The fixtures for the new season have been announced and Ipswich, who will be playing in the third tier for the first time in over 60 years, have been handed a tough start to life in League One. An away trip to Burton Albion followed up by a visit from Sunderland, which will be a contest between the two title favourites, waits for them. The Blues endured a torrid time throughout the last campaign yet they’re a club surrounded by positivity – but why? And will it help them in their quest to bounce straight back?

To understand why you have to go back to Mick McCarthy’s time in charge. McCarthy arrived when Ipswich were in trouble after back to back managerial appointments left fans questioning who was the worst ever? Roy Keane or Paul Jewell? McCarthy came in and with little budget kept Ipswich stable in mid-table with the occasional flirtation with the play-offs; solid if unspectacular would be a fair assessment. 

The negativity started to creep in when it became evident that McCarthy was hard pressed to achieve promotion, that seemed impossible without a bit of investment from owner Marcus Evans. The Ipswich chairman didn’t show much interest in doing so. 

Most fans were still content with McCarthy and understood he somewhat had his hands tied but a minority had decided change was needed, primarily citing the ‘boring and dull' style on show as the reason. It started off as a handful and gradually grew but, as the minority gained momentum, the straight-talking McCarthy wanted to bite back. 

It might have been merited but it wasn’t smart, and it did nothing for his bond with the fans. A long story short, the relationship deteriorated, and McCarthy leaving was inevitable, but most fans were – and still are – grateful for what he did whilst accepting time for a change was needed for both parties. It’s what happened next that was a disaster.

A young up and coming manager arrived in Paul Hurst to pick up the reigns; he walked into a decent squad of players and a team spirit that was second to none. He decimated it all in one summer window and those who uttered ‘be careful what you wish for' when the calls for McCarthy’s head began looked to have a point. 

Evans, who isn’t by any means trigger happy, acted swiftly to relieve Hurst of his duties and in doing so put to bed any debate about the worst manager in the club’s history. Maybe Paul Hurst should try heading to USA and be an MLB expert pick, because it is likely he understands more of baseball, than of football. Anyway, following that tragic chain of events Paul Lambert – an ex-Norwich manager – was appointed.

Lambert arrived and immediately talked up the supporters, the players and the club – as a new manager often does – but the spirit McCarthy built slowly started to appear again. Lambert brought legends from the 70s, 80s and 2000s to the training ground, which are just little things to resonate with the supporters, but it was working; a former manager of a rival club was having his name sung at Portman Road without an obscenity in earshot. 

Performances and playing style improved but results remained poor. In truth though what could Lambert do? After all, you wouldn’t catch Joël Robuchon knocking up a Michelin standard meal with a tin of beans and a slice of bread, would you? Quite simply, Hurst bought too many players who were either not good enough or not experienced enough. That’s the facts of the matter.

Ipswich looked doomed to relegation for a long time and when it eventually became a mathematical reality something strange happened. The crowd was rocking, as loudly as it did during the play-off season under McCarthy and Lambert and his players were applauded off the field, which is all the more remarkable when you factor in that Norwich were on route to exiting the division from the other end. 

Now, with the new season approaching the ‘not normal' fan base – a Lambert phrase – has shown once again how much they love their club by purchasing more season tickets for a League One campaign than in their previous season in the Championship. That level of support convinced Alan Judge – a player too good for the third tier – to sign permanently and helped secure the services of the top scorer in England – James Norwood – despite going up against teams from the league above. 

It won’t be a daydream in League One by any stretch but with Lambert’s men playing an easier on the eye style, a few ins and outs and that ‘special' support, the Tractor Boys could well be playing back in the Championship in 12 months time.