Memories and Looking Ahead

My name is Kathleen and this is my NHS story. Having a persistent cough is quite socially embarrassing. So I went to see a respiratory nurse who sent me off for an x-ray at my local CDC and they were offering Sunday appointments and evening appointments, which was great. The government is opening new community diagnostic centres with many already available twelve hours a day, seven days a week, so the NHS can be there for all of us when we need it. Find your closest one at gov.uk slash nhs fit for the future available Englandwide April 29th, 2023 . May 4th, 2024. And now friends, May 2nd, 2026. Ipswich Town, our Premier League again , three promotions in four seasons. It is an incredible time to be covering this club, following this club, supporting this club. Good lord, friends. We're going to enjoy it today. And especial promotion. podcast I am Mark Heath. I'm joined by Stewie and Alex. Ross is off, still recovering from the weekend celebrations. I'm going to start with you though, Stu, because you've been doing this um since 2011. And we've been on this sports there. She's been coming in town since then. Do you remember, Stu, when it it was just years of dullness? Nothing happened. Oh, are they going to finish ninth or thirteenth in the championship? Oh, what young players might we see before the end of the season? Oh, they're in League One. How long do you reckon it'll take them to get out of there? Not long. Oh, it's going to take four years. That's a shame. Uh announced you. Every season. We've had three promotions. We've had a relegation the last four years. Incredible yeah it struggling for words really when you when you kind of lay it out like that and you think of the past if you'd have if you'd have mapped out this last five years, four years to us in the depths of the Marcus Evans era it would have been unfathomable, wouldn't it? It would just been laughable. So we waited so long for this. I know this promotion's felt very different, but um nobody should be blase about this. Ipswich Town getting back to the Premier League. This is still what will be only the second season in the Premier League in 25 years will it be? So um amazing, crazy. AJ, you've only been with us three seasons, and in that time you,'ve seen two Premier League promotions in a relegation. It's not always been like this, mate. Um, so don't get carried away. Uh but yeah, how how you feeling about it, Wolf? Yeah, that I mean Ipswich's success has been half my life, obviously. I mean, when when when you guys were on the sports desk in in 2011, I wasn't even born. Um no, I was. Uh but yes, it it's weird having come into things with a very different perspective where obviously I'd kind of followed a lot of the dreary days, let's put it, when uh Ips which was still a local club to me and and you see the the Turge of Times and the Championship and a lot of them in League One and then it's very weird then kind of being parachuted into it when you've had such kind of roaring success, incredible success from the last three, four seasons. Um and yeah, it it gives you a little bit of a uh a different perspective on things. Uh and and sometimes you have to look back at at things that came before and and I hear stories from Stu and from uh from Ross and it it sometimes it's things about on pitch stuff, sometimes it's Stew's story of going up to Shrewsbury when they were taking the goalpost down when he arrived and it feels that's very league one, isn't it? And then you just kind of transform your mind to you going up against Arsenal and Liverpool and Man City and league games, and this wasn't that long ago, was it that that these kind of things were happening? So it's um a weird perspective. It's obvious as she said, it's been a weird old season, but um don't take away for from what has been achieved in the last few months because um no matter what kind of team you are, to go and get automatically promoted to the Premier League that takes a lot of doing. Yeah, incredible, incredible time to be uh covering this club . Uh as I say, friends, we're going to be delving right into the old promotion stuff today, having a look ahead as well, talking about um everything arising. If you want reaction, we put our snap reaction pod on Saturday, which has literally got interviews with Kira and McKenna, interviews of with as many players as the boys could get hold of on on Saturday. So all those clips are there for you in full actually. So go and listen to that if you want the reaction and obviously loads of stuff online and on the app in terms of promotion reaction, best pictures, Stu's verdict, loads of video content behind the scenes, everything you could want is online. Um I don't want to spend a lot of time talking about the game because uh the game was kind of a minor minor detail in this really, but in terms of going into this, it was brilliant, wasn't it? From a um if you're neutral, I guess, knowing that th three teams potentially could have could have grabbed second spot. But I always felt weirdly confident about this. Um, I know we said that it was a it was a harder game than the Huddlesfield game. Um last time they went up when they only needed a draw, they had to beat QPR realistically to uh to make sure of second spot. Um and we talked about QPR maybe being on the beach, but um they it it was basically over as a contest within 10 minutes. Uh, and it was it's it's full on party time, wasn't it? I mean, they could not have started it better this game . Never in doubt. Was it? I mean, we we talked about oh, is it a bit more jeopardy than some of the previous promotion games. Uh they needed a win. QPR on their day can be a handful . I just thought I didn't want to vocalize it too much for fear of um jinxing it but I just deep down I think everyone had full faith that off the back of that Southampton performance a fully fired up motivated team backed by a raucous crowd were just always gonna have too much for a for a QPR side that just didn't have that little bit of edge to them naturally. Um if ever there's evidence of the 12th man factor in football Saturday was it? I mean that crowd can claim an assist for those first two goals. It built it built from the coach welcome all the way through to the moments leading up to kick off it continued. I've not seen a team burst out of the blocks that way from Leif Davis being denied within seconds of the clock. Um two nil up inside nine minutes could have been five or six. Yeah, if I I mean I boldly predicted five nil and it felt very much as it could have been on at times in that game. AJ, uh Stu just touched on it there actually we should mention it, the um the coach welcome, the whole atmosphere around the game um which we've seen a few times. How how was that being involved in that? I know you went down and filmed it. Did it feel in any way different? Was it very similar to kind of past seasons? Clearly that's a huge part of of uh getting behind the team and firing them up for the game itself ? Um I I wasn't quite as in the thick of it as I had been in previous seasons, so I kind of came away from it thinking, oh, it felt a little bit flatter than before. And then actually I saw some of the footage and and I thought actually, you know what you see what what what Ross managed to capture. I love Ross doing the chant there as well. That was great. Uh the video that's gone online of him starting the the Ipsitch chant. Um and it it does very much feel like the other ones that we've seen. I still think the best one I've seen this so far was the one ahead of the two all draw against Norwich. So maybe the better ones lead to the worst results. But um yeah, this is a brilliant occasion. It was great to have it, and I think that you can see what it does to the players and to the staff, and there's a reason why Kieran McKenna speaks so highly of it every time. Um, and I think that the players really can buy into that for big occasions. They're very good at kind of separating games out. We saw this with the Norwich game where they take a game as like an individual match they have to get themselves pumped up for. They're they're very difficult to beat, especially at this kind of level. So that was really good. Um for me the the biggest thing actually was when you're sat in the stadium and feeling the atmosphere ramp up. The 20 minutes before kickoff were probably the longest 20 minutes I've had in this season so far waiting for that game. I've sat there listening to students pretty much thing thinking I just I'm ready now. I'm ready I'd just want kickoff. It just felt like it not studies video necessarily, but the the wait felt like it went on for ages. And um when we got to kick off when those teams came out and you had all the flags and the big displays, that was where it really felt real. Hmm. Stu, I put it to you, the goal scorers in this game were quite apt in terms of the theme of the season. You