For a while, it seemed that the Tractor Boys may have to settle for the play-offs, but after an improved second half of the season, combined with Middlesbrough's semi-collapse, they finally achieved their goal on the final day of the campaign.

The celebrations at Portman Road were in full swing on Saturday afternoon, and given that it is a Bank Holiday weekend, players and staff can be forgiven if they have continued the festivities into the new week.

However, that will not last long as the Suffolk side must now turn their focus to the summer and prepare for how they can avoid a repeat of their last underwhelming season in the Premier League.

Here, DAZN News analyses exactly what Ipswich need to do to survive at the top table this time round.

Ipswich Town must keep hold of Kieran McKenna

If the Tractor Boys want to compete in the Premier League, then the first thing they must do is keep McKenna at Portman Road.

The 39-year-old has taken charge of over 200 matches since arriving in 2021, guiding them from League One to the top flight, and his success has not gone unnoticed.

McKenna always seems to be linked with Premier League jobs and was reportedly a target for Bournemouth after Andoni Iraola announced his departure, while Chelsea and Manchester United have also been credited with interest in the past.

Now that Ipswich have secured promotion, supporters will be hoping that feat will deter any interested parties, although given the expected managerial merry-go-round this summer, it would be unsurprising if his name pops up again.

With United, the Blues and Crystal Palace, amongst others, set to appoint new managers in the coming months, fans will hope that the Northern Irishman remains loyal to the cause.

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Tractor Boys need a different transfer strategy

When Ipswich were last promoted to the Premier League, they splashed north of £100million, but they spent substantially on Championship talent who were not ready for that level just yet.

Jack Clarke, Jacob Greaves and Sammie Szmodics were among the best talent in the second tier and brought in for substantial fees, but all struggled to make an impact.

Of course, it could be argued that the Suffolk club wanted to build a squad capable of returning to the Premier League if they were relegated, which has come to fruition, but now they must take a different approach.

The Tractor Boys should look at Sunderland and Leeds United as blueprints to competing in the Premier League, and if they do follow suit, then they will be aware that they must target the foreign markets.

Sunderland built an almost entirely new team of players from abroad, and while they paid big to land Habib Diarra, they also pulled off some significant coups, with Robin Roefs, Nordi Mukiele and Omar Alderete all arriving for around £10million each.

As for Leeds, Anton Stach has been immense at Elland Road and should be considered one of the signings of the season at just £17million, while Noah Okafor and Jaka Bijol have been astute additions.

Not only would going abroad bring better players, but it would also mean that Ipswich can bring in more of them, given the reduced transfer fees.

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Current squad better prepared for Premier League

While Ipswich will certainly look to do significant business this summer, many of their players will have absorbed what has happened over the last two campaigns and will be better prepared this time around.

Dara O'Shea and Greaves have built a sturdy partnership at the back, while Clarke has taken the Championship by storm again, as he did with the Black Cats a couple of years ago.

Indeed, a chunk of the Tractor Boys' squad experienced relegation from the top flight, and all have a point to prove when the first ball of the season is kicked in August.

Many of these will be given the chance to impact the top flight again, and like Leeds have done this season, a team could be built around them rather than ripping up the entire team sheet.

Although they finished second to Coventry City, there is every reason why McKenna and co are better equipped to survive in the Premier League, but they must learn from their past mistakes.

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