but a little bit different from how clubs operate in the kind of like lower divisions.
00:20:55
Richard
And I think the manager thing is the massive thing. Like we talked about this at the start of the year, the the, the, the new manager bounce or the change or whatever it might be, i think is a, is a real thing for the most part.
00:21:06
Richard
And if you look at, I know, I know it didn't work for, you know, Leicester or Southampton, but they were, they were really struggling at that point anyway, but it massively works for Everton and Wolves latterly.
00:21:06
Global Sports Podcast Network
Hmm.
00:21:16
Richard
It's like unbelievable. And I think because clubs can do that in the Premier League, they literally will take a swing at it. the the the Basically, they don't really care about where they finish, and i mean, as long as they finish in the Premier League.
00:21:30
Richard
And because you think about Spurs and Man United, both of those clubs, I know they're big clubs, but both of them might win a European trophy this year. So the narrative around them will be, well, who cares where we finished in the league because we won a European trophy and they'll be ready to go again and they'll have the money, you know, swilling in the coffers and stuff.
00:21:43
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yep. Hmm.
00:21:48
Richard
So I just kind of think that, I mean, yeah, of course it's a bit of a closed shop, but I don't think anyone is incentivised in the Premier League to change it. If you're asking like, you know, Bournemouth or Brighton or Brentford to kind of have the rules change somehow, they're going to be like, well, no, because we worked within these rules and we've made it worked.
00:22:07
Richard
and And sorry, but that's just the kind of like reality of the situation. So I think if it happens for a third time, maybe there'll be more you know and noise about it. Because I think Leeds and Burnley have got a good chance of staying up, purely because they've had that you know they've been in the system closer than than you know the likes of Ipswich have, obviously.
00:22:27
Richard
But then I suppose you could say that about Leicester and Southampton. Was that mismanagement? Was that, you know, they they didn't get their signings right, all the rest of it? I don't i don't know, but
00:22:35
Global Sports Podcast Network
Mm-hmm.
Scouting and Quality Recruitment
00:22:37
Richard
It's very clear that if you don't have a decent scouting network abroad, you're going to really struggle because Ipswich's policy of buying young British players from the championship fundamentally hasn't worked.
00:22:49
Richard
They haven't been good enough. And there might be sell-on value for these players, but we don't have a scouting network. So that has hampered us more than anything, I think, because we're not able to bring in like a really quality athletic midfielder from somewhere in Chile for like £4 million, £5 million. pounds we don't have that network. So I think that's where the Premier League clubs have this enormous advantage, which seems to be getting bigger and bigger.
00:23:14
Global Sports Podcast Network
Is that something, obviously, es it's hard to just say, do that for all the clubs, but like, because you don't know who necessarily is going to go up, is it? But like, is Is there something within the realms of like just evening out limitations within, I don't know how to say it.
00:23:29
Global Sports Podcast Network
I don't think salary is a thing. do You see that in US sports. It is a head scratch. I do think like there's there's there's a side to both, isn't there? Because I think, you know, you could just say, oh, well, if you perform better in games, you would have stayed up.
00:23:36
Richard
Yeah.
00:23:40
Global Sports Podcast Network
And for us, especially this season, that could have been the case. But then you do see the way in which those teams are running, as you said. Yeah, as long as you stay up, who cares where you finish? Because like... you know United and Spurs, yeah, if they don't want to be there, but they're they're there, aren't they?
00:23:55
Global Sports Podcast Network
And it's it's a big old gap as well. Yeah,
00:23:58
Richard
Yeah, I mean, the thing is, like, you know, i saw this thing about reversing the prize money, for example. Like, you know, in American sports, example, if the team's finishing at the bottom, they get a high draft pick and stuff like that.
00:24:04
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah.
00:24:07
Richard
So you're trying to, you know, rejuvenate clubs or whatever. But because it... like I say, the bulk of the money from the Premier League is coming from the TV money,
Financial Distribution and League Competitiveness
00:24:16
Richard
right? You get X amounts for finishing where you finish in the league, but really it's not that much of a difference.