had George Hurst, who's not been started even the last four games, he comes in and gets gets the first goal, uh much maligned obviously at times of season. Jaden Philogene, who's been um a star of the season in many ways, but then obviously had that time out injured, he's had to come back and get back into it. And then Casey McAteer, who's uh been on a real roller coaster of you know, this big money by um looked like he was going to be a complete bomb and he's suddenly now looking like he might actually be tremendous value and and a real player. Um what what did you make of the goals and the goal scorers and and George Hurst especially I think is interesting because it looked like Ivan Azon, even as on was suddenly the starting striker. But then Hurst comes in for this must win game. Yeah, I don't know if that was a a conscious decision to go with those that of you know the the promotion boys of the past and to really kind of lean into that connection with with the crowd on such an important day but you had Hurst in there Davis um Um who else? Jack Taylor from the championship promotion season, Warez on the right, Christian Walton in goal. Um so real pride in in some of those players that have been there throughout the the whole journey being a big part of it on the final day. Um yeah, George Hurst, that's his 11th goal of the season, which is not to be sniffed at given you know the the season that he's had by his own admittance, hot and cold, not quite kicked on in the way that he hoped. I think he's probably been in his own head a little bit at times with the number nine on his back, Scotland, all the rest of it, but um came up Trumps um on the final day to to get that goal, not just the goal, but his involvement in everything that was good about Ipswich at the start of the game. Um and then Casey McAteer to to wrap it up again uh w a reminder of um patience being required in football sometimes, and um we all do it, and I get dragged into it a little bit at times as well. You see a transfer fee, you put expectations on people, and you sometimes forget to step away and think about their age and the first time that they're living in a new town away from um the club that he'd been at his whole time um you yeah, he's finished the season with three goals in three games at at Portman Road and and on social media and in some of the interviews he's referenced haters and stuff like that. Just just a reminder sometimes that we have to be a little bit careful with our words. And um, yeah, he's he's come good. He's someone that was ready and stepped up and and really kind of epitomized the season in terms of the whole team slowly growing um and and peaking at just the right time. So that sealed it on 85. I have to be honest, it wasn't quite the relaxed party experience of some of the previous promotion days when you know Exeter was, you know, they was they were put proper ly put to the sword um in that 6-0. Huddersfield was pretty sewn up early on and um this one there was a little I don't want to overstate it a little bit nerve the either side of halftime QPR started to play a little bit, couple of little heart and mouth moments at the back, and I think we all started to think crikey, if a if a goal went in against here, that could make things a a little bit nervy. But um no, in in general they they control led it, they they dealt with the occasion and and they got it done. Yeah, and then we had another pitch invasion, AJ, circa um last few promotion seasons. What what was this one like? Can you take us behind the the scenes in terms of the feeling of it? Was it like being on the pitch ? Uh when it actually happened, I was I had this idea in my head that if they're comfortably winning, I'm gonna set my tripod up on the press box and film it. I then remembered to do it about 20 seconds before the full time whistle. So I spent the entire time panicking trying to dig around my bag to get my tripod up set set up, spread up space. Uh and just about caught the start of it after the whistle, which was good. Um I think being on the pitch was was cool where this was the first time I'd done that, because obviously it wasn't League One. Uh in the championship year, it was you two guys who who went down pitch side. I think it was different to the championship, but that was like a pure feeling of like elation and we're back, it's incredible. Um and I think as well, given how nail bitingly tense that promotion race was last time up against some of the biggest teams and the strongest sides we've seen in in recent championship history I'd say. It was like a oh my god, we're over the line whereas this was just a yeah, this is great, we've done it, we're back kind of thing. And it it felt a little bit different in a way as the whole promotion did in a way but um to be down there with lots of town fans celebrating in the thick of it that was really cool getting to meet people interact um and it all felt very safe, I think is the best thing to say. There's a lot of talk sometimes about all well it's a risk and it's dangerous and we know Kings of Anglia don't obviously condone any of this either, but um it it felt very kind of friendly and safe and um yeah, it was really enjoyable. I condone it. Get on the pitch, enjoy yourself, that's what I say. Um Stu, you're on the you you were on the pitch uh for both both uh promotions to the Premier League. Um last time as as AJ said, it was like a generational kind of um eruption of joy, wasn't it? You know, this kind of thing that we some of us thought we'd never see again. Um whereas this time I guess uh it was different. And we'll come on to why this feels different in a minute. But what was what can you compare and contrast the two experiences of being on the pitch amongst this kind of sea of happy humanity ? Um yeah, I think AJ's probably summed it up there. Really, it's still still a lot of joy, still a lot of happiness and and really good place to be amongst all of that, and you felt it throughout the town across the entirety of the weekend. Um but it probably leads into the conversation that we're going to have a very different feel to this promotion this time around. I just think it's natural. The last one was after 22 years away, and it was like everyone was trying to get their heads around Man United and Liverpool are going to be coming here soon, and there's a generation of football fans that have never seen that, never thought it was going to be possible. An older generation that thought it would probably might never see it again at some point, going back to the conversation we had about the wilderness years. Um , and this time around it's different because it's it's been experienced a couple of years ago and then the the the nature of the promotion 's been different, but the joy nonetheless is uh is very much there still. Yeah. Well let's jump straight into that initiative. Let me let me set you up. So th the last promotion was uh special really because it was a fairy tale story wasn't it it was the underdogs the the plucky little team that that that could that no one expected everyone thought they'd they'd drop away and yet they did it and then this time clearly was different because of the expectations. This was now Ipswich Tanned down from the Premier League, loads of money. Parachute payments. Oh, they'll they'll walk the league, etc. And the fact that they didn't win the league by Christmas, which is, you know, they never were going to, that sort of inevitably that then that leads to grumbles and there's more kind of pressure on the team and all that kind of stuff. So Stu, it say in I don't know, 30, 40 years' time and you're you're sitting next to the fire with your grandkids on the knee or whatever, and they go, Grandad, tell us about the the Istwich Town promotions. Um how would you how would you look back on on this one compared to to others? I mean, how will you remember this season, for example, as opposed to the the Mission Impossible season of the of the Premier League last time There was a uh police security guy on the bar uh amongst the parade stuff at the weekend. Um he summed it up perfectly for me there's a phrase in golf they say there's no pictures on the scorecard um and that is essentially sums up this season over time no one looks back on how it was done, it's there, it's in the history books, and Ipswich Town have got promoted. Um Kira McKenna's said it himself, it's not been perfect this season. He also acknowledges that it could easily have gone a different way, and there have been times often, how deep into the season were we saying the mood feels like it's on a knife's edge? Um relief is a big word associated with this promotion because there was a level of expectation and we kept saying realistically it's it's probably a below average league championship this year, and it will probably be stronger next year, and then suddenly you're into the second year of parachute