Ipswich Town under-21s: Review of the 2024/25 season

Ipswich Town under-21s: Review of the 2024/25 season.

Ipswich Town’s under-21s completed their 2024/25 season earlier this month. Ross Halls looks back on the young Blues’ campaign.

Ipswich Town under-21s are managed by John McGreal.


John McGreal manages Ipswich Town’s under-21s. (Image by Ross Halls) A winning start, followed by mixed results. John McGreal’s team got off to a strong start with a 6-1 home win against Birmingham City on the first day, before drawing 3-3 with Burnley. They suffered their first defeat of the season in their following game, losing 1-0 at home to Sheffield United, who went on to win the Professional Development League National Championship. In the following months, they won four out of twelve games and finished 2024 with a 1-1 draw at home against Colchester United.

Ipswich Town under-21s celebrate at Portman Road during their unbeaten run.


Ipswich Town’s under-21s celebrate at Portman Road after being undefeated. (Image by Ross Halls) Difficult spell and unbeaten run The youthful Blues started 2025 with a fantastic 5-1 home win against Cardiff City, but then went winless in four games, including two hefty home defeats (5-1 to Charlton Athletic and 5-2 to Brentford). They recovered, however, and went eight games unbeaten, winning five and drawing three, allowing them to climb the table. However, that run came to an end with a 7-0 defeat at Bournemouth, followed by a 3-1 victory at Sheffield Wednesday and a 2-1 loss at home to Fleetwood Town on the last day.

Ipswich Town under-21s celebrate at Playford Road.
Ipswich Town’s Under-21s celebrate at Playford Road. (Image by Ross Halls) OVERALL FINISH AND CUP EXPLOIT Town finished sixth in the 11-team Professional Development League 2 South table, the same position they held last season. The youthful Blues won 12 of their 31 league games, drawing eight and losing the remaining eleven. They scored 63 league goals but conceded 65, giving them a minus two goal differential. In the Premier League Cup, they placed second in their group. They defeated Everton and advanced to the last 16, but lost 2-1 against Chelsea to exit the competition.

Tom Taylor finished as the young Blues top goalscorer.
Tom Taylor finished as the young Blues’ top scorer. (Image by Ross Halls) Stand-out performers Plenty of players have impressed this season, despite the team being fragmented at times, with regulars farmed away to get senior experience. Forward Tom Taylor has been a significant player of the team, scoring 15 goals across all competitions for the youthful Blues. He was chosen to Kieran McKenna’s first-team bench this season. Tudor Mendel, a forward who joined Anderlecht last summer, has scored seven goals in all competitions. Rio Morgan, a fellow forward, has been another bright spot for this team, scoring nine goals.

Somto Boniface joined Town from Chelsea in the January transfer window and been named on the first-team bench.
Somto Boniface joined Town from Chelsea during the January transfer window and has been named to the first team bench. (Image by Ross Halls) What The Future Holds The academy has produced a number of outstanding players over the years, but is it totally focused on developing new talent? Only Luke Woolfenden is a homegrown player for Town in the Premier League this season. Town have been astute in bringing in young players from other top-flight clubs, including England U18 left-back Somto Boniface from Chelsea and Southampton attacker Joshua Pitts. The club also hopes to achieve Category One classification, which will result in enhanced facilities, staffing, and a more extensive game programme.

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