"We're not done. Seriously, we're not done," Mark Ashton said as Ipswich step back into the Premier League after 22 years away. The chairman's message was clear enough: the club are still active in the market, Gary O'Neil has settled quickly, and the return is being framed around more than just getting through the summer.
Ipswich have spent in the region of £150m on 12 new players this transfer window. Julio Enciso arrived for £26m from Strasbourg and Emersonn for £24m from Toulouse, which gives the recruitment a scale that fits the tone of the day. Ashton also pointed to O'Neil, who was unveiled in June after Kieran McKenna's departure, saying he has fitted into the club and culture at breakneck speed and has been first class in the way he works with people.
Portman Road is the message
Ashton reserved his strongest line for home form. "Portman Road will be key," he said, adding that if Ipswich win there they will have a successful season. That is a big claim, but it matches the way the club are selling this return: not as survival by accident, but as a season built on making home games count.
The opening fixture makes that angle immediate. Ipswich face Sunderland at 15:00 BST at Portman Road, and the table gives the game an edge already. Ipswich are 12th before kick-off, Sunderland are 19th, and Sunderland arrive on a five-game run of two wins, two draws and one loss. Ashton's optimism is not a guarantee of anything, but he is clearly backing the idea that Portman Road can do a lot of the work.
He put that confidence in his own style when he said people would call him overly optimistic and too brave, then added that you have to take a bite and worry about how you chew it later. The football part is simpler than the line suggests. Ipswich have spent heavily, the new manager has settled fast and the first home game back against Sunderland is where the mood gets tested.
Written by Jack Mercer with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 1 outlet. How we work →