payments, um, the final year of parachute payments, so the pressure was on. Um so different because of the amount of time, different because it didn't have quite the same band of brothers feel, different because suddenly it's like are we are we the bad guys now everyone wants Ipswich to trip up and it was penalty FC and everyone piling in on Ipswich so you know Just as satisfying if not more so uh in some ways. I think that's certainly the the feeling within within the camp at Switchtown. Do you think there's a risk, AJ, that because it was just assumed that they would they would go up again this season. Um that this gets kind of over overlooked as a as a as an achievement. Oh well that's exactly what they should have done. You know, that kind of thing. Yeah, 100% and has already happened. I mean not through a an Ipswich town fan base as such, but y you take a look on on social media and it is a bit of a uh a vacuum of noise and and people trying to create drama up nothing, but a hundred percent that's kind of the argument. And you already see people that are saying, oh well, it's just going to be the same again and predicting towns finish twentieth next year and we'll bounce back up and it'll be like that. Um but you you can't kind of take that view without fac tory in the context in in my eyes. Look at the fact that Ipswich in in yes they finished second, but have done so much better than the other two teams he came down. One of them's been relegated again and would have been relegated regardless of their points deduction . Um and the other one took a managerial change mid season and a ridiculous run of form that for any other team in any other position would have had them in the top two uh just to get into the playoffs this season uh with one of the strongest squads again that the division has had in the last few years and that shows how difficult it is. Ipswich Town last season in the Premier League were losing games week in, week out. They were conceding th rees and fours. And to piece that together to to kind of piece the mentality back together and then change the whole squad as well. And bring in players who've not played in the league and not played in the country and try and kind of uh Ashton uses this phrase a lot about like building a rocket ship as it's as it's launching, it's how it feels. Um and I think that trying to do that, piece all the moving parts together as the train's moving, essentially, is really really difficult and cannot be underestimated. And and yes, there are areas where towns should have done better because they've got incredible depth on the left wing and a really solid defence. And we can look and and pinpoint things that that haven't gone to plan and and should have maybe been better, but you also then have to praise the way that they've gone about this, especially from a mentality point of view. And I I love the way as well that they've reacted to setbacks where you look at like you can again pinpoint those specific games where things have gone badly: Blackburn 1-1, Leicester 3-1 defeat, Sheffield United 3-1 defeat, Wrexham, Pompey, and when you look back through those, almost every time, Charlton, the the responses every time have been really, really good. And that shows a group that kind of learns from the mistakes and and builds. And when you're not the full article, then you're not like this kind of machine, well old machine as it's which haven't been this season, and understandably so for the reasons I said, I think you have to really praise that aspect of it. Yeah. Sue, you obviously you were you were talking to Kieran and players on the pitch afterwards. I I love those kind of post promotion, celebration, uh joy is all around sort of interviews because to me they feel a lot more genuine and um they they maybe let their guard down a little bit. Um, what what was Kieran like post-match? And what would you say about the job he's done this season? I mean, he's got three promotions in four seasons, but this season was definitely different in terms of him coming to into the season with a team with much more change in it than he expected. He's you know he's admitted that. He wasn't expecting the the summer of of kind of turnover they had. He's then had to knit together all of these, in many ways we keep saying, individuals into a team. They've had to go through ups and downs. They've done all this against the backdrop of huge overwhelming pressure. If they don't go up, you're a massive failure and you're a joke. Um so what was Kiran like at after after the game and what would you say about the the job he's done overall ? Uh he's just a genius, isn't he? Um what what more can we say about Kieran McKernet? From day one when he arrived as Ipswich manager, I said there was something sort of intangibly Ipswich Town about him, just his demeanour, his calmness, his analytical mind, his football obsession , his age, taking the first step to come to the football club. It just felt like a right fit and, that's been proven tenfold now. And I always think the the sign of the very great managers is that you can rebuild teams and have success. It's not easy keep rebuilding and and what comes with promotion relegation promotion is that it means you have to keep sort of blowing up your squad every year and you have to start again and a big part of the success is building not just the on-pitch chemistry but the off-pitch culture and he's managed to do that again and you know I I watched him in the in the scenes even in the joyous scenes on the pitch afterwards while you know fans are on the pitch and Ed Sheeran's running round taking pictures and uh the owners are in the stands uh people have highlighted that Kieran found a moment to go over to the under-21s' players and have a little word with them and say, look, soak this in, work hard, this this could be you. I managed to have a probably the longest off the record conversation I've had with Kieran in amongst all of those scenes where I managed to find a time where I caught him on his own. I went over and I said, you know, congratulations. And we ended up having, you know, I'm not going to reveal, but you know, conversations about our coverage and things that he liked and he didn't and he remembered certain things and stuff like that and that's in amongst that environment and those scenes and that that tells you everything. He says he's gonna switch off from it from a bit and enjoy a holiday and some family time before his mind turns to the Premier League. He's promised himself he'll have more of a break, but I I guarantee you he'll have woken up this morning already thinking about, you know, plans for for what's next. Yeah. Oh God, this is awkward. I'm gonna have to bring it up, A AJ.re we gonna have then looking to the the future? Last time they went up, we had the the Kieran McKenna saga, which was tremendous fun for what about two weeks? It felt like it let lasted two years. Uh tremendous fun. And and again, I'd imagine there's going to be some element of that this summer, or do you think that we're going to avoid that? Because obviously he's he's hugely hot property. At some point you would think he's going to have to say my stock is as high as I it's going to be and I'm you know when do I make the jump if you like to because clearly we know he's massively ambitious and he wants to be managing the biggest clubs in the world and in the Champions League and all that sort of stuff. And there will be jobs I'm sure, you know, Crystal Palace, that kind of thing that that come up this summer. Are we going to get Kieran McKenna saga two point oh this summer, do you reckon? Not in the same way, I don't think, because off the back of the last Kieran McKenna saga, I'm talking like the proper two weeks of where it was us working, wasn't it, Mark? And it was just like day after day of, oh, what's gonna happen next? What are we gonna get from the oh, we know he's gonna sign a new deal. Remember that wait for him to sign the new deal, which felt like it had gone on for about a year, was actually I think four days, um, just waiting for it to happen when we knew it was going to happen. I don't think it's going to be quite the same. And I think it's because Kieran McKenna now in his career has sounds really bad. He's got that kind of failure in his career as well because he has had an Ipswich Town relegation there, and that kind of does take the shine off a little bit. And then when you hear that he's linked to jobs, you see fans of Brentford, Bournemouth, Palace, who were have that kind of worry in the back of their heads. And I think that if you are a hiring manager, uh when you when you're hiring at a club, you can look past that, but it always is still there a little bit. Um, so I don't think that this promotion is gonna suddenly have all of the top clubs in the world swarming for Kieran McKenna, but you see all the reports, they are very keen on him, and