Blues CEO Mark Ashton has been reflecting on the situation at the top of League One and says the relentless rebuilding of the club will continue whether Town go up this season or otherwise.

The Blues are currently third in the division behind Plymouth and Sheffield Wednesday with Barnsley at their heels behind them with the automatic promotion places looking set to go right to the wire.

“That’s just the nature of it,” McKenna reflected in the first part of an interview with TWTD we’ll be running over the next few days.

“It’s a difficult league and why do I think it’s a difficult league? Because I think there’s such a wide ranging spectrum of clubs that play in different ways, have different facilities, have different pitches and different set-ups. It’s very wide-ranging and that brings different sets of challenges.

“We said last season that we wanted to score more goals and I think we’ve certainly done that. I think the way we play is an attractive style of football.

“I think we’ve made wise investments and what you see now is a team and a club that has an asset value that is growing on the pitch.

“We have taken our own route and our route has not been to loan five or six players and develop them for their parent club.

“I think one or two is fine, but the core of our squad is our players and we grow their value and they stay with us whatever league we’re in.

“That was an approach we talked to the owners about when we acquired the club and we’ve been true to it.

“If you look at the type of player we’ve acquired, whether that’s Christian [Walton], whether that’s [Harry] Clarke, Broady [Nathan Broadhead], Leif [Davis], whether that’s the homegrown emerging talent of [Luke] Woolfenden and [Cameron] Humphreys, those players have value.

“They have a value of 𝑥 in League One and they have a value of 4𝑥 in the Championship and they have a value of anything times anything in the Premier League.

“It’s a model that we want to build where they’re our players and that fits into why we’ve brought in a manager in [Kieran] McKenna, who is not only a first class manager but he’s an outstanding coach and player developer.

“This hasn’t randomly been thrown together, this has been knitted together over time. And I still firmly believe we’re only at the beginning of the journey.”

What if Town don’t go up this season? “Nothing changes. You do more of it. Repetition, repetition, repetition. You’ve known me long enough now, no one will want this club to be promoted this season more than me and if I could physically get out there and do it myself I would, but let’s be clear, I’d be more of a hindrance than a help!

“We’re talking about almost two decades worth of under-investment and underachievement and a club, whether it’s on the pitch or off the pitch, that has gone substantially backwards.

“McKenna’s only been here just over a year, I’ve been here just over 18 months now. We can’t fix it all in one go.

“I’d love to say we can just do this and I can guarantee that we’re going to be promoted here, I can guarantee the stadium’s going to be done then, I can guarantee the training ground’s going to be done then, but there’s a lot of work to do.

“I think sometimes it’s easier when you’re rebuilding a smaller club because there isn’t the expectation that comes with it. But right now, as Kieran says, we’re a League One club. We might be a League One club that’s getting 28-30,000, is smashing records in retail, ticketing etc, but we’re a League One club.

“And there is a reason why the club has been in League One for a period and it’s why that trapdoor to League One was opening for a period, and we’ve got to put it right.

“I think we’ve got a great chance, but so have others. If we get up we’ll build and we’ll go again. If for any reason we find ourselves in this division again next season, we’ll add and build and we’ll go again.

“We will be relentless in taking this club forward. The owners are right behind it, they understand the dynamics of what we’re trying to build and where we’re at, but I think we’re in a decent place.”

The Mark Ashton Interview

• Ashton Open to Debate on UEFA Article 48
• Championship a Natural Fit For the Tractor Girls
• New Pitch is On Track
• Work to Continue on Playford Road Pitches and Building
• We're Working on Development Master Plan With Local Authority
• We'll Forge an Informal Link With Rhode Island
• Kit Sales a Sign of How Big This Club Could Become
• McKenna's Contract Will Take Care of Itself at the Right Time
• Contract Conversations in the Summer
• First Summer Recruitment Meeting With McKenna Took Place This Week
• We Knew Our Top Targets and Got Them Across the Line
• Away Fans to Remain in Cobbold Stand Next Season But Discussions Ongoing
• I Wanted to Be Respectful to Fans on Season Ticket Prices
• No Explanation From Jamaica on Leigh
• We Will Be Relentless in Taking This Club Forward

