EFL Championship: 5 Things we learned from the opening weekend

#4 McCarthy and Ipswich off to a strong start

Much to smile about for Ipswich Town on the opening day

For a club entering their sixteenth consecutive season in the same division, it’s understandable that the Ipswich Town fan base are growing frustrated by their side’s lack of progress. Recent years have promised to be more fruitful with the Tractor Boys making the playoffs three seasons ago, only to lose out to Norwich City, and finishing seventh in 2015/16.

Last term, however, mundanity set in and the club fell to a very disappointing 16th place, just shy of relegation and having drawn more games than any other second tier outfit (16). McCarthy, despite his heroics during previous seasons with Town, came under fire following winless streaks last winter and an embarrassing cup exit to Lincoln Town.

Ahead of the new campaign, the East Anglian club is fifth favourites to face the drop but got off to a good start at home to Birmingham City on Saturday, who they defeated 1-0.

The negative atmosphere which hung over Portman road for much of last season had dissipated with McCarthy himself claiming, "I've had lovely support from everybody at the club and the fans. They turned up and it humbles me.”

Two key performers in the game for Town were keeper Bartosz Bialkowski and Joe Garner, the latter grabbing a goal on his league debut for Ipswich and the former denying an energetic Birmingham City either side of the interval. Ipswich are unlikely to blow any team out of the water this season but 20 + goals from Garner and a water-tight defence could be enough to propel them out of trouble.