Something is moving in the east. Ipswich Town's Tractor Boys are gaining momentum with Kieran McKenna at the wheel, with legends from the past enjoying the ride again.
'We are higher than them in the league, play better football and are on a relentless rise. It has to be a win,” Terry Butcher insists ahead of today's Old Farm derby against Norwich City.
“I don't see Ipswich losing, but I've played enough derby games to know you never know,” he adds, perhaps wary of tempting fate against rivals they haven't beaten since 2009. 'The atmosphere will be great. It will be more like an Old Firm game.”
Ipswich could have sold out Portman Road many times before this match. Second in the Championship, they are playing fast and fluid football under bright young boss McKenna and are firing up visions of a return to the top.
“Everyone dreams,” says John Wark, like Butcher, a hero of the golden era under Bobby Robson when they brought the FA Cup and UEFA Cup to Suffolk. 'It's too early to say we'll go back to the Premier League, but we're in a great position. It's a great feeling.'
Kieran McKenna will look to continue his Ipswich side's flying start to the season when they take on rivals Norwich
The Tractor Boys boss has received praise from several ex-stars, including former England international Terry Butcher
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The place has been transformed since American investors bought the club in April 2021 and installed former Manchester United coach McKenna, two years ago to the day. “An incredible coach who understands what Ipswich stands for,” said Butcher. “He is at the forefront, not only in the way they play, but also in the way he represents the club. He doesn't seek glory, doesn't seek the limelight. He just wants to do his job.
'He looks like a young Bobby Robson. He is quite revolutionary, he likes to do things right and doesn't get carried away. Very good with the press. Very, very good with the players, and so was Bobby. There are many similarities.
“They zip the ball around, they don't clump it in the channels for long. It's wonderful to watch. It's not like watching Manchester City, it's more exciting than that.'
A Wes Burns goal, curled in with the outside of the boot after a sweep out of defense against Coventry, is the latest illustration of the McKenna aesthetic. Another was Conor Chaplin's strike against Hull in October. It starts with a pullback from goalkeeper Vaclav Hladky in his six-yard box and ends with Chaplin hitting it into the top corner at the other end.
The club has raced to second place in the Championship this season, with Conor Chaplin continuing his good form from last season
But McKenna's side will have a history against them when they play Norwich on Saturday
Hladky has a touch on the ball that makes him perfect for McKenna's passing style and after a career in the backwaters he is now tipped for a call-up to the Czech Republic at the age of 33.
Likewise, midfielders Sam Morsy and Massimo Luongo are thriving in their 30s as the heartbeat of this team, having spent years at this level. Then there's emerging talent like Leif Davis and Nathan Broadhead, signed for a seven-figure fee, big money in League One terms, but whose value has soared since promotion.
Davis is a stylish left-back with the most assists in the division and Broadhead has seven goals.
However, McKenna's mantra is all about the collective and extends beyond the dressing room, with Ipswich keen to recapture their old reputation at the heart of their community.
“The buzz is back,” says Matt Holland, captain of the last Town team to win promotion to the Premier League, 23 years ago. 'And not just on the field. You see investments around the land, the offices are being renovated. There's wet paint everywhere.'
Jon Stead scored in stoppage time the last time Ipswich beat the Canaries in 2009
Shirt sales are soaring and every game is sold out. “Everything has changed for the better, but it couldn't have gotten much worse,” Butcher says.
CEO Mark Ashton tells a story about a broken toilet in the offices. Instead of fixing it, someone put an 'out of order' sign on the door and it stayed there so long that no one could remember what was wrong with it by the time Ashton showed up and popped the question. The toilet is working again, symbolizing another boost in success, but McKenna hasn't been afraid to embrace the bright past.
A photo of Robson adorns the wall of his office and he invited half a dozen players from that era into the boardroom to meet him and the owners and get their thoughts.
“First time in a long time that's happened,” says Wark. “It was a nice touch.” One of many, as Ipswich weave their heritage into an exciting future.
