Ipswich Town

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Ipswich Town have appointed Gary O'Neil as manger.

"It is an honour to be appointed Manager of this great football club," O'Neil said.

"I have followed the progress the club has made over the last few years closely and to now have the opportunity to lead Ipswich Town in the Premier League is something I am hugely excited by.

"There is a strong vision and ambition at this club and I am fully aware of the responsibility that brings, given how much it means to its supporters and to the community of Ipswich and Suffolk.

"We all know the challenge ahead as we prepare for the season together and I'm excited to meet everyone and get to work."

Strasbourg received a fee believed to be worth 5m euros (£4.3m) including add-ons as O'Neil had two years left on his contract in France. The top flight club, which is linked to Chelsea through their shared ownership, aim to appoint a new manager within the next two weeks.

Mark Ashton, chief executive at Ipswich Town, told reporters he believes O'Neil is "our man" after appointing him as the new manager.

"We had a small group of people that we had a genuine personal interest in and then you see what comes in from the market," he says.

"We run a robust professional process and right the way through that process, Gary's key attributes shone.

"I think right from the start of that process, we met him, we spent time with him, we spoke to him, we started to call references, we did our due diligence, it was clear he was out man.

"So I am delighted to have him here."

• Follow a live blog on the appointment

• What are the key things O'Neil must do? Tell us

Ipswich Town are gearing up for a news conference at 16:00 BST where it is expected the club's new manager will be presented.

Follow a live blog from BBC Suffolk with plenty of analysis here

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Ipswich are close to appointing Gary O'Neil as their new head coach.

The 43-year-old is poised to replace Kieran McKenna, who stepped down from his position at Portman Road earlier this month.

BBC Radio Sussex producer and Ipswich fan Harvey Bell has been reacting to the impending appointment on The Blue Hour: "Whoever followed Kieran McKenna was always going to have a tough job and, if I'm being honest, of all the names that were out there, was Gary O'Neil my first choice? Probably not.

"I know he's not for many Ipswich Town fans, but over the weekend, with it seeming to have become a little bit clearer that that does seem to be the direction of travel according to various different reports, I was doing a bit more research trying to warm myself to the idea.

"You mentioned about the fact when he took over from Scott Parker at Bournemouth they had a really good second half of the season, he kept them up when Scott Parker had previously said that season that he didn't think anybody was capable of doing that.

"Then his first season at Wolves was really good. Got to a FA Cup quarter-final. It then went a bit dodgy second season at Wolves, but do you know what? He's done a fairly decent job at Strasbourg this season as well. They finished eighth.

"So look, he's a fairly new manager. He's had three proper jobs in Bournemouth, Wolves and Strasbourg. Still very early to judge so the jury's out but let's get behind him."

Listen to the full episode of The Blue Hour on BBC Sounds here

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We asked for your views on Ipswich Town closing in on appointing Gary O'Neil as their new head coach.

Here are some of your comments:

Nicholas: He is not the right choice. He was shown to be very poor under pressure when at Wolves, blaming other parties in public. He is therefore the wrong personality for our club.

Andrew: Worst appointment of a manager ever when there's better out there.

Raymond: Hugely underwhelming and a step backward. Where's the ambition? O'Neil is Championship level (no offence).

Mark: Honestly, who knows the answer to this question? We all do in a year's time. Remember thinking: ''Who's Kieran McKenna?" He turned out to be brilliant, but he didn't keep us in the Premier League, and we'll now never know if he could have. If O'Neil comes, he needs our full support, so I don't think negative speculation would be very helpful. Let's give anyone who comes our backing and see what happens.

Sue: Bad appointment. Has not had success in Premier League - both his appointments led to sackings because results were so poor.

Ed: He has big shoes to fill and a fanbase to win over, but he also has a lot of money to spend and he's been there and done it in terms of Ipswich's main goal this season: staying in the Premier League. Good luck to him. Shame Thomas Frank wasn't available though.

Mark: O'Neil kept Bournemouth and Wolves up. He needs our support trying to follow McKenna.

Nick Mashiter
Football reporter

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Bristol City want to sign Ipswich defender Harry Clarke.

New Robins boss Michael Skubala is looking to bring the right-back to Ashton Gate with doubts over Ross McCrorie's future.

Scotland international McCrorie - who has interest in the Championship and Europe - has 12 months left on his contract and is yet to sign a new deal, with City wary of losing him for free.

Bristol City were in a similar situation with Zak Vyner and Anis Mehmeti last summer, before accepting cut-price fees for the pair in the winter window and they joined Wrexham and Ipswich respectively.

Clarke, 25, spent the second half of last season on loan at Charlton, making 19 appearances, having previously been on loan at Sheffield United in 2024-25.

He joined the Tractor Boys from Arsenal in January 2023 and has played 67 times for the club, scoring once.

