Ipswich Town are looking for back-to-back victories in the Championship for the first time this season on Saturday afternoon, as they make the trip to Blackburn Rovers.
EFL Analysis are backing the Tractor Boys to beat Valerien Ismael’s men at Ewood Park, and history is on the side of Kieran McKenna.
After an excellent 5-0 win over Sheffield United last Friday, the mood is good in the camp in Suffolk and there will be hopes that this poor start to the season can be put behind them.
Building towards becoming a consistent Premier League side is the goal for McKenna and Ipswich in the next few months, and work away from Portman Road is proof of the club making strides in that department.
Kieran McKenna is pleased with Ipswich Town’s training ground developments
The Tractor Boys have had their taste of life back in the top flight, but they were unable to hold onto their place in the division – despite a very busy summer transfer window just over a year ago.
Nevertheless, they have plans of an instant return, and now Ipswich are making improvements to their training ground to help facilitate the growth of the club and McKenna is very happy with this move.
He said (via: TownTV): “There’s loads going on (at the training ground) – it’s exciting to see. The club have done a great job of boxing it off – the work that’s going on is behind some pretty big walls.
“But from the training pitch you can see and hear the cranes every day. I think we’re going to be able to see the building as it goes up and above the walls. There’s a little bit of disruption, but it’s really exciting. We know it’s going to be a fantastic facility. It’s a great thing for every single department of the football club. We’re looking forward to it being finished.”
The Tractor Boys are a Premier League club in waiting again
Chairman Mark Ashton announced a total rebuild of the training ground in September 2023, with the multi-million pound project starting this summer, as per the East Anglian Daily Times.
Plans were accepted back in March, and the work is expected to take around 14 months to be completed, meaning that Ipswich will not have full use of their training facility until the start of next season.
Nonetheless, the ambition of the board is clear to see, and by building up the foundations of the rest of the club, the Tractor Boys are trying to establish a new era away from the disappointment that was the end of the 2010s and the early 2020s.
Becoming a Premier League side is more than just about having the players and staff, it’s about infrastructure and having the best resources available to help the team away from the pitch.
