Town boss Kieran McKenna knows how much Saturday’s return to the Premier League after a 22-year absence means to the town, the county and a generation of Town supporters ahead of Liverpool’s visit Portman Road on the opening day (TNT Sports, KO 12.30pm).

The Blues’ last top-flight game was coincidentally against the Reds at Anfield in May 2002, a 5-0 which started the long exile from the Premier League.

McKenna was asked the importance of Saturday for Ipswich and Suffolk as a whole at his pre-match press conference as the club prepares for a 30,000 sell-out crowd, their highest in the Premier League and an increase on last season following this summer’s extensive work around the stadium.

“I think it means so much, there's no point playing that bit down,” he said. “For the town and county, you're going to have a generation of supporters who thought they might never see Premier League football in Ipswich again and you're going to have a new generation of supporters who never have seen Premier League football, and maybe thought they never would.

“We've had some amazing days over the last couple of seasons, I think this will be another amazing occasion and however the game goes, it's a day to be very proud for the supporters of the football club, the town and of their county.

“But, of course, beyond the occasion, it's our focus and job to try and deliver the very best performance that we can. We know that there'll be a terrific atmosphere, we know that it's a very important day for everybody, but our job is on the football match and preparing as well as we can.

“It's 11 players against 11 players, we know it's going to be a difficult match, but we also know that we can be really difficult to play against in our home stadium.

“It's a great occasion, we want everyone to really enjoy it, we're going to do our utmost to provide a performance to be proud of and that's where our focus is - it's on delivering the very best performance that we can.”

Quizzed on how the squad is feeling ahead of what for many of them will be their first Premier League game, he said: “There's a great deal of excitement, the group have worked so hard for the opportunity we have in front of us this season.

“Of course, the club, the town and the supporters have waited a long time to be back in the Premier League and to have what we have ahead of us.

“It's great excitement, we know the scale of the challenge and what's ahead of us, but we're so excited for the game tomorrow. The first Premier League game at Portman Road for 22 years, it's going to be a wonderful occasion.”

Looking back on pre-season, the Northern Irishman says he was pleased: “It went well. We've had a long pre-season, really, with the Championship season finishing earlier and thankfully us not going through the play-offs.

“So we've had a pretty long pre-season, we're seven weeks in, we've had some good, competitive fixtures and we feel as ready as we can be.

“Of course, we've had a few challenges - we've had a slightly smaller group than what we would have wanted and there's so many challenges for a club in this position that have climbed two leagues in two years.

“So it's been a really busy summer, everybody has worked so hard to get the club prepared from an infrastructure perspective, a staffing perspective and a playing squad perspective.

“But we're looking forward to, hopefully, feeling the fruits of some of that hard work when we step out and the stadium tomorrow. I'm sure the stadium's going to be looking fantastic.

“The supporters are going to be so excited, the players have prepared as well as we can, those who have been with us and new arrivals as well. We look forward to the game now.”

Town are unbeaten in 10 on the first day of a season, winning six and drawing four, but have lost their last three openers in the Premier League.

The 3-0 win against Joe Royle’s Oldham at Boundary Park in 1993/94 remains their most recent opening-day top-flight win.

Liverpool are unbeaten in 11 on the first day, won eight, drawn three, and are unbeaten in eight against newly promoted sides, winning seven.

Town have lost only one of their last 39 league matches at Portman Road stretching back to a 1-0 defeat to Lincoln City in October 2022 with Leeds United’s 4-3 victory in August last year their only blemish since then.

The Reds have undergone a significant change this summer with Jürgen Klopp departing after nine years and Dutchman Arne Slot taking over.

McKenna was asked whether this meant playing the Merseysiders now is good timing.

“No, not in terms of new management or anything like that,” he insisted. “I think it's a really good fixture for us, to be honest.

“I think everyone - players, staff, supporters, owners - would have liked to have had a home game against one of the best teams in the league because it makes what would have been a special occasion anyway even more special.

“We're delighted to be at home. Although we know the scale of the challenge, we're happy to have one of the best sides in the league and the world coming to our stadium because it makes it even more special and marks home to everyone the progress that we've made.

“Of course, when you have a new manager coming into a team it can be looked at in different ways, we know Liverpool are a fantastic team, they've appointed a top manager and they've had a very good pre-season and I think they're going to be a really strong side this year.

“We're under no illusions about the scale of what we're going to face, but for us, it's fantastic to have a home game against such a big football club and we're looking to take on the challenge.”

The Team

Aro Muric, one of those in the squad with Premier League experience from his time with Burnley last season, will make his Town debut in goal, while Leif Davis will add to his two top flight sub appearances with Leeds at left-back.

At the centre of the defence, McKenna seems certain to hand a Premier League and Town debut to Jacob Greaves on the left, while George Edmundson could get the nod on the right having impressed in pre-season. The former Rangers man would be another Premier League debutant.

Axel Tuanzebe, who made 16 top flight starts and 12 sub appearances with former club Manchester United and on loan at Aston Villa, looks set to be on the right.

Skipper Sam Morsy and Massimo Luongo look set to make their Premier League debuts in their thirties in the middle of midfield.

