Following a 2-1 defeat to Aston Villa this weekend, the writing appears to be on the wall for Ipswich Town. Just three wins all season has rooted the Tractor Boys to the bottom of the EFL Championship.
Currently seven points adrift of safety, any miracle looks increasingly unlikely for the Suffolk club.
Ipswich Town Slipping Closer to the Third Tier
A Woeful Campaign From the Off
Last summer, Paul Hurst was appointed first team manager. However, the former Shrewsbury Town manager endured a nightmare spell in the helm at Portman Road.
Hurst managed just one win in his 15 games in charge of the Championship club. On October 25th, Hurst was sacked, leaving Ipswich rooted to the bottom of the league.
However, despite his forgetful tenure at the club, it can be said that he had very little to work with. Also, with the departure of key players last summer, it all proved to take a very negative effect for Hurst.
Paul Lambert’s Spell
After Paul Hurst left the club, former Norwich City manager Paul Lambert was appointed as his replacement.
Since his arrival, Ipswich have only managed two more league wins as well as another FA Cup 3rd round exit, courtesy of a 1-0 defeat to Accrington Stanley.
On the field, very slow improvements have been evident but the results have not been materialising, which does not endear the wider picture at Portman Road. Survival is now the only item on the agenda for the club but, at this point, that possibility is slowly slipping away.
Looking Towards The Future
If the Tractor Boys are relegated to League One, then, without doubt, they shall have to rebuild with the future in mind.
Ipswich Town would be yet another club of a substantial size to drop down to the third-tier. Life in League One is not easy and re-building in the long-term would be vital. It goes without saying that Paul Lambert should be given the opportunity to bring the club back to the Championship if they are to suffer relegation.
In the event of a remarkable resurgence, it would be perhaps the most surprising survival for any club in recent years, considering their consistent position being rooted to the bottom of the league for the best part of the season.
Main Photo
