Tony Pulis thinks Swansea City, Watford and Wimbledon achievements are better than Ipswich Town | OneFootball

Tony Pulis has claimed Ipswich Town are not one of the best promoted sides in Championship history, despite praising Kieran McKenna’s side.

Ipswich are competing for a place back in the Premier League for the first time since 2002 this season.

The Tractor Boys are also seeking back-to-back promotions from League One to the top flight, having come second in the third tier last year.

No team has achieved that feat since Bournemouth in 2015 under Eddie Howe, but the Suffolk outfit is in the mix with just three games to go.

Games against Hull City, Coventry City and Huddersfield Town will determine their fate, as they face competition from Leicester City, Leeds United and Southampton.

Pulis believes Ipswich are not quite on the same level as some of the best sides to gain promotion to the Championship in the league’s history.

However, he has praised the work McKenna and CEO Mark Ashton have done in turning things around at Portman Road.

“No, they're not [one of the best promoted sides to ever play in the Championship]," said Pulis.

"You had Swansea under John Toshack, Wimbledon were great under Dave Bassett, Watford went through the leagues under Graham Taylor.

“Kieran McKenna has done a great job at Ipswich, but there are a lot of other managers who have done it a lot better.

“He has done a fabulous job, mind you.

“They've got new owners who are backing McKenna and signing Kieffer Moore must've cost good money despite only being on loan.

“Most of the Championship would have wanted him!

“Mark Ashton is a good lad, too, I know Mark. Everyone at the football club has pulled in the right direction.

“It's a fabulous club both they and Norwich City are so well supported.”

Ipswich's promotion battle

McKenna took the reins at Ipswich in December 2021, with the team stuck in mid-table in League One.

He guided the club to automatic promotion to the Championship in his first full season with the Tractor Boys, finishing second in the table with 98 points.

Ipswich currently sit third in the second division table, one point behind second place Leeds.

However, the Suffolk side has a game in hand over the Whites, meaning victory in that fixture could move them back into the automatic promotion places.

Ipswich have not won any of their last three games, with the team potentially starting to feel the pressure of a promotion battle.

Next up for McKenna’s team is a trip to the MKM Stadium to face Hull on 27 April.

Ipswich’s rise has been remarkable

It’s difficult to compare Ipswich to similar sides of previous eras due to how much the game has changed.

Money has become such a big factor in determining how well teams can compete.

While Ipswich have certainly spent money, they haven’t broken the bank and their spending is incomparable to that of their other automatic promotion rivals.

Given where the club was when McKenna took over, nobody could have predicted their Premier League return when he joined the Suffolk outfit over two years ago, and he deserves all the plaudits for his role in their rise even if they don’t quite get there this season.