00:24:22
Richard
So could you reverse that to a certain extent or flatten it to a certain extent so that you don't just willfully just give somebody who's finished sixth 10 million more than somebody who's finished 17th or 18th or 19th or whatever? Because...
00:24:36
Global Sports Podcast Network
Okay.
00:24:36
Richard
Do they really need that extra you know revenue or whatever coming in? could Could that be a bit more of a buffer to the clubs going down? But then I suppose the clubs in the Championship would then be like, well, this isn't fair and you know all the rest of it.
00:24:48
Richard
I think the problem is it's it might not just be the Premier League that is this kind of like Ireland. I think it will be the Premier League and the Championship. that League One and League Two will just be way away and that the only way you get out of them and try and stay in the, you know, the top, whatever it is, 45 clubs, is by having really, really wealthy owners. and There's so many problems in football, unfortunately, and and this is just one of them. But, you know, I suppose we're in this position, Ipswich are in this position and and they've earned it to have parachute payments for the next two or three years. And fundamentally, they have to take that opportunity in one of those years, really, to get back up.
00:25:25
Global Sports Podcast Network
It may not be something you would you would agree i don't know if I do, to be honest, but what I've seen like some people online talking about how the gap can be bridged. Something I've seen recommended is like if you limit it down or even increase it to where 17th could be a part of relegation or 20th and 90th are confirmed and 18th then plays, like I think they do this in Germany actually, 18th plays third in the Bundesliga, Bundesliga 2, so like in in a playoff series. I'm not sure how often the championship equivalent side in Germany does get promoted and the Premier League or the Bundesliga side doesn't.
00:26:00
Global Sports Podcast Network
go down but are there things like that that you've been favourite just to maybe add more jeopardy to it I'm not necessarily thinking that's the way it improves it because you know end of the day the pitch is the pitch and quality is still there isn't it but you know i think maybe it's adding a bit more jeopardy and all that sort of stuff to it or just be the case of we'd finish 18 from being a playoff against who is it right now Sheffield United you what I mean I don't know
00:26:21
Richard
to To be honest, though that would be kind of interesting because then you would have game where where you would literally have Premier League side against a Championship side and you could very much see if there is a golfing quality, that golfing quality. I mean, always people have said, you know, over the years that the the gap between the top of the Championship and the bottom of the Premier League is is not very small. And they they may be talking about the relegation zone rather than, you know,
00:26:47
Richard
16th, 17th, 15th.
00:26:48
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah
00:26:48
Richard
And I think that's the thing that's changed. The strength of the league has literally gone right down to 15th, 16th. And you normally get four clubs, you know, battling out maybe five. Obviously this year that's just not happened.
00:27:00
Global Sports Podcast Network
and
00:27:00
Richard
But it did kind of happen last year You know, Luton kept themselves in it for quite a long period of time before, you know, falling away at the end and stuff. So I think, yeah, I think that'd be kind of interesting because it would give everybody an indicator at the end of the season of how big that gap is
Confidence and Performance Dynamics?
00:27:14
Richard
or or not, I guess.
00:27:14
Global Sports Podcast Network
and Yeah, it would certainly make it like... Just like, yeah, it showed disparity between leagues, wouldn't it? And like you know it's it's it shows if you have that part of the table also even more like trepidation to it.
00:27:23
Richard
Yes.
00:27:29
Global Sports Podcast Network
Hopefully the incentive to play is slightly better. And also, it's an interesting dynamic. Obviously, I'm talking hypotheticals here, but it does happen, like said, in Germany. But where you get a side who, yes, are in the league above, but are such low on confidence because they've finished 18-3.
00:27:40
Global Sports Podcast Network
You've got a side who... I don't believe below, but they're more confidence because they've had a lot more, a much more better results this year. Obviously Sheffield, probably not that high on confidence after the last few weeks after kind of throwing away automatic. But yeah, that would be kind of interesting. So that was happening.
00:27:55
Richard
i think I think another thing, and the Premier League clubs would never ever vote for this, is that you could extend the kind you could extend that so that you have four teams above the bottom two that go into the playoffs.