Clarke made 39 appearances in all competitions when Ipswich were promoted to the Premier League in 2023-24 and also helped them up from League One the season before.

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So, with Ipswich close to appointing Gary O'Neil as head coach to replace Kieran McKenna, we want to know how you're feeling about the expected new boss.

The 43-year-old former Wolves and Bournemouth manager led French club Strasbourg to an eighth-place finish in Ligue 1 last season and reached the Conference League semi-finals.

Ex-Manchester United boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was also in the running for the Portman Road job.

Is O'Neil the man you want for the Tractor Boys as they return to the Premier League?

Send us your views here

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Well, at first glance, Sunderland at home compared with a Liverpool side two years ago that went on to become Premier League champions is a kinder proposition for Ipswich Town on the opening day of the season.

However, to say the Black Cats impressed on their return to the top flight last year is an understatement. They will be playing in Europe next season - and three points for Town, or even one point, is far from a given.

Ipswich then travel to Manchester United before Liverpool visit in early September. So, as far as the opening few weeks of a campaign on paper go, this could have been kinder.

That being said, this is the top table of English football, so what did we expect?

• See Ipswich's opening fixtures

The club feels it belongs at this level, and there is no doubting the Blues are more prepared for the Premier League this time around in many areas.

Impressive enhancements to the training ground will be completed this summer, and the club is in far better shape commercially. There is also less work to do at Portman Road in terms of getting the stadium ready to host some of the biggest names in football, along with more high-profile guests from the media and corporate world.

However, with two months to go until matchday one, there are obvious concerns.

A new manager is yet to be appointed following Kieran McKenna's recent decision to step down, and the new boss has some of the biggest shoes in English football to fill.

McKenna's influence and legacy was massive among the players, the staff and the supporters. His successor will need to get those in the building already on side and oversee a successful first transfer window.

We may not be talking the wholesale change of summer 2024, but there are certainly key areas where Ipswich have to strengthen, with a goalscorer capable of finding the net on a regular basis in the Premier League a big priority.

Listen to full-back Leif Davis share his thoughts on Ipswich's fixtures on BBC Sounds here or by pressing play below

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We asked for your views on Ipswich Town's 2026-27 fixtures and how many points you expect from the first 10 games.

Here are some of your comments:

Andy: I expect it to be another tough opening few weeks, with no more than 12 points after 10 games, and a real slog to finish fourth from bottom of the table.

Louis: A bit disappointed with having Manchester United second and Liverpool third, but they could have been a lot worse. Our opening and closing games are at home against sides we are well capable of getting three points from.

Stuart: Happy, excited, nervous. We have to play them all so let's enjoy the experience again. I'm waiting for the announcements of our new manager and possible new additions to team.

Sam: An ideal first fixture, and I think that's the only one that counts with these fixture releases. We know we need to play many extremely difficult games in the Premier League so the ordering of the rest doesn't matter at this point.

Chris: When we look at what's happening with all the other clubs, Ipswich Town are managerless and are not in the race for anyone. This really does not bode well for the new season. If we don't get a manager in as soon as possible and start getting some quality players in, we will miss out and end up relegated once again. Deja vu! Come on Town, get serious!

Nick Mashiter and Nizaar Kinsella
BBC Sport

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Former Ipswich boss Kieran McKenna will cost £8m if any club want to appoint him in the next 12 months.

The 40-year-old stepped down as the Tractor Boys' manager this month to spend more time with his family.

But Ipswich have protected themselves and the triple promotion-winning manager and will still bank compensation despite McKenna walking away from Portman Road.

There remains the possibility it could be negotiated down closer to next year's 1 July cut off to ensure Ipswich do not lose McKenna for free, but the current figure is £8m.

The price tag put Bournemouth off previously, before they appointed Marco Rose, while it remained a consideration for Fulham when they looked at McKenna following Marco Silva's Craven Cottage exit this month.

The former Manchester United assistant quit Ipswich despite leading them back to the Premier League at the first attempt.

He took charge of in 2021 when they were in League One and guided them to three promotions in the past four seasons, two of which have taken the club into the top flight.

McKenna, who was born in London and raised in Northern Ireland, had two years remaining on his contract at Ipswich after signing a four-year deal in 2024.

He won 105 of his 222 games in charge.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Gary O'Neil are candidates to replace McKenna with the club stepping up their search this week.

Ipswich Town chairman Mark Ashton says "there are still conversations to be had" but a managerial appointment is "imminent" at Portman Road, as the club prepares for its return to the Premier League.

It comes after Kieran McKenna resigned from his position just weeks after clinching promotion, his third in the past four seasons and his second into the top flight.

"Last time we were promoted, it brought real challenges," Ashton told BBC Radio Suffolk. "We had been outside of the Premier League for over two decades and we had less than 11 months or so in the Championship, so there was no time to build infrastructure.