McKenna could opt to start Ben Johnson in a more withdrawn right-sided role as he did against OGC Nice last week with Wes Burns on the bench. Johnson, who made 38 Premier League starts and 31 sub appearances for West Ham, would be another Town debutant having signed on a free from the Hammers in the summer.

Conor Chaplin will be another top flight debutant in the centre, while Omari Hutchinson, who played one 22-minute sub appearance in the Premier League for Chelsea, could be on the left, as he was against Hoffenheim a fortnight ago.

Liam Delap, two Premier League sub appearances with Manchester City, will make his Town debut as the lone striker.

New signings Sammie Szmodics and Kalvin Phillips are available but are likely to be on the bench having only joined the club on Friday.

Opposition

Surprisingly, new Liverpool boss Slot, who can pick from a full-strength squad, is yet to sign anyone since taking charge but says it’s more important that the existing squad, which finished third in the Premier League last season and won the Carabao Cup, has largely remained intact.

“I think at this moment, the whole team stayed together, we lost Joel Matip and Tiago [Silva] and Adrián, the goalkeeper, but the rest of the team stayed together and that’s a very positive thing,” he said.

“We’re aways talking here about transfers but it’s also a very positive thing that we kept our players.

“They’re in a good place at the moment. I’ve said many times already that Jürgen left the team in a good place and we’re trying to build from there.

“Last season was also a season where they could win a trophy with this team, so we’re hoping and aiming for the same this season, of course.

“It’s not going to be easy because there are a lot of good and strong teams in the Premier League, who have also strengthened their squads, but we’re also looking forward to the challenge.”

Quizzed on whether it’s tougher to prepare for a team which hasn’t been in the Premier League for 22 years, Slot responded: “Not harder than if you had to prepare for a team which was in the Premier League for 22 years because we also saw their games from last season and we saw their games from pre-season.

“I don’t think that’s no more difficult than if they had been in the Premier League for a long time.

“It is true that a for a newly promoted club, there is a lot of positivity around a club like this.

“As people have told me, every game in the Premier League is going to be an intense game and there are no easy games and that is something that we can expect as well tomorrow.

“A promoted team that only have a lot of positives in recent years will come up against us really looking forward to it. But we are really looking forward to the game as well.”

Liverpool were unbeaten in their five pre-season friendlies, including three games in the US. A 1-0 victory over Real Betis was followed by a 2-1 defeat of Arsenal, then a 3-0 pummelling of Manchester United.

On Sunday, they played a double-header at Anfield, beating Sevilla 4-1 before a 0-0 stalemate with Las Palmas.

History

Historically, the Reds have much the better record in games between the clubs, winning 36 (28 in the league), 22 (19) ending in draws and Town victorious on 14 (13) occasions.

The Blues most recently beat Liverpool at Anfield in December 2000 when Marcus Stewart’s trademark goal saw George Burley’s side to a 1-0 win as they finished fifth on their return to the top flight.

Town’s last home victory over the Merseysiders came back in February 1986 under Bobby Ferguson, a 2-1 win in which Mich D’Avray and Kevin Wilson scored for the Blues and Ronnie Whelan for Liverpool.

The teams met most recently in the Worthington Cup in December 2002 when Town were beaten 5-4 in a penalty shoot-out following a 1-1 draw after extra-time at Anfield.

Jamie Clapham was the only man to miss a spot-kick after Tommy Miller and El-Hadji Diouf had scored the goals in normal time.

The previous season, as Town were relegated from the Premier League in their second year in the top flight following a 5-0 final-day defeat at Anfield, the Blues’ last Premier League game.

Two goals from John-Arne Riise and one each for Michael Owen, Vladimir Smicer and Nicolas Anelka broke Town hearts and secured Liverpool second place in the table.

Earlier in the campaign, the Blues were beaten even more heavily by the Reds at Portman Road, 6-0, as their impressive mid-season recovery was brought to a grinding halt from which they never recovered. Emile Heskey and Owen both netted twice and Abel Xavier and Sami Hyypiä once each.

Referee

Saturday’s referee is Tim Robinson, an experienced official, who was added to the Select Group 1 last season but has been taking charge of Premier League matches since 2019.

Tim Wood and Steve Meredith are the assistants and Keith Stroud the fourth official.

Long-serving top-flight official Stuart Attwell will become Portman Road’s first ever VAR official with Harry Lennard his assistant.

Last season, West Sussex-based Robinson showed 122 yellow cards and no red in 30 games.

The former PE teacher’s last Town match was the 2-1 home victory over Shrewsbury in November 2020 in which he booked only last-minute goalscorer Jack Lankester.

He was also in charge of the away game at Sheffield United on the penultimate weekend of the 2018/19 season in which he yellow-carded Alan Judge and no one else as the Blades beat the Blues 2-0 to secure promotion.

Prior to that he was in the middle for the 1-1 draw with Aston Villa at Portman Road in August 2019 in which he harshly red-carded loanee Tayo Edun on his Blues full league debut for two bookable offences as well as cautioning Janoi Donacien and two visitors.

Robinson also refereed the 1-0 home defeat to Norwich City in October 2017 in which he cautioned only Chambers, Flynn Downes and Jordan Spence.