00:28:07
Richard
Because if you have that concept in the championship, that sixth place has an end of season, as it were, why shouldn't sixth from bottom have that in the Premier League?
00:28:07
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:28:16
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:28:17
Richard
Because what I would do incentivise... First of all, it would end the kind of like we're on the beach at the end of the season kind of vibes if you're 13th or 14th. fourteen
00:28:25
Global Sports Podcast Network
ye
00:28:26
Richard
And it would also make those clubs that have routinely established themselves in this period, you know, maybe change their ways slightly or add a bit of jeopardy to the whole situation. And if you think about, you know, the Tottenham and Man United examples for this season, they can swan their way into into a European Cup final, potentially against weaker opposition.
00:28:46
Richard
But they might be in real danger of being in a playoff to get relegated. And and I think that that is... That strengthens kind of like what the Premier League should be about, you know, that that kind of competitiveness and stuff. So maybe I'd be in favour of something like that because I think it would pull more clubs into a situation where they would have prioritise it and, you know, it would it would validate the league a little bit more, I think, and create a bit more interest for fans.
00:29:11
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, certainly. I feel like for the time being, which is a shame it is the case, a lot of these conversations are
League Structure and Competitiveness
00:29:18
Global Sports Podcast Network
purely hypothetical. I can't see much ever being done, even like proof is in the pudding past two seasons of the fact that both sides have gone down.
00:29:22
Richard
no
00:29:26
Global Sports Podcast Network
And it's so easy. i mean, and I'm... I think, it to be fair, a lot the time, but it's so easy to say, well, if they played better in the pitch, then they would have stayed up. it's it's you know Because there's there's a lot more evidence to back up that teams who have come up have stayed there and now have gone on to thrive.
00:29:39
Global Sports Podcast Network
So you can't just say, oh, they've they've come up, they're not good enough, they're going to go down straight away. but Because I was quite offended at the start of the season when I felt like pundits especially kind of already writing our obituary. At one point, we were 15th. I know it was only been like eight games in.
00:29:52
Richard
Yeah, yeah.
00:29:52
Global Sports Podcast Network
But like it was like... saying, who's going to go down? Oh, Ipswich. But, you know, we're above X, Y and Z, so why are you saying this? It's just an easy... i felt I felt like lazy and easy sort of punditry.
00:30:03
Global Sports Podcast Network
But it has happened. So I'm not sure whether they were just... They knew what they were talking about or it's just... We've kind of just dug our own grave. But, yeah, it's a really awkward like place to be in football, I think, of knowing how to structure the leagues. Because whoever goes down is going to feel this way. Like, we are feeling this way. If we finish 17th or 16th, we'd be like, oh, no, who cares? We did it. You know what mean?
00:30:21
Global Sports Podcast Network
F the team who's gone down. But I think...
00:30:24
Richard
Yeah,
00:30:25
Global Sports Podcast Network
as you said, I think that the big reason why something needs to change is just for such golfing quality and not necessarily on the pitch, but just the limitations that some clubs have. And you can, it does feel like the way in which a lot of clubs and fans of like,
00:30:41
Global Sports Podcast Network
We've spoken to lot of podcasts this season from other for clubs on the daily podcast here. And the way they talk about their Premier League status is if it's like not even a threat.
00:30:52
Global Sports Podcast Network
And, you know, yeah, I think that's the thing, isn't it?
00:30:52
Richard
yeah exactly. Exactly.
00:30:55
Global Sports Podcast Network
And they just say, oh, yeah, it's a game. like Whereas, you know, for us, it's like, we we need kind of need to stay up. I don't know. It's tough, isn't it?
00:31:01
Richard
Yeah.
00:31:02
Global Sports Podcast Network
But we'll, yeah, well hopefully relegation will not be a topic for us to discuss much more
Women's Football Growth
00:31:07
Global Sports Podcast Network
in the future. But before we finish, it's been quite a you know, relegation has been coming and it's here. We've talked about a lot today, but Ipswich Town on the women's side of things, as at the time recording, are not officially promoted, but if you listen to us on Monday,
00:31:19
Global Sports Podcast Network
will be in the Championship for next season, unless bar a complete capitulation against Cheltenham today, where they concede 32 goals of their goal difference being the case. But with three points ahead of Hashtag United in the Southern Premier, we'll be in the Championship next season with joining the men's in that regard as well, one below the WSL.
