In his latest monthly column, American expat, PR professional and Ipswich Town fan James Wall shares his thoughts on the Blues from across the pond…

Ipswich Town: A Pessimist’s Journey in the Premier League

For as long as I can remember, I’ve been a pessimist when it comes to sport. It’s a trait I’ve honed over decades of supporting teams that have broken my heart more times than I care to admit.

It’s the hope that kills you, they say. So, why even let hope in the door?

Isn’t it easier as an Ipswich fan to simply embrace the return of Championship football next season? Hey, at least we’ll likely be back in the promotion race with all that parachute money!

And if we stay up? Well, that’d be a nice surprise, wouldn’t it?

I know, for many readers, this kind of thinking might sound heretical. “Support the team through thick and thin!” I see it written in my ITFC WhatsApp groups every day. And if you dare to show any negativity, you’re immediately branded a “Budgie fan.”

But in the past couple of months, two quite different people have challenged my doomsday perspective.

The first is ‘Brett from California’, a minority owner of Ipswich Town. Brett Johnson, the soccer-obsessed entrepreneur from Pacific Palisades, joined the Ipswich ownership group with his ‘Three Lions’ partners a few years ago.

When I spoke to him recently, I expected the usual corporate jargon — “we’re working hard, we’ve got a good plan in place.”

Instead, I was greeted by a vibrant Brett, practically glowing with enthusiasm. He called it “a blessing” to be part of Ipswich’s journey in the Premier League. A blessing this season? The pessimist in me wasn’t so sure.

But Brett was all smiles, full of optimism. He and his fellow owners, as well as the Town leadership team, had a clear vision for the long-term growth of the club.

When I mentioned our struggles this season, Brett pointed to the “staggering leap” between the Premier League and the Championship, noting that the pattern of the same teams bouncing up and down post-Covid wasn’t good for English football.

“We’re a club in a very good position,” Brett assured me, adding that Mark Ashton “thrives on accountability.”

As our conversation wrapped up, Brett said, “I’m so enjoying this ride,” and shared that he had “every faith” that Kieran McKenna and the team would find a way to stay up.

So, what did the football pessimist make of all this? Well, I’ll admit I felt a little embarrassed. Here I am, a Suffolk native, a fan since the ’70s, and there’s a bronzed California businessman with more faith in the club than I have.

The chat with Brett, which took place before Christmas, gave me a brief burst of optimism. Maybe, just maybe, we could stay up.

Then came my visit home for the Newcastle game – a 0-4 loss. Since then, we’ve been handed three more humbling defeats by Brighton, Man City and Liverpool. Back to square one for me.

But recently, I spoke with the second person who’s offered me an uncomfortably positive perspective—Kamel, the concierge in my apartment building here in Virginia.

Kamel’s story is a little different from Brett’s. He’s a young man from Eritrea who made his way through Saudi Arabia and eventually ended up in the United States. Somewhere along the way, he became an ardent Manchester United fan and developed a surprising passion for the Premier League.

Kamel’s love for football is infectious, and we often find ourselves deep in conversation as I come and go from the building. After Ipswich’s 4-1 loss to Liverpool, I couldn’t help but complain about how much easier life would be back in the Championship.

Kamel, ever the optimist, chastised me with a vigor I wasn’t expecting. “No, no, you’re wrong!” he said, wagging his finger at me like I was the one who’d just shipped in four goals at Anfield.

“Ipswich can stay up!”

For once, I was speechless.

“They’ve got the right manager. They just need a bit of luck,” Kamel added, his eyes earnest, as though he’d been analysing the odds for days.

Kamel wasn’t deluded—he simply believed in the possibility of the impossible.

I couldn’t shake Kamel’s words in the days leading up to the match against Southampton.

As much as I wanted to dismiss his optimism, something had shifted inside me. Could we really stay up? Could our boys in blue defy the odds and cling to their Premier League status by the skin of their teeth?

Then came last Saturday.

Despite an overall solid performance, a couple of defensive howlers cost us the game—again. Liam Delap, Julio Enciso and Jens Cajuste put in solid shifts, but it wasn’t enough.

Man, it’s tough being an Ipswich fan sometimes.

Are We a Dead Cert for Relegation?

Can we escape the drop at the first time of asking? It’s not impossible, but it’s going to take an immense effort to dig ourselves out of the hole we’re in. The team’s confidence is clearly shattered, and it will require extraordinary leadership to turn things around.

Kieran McKenna is learning a tough lesson. We’re seeing, perhaps for the first time, that he’s very much human.

But with renewed focus, a bit of good fortune and the grit that’s been a part of this club for the last four years, I still hold on to a flicker of hope that this young team can find a way to fight through.

After all, ‘Running Towards Adversity’ is our team motto. COYB!