understandably so, because of what he's achieved. And you see we've had the ball uh Bournemouth links recently, Palace, but when that job becomes vacant will be a big one, of course, Palace and and McKenna. There's been strong links before definite interest there. Um dominoes can fall really quickly. You look at Fulham would be another example. Um, all it takes is for for them to appoint someone, and then there's another vacancy there, and and things can move very, very quickly, but I don't know if it's going to be quite the same as a couple of years ago with United and Chelsea and Brighton um in quite the same way . So I I also think as well, yeah, you've got to capitalize on when your stock is highest and, and Kieran McKenna is is a very smart, shrewd person when it comes to his career, and I think he has a very clear idea of what that next step is going to be. But I think there's such a respect for Ipswich as well. It's his kids have grown up there, his family has settled in in the town. That as much as there is that one side of but this is an amazing opportunity, I can't turn it down, blah blah blah blah blah, that you also have to think of, I've got everything I wanted here. His training ground that he's helped design is opening over the summer. He's going to get a huge say in what the transfers are going to be, if not the final say on every single one. Um, he's going to get to mould that squad with you'd imagine quite a lot of money going into the transfer budget. His players, it's his club in a way, and I think that there has to be a balance of yeah, opportunities that will come his way over the next few weeks, months, years, but also what he's got at Ipswich and the fact that he feels very settled here. And um I I think that with all of that in mind it's not going to be quite the same as as two years ago. He's not going to need huge convincing to to lead the squad back into the Premier League. Hmm. Steve, I'm gonna ask you about Wes Burns in a second, but have you got any any thoughts on on McKenna before I do that? I think AJ summed it up perfectly there. I I I do think there is going to be some significant noise yeah um because that is mm the world and the industry that that we're in with football there is there is gonna be some some of those Premier League jobs come up as you know Chelsea we're we're interested before, um Palace were very you know, got to the stage where I think that was pretty much Kieran's job if he wanted it when when Glasner got it midway through the the Ipswich Championship promotion before . Um , but do not underestimate how much he's he loves life in Suffolk, and he's like Alex said, he's basically his kids are settled now, and um so that that will have a big pull, as as will all the other things that Right, where's Burnson, Stu? He says, wiping a tear away from his eye. I realised over the weekend that I I have an emotional connection to Wes Burns that I didn't really think I had. But because he's in many ways he's almost kind of the embodiment of of of what's happened over the past four seasons, isn't he? He was he was Ashton's first signing in that demolition man summer um and he's been an integral part of the side every part of the journey even in the Premier League when you know we're wondering about how many of these players can actually play in the Premier League and it looked like originally not a lot of them could but Wes slowly built his way into the season where he started to look like a Premier League player and then he obviously had that that huge injury setback. He's come back unbelievably looking even better in many ways. He's he's such a a great athlete and so important to this side. And he's also a bloody nice bloke. Um but now looking at it again, obviously we had it last sea last summer with with Morsey and Lawongo, but Wes has been here for longer and he's been integral for all of those promotion sides, Stu. So Stu, please tell me it's not. But is is this have we seen the last Itswich Town game for Wes Burton's? You're you've got an extra kinship with with Wes because you're both ACL recoverers, aren't you? As well. ACL buddies, yeah. Big big part of it. Um yeah. Uh Wes as you say, when he one of the first signings during that demolition man summer, I think he talks about being one of about five players that rocked up for training on the first day of pre-season because they'd blown up the whole squad and they were properly rebuilding it. So he's been there the whole way through. um such a big big moments man along the way, hasn't he? Um remarkable recovery from a year out, um, defied all kind of medical um common wisdom to to do what he's done um in the second half of this season. It looked like an emotional goodbye on Saturday, didn't, when he when he came off in the second half and slowly left his way from the field applauding all four sides of the ground, stopped for big hugs with several teammates, including Leif Davis. Um , he's out of contract this summer. Um, Kira McKenna, I asked him about it in the last pre-match press conference, and he kind of alluded to the fact that there's been conversations ongoing since January, um, but ultimately Wes has earned the right to decide what he wants to do next with his career. Reading between the lines, I think this is probably like a Cameron Burgess type situation last summer where Ips which say you're massive to um the culture and off the pitch but equally are still really important player for us on the pitch. There's here's an offer for you. But I would imagine he could probably get a longer contract and more guarantee of game time elsewhere. And at the age of thirty, thirty one I think Wes Burns is now he will have to weigh that up very carefully. I managed to speak to Wes Burns uh yesterday after the promotion parade. I asked him about what's next . Um do I give much of this away now? Don't give too much away Sue because that's an exclusive isn't it which I know you're working on today so that'll be with people tomorrow. Exclusive interview with Wes Burns and it's not quite the fence sitting uh answer that you might expect. So um I'm just gonna tease that and direct you to our websites. That'll be out first thing tomorrow morning exclusive with Wes Burns and what's next for him. Wes, I'm off to Cardiff. Uh AJ, I want to ask you about a couple of other names that um we're gonna I don't clearly at some point we're gonna sit down and do a proper like state of the squad, what's happening with the lone players they've got and the lone players that are out, what they're going to do with those. But two of them have kind of come up because Fabrizio Romano's tweeted about it or exed about it, wherever you do now. I don't know what the uh the correct term is. So I thought it's interesting. It's certainly got people talking because Jens Kuster, according to Fabrizio Romano , um didn't make enough appearances in terms of fifty uh there was a clause apparently fifty percent appearances, which I assume means starts. Um I think he made thirteen starts and thirty-one overall appearances. So the obligation to buy clause has not been triggered, but they do still have the option to buy, and they have to make a decision on that by June the 10th, and the fee would be 7.5 million euros. Uh, and then Cupre is different because they've gone up. The obligation to buy clause has again, according to Romano, been triggered, and he will cost what I would say is a bargain figure of 2.5 million euros. So where do you stand on on those two? Because I put a poll out on Causda on Kings of Anglia and I think it was about sixty five thirty five people saying yes absolutely why wouldn't you he's brilliant you know he was great in the Premier League seven point f milliiveon for a a squad player fantastic value and yet the majority of replies to that not not actual votes were god no he's been awful why would we do that um so what do you make of Jens and also Keeper , I think most people generally think is would be a brilliant addition at that at that money. Yeah, uh let's get the Kipro one out of the way 'cause it's easiest one. It is a great addition. I think that he's um someone who's very well set for the Premier League because of the traits that he has, because he's a unit, because he will love the physical battles. And in a a league that has gone more and more less squadriola, more Arteta, I think he's going to suit that really, really well. Um I do have some concerns with the fact that that the there are the odd games where his brain seems to switch off and you need to be on it all the time in the Premier League. But um look I I think that that can that can change. I think he can become a really dependable player. I don't think he's going to be playing week in, week out in the Premier League, but um can definitely be a good part of the squad. And for that fee, what is it? Just under two million pounds it would be so two and a half million euros