00:31:38
Global Sports Podcast Network
They were saying in 2019, Richard, in Felixstowe, where the home ground is, they were playing in front of about 40 people, whereas now it's around 2,000 on a weekly basis.
00:31:44
Richard
Oh.
00:31:46
Global Sports Podcast Network
And We've seen a lot of great improvements for the men's team. And it's the case now, obviously, with the women's team with this promotion and hopefully you can push on next season. Just thoughts on how they've performed as a club this season. We've only two losses, 51 points, 54 points after this if they win against Cheltenham this weekend. But really, really good stuff from the women's side this season, hasn't it?
00:32:06
Richard
Yeah, the ah they've they've had a couple of near misses in the past where it's, you know, goal difference or a point or whatever. So it would be the first time in in the club's history that they've got to the championship level, which is amazing, really. And I think it's, you know, the the the club have invested in the women's team and they did last season, I know, with kind of like, you know, signings and stuff. And obviously they're going to be like, you know, the youth teams and the academy and stuff, they're going to be benefiting from the improved training facilities, which are obviously going to be invested in over the summer club-wide.
00:32:39
Richard
So that's going to be a massive impact, but going to have a massive impact for all of the the sides associate associated with Ipswich Town.
00:32:43
Global Sports Podcast Network
Mm-hmm.
00:32:46
Richard
So it's yeah, it's massive. It's really, really big that both the women's team and the men's team are going to be in the championship next year. And I think, I really hope that they're going to do more games at Portman Road. I think that becomes a bit more difficult being back in the Championship because obviously you have a lot more gaps in the Premier League. But I think the club should do that to help. And I think they kind of said that they would if they got to the Championship, you know, because the TV money and or the sponsorship money and stuff like that in the women's game at that level is so much higher than the divisions that the club have been in for the last, well, forever.
00:33:17
Richard
Yeah. So it is an opportunity to kind of like build on the success on the pitch this season. And and I think if even if they could do like three or four games at Portman Road, because I think they got well over 10,000 fans and it's about building that audience, right?
00:33:31
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah. Yeah.
00:33:32
Richard
So hopeful hopefully the club will will commit to that and give them more opportunities to play in front of a bigger stadium.
00:33:38
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah. Well, I think usually it's during international breaks. The men's international breaks is when a lot of the,
00:33:42
Richard
Yep.
00:33:44
Global Sports Podcast Network
quite a bit bigger, same as women's team play there. And obviously with us being in the Championship, international breaks is still very much a thing. So yeah, hopefully they can move us in. But yeah, really, really good news. You know, it's men's side of things. Obviously, yeah, Premier League's been good, but it's
Upcoming Matches Preview
00:33:57
Global Sports Podcast Network
been a tough season. and
00:33:58
Richard
Has it been good?
00:33:58
Global Sports Podcast Network
Women's side of things, well, we'll get on this another time. But I've
00:34:03
Richard
Has it actually been enjoyable?
00:34:03
Global Sports Podcast Network
ive
00:34:04
Richard
That's the question.
00:34:05
Global Sports Podcast Network
but yeah Well, let us know, everyone, and we can discuss that in and a later episode because I think we're reaching our end here.
00:34:09
Richard
Yeah. Yeah.
00:34:12
Global Sports Podcast Network
And we have reached our end. Thank you so much, everyone, for listening. This week, we'll have a wildcard Wednesday also. We won't a tactics Tuesday for this week because we are very much approaching the end of the season. And and unless it's a positive result, we don't really look back at it that much. and I'm sure you guys feel the same.
00:34:26
Global Sports Podcast Network
this This week we are away at Everton, so it's our final game ever at Goodison Park, which will be something to look forward to, I guess. In the meantime, thank you, Richard, for joining me and thank you all listening, and we'll see you next time.