Ipswich's Ambition: Gary O'Neil and Daizen Maeda

Gary O’Neil walks into Ipswich with a curious backstory and a pointed question hanging over him. A former Norwich midfielder now in charge at Portman Road. In East Anglia, that sort of switch does not go unnoticed.

No, he has not crossed the border to sabotage them. Quite the opposite. There is a genuine hope around the region that Ipswich can scrap, adapt and, somehow, stay in the Premier League.

One reason for that optimism wears a relentless grin and never stops running.

Maeda the tone‑setter

Daizen Maeda arrives from Celtic with a reputation that fits perfectly with O’Neil’s demands. Those who have watched him closely know exactly what Ipswich are getting: intensity, aggression, and an engine that simply does not cool.

He presses like few others. In fact, there is a strong argument he will be the most ferocious presser in the Premier League, a one-man trigger for chaos high up the pitch. If Ipswich sit deep and look to spring forward, Maeda becomes even more valuable. He lives off space in behind, and there are not many quicker forwards in the division.

Ipswich have not been shy in the market, and Maeda is the standout symbol of that ambition.

Lessons from Sunderland and Leeds

There is a blueprint for promoted clubs who refuse to stand still. Sunderland showed it last season. They signed aggressively after coming up, knitted a new group together, and surged all the way into Europe.

Leeds did something similar, recruiting smartly and proving that boldness can be rewarded rather than punished.

Those stories give Ipswich something tangible to cling to. They show that survival is not the ceiling. But there is a warning stitched into them as well: signing players is the easy part. Turning them into a team, quickly, is where managers earn their money.

That is O’Neil’s immediate challenge. He has to connect these new faces early, create relationships, build patterns. The Premier League does not wait for anyone.

Sunderland’s next test

Sunderland, for their part, now face a different kind of examination. European football brings Thursday nights, long trips, and the sort of schedule that stretches even established squads. There is a real question over how this group will handle the extra strain.

For now, though, they should still look a lot like the side that bullied their way through last season. They will remind people of the level they hit, particularly in the biggest games.

No one who watched them rough up Arsenal will forget it in a hurry. They did not just beat Arsenal; they beat them up, physically and mentally, in a way few teams managed. That kind of statement lingers.

Yes, they faded as the season wore on. The surprise factor has gone, and opponents will prepare for them differently. But the core remains dangerous.

Granit Xhaka still drives them from midfield, snarling, cajoling, dragging the tempo where he wants it. Up front, Wilson Isidor and Brian Brobbey offer enough threat to damage anyone. They do not need many chances to turn a game.

Put all that together and the picture sharpens. Ipswich, bold and busy in the market, trying to find their feet. Sunderland, hardened and battle-tested, stepping into a season that will demand even more.

On this occasion, the call is clear.

Sutton’s prediction: 0-1.