that's really really good business Jenske Uster this is a harder one and I think that when you do the poll and you look at the two sides I think the answer's somewhere through the middle where the does the Premier League suit Jens Kiustan more? Yes, I definitely think it does. Has this season been been good for Jens? No, he hasn't really delivered in the way that we hoped he would when he signed back in August and we thought that him and and Matasiwa would be the the dream team midfield best in the division hasn't really worked out that way. Um and that's kind of by Kirby McKenna's admission that it hasn't really worked and I think as well that Jens has has felt that as well. He isn't kind of the the player that I feel suits the championship that well. So on the one hand, bringing him back into the Premier League, you think, okay, can we get him back to the Jens Keuster that we saw last season in the Premier League where he, was probably the second or third best performer in that season. On the other hand, I get that the transfer fee is quite nice. He's a player that we've seen delivered before. It's it's not about kind of the transfer for me. For for me more than anything, it's about the squad numbers. How can you maximize the numbers that you can get into a twenty-five man Premier League squad? Are you going to sign him and then think, oh, actually, you know, this player's become available, he'd maybe be better, but then we've got Yens there and you can't then deregister Yens and I think that you have to be quite ruthless in that way to make sure that you get the right squad together. So I'm kind of in the middle , which is a poor answer. If they sign him, I'll be really happy and we've seen what he can do in the Premier League and I'll back him to it again. If they don't, I I'll understand it and and um I I I'd hope they go on and and deliver elsewhere and I think off the back of the season that would make sense. If you said to me which one's the most likely, I think the most likely is that he won't be signed based off some of the comments from from Kieran McKenna where he said that he can play for any of the top teams in in and around Europe and he thinks Ipswich is one of those as well. But I think it's almost a way of saying it might be a different club for him this summer. Okay, so so AJ's sitting on the fence. I'm gonna ask you not to sit on the fence with the ends. The fee I've just converted it is uh six point four million pounds quid if they wanted to sign him um which you know you'd say that's relatively good value for a player with quality his quality do you reckon they'll do it would you want them to do it um if I'm not gonna sit on the fence, I'd probably go towards uh towards more the the no end of the the spectrum there. You can make an argument the arguments that that Alex has just said that he's more of a Premier League type player, that he he would good bring good depth, but I I think Ipswich are probably gonna sign a a starter for that position to to partner as or Matasiwa if you saw Jens Ki Usta as as as a the man to partner him, you you would have used this season and the latter months of this season to to try and work on that in preparation for next year. There is also the the major injury question mark over Jens. He seems to have got himself more robust and injury free with that that knee, but I guess that's always kind of doubt there in in the background with him. So um all things considered I I would imagine it's which will won't and the Jens Keuster relationship may have may be reaching its end. Okay. Right. By way of moving this forward, and and again we we will have plenty of time over the summer, friends, excitingly, to talk about all of this and uh various players and who they can sign and what the squad looks like and what they need and all that kind of stuff. But just by way of looking forward in a more general way, Stewie , Premier League looms large again. They're back in the Premier League. Last time, I think it's fair to say that we, and maybe even they, was were staggered by the athleticism and the physicality and the huge step up from being promoted from the championship into this kind of other world in the Premier League where the the athletes are just incredible. Um so we've already had Ashton after the relegation say we need, you know, we need to consider the physical profile of players that we sign that kind of thing so to make a success because they a success is staying in the Premier League. That's all they have to aim for, isn't it? Realistically. To do that, what do you think they need to do? Cool, we've started the we've fired the starter gun on uh on next season earlier. In general terms. Uh in general terms get their recruitment right and better than last time and and as you say and as has been acknowledged by Mark Ashton , a big learning um from the last season was being caught out by the sheer athleticism and physicality of the Premier League and um targeting that as those as attributes more. Um next time around uh I think they'll need to get their experienced player or two bang on. Calvin Phillips was the the att empts last time. Um didn't work, not always through fault of his own with with injury setbacks uh along the way, but I'm sure they'll go Kieran McKenna always wants to have a player of that type from Richard Keogh to Shawnee Aluko to um Ashley Young. Ashley Young this time around. So they'll need to get that right . Um and hopefully now they're in a position where they can spread the net that little bit further. Um Yeah, everything has been built along the way, including sort of the the data systems and the scouting network. They've now got a head of European Scouting, an America's Scout. Um I wonder how the World Cup's gonna kind of knock uh have a knock on effect for the transfer market. You kind of it delays the domino effect there, but recruitment is king as always and it will be it will all come down to to how well it's which do and how many you you can never get it all right in the transfer window, but they've got to try and get as much right as they possibly can. Okay. Uh Kieran told you boys after promotion that he thinks the club is in a much stronger position than they were last time when they kind of almost I think he actually said in in the quotes that we went up almost too quickly. you Wo woulduld you agree with that, AJ? And uh if you look at the current squad, compared maybe to the the last promotion squad, how would you how would you say this one is is is um ready, if you like, for the uh the Premier League? Yeah, definitely much more ready . Uh and kinda comes back to the water levels rising point that we've had a lot over the last couple of years, haven't we, where um in in the last Premier League season you have these back to back promotion heroes, those that stayed became the depth, didn't they? Where you had maybe players like Connor Chaplin, Wes Burns, Broadhead, who became those substitutes, the ones that you turned to off the bench to try and change the games. And with the greatest of respect to them, when you then had Bournemouth, Brighton, Brentford, whoever bringing on their 30 million pounds substitutes to go and win them the games, you're thinking, how are we hanging at this level? And I'm not saying that you're going to have all of town stars suddenly going to drop to the bench and you're going to sign a brand new starting eleven, but there will be that transition. You will have players who have played quite regularly in the championship this season and have done really well who will then go on to kind of take those roles of more not rotated but we'll have maybe more games to come off the bench and I think that then you will see Ipswich hopefully a little bit more in line with some of the teams that they've come up with that they want to be competing against, not necessarily your Arsenals, your Chelsea's whatever, but those kind of very solid mid table year in, year out Premier League sides. Um and they will still need to overperform and we you know there's still a chance that we're saying at the end of the summer transfer window saying yeah maybe the squads aren't quite as strong but I think that they'll be more in line with that with the other teams in the division just because over time they've been able to raise the raise the the standard, raise the floor of this team and the squad. So that would be really helpful. Um the other thing I think is just really important is they need to be really clever with their tactical approach. And I do think that maybe in the last season, and it don't want to sound like one of those fans who 's in the stand trying, boot it long, don't play out from the back. But there is an element of I I think you need to have pardon my language, but a team of bastards to an extent. You need to be you need that physicality of course, but you need to you need to be a bit attritional as well. So um those are