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'Our lads have some character and we just need to keep it up'
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- 'Our lads have some character and we just need to keep it up'
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Newly promoted sides Ipswich Town, Coventry City and Hull City have collected a combined 31 points after nine games, the 13th-highest tally by promoted sides at this stage in Premier League history.
Hull City and Ipswich account for 22 of those points, with Sergej Jakirovic and Gary O'Neil's sides both sitting on 11.
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Coventry are slightly behind their promoted peers, but the Sky Blues' three victories have still earned them a respectable nine points.
And there is further encouragement for the newcomers - since the 2010-11 season, all 18 promoted teams who have collected at least 11 points from their opening nine games have avoided relegation.
But when Ipswich secured their return to the Premier League in May, few expected much from the Tractor Boys.
Their promotion to the top flight in 2024, ending a 22-year absence, exposed just how ill-equipped they were to compete at that level.
By the end of the 2024-25 season, Ipswich finished 19th, recording just four wins from 38 Premier League games.
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But having secured an immediate return to the top flight, and after significant investment in the squad over the summer, Town look set to put up more of a fight this time around.
The Championship runners-up's summer business was headlined by the return of Julio Enciso, who spent part of the 2024-25 campaign on loan at Portman Road.
The Paraguay international has been instrumental in Ipswich's rise this season, assisting their opening goal against Sunderland before setting up another against Manchester United at Old Trafford the following week.
More recently, the 22-year-old has scored in consecutive matches against Nottingham Forest and Hull City, helping his side secure vital points against two teams who could be fighting for Premier League survival come the end of the season.
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After Saturday's 2-2 draw with the Tigers, O'Neil praised his side's "character" after they fought from behind for the second Premier League match in a row.
"It's tough to be in control and find yourselves 2-1 down with the place bouncing," O'Neil told BBC Match of the Day.
"Our lads have some character and we just need to keep it up. Hull are a very good side and I'm really pleased with how we did against them."