A month earlier Robinson officiated during the 5-2 thrashing of Sunderland in which he booked Tristan Nydam and three Wearsiders.

Before that he took charge of 2017/18’s 1-0 opening day victory over Birmingham City when he yellow-carded Joran Spence and one visitor.

The season before that he officiated in the 3-1 home win against Newcastle United in which he cautioned David McGoldrick, Tom Lawrence and one Magpie.

Robinson also refereed Town’s 1-0 success at Aston Villa in February 2017, in which he booked only Jonas Knudsen and Toumani Diagouraga, and the 1-0 victory over Preston at Portman Road in August 2016, in which he booked Cole Skuse and one visiting player.

Prior to that he was in charge of the 1-0 win at Derby on the final day of 2015/16 and yellow-carded skipper Luke Chambers, Adam McDonnell and two Rams.

Before that he took control of the 2-1 home victory over Reading in February 2016 in which he booked Christophe Berra and two visiting players.

Robinson’s only other competitive Town game was the 2-0 home defeat to Middlesbrough in December 2015 in which he again cautioned Berra and two visitors.

Squad from: Muric, Walton, Slicker, Tuanzebe, Johnson, Davis, Townsend, Edmundson, Woolfenden, Greaves, Burgess, Morsy (c), Luongo, Phillips, Taylor, Burns, Hutchinson, Chaplin, Szmodics, Harness, Delap, Ladapo, Al-Hamadi.

Photo: TWTD

Tractorog added 18:28 - Aug 16 Blimey I think we're on the verge of being told in that article the refs desert island discs and which one he'd rescue from the waves. Still here is to a great game. Let's hope the emotion doesn't get to much for the team. Uppa Towen!!
2

bugblatter added 18:40 - Aug 16 At least we now know why Phil is too busy to be part of Life’s a PitchTV! Must have taken all day to write that!
1

IpswichT62OldBoy added 18:47 - Aug 16 I am absolutely bouncing for this. We have a team capable of upsetting anybody, lets see what we can do to Liverpool.
3

IpswichT62OldBoy added 18:50 - Aug 16 Excellent stuff Phil. Sorry to see you have left Life's a Pitch but kudos for all the excellent work you do. I literally love TWTD, and the whole community (even the ones who are a bit preachy), we have earned our day in the sun.
6

BeattiesBackPocket added 19:34 - Aug 16 Majority of fans are totally behind you Kieran and the players and owners it will be the minority who only ever come on and moan after a loss the rest of us have been through enough crap times to appreciate this season no matter what happens at the end. COYB’s
3

Mr_Jingles added 19:40 - Aug 16 Crazy to think 2 years ago almost to the day we were playing at Forest Green Rovers. COYB
6

Van_Blue added 20:05 - Aug 16 Will be up at 4:30 am to watch the game with a mixture of excitement and trepidation but tomorrow's result does not define our season. If we get nothing from the top 6 teams there are still 13 other teams (26 games) where points are available; 10 wins and 10 draws would be enough. Having said that let's start off with a 2-1 win COYBs
1

IpswichT62OldBoy added 20:42 - Aug 16 I am almost too excited to sleep, fortunately Dr Peroni is in the house.
2

TimmyH added 20:56 - Aug 16 Means so much to me in Essex (know quite a few supporters from across the border) as well as Cambridgeshire.
0

Steve_ITFC_Sweden added 21:57 - Aug 16 Phil, as I hinted in an earlier post, should we consider changing the name of our site: TATD - These Are The Days. Because it now seems as if we are on the brink of writing a new and exciting chapter in the history of ITFC, so that we may not need to hang on to past glories quite so much in order to celebrate our team.
0

Bazza8564 added 08:38 - Aug 17 KM as humble as ever, but without him and Mark Ashton this would not be happening. We remain in great hands and I think every fan appreciates it with every breath. COYB
1

JewellintheTown added 10:43 - Aug 17 Thanks for all the stats & info, Phil! As always, an excellent article. Hopefully all those stats (well the negative ones anyway) mean nothing today & we get the rub going our way. Exciting times & we should get behind the team & show our appreciation for their performances no matter the outcome long past the final whistle.
0

Marcus added 10:46 - Aug 17 @Steve_ITFC_Sweden - it was done briefly before in the Burley era. It seems the domains are 'parked' now so it wouldn't be straightforward. Perhaps an artistic edit to the logo could work, but it makes it look temporary, which is not really a good message.
0

FreddySteady added 10:46 - Aug 17 Steve ITFC Sweden. I’m sure that was done or at least considered last time we came up and then abandoned after the second season….
0

JewellintheTown added 10:56 - Aug 17 Interesting to see the gulf of estimated squad values at over 926M euros (£780M) for Liverpool (4th highest) & ours debatably currently at 123M+ euros - bottom of the list (£105M), Philips being 25M euros of that. https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/premier-league/startseite/wettbewerb/GB1 I'm sure the team will show that value means nothing today & give them one helluva game.

0

FreddySteady added 11:21 - Aug 17 Our new goalie is injured…
0

Blogs 298 bloggers

Ipswich Town Polls