Ipswich Town forward Conor Chaplin has revealed his thoughts on what his team could do in the Premier League next season, following their second successive promotion.
Back-to-back promotions from the third tier of English football to the top flight are very infrequent – so much so that those who support the teams who achieve this feat are right to think that they can continue to aim for the stars, in what is proving to be one of the hardest leagues for newly promoted teams.
All three newcomers in the 2023/24 Premier League campaign were relegated, which will be considered as a stern warning by Ipswich, Leicester City and whichever of Leeds United or Southampton wins at Wembley.
Chaplin, 27, has laid out his position on how well the Tractor Boys could do next season.
Conor Chaplin’s Ipswich, Premier League prediction
The second striker, who assisted the goal that ultimately sent Town up, appreciates the task that lies ahead of him and his teammates, but understands those who feel like Ipswich are capable of achieving anything.
Speaking to EADT, he said: “I don’t know. I think we’ve probably got to be realistic. But I know off the back of this season, people will probably be like, ‘What are you on about?! You might as well dream big!’
“We’ll probably assess that with the coaching staff and the boss in the coming weeks when we come back into pre-season, but the main aim will be to be competitive.
“We have to just get better. We know the club is going to recruit to try to help us. To stay in the division is going to take an incredible effort from everyone and we’re going to need improvements to do that on and off the pitch.
“It’s up to the lads that are here to prove they should be part of the team.”
A thoughtful Chaplin, after reflecting on the good times that have just gone, added that he wants to improve on the player he was last season.
“I know for a fact that in a couple of weeks, when the dust has settled, that I’ll want to be a good player in the Premier League,” stated the 27-year-old.
“I really wanted to come into this season and be a good Championship player and I felt like I’ve done that. To get over 20 goal contributions was a big aim of mine. I was really happy about that. Really, really happy. I wanted to be consistent at this level and I feel I found my consistency quite early in the season.
“I know now it feels like a dream, but I want to do that again in the Premier League. I want to be fitter than I’ve ever been before. I want to be a better person, a better player than I’ve ever been before. That’s something that I’m so excited for.
“When you feel like you’ve done what you want to do there’s always new things to prove to yourself, which adds to the motivation. I can’t wait. I know that in two weeks’ time I’ll be itching to get back out running and just see how much I can get out of my body.”
Ipswich should have as much confidence as the previously promoted sides
The 23/24 campaign has been a bit of a worry for fans of teams who would probably be considered outsiders, in terms of their chances of achieving something out of the ordinary.
Two of the three teams that were relegated to the second tier are going to go straight back up, and the trio that replaced them are making a swift return.
| Championship standings 2023/24 | ||||
| Team | P | GD | Pts | |
| 1 | Leicester City (C) | 46 | 48 | 97 |
| 2 | Ipswich Town (P) | 46 | 35 | 96 |
| 3 | Leeds United | 46 | 38 | 90 |
| 4 | Southampton | 46 | 24 | 87 |
Burnley, Sheffield United and Luton Town haven’t given an amazing account of the Championship this season, but Ipswich should go into next season with as much, if not more confidence, as those three.
The Clarets were the real big underperformers. After smashing up the league campaign, they floundered this time around. Luton and United, on the other hand, seemed a bit more destined for demise than Vincent Kompany’s team.
What these teams hadn’t showed, which Town have, is the ability to adapt to new levels quickly. Ipswich quickly found their feet in the second tier, following their promotion from League One.
That proven ability to acclimatise to a new environment will be so key for them when they kick off for their first season back in the top division.
Factors like this should give them the belief to think that they will be able to do the same, even though the things working against them this time round are much tougher.
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