the two things that uh one that I think we will see and one that I hope we'll see. AJ's project back three or back five. Yeah, I'll be talking about that a lot between now and probably the start of pre-season will be a lot of back five chat from me. Yeah. Stu just just um in terms of again looking to the future, uh a chat that I I'd imagine at some point's gonna come up and I have already seen it, pundits saying it would be a a good move. Town are gonna need you would argue, certainly going to need a starting striker, aren't they, this summer? They're going to have to go out and buy strikers. We saw George Hairst did well off the bench in the Premier League. Um, but I I don't know if people would now be happy with him being the starting striker in the Premier League. They had a pretty good one in the Premier League called Liam De Lap who's not really done it at Chelsea. And there's inevitably now people saying, well, the obvious thing to do is town to go back and get get Liam DeLap in. He knows the club, he knows the team, he knows he knows McKenna. What do you reckon ? Yeah, I'd I'd be all for that because going back to my point earlier, the challenge with keep changing leagues every time is you know, we're talking about the water levels rising, it's rapid all the time and and the teams Kier McKenna always uses the phrase uh everybody's journey is different and our journey's different and when when 'cause he's often gets Brighton and Brentford and uh Bournemouth thrown at him as of examples of how you can become established in the Premier League. And his counter argument is that they built sort of slowly over time in the championship and those water levels maybe rose at a steady rate. And once a year every summer you sold a couple of real big name players for big money, and bit like Ipswich going back to the burlies, you'd make one big sale and then you'd reinvest in three players um for with that sort of money and and so that when you got there you was more prepared, whereas with Ipswich it's this drastic turnover year on year at the moment and there's a chance it's going to be that again. You know, the first question people say is how many of this team can you see being starters once once the Premier League season is fully underway and the and the windows shut next year? And it's a horrible conversation to have now , days removed from the joyous celebration of them doing it, but that is the nature of the business and you go through it and hand on heart, you you go, if you really wanted me to nail my colours to the mast, you'd say Daro Shea. I think Azor Matasiwa's got a chance of being that sort of Premier League type player in terms of his physical attributes. Jaden Philogene has clearly got top level qual ities, technical qualities. Um there's not loads others that I'd be going massively in into bat for in terms of like I could see them being nailed on starters. Leaf, I think , absolutely deserves another shot at the Premier League. Um, you know, uh a year on or two years on from his experiences of that last time. Um, but I think we probably will be looking at another double digits sig nings um this summer. And that's tough. And and to go back to your first question about Stryker, I think they're probably looking at two. And the reason that DeLap w would work is because he's been at the club, he knows the club, and so you've got a bit of a shortcut to him coming in with a connection to the fans, a connection to the manager, knowing how the team wants to play. So um yeah, I'd I'd be all for Liam Delap coming back if they could strike some sort of a return loan deal. And it doesn't look beyond the realms, does it? Absolutely not. Can we get Kieran Kieran Slicker involved as well. We've got that factor, haven't we, as well, at the club? Uh AJ, that's I mean uh Stu is good. Come on to that question, which I really wanted to have is how many of these players can you see starting in the Premier League? Stu said what, three or four there? Um disagree, agree. Any more you want to throw into the pot ? Yeah, we're kind of into a similar but we had this discussion uh a couple of weeks ago didn't we mark kind of looking through it and then thinking about who who would be delivering like top chant uh top premier league performances and and being able to handle that level week in week out um the only other one I'd probably throw into the mix and again it it would come hand in hand with my my tactical back fives which I think Jacob Greaves deserves more of a shot. He ha he was really good, don't forget, in that Premier League season at the start, before he had his injury. But Liverpool when he came back he was massive so so good and he he got but he got the injury and he just wasn't the same coming back and when he did get back up to speed I thought again he he looked really sharp and then unfortunately for him by the end of the season he was chucked out at left back to cover for Leif Davis being suspended. Um so I think that he deserves another shot. I I'd hope again, I still feel that this team in a lot of areas would be really well suited to back five. I think that would also work well for him and with O'Shea and then bringing another another player in there. But for sure we had a conversation going into the last prem season where you asked me how how many players and I think I said you could make an argument for signing a new player in every single position in the team. The only player that I the only area I don't think they'd need is probably left wing. I'd be quite comfortable going into next season with Villagene and Clark. Other than that, I think there's definitely a case for at least signing a starter or cover in every single position on the pitch. And to answer your question, the ones I could see playing week in, week out. O'Shea, Greaves with a tactical change, Davis, Matasi wa, Villagene . Five. I think it's always gonna be great in the Premier League. You know the you know the Ngolo Kante comparisons we had when he when he signed. I heard a great quote about Kante the other day. Uh this water covers three quarters of the earth, the other quarter is covered by Ngolo Kante, which uh it feels like the kind of math what you say about Matasiwa hopeful inly the not too distant future. I I think he's one that could really do with the rest because he's been running on empty towards the end of the season there's a handful of players who I think could could do with a bit of breather bit of a breather going into next season because they've just drained the tank totally. But he's one where obviously had that dead leg against uh Birmingham. I do wonder if there was more to it than that because the fact that it dragged on for a while, he hasn't looked fully fit towards the end of the season. He hasn't played a season like this in his career. You look back through and he's had other injuries and he's he's played in leagues where you've only got 18 teams so you're not playing Saturday, Tuesday, Saturday, Tuesday. And the way that he's dragged himself through it, even while not being at 100% still being able to try and do everything he can to help this team deserves real credit but I hope that with now a month and a half two months however long until pre-season to really rest and recover and get back to his best, then with a full pre season at Ips, which again going into the Premier League, I'm excited about what he could bring. Hmm. Right then, uh the last ten minutes this podcast or so, I want to get your reflections really on the season that was. And I want to start, Stu , in terms of experiences and I want this to be kind of a behind the scenes look. You were on the bloody bus yesterday, mate. Huh. You shared you shared video from it. Um what was that like? And uh can you sort of give people an idea of that experience for you? Yeah, purely accidental. I turned up I was told to to get myself to the stadium about an hour before the bus was due to leave at twelve and we might be able to sort you out with uh with one or two pla yer interviews before they leave, and um it was like herding cats, it's like when you get a bunch of footballers and a and a coach involved, it's like they go back to their school days and um they got people trying to um get them in the right position, people were going off, there was a safety briefing going on, and before you knew it, it was 12 o'clock, everyone was on the coach, I hadn't got a lot sorted. Um and then I was told at the very last minute um by the media team, just jump on, just jump on, we'll sort you out at the park. So um that's it. I jumped on and it was it was it was great. It was surreal. Um I did have flashbacks to all the stuff we we talked about at the start of the of the Evans era and the dark times and um and there I was poking my little head uh above the top. I respectfully stayed down in the in the blacked out lower section for most of it, but I d I did pop my head up a couple of