Photo: Matchday Images

IpswichT62OldBoy added 17:15 - Mar 23 That is all very heartening to hear, realistic and honest. When we are promoted we will be a strong side in that division, I think realistically pushing top 6. Kudos TWTD for getting the interview
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Suffolkboy added 17:29 - Mar 23 Right on the obvious nail ; ITFC IS going places under this ownership ,and with this Managemnt in place . Failure is not contemplated and success is being built on the most solid foundations . COYB
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NthQldITFC added 17:31 - Mar 23 Absolutely bang on, Mark. Thanks to you and everyone around you for putting this club on a really exciting trajectory. Nearly 30,000 people are turning up because we believe in the dream you are delivering. COYB!
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RobITFC added 17:32 - Mar 23 We are in safe hands. The club is only going in one direction and that is UP, whether it be this season or not, next year we will be better. Just see how the 4 signings in January have improved us. The fans are seeing exciting football, some younger fans have not seen before so stick with it everyone and enjoy the ride!
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terryf added 17:42 - Mar 23 This is a crazy division and a hard one to get out of. Looking at the remaining fixtures it's a big ask. Can see Plymouth winning six out of eight which would give them 98 points. If that were the case we would require 23 out of a possible 27points and pip them on goal difference. Still on the bright side a day out out Wembley wouldn't be shabby and no one will want to play us in the playoffs.

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ArnieM added 17:47 - Mar 23 And there it is for all to read and digest. This approach is what sets us diary from the others in this division and when we go get promoted, we won't be back and I also predict back to back promotions when we do go up!
5

Bert added 17:51 - Mar 23 Good to hear that everything carries on even if we remain in this horrible league …. for one more year only. Anything is possible but at least we are reasonably assured of a play off place. Automatic promotion would be a massive relief after years of failure but any play off spot would put fear into the competition. Just hope that those who doubted KMcK a few weeks ago will unite with everyone as we suffer the agonies and enjoy the ecstasies to come in the next few months.

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Bluearmy_81 added 18:04 - Mar 23 Thank God we've got Evans… 😂😂
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Bluearmy_81 added 18:07 - Mar 23 Suffolkboy, failure is not contemplated?! It's a pity failure was ok for you for so many seasons, you seemed to be all about supporting failure and having endless patience with it?!
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Wicksy added 18:20 - Mar 23 Phil - 3rd para should say Ashton, not McKenna? Reassuring words - great to hear
2

Crinkle59 added 19:00 - Mar 23 The bricks are there and the bulding has begun, I have seen it all since 1939 and believe we are back on the road , keep the Faith!
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SouperJim added 19:35 - Mar 23 Absolutely love to read this. Whether we manage to get up this season or not, we have to stick with McKenna and the approach which has seen us make so much progress this season.
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rfretwell added 19:42 - Mar 23 Crinkle you are in your 80's? Fair play to uou.
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ThaiBlue added 20:09 - Mar 23 We need ti go up this season if we dont i feel we have failed on the pitch.owners and ashton doing a fantastic job
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BeattiesBackPocket added 20:14 - Mar 23 ‘We're talking about almost two decades worth of under-investment and underachievement and a club, whether it's on the pitch or off the pitch, that has gone substantially backwards.‘ Enough said! And if people can't see the difference from under Evans to now then they need to go wobble their heads
9

dirtydingusmagee added 20:33 - Mar 23 it will be a playoff place for us imo, That is a lottery, but its great to hear that IF ,things dont go well this time, we still have the backing and desire to keep going ,and not as some have in past suggested its a case of sh#t or bust this season . We are in good hands .We WILL get there .COYB
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itsonlyme added 21:53 - Mar 23 Says everything! Brilliant owners, top manager, top team behind this club and we are much on the up! We will get promoted whether it's this season or next , then watch us go! Coyb!
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tractorboybig added 07:53 - Mar 24 well he is unlikely to say anything else , is he?
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Bazza8564 added 08:06 - Mar 24 I'm a huge Ashton fan, could listen to him for hours to be fair. It might take longer to deliver on the pitch than our passionate impatience demands, but I really think people get it, and believe. When you strip something back to brass tacks and start again, you get a far more robust structure. But I'm convinced we are gonna need a bigger stadium sooner rather than later because 28-30k in league one is just amazing

3

IvorFeeling added 09:25 - Mar 24 The club, with its current structure and ethos, makes me proud to be a Town fan and it's been a long time since I was able to say that. Connection with the fans, entrenched in the community, investment infrastructure, a way of playing as club (through the academy to the first team), great investors and regular input from them. A great young manager and a squad that reflects our ambition. I know we are desperate to get out of this league, but mistakes will be made and nothing is a given. Whatever happens I am behind this club.

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barrystedmunds added 16:15 - Mar 24 “Two decades of underinvestment “ Therein lies the heart of the matter. That was then, this is now. Exciting times ahead. Automatic has to be our route but if it comes to play offs they'll be a lot fear us. However, for “play offs” read lottery!!!
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braveblue added 16:59 - Mar 24 Such a difference from the level of incompetence we had before. Great to hear these remarks.
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