Ashton says Town managerial appointment 'imminent'

Ipswich Town chairman Mark Ashton has lifted the lid on Kieran McKenna's replacement [BBC]Ipswich Town chairman Mark Ashton has told the BBC that the appointment of a new manager is "imminent" and he predicted a "big change" of players.

>Speaking after the Premier League fixtures were released for the 2026-2027 season, Ashton acknowledged it would be "tough" for anyone coming in, following the departure of Kieran McKenna on 11 June.

>"When you appoint the manager in mid-table, you have time to bed them in. This time they're going to be straight in," said Ashton, who is also the club's chief executive.

>However, he added: "I think it's more about how prepared the whole club is. And as a club, we are better prepared this time around."

Kieran McKenna announced he would be leaving Ipswich Town earlier this month [Getty Images]Ashton said he was still doing "due diligence" over the new manager's appointment, but was grateful the board had encouraged him to take his time.

>"I'm as comfortable as I can be, so I think that appointment is now imminent," he said.

>He also predicted a "busy" transfer window.

>"This time you've got a new manager who's obviously going to want maybe a different type or a different individual than last time [when Ipswich were promoted in 2024]," said Ashton.

>"He's got to get to know the players that have been here and done so well for us. But imminently we will have to bring in new players that are probably Premier League-ready.

>"I can see a big change of players, maybe not as big as last time, but there will be a volume of players coming in."

'It's going to be tough'Reflecting on the fixture list, he said was pleased to start the season with a home game against Sunderland, and said that following that with a trip to Manchester United and a home game against Liverpool demonstrated they were back in "the biggest and best league in the world".

>However, he felt confident that the club was better prepared for the Premier League than it was last time, which resulted in an immediate return to the Championship in 2025.

>"There's still a lot to do. It's going to be tough, but we are definitely more robust as a club this time around. We'll be ready," he said.

>"We're one of 20 clubs and we want to do everything we can to stay in the division."

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