times just to uh to get some footage and to see the streets lined and and the happy faces and and just to be on it was uh yeah, was was amazing. It was great. Uh okay, so I w I want your your kind of memories of this season, boys. Um uh what you look back at in in you know years to come. And I I'm not talking about necessarily on the pitch stuff , but that kind of behind the scenes stuff, the moments you've had maybe on the road or covering games or you know, whatever really. Um are there any any kind of things that you go back to, AJ ? Yeah, 100%. Um blackburn Mark One and Mark Two have to come to mind here as a reminder of uh uh God I hate the championship sometimes. Um the first one, of course, going up there, having the full game almost, and then it being rained off. We knew it was gonna get rained off from like the hour mark, and they played almost eighty minutes. It was an absolute farce. All of the drama around the pitch as well that was just remember how that went on for ages? I kind of blanked that from my memory. That this whole debate about what should happen next and the outrage from across the footballing world where it was decided that it would be replayed in full. That was kind of the first turn, I think, of Ipswich's supervillain status. Yeah. Um where obviously followed up by the penalties and the fact that the squad's worth X amount of million in transfer fees. But um yeah, that was good fun. And then the the when we went back , which um was was ble ak as a game, um, and then Stu getting locked in the car park, me just hot footing it on a taxi out there, um, going back to the hotel, being offered a beer by a town fan, um then recording the pod the next day. I think there was like ownership news as well that came up the next morning as well. That felt like a kind of uh a microcosm of what this job can be where it's just like the sublime to the ridiculous off the back of an absolutely horrible game um kind of summed it all up that's probably going to be one of my strongest memories from this season in terms of like a whole trip and a a whole occasion. There's various different bits you can have from from behind the scenes nonsense that I've done. Stu almost got hit by car once, uh Ross just in general. Yeah. Ross in general, yeah. Yeah. We we are we're a fun group, aren't we? Yeah. How about you, Sue? Anything that will uh live long in your memory from the season? We shouldn't I mean, uh without we've talked about it's maybe being underrated, but you look at the season on on the pitch, they've obviously been promoted.' Thevey beaten Norwich tw ice, which they haven't done . They haven't done for 30 years. And they also they beat the runaway champions twice as well. Um what about memories for you ? Yeah, uh post a season of postponements. Um never experienced anything quite like it. Don't expect it in the championship, but Blackburn obviously, uh, but two at Portsmouth as well. We got halfway there for the first one. Second was an early call -off. For all the talk about well, Ipswich got an extra point from that blackburn game. I think they would have almost certainly beaten Portsmouth if they'd have played it the first time around and went on to lose it later in the season. So swings and roundabout s there. A season of penalties, that's been a massive narrative 10 for Ipswich. Um yes, there's some pretty soft ones in there, but equally there was that period where um it's which we' greetting uh apologies from the PGMOL handed out like sweets at at one stage as well. So again, I'm a big believer in that that evening itself out, but that's been a big narrative of this season. Other moments that kind of stick in my mind. Yeah, look both the Norwich games ultimately. Again, we've gone through we've lived through this sixteen years and especially Carrow Road, talking about flashbacks to go in there from chambers scoring and thinking that they were going to finally do it, and then they got the late equalizer to Paul Lambert's frankly ridiculous fake fight to Mick McCarthy's um telling telling the away fans to F off in that game, playoff pain, all the rest of it to finally go there and win. And with all the Nunez pantomime stuff thrown in as well. Um that was a fun day. I think that my big memory of the season when I look back at it will probably be the Nunez signing, just because it was so like kind of earth shattering. I remember when it was first started getting muted and I had a call from someone at Norwich End going, it's happening. It is actually happening. And it was like, what? That's you know, unbelievable that they would do that. And then the the the character that he is as well, the way he bought into it and embraced that panto villain um persona, if you like, obviously the the wink and the tapping the badge and the um unveiling video and all that. You spoke to Marcino yesterday as well, didn't you Stu? I did, yeah. Um in some ways I don't know what his legacy like his legacy will probably ultimately be this season. I don't know. He may he may go on to do some even bigger things on the football pitch. But um we talked about the transfer window rolling on till quite late and it taking a lot of time for people to connect with certain players. Nunes had that shortcut because of the the way he the nature of the move and the way he kind of fully lent into it as well and the chant that goes with him and everything that he's done uh really kind of helped kind of I think at times when there was a bit of a fragile connection, kind of keep keep the sort of um fans and and team together at times because of the nature of it and uh f itting that yesterday was I mean the the memories of the the bus parade last time around was probably Luke Wolfenden having digs at Don Goodman and Harry Clark with his uh funky vest top on and and uh enjoying himself with the big hat this time around it was Nune z um who uh it's the first time I've spoken to him he had a yellow and green snake. I don't know who uh whose idea that was to put it on the bus and give it to him. Um told Norwich fans to F off on the microphone in front of a Pat Christchurch Park. They let us speak to him um just before that. Um his English is pretty broken , but he had a cheeky cheeky smile and a cheeky wink about him whenever he was talking about the season and Norwich and I said to him Any message for Norwich? He said maybe unlucky . Um so eas y I don't know. If I was not an Ipswich fan, I would I would probably take a pretty dim view on it and I think most neutrals think well that's that's pretty id idiotic. But then on the other hand, I think we bemoan the lack of characters in football now, and we love the sort of the pantomime nature of football, and as long as it doesn't cross a line , look, he was given it in spades at Carroll Road. There was people wishing for his for his demise as a as a human being. Um he's entitled to give it a bit back. It's it's you know, it's gone both ways. Uh we want rivalries, we want characters, and we've certainly got one in that show. Ultimately, we want to be entertained. Is my you know, sport is entertainment at the end of the day, uh, and that was very entertaining. I'm all for that. Heel turns, as they say in wrestling. Fantastic. Uh AJ, any other memories from the season before we put the cap on this ? Um I mean to be fair quickly just to go back to the Nunez thing as well, we've had it the other way from Norwich for a long old time, hasn't it? From an Ipswich perspective, think about to I mean recently on El Hernandez and there'll be other characters from from before, so um it's another the indication that pendulum was swung. It's very funny looking at the replies saying, Oh well, yeah, it's just say how Ipswitch are these days, isn't it? Well, yeah, we've seen it from the others' perspective when when they've had their success and it's fun to see how things have turned. Um in terms of individual memories from the season, I mean let's be honest, there's been a lot of mileage and a lot of travel. I think the fans as well felt it's been quite hard going and trying to get yourself up sometimes and I think as I said like the the way that this team has bounced back from from moments have meant that even though sometimes going to place X after a defeat in Sheffield United or or Wrexham or whatever you, you know, that've gone in thinking, oh, this is not where I want to be right now, and then they go in and put in a really improved performance and get a good result and it kind of gets you back on board. You know that meme where it's like um well I mean you posted one before actually where it's like, oh, it's so over, oh we're so back. It's felt like a season of that. Um in terms of individual moments, not really, but just to being able to go and follow the club and travel with people with with stud y Ross, um hotel stays in the middle of nowhere, going to places that you wouldn't usually that there's there's a lot of a