BRUTAL”- Ipswich Chairman on transfer strategy after £125 Million Spending Spree. What is your opinion base on his claim?
Ipswich Town appear to be on track for an immediate return to the Championship after collecting just 17 points from their first 29 Premier League matches.
Stuart Watson caught up with chairman Mark Ashton to discuss the season…
More than £125 million has been spent on transfers and loan fees, yet the team has only secured 17 points from 29 games.
How does chairman Mark Ashton feel about Ipswich’s long-awaited first season back in the Premier League?
“Brutal,” he says, with a wry smile. “It’s been a massive learning curve.
“The biggest challenge we’ve faced is time. This is a club that’s been away from the Premier League for over 20 years, and it’s a very different environment now.
“There have been significant hurdles around infrastructure, project delivery, and getting 30,000 fans to every home game.
“We haven’t earned as many points as we’d have liked, but the club is in a healthy position. It’s thriving, with many areas progressing.
“This is the best league in the world for a reason, and we’re competing with the top 20 clubs in the world every week.
“I see erratic behaviour from some of the clubs around us who face similar challenges, and I’m proud that we don’t act that way at this fantastic club.
“We stick to our plan. It’s tough to execute, but we’re in a good place and we’ll fight until the end of this season.”
When Ashton refers to “the plan,” is he talking about investing in young players to develop?
“That’s part of it,” he responds. “Look, I don’t think there’s been a transfer window since we arrived where we haven’t been active. Before we came in, some of the transfer windows were dead.
“We’ve done our best to stick to our plan. We’ve brought in hungry, young talent we can develop. Financially, we have real assets on the pitch, and several players that other clubs would love to sign. We’re in a strong position.
“I keep saying, we all want more points, but there’s a structure and a process to what we do.
“Look at us on match days. You won’t see us acting erratically or irresponsibly because we try to remain professional.
“As I’ve said, this is a long-term investment.
“There are things we’ll learn from, things we’ll adapt, and things we’ll repeat because we’ve done some things really well.
“Our goal is to build a club with sustained success in the Premier League.”
With nine games left, looking back, is there anything he would have done differently?
“The time for that detailed reflection will come in the summer,” he says. “But make no mistake, Kieran (McKenna) and I are constantly debriefing. We learn every week. This is a learning environment.
“Whether you’re Ipswich, Manchester United, or Liverpool, you’re always learning.
“Hindsight’s a wonderful thing. Even if Liverpool win the Premier League, they’ll look back and think, ‘We could have done this differently.’
“The key is to learn and adapt. The moment we think we know it all is when we’re in trouble. What excites me is that we’re far from the finished article, both on and off the pitch.
“It will take time, but when we get to that point—when the club is thriving on all fronts—whether it’s revenue, facilities at Portman Road, the training ground, the men’s and women’s teams, or the academy—we will have a fantastic football club.”
Ipswich spent 17 seasons in the Championship, followed by four in League One. Their ambitions under new ownership were high, but back-to-back promotions to the Premier League exceeded even their expectations. Is it possible they reached the Premier League too soon?
“You can’t get there too soon,” Ashton argues.
“That’s life. When opportunities come, you don’t turn them down. You embrace them, give them your best shot, and learn from the experience.
“This is a constantly changing industry, and every day brings new challenges. You adapt, learn, and move forward. We have to keep pushing forward, because if we don’t, others will pass us by.”
The £125 million-plus spent over two windows brought in 16 players, most of whom had little Premier League experience. The general strategy focused on young, talented players from the Championship with potential for growth.
When asked if the club pushed its financial limits under the Profit and Sustainability rules, Ashton replies, “Absolutely. It’s a bigger conversation for another time, but the reality of signing players in your first Premier League season after so long is tough.
“While Kieran is brilliant, and we can argue about football and player development, the financial side is huge for established Premier League players. The overall cost of those deals is substantial.
“It’s all about contract length and terms. If you were in my shoes, you’d be surprised at what it takes to get a deal done. The financials are on a whole different level and often nearly impossible to get done.
“Clubs like Nottingham Forest have been in the Premier League for a couple of years now, and they’ll find it easier to bring in players. The same goes for Brentford and Brighton. The challenge of that first year is always the hardest.”
Is he saying that Ipswich signed the best players they could within their financial constraints?
“We want success now, results now, performances now. But as chairman, I have to safeguard the club’s future,” says Ashton.
“This club’s been in financial trouble before. We can’t let that happen again, so we must strike a balance between maximizing our chances for now while protecting the future.”
Ashton, who acknowledges the club needs to explore new recruitment markets to progress, adds: “Look at the clubs around us. There’s been erratic behaviour from some, with frustrated fan bases and stakeholders, with no clear plan or direction.
“Our fans have been incredible. The messages I get on a Saturday night are heartening: ‘Mark, keep going, keep doing what you’re doing. We’re all behind you, we’re all behind the club.’
“Our fans remember where we’ve come from—the dark decades before we arrived. We’re in the light now, we’re moving forward, and we won’t stop.”