"This time, the training ground will be built plus the recruitment, analysis, performance and medical departments have been enhanced on and off the pitch.

"It is going to be tough, but we are definitely more robust as a club this time around. We want to do everything we can to stay in this division.

"It will be tough for any incoming manager. When you appoint a manager in mid-table League One, you have time to bed them in and let them grow into a role. But this time, the manager is going to be straight in [the deep end].

"There are still conversations to be had, but I will say that time is key. The board have been really good in encouraging me to take as much time as I need to make sure I've done as much due diligence as I can do and that I'm as comfortable as I can be.

"I would say an appointment is now imminent."

Listen to Mark Ashton's full interview above or listen on BBC Sounds

Now you have seen the 2026-27 fixtures, what kind of start do you think the Tractor Boys will have? How many points do you expect after the first 10 games?

Get in touch with your views here

• Read more on the matches and rule changes for 2026-27

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Ipswich will kick off their 2026-27 campaign back in the Premier League with a home game against Sunderland.

The match will take place on Saturday, 22 August at 15:00 BST, with the Tractor Boys' first away fixture against Manchester United on the weekend of 29-30 August.

They face Brentford (H), Chelsea (H), Arsenal (A) and Coventry City (H) over the Christmas and New Year period.

And Town end their league season against Everton at Portman Road on Sunday, 30 May, when all games will kick off at the same time.

See Ipswich's Premier League fixtures in full here

Now you have seen the fixtures, what kind of start do you think the Tractor Boys will have? How many points do you expect after the first 10 games?

Send us your thoughts here

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With the countdown to the 2026-27 Premier League fixture release well and truly on, we asked for your stories of opening-day games - both good and bad - that have stuck in your minds most.

Here are some of your replies:

Mark: It was the first match of the 2016-17 season and we were playing Barnsley at home. The first half didn't last long in the memory, but at half-time we introduced new signing Grant Ward, who we had bought from Tottenham for about £500,000. His first touch ended up in the back of the net and he had grabbed his second less than 20 minutes later. The crowd were buzzing and when he got another chance near the end, he didn't disappoint. He completed his hat-trick in less than 45 minutes. It was a brilliant way to start the season. We had beaten Barnsley 4-2, which coincidentally was the same score as the play-off final! Happy days.

Louis: My worst opening-day memory is being all over Liverpool only to then go and concede two goals against the run of play in August 2024.

KB: Our return to the Championship after four years in League One began with a trip to Sunderland. It was the opening fixture of a remarkable 2023-24 campaign that ultimately delivered us back‑to‑back promotions to the Premier League. A packed Stadium of Light set the stage for a Sunday evening opener and a hard‑earned 2-1 away win, which sparked what would become an unforgettable season. We haven't been back to the Stadium of Light since. Will history repeat itself?

Come back to this page at 10:00 BST to see how Town's 2026-27 Premier League fixtures have fallen.

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We asked you which players you have watched at the World Cup that you think would be a great fit at Ipswich.

Here are a couple of your ideas:

Toby: Keito Nakamura - dynamic, pacy and a constant threat for Japan. 14 goals from left wing-back for Reims suggests he is ready for a big move and why not Ipswich?

Jevs: Eli Just of New Zealand - quality player, young with so much potential and could be cheaper than many other forward options. Edin Dzeko - bring the Bosnia-Herzegovina striker back for one last swing at the Premier League. He's got so much experience which would rub off on the young strikers we already have.

Spotted someone you want for Ipswich? Let us know who and why he'd fit

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Ipswich Town fan and author Karl Fuller spoke to BBC Radio Suffolk's Brenner Woolley on The Blue Hour about the club's managerial search after Kieran McKenna's unexpected departure earlier this month.

It has emerged former Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and ex-Wolves boss Gary O'Neil, who is now in charge of Strasbourg, are leading contenders for the Portman Road job.

"Ipswich Town need to act fairly swiftly, just to get someone in and get their feet under the table before they do start looking at new players," Fuller said.

"We are traditionally a slow club in terms of signing players in the month of June. Somebody in by the end of the week would be good.

"Replacing someone like Kieran isn't simply about finding a good coach. They've got to come in and build on the philosophy Kieran instilled into the club, and be somebody with progressive possession football, excellent player development, calm and analytical - which Kieran always was.

"Solskjaer would produce a bit of continuity, having worked with some of the guys currently at the club and having watched Ipswich a lot.

"O'Neil would be an obvious choice just purely on his Premier League experience. He has improved players and is another with calm personality, but he doesn't really get the juices flowing, does he?"

Fuller said he would "love Thomas Frank" but noted the former Brentford and Tottenham boss has recently ruled out a return to football management before next season.

Listen to the full episode of The Blue Hour on BBC Sounds