Ipswich - 26/27 Draft FPL Pre-Season Thoughts
Written 18th July 2026 · Everything here very much subject to change, subscribe to the podcast/YouTube channel for all the latest.
This blog is part of Draft FC's Team-by-Team 2026/27 early pre-season series — see all 20 previews in one place here
Straight back up, straight into the unknown
Straight back up at the first attempt - automatic promotion sealed with a 3-0 final-day win over QPR. Impressive stuff. The timing of everything since has been rather less helpful. Kieran McKenna stepped down on 10th June, the architect of 2 promotions (and a failed PL campaign in the middle) walking away for a break from management and Gary O'Neil confirmed as his replacement. So Ipswich return to the Premier League with a new manager tasked with installing a new system inside a single preseason. Not ideal, but the odds are already stacked against the teams coming up.
O'Neil's history - Bournemouth, Wolves, then Strasbourg - spans various 4-2-3-1s and back-3 looks. He's pragmatic and adaptable, which is a polite way of saying, I don't really know what to expect from Ipswich this year!
The squad, as it stands
Chuba Akpom made permanent from Ajax for £8m and the most likely lead striker. It feels like Akpom has been waiting to make his PL debut for the last 10 years so will be nice to see him finally get a chance to prove himself, albeit at 30 years old now. Cédric Kipré permanent at centre-back; and the promotion spine of Davis, O'Shea, Hirst and company. The intriguing one is Emersonn - £26.5m striker from Toulouse, a record transfer fee paid by the tractor boys. If the young Brazilian forward is O'Neil's focal point, he's the draft-relevant name here. 0.55 xGI per 90 in Ligue 1 last year, 9 returns from 9 xGI. Preseason should give us a better idea but my guess he hasn't been bought to play on the bench. Interesting that a few months ago while Strasbourg manager, O'Neil had the pleasure of watching Emersonn score the winner against them, as Toulouse came out on top 1-2 away from home - just showing that old fashioned scouting can still win out.
The departures hurt in very specific places. Muric was sold to Sassuolo, so the goalkeeper spot is genuinely open - Walton is the incumbent and I'd expect a signing. Chaplin, a proper set-piece presence, has moved on, and Ashley Young has retired, which leaves the dead-ball duties TBD across the board too.
Draft angle: patience is the pick this summer
My honest framework for Ipswich is simple, ignore them. New manager, unsettled/poor no.1 keeper, unknown set-piece takers and a wave of signings still to land. That's no comment on the squad's quality; they went straight back up for a reason, and O'Neil kept Wolves up with considerably less to work with. It's simply that every draftable role here is currently unverifiable, and I don't spend draft picks on question marks that the waiver wire will answer for free in September.
The value play is exactly that: promoted-team starters who clarify in late August. A confirmed penalty taker. A nailed left-back on deliveries - Leif Davis' assist numbers in the Championship have always been a bit silly. A locked-in number 9. Have the shortlist ready: Akpom, Emersonn, Davis, plus whoever O'Neil signs between now and then.
The opening run
Very tricky - Sunderland at home, Man Utd away, Liverpool at home, Palace away, Everton away, Fulham at home. GW1 and GW6 are the playable fixtures; GW2 and GW3 are free hits nobody expects anything from. It's not soft enough to lift anyone up the board, and combined with the other uncertainty it settles the argument for me, no Ipswich player earns a draft-day reach based on fixtures.
Early verdict
A common theme you'll hear from me for all 3 of the promoted clubs, my expectations are very low. I had a feeling about Sunderland last year but I don't have any such feelings this year. Unfortunately the most likely scenario remains that all 3 of them go straight back down.
Stay shook,
Draft FC Mitch
Where our full rankings live
As I said, these previews are just some of my notes and early thoughts, my complete top 240 rankings live within our members area. The Top 20 reveal stays free so keep your eyes peeled for that episode in early August. The rest though, plus all our other member benefits, sit inside a Draft FC membership and if you want to find out more about that, head here.
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