lot of good good moments. I actually think two of the games that stick in my mind the most and I actually maybe the most definitive of the season of of been two of the defeats was the Charlton home game in October, three nil down, uh just complete and utter collapse in the second half, and Wrexham away , you know, that that crazy five three game. And those matches kind of remind me of other ones along the way in the McKenna era of the four four at Charlton or the the late the last gas defeat at Cardiff in the promotion season or the nil-nil draw at Bristol Rovers. You need those bad moments in a football season to kind of find out what people are made of um on and off the pitch and um it's a tester for us in terms of trying to find the right the right tone um at a time where noise can get quite quite level, hopefully uh can get quite noisy. But um yeah, weirdly those two matches are ones that really kind of stick in stick in my mind as much as some of the big wins. The other one I remember, and I think um we didn't actually get a chance to talk about it because I was off or around the pod anyway, but um the Southampton game. That crazy 2-2. I mean, that I think that that's the best the game I've enjoyed most since the the whole city won at the end of the the last championship season when it was just kamikaze, you know, Mari Hudson banging in worldes. That Southampton game was unbelievable as a game of football. It was fantastic. It's a shame we're on deadline. I couldn't enjoy it. But it was it was brilliant. Um that's definitely something I remember as well. Uh friends, you're both going to be Premier League reporters again next season. Um is there anywhere you're particularly looking at going back to? Oh, of course, Stu. Of course. You get go on then. Obviously there's a particular stadium you've been to as a fan, they're gonna go put back to as a uh as a reporter. Yeah. I I I made the the the pilgrimage to the new Everton Stadium as a supporter to rekindle my my fandom of my youth with with my dad and my sister fairly recently, went to the Hill Dickinson, went on a stadium tour. I went full fandom. I didn't know. Um and I'll be going back there. I had a little sneaky peek when we were going around. Can I see the can I see the media room? Can I and I was thinking I I could be back here in a few months' time working professionally. And uh now it's gonna happen. So that's the one I'm I'm excited for, and you'll you're gonna love it, AJ. A new one to tick off for you ? Yeah, it's the only one I've got left to tick off in the Pram. I mean it's all a definitely that will be a a a good experience. It looks like you get hell of an away end that of that as well, 'cause you get the corner, don't you know I can just imagine that packed out be good fun um I think I mean it's always you always think back to like the the old classic grounds don't you your old Traffords yeah you're around the fields going to the Emirates, Stamford Bridge , things like that. Um I like that there's a lot of London. It's just nice, isn't it? And it's easy. Um it's probably a shame from my perspective, given Sophie, my girlfriend, is a big West Ham fan that uh might it's looking more likely this it will be different leagues next year unless uh uh the footballing universe gets their act together and relegates Tottenham. But then uh Tottenham from a media perspective as well is um one of the best yeah rather nice experience so um I think whoever goes down is gonna be a bit of a lose lose from my perspective. So yeah that there'll be plenty of good ones in there as I said kind of the the classic ones are always where you turn your focus to. And um I guess I I you guys won't care at all, but I'm interested as well. I love the playoffs and I'm very interested to see who's going to be joining um Ipswich in the Premier League with commentary next season. Oh, it's great. I mean that now we can sit back and watch it as a as a neutral, can't we? And player football usually does throw up some tremendous games, tremendous moments. Who do you want? Who would you pick? Uh well I'd like to see Millwall go up. I'd also like to see Millwall go up, yeah. Just because there's that story, isn't there? Um behind Millwall. So that would be the one I'd pick. And also bluntly, they're probably gonna struggle in the Premier League, aren't they? So um we need we need teams that that town can finish above. Anything more from you, Steve? We've just gone over the hour. We need to start recognizing. Imagine while you were talking about that and you're still raising the prospects of top Tottenham could still go down. Yeah. If you'd have outlined, I don't know, pick a moment in time probably if you said that the depths of the Evans era would have been maybe around the COVID time where there was the protests outside the outside the training ground with blue flares being let off and uh a time where the the only three signings were Hawkins, Cornell and Stephen Ward. They're all made on the same day, do you remember? We just did a picture of them all that feels like the sort of the the peak of of the depths of despair. Imagine if you just said then in in X years time, well that'd be five six in six years' time, Ipswich will be playing in a higher division than Tottenham, which is you know, a a real opportunity. When when did the Spurs get to the Champions League final? That was probably around that that time, wasn't it? Not not far removed from a championship. Imagine if you'd have said that then . You'd have been you'd have been locked up, wouldn't you? There's so much about the whole rebirth, you know, the the the the extraordinary journey the club have been on under the the American owners and McKenna . Just a just a brilliant from you know, from a take everything else out of it, as journalists, it's just a brilliant story, isn't it? It's just an amazing story to cover to to have been part of. Um that that's the joy of football and that's why that's why fans stick with their team because you just never yeah. Yeah exactly it's always another year and like Leicester ten years removed from winning the league are down in League One and things in a Wrexham have done been on the journey that they've been on, whatever you think of that. That is the beauty of English football and the English football pyramid that you're just even when things are are bleak, I know Stoker now the team that are being kind of heralded as the most boring team in the land that are going through their sort of Ipswich journey of treading water in the championship. Um all it takes, all it takes, he says, is you know, a good ownership takeover and getting a few things right and um you can get these sunshine days back again. So that's why we love it. A brilliant manager helps as well, doesn't it? Don't uh just just don't go back and listen to that podcast after he was appointed where I rated him as dull and said uh said said optimistically seven out of ten. That's not really uh weathered very well indeed, has it over the years? Because he's been brilliant. Uh right, friends, that brings us probably to the end of this podcast. Um I don't know when we're going to be podding over the summer. We'll probably be going down to one a week, I would say obviously we'll be around when when things are happening. Uh but we certainly be bringing you at least one podcast a week. Um looking ahead, obviously this weekend, there is the big Fabio Wardley fight, his first defence of the world title against Daniel Dubois, which is guaranteed fireworks in Manchester this weekend. I'll be previewing that at the end of the week, telling you how I think that's going to go. So look out for that. And obviously the boys will be getting their ear to the floor on all various things. Um transfer related, god excitingly that's coming, isn't it? Transfer rumor rumoraged . Can't wait. Can't wait for that. Probably the Kieran McKenna saga. We'll have all the Wesburn stuff as well. It'd be fantastic. Lots to get our teeth into. Just remind our friends to support our sponsors. Use a code KOA10 at molecular-uk.com for 10% off all that excellent car cleaning stuff there. Uh leave us a five-star view on iTunes if you could, just because it helps lift us visibility wise in the charts and follow us across all social medias. Kings of Anglia on YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, X , and Facebook if you're 85 years old. Apparently that's the demographic now for Facebook. Certainly it's with my dad. Uh anything else from you boys before we uh take our leave? Nothing from you, AJ ? Nothing from you, Stu. Back in the Premier League, baby. And that's the way we've got to finish it, friends. Uh I hope you enjoyed this podcast. I hope you've enjoyed this season because it has been a roller coaster ride. But ultimately, it all comes down to this singular truth: Ipswich Town are Premier League again. Have a great week, and we'll speak to you next time .