Ipswich Town are quietly getting away with an appalling season

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A weekend that may just confirm Ipswich Town as Championship participants next season. West Ham were never going to be dragged into trouble, leaving Wolverhampton Wanderers as the only other hope for the promoted three. Wolves have now won two of their last three games. Ipswich have won three games all season. The maths isn’t difficult.

There should be questions asked of this Ipswich season, if this is how it ends. As ever, there were bright spots: they missed chances at 0-0 and 1-0 down against Tottenham Hotspur and legitimately could have taken something from the game if things had shaken up differently. But that offers far too much sympathy to a club that has spent £130m this season and who cannot defend.

I accept that Ipswich are not an established top-flight club and so perhaps I was expecting too much. But the money spent this season dictates that we are allowed to ask a little more.

This isn’t Luton Town, saving their money and hoping to come back stronger (and their Championship season may stop anyone else trying that trick again). Ipswich spent to consolidate in the Premier League and they have failed miserably.

And why? Because they are unable to protect their own goal either in possession (making stupid mistakes with the ball, both passing it and getting caught on it) or out of possession (players caught up the pitch and the central midfield combination never looking strong enough).

Ipswich only rank 16th for shots faced; they have allowed fewer than Brentford. But while Brentford look to limit where those shots come from (roughly they try and reduce xG per shot rather than reducing the shot numbers themselves), Ipswich have been appalling at that.

Only Leicester City have conceded with a higher percentage of shots faced and only Manchester City have a higher xG per shot faced. In terms of total xG faced, only Southampton have a worse record and that’s not a club you want to be on the guestlist for.

Thing is: it’s getting worse. You expect promoted clubs to take time to settle but eventually find a rhythm, a system for squeezing out points that works. Ipswich have picked up two points in 2025 and have conceded 14 times in their last four home games. By any measure, that’s appalling.