Ipswich Town: Alex Jones' EFL Award winners for 2023/24

Kieran McKenna was named Championship Manager of the Season while Wes Burns took the trophy for Goal of the Season and Leif Davis was chosen in the Championship Team of the Season.

Should they have had more or did the EFL get it spot on? Alex Jones makes his picks...

Alex made four changes to the EFL's Championship Team of the Season (Image: Alex Jones)

The EFL’s Team of the Season: 4-2-3-1: Hermansen; Walker-Peters, Ampadu, Greaves, Davis; Dewsbury-Hall, Sara; Whittaker, Szmodics, Summerville; Rutter

Alex’s Team of the Season: 4-2-3-1: Hladky; Pereira, Ng, Ampadu, Davis; Sara, Dewsbury-Hall; Whittaker, Szmodics, Summerville; Armstrong

I’ve made four changes to the official team, so let’s run through them.

Firstly, I’ve gone for Town goalkeeper Vaclav Hladky over Leicester City’s Mads Hermansen. West Brom shot-stopper Alex Palmer was also in my thoughts, but Hladky stands out because of what he’s had to do. 

The 33-year-old was expecting to be a back-up, but he’s been dropped in at the deep end and started every game for an attack-minded team who were playing League One football last season. He’s looked good playing out from the back and preserved numerous points with some incredible saves to keep his side in the automatic promotion race.

I’ve also brought in Leicester’s Ricardo Pereira for Southampton’s Kyle Walker-Peters. Pereira has such a tough role as the inverting right-back in Enzo Maresca’s system, but he’s done so well, showing why he’s easily a class above the Championship.

Next up, I’ve gone with a rogue pick by choosing Cardiff City’s Perry Ng over Hull City’s Jacob Greaves. Although he’s played at right-back this season, I’ve put Ng in at centre-back as he’s played there pretty often in the past. He’s stood out in a pretty average team this season, scoring six goals and providing four assists.

Finally, I’ve made the obvious switch up front, with Adam Armstrong replacing Georginio Rutter. The Frenchman’s creative exploits shouldn’t be ignored, but Armstrong has contributed to 32 goals this season (20 goals, 12 assists), which is more than anyone else in the division.

I’ve added some honourable mentions on the bench - players who I really wanted in the team but just couldn’t squeeze in - including Ipswich skipper Sam Morsy.

Sammie Szmodics is currently the top scorer in the Championship (Image: PA)

The EFL’s Player of the Season: Crysencio Summerville (Leeds United)

Alex’s Player of the Season: Sammie Szmodics (Blackburn Rovers)

Another pretty easy change for me. Crysencio Summerville, based on pure quality alone, could be the best player in the Championship. Some Leeds fans have gone as far as saying he’s the best player in the history of the division. He won ahead of Leicester's Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall and Blackburn Rovers' Sammie Szmodics.

Throughout this season, Szmodics has really stood out, especially considering the fact that his side are currently 17th in the table. Without him, they’d be sinking without trace.

The former Colchester United man has bagged 24 goals and four assists in the league this season, which is almost half of Rovers’ total for the campaign. It’s his breakout season at this level as well, having struggled since leaving Peterborough United in 2023.

Like Hladky in my Team of the Year, the context has to play a part sometimes.

Archie Gray made his senior debut in August 2023 (Image: PA)

The EFL’s Young Player of the Year: Archie Gray (Leeds United)

Alex’s Young Player of the Year: Archie Gray (Leeds United)

I’m not sure what the rules are on giving this award to loanees, but I certainly would’ve had Omari Hutchinson in the conversation. Other than that, you just have to be under the age of 21 or turning 21 during the 2023/24 campaign.

Leeds midfielder Archie Gray was the winner, beating Norwich City winger Jonny Rowe and Birmingham City’s Jordan James. It’s hard to argue this one.

At just 18, he’s started 41 games, chipping in with two goals and an assist. Most of his appearances have come out of position at right-back, where manager Daniel Farke has often preferred to start him him over more experienced options.

With Real Madrid reportedly eyeing up a move (just like they did with Gareth Bale and Jude Bellingham, who both won this award in the past), we’re going to see Gray’s stock continue to rise in the coming months and years, particularly if he’s in the Premier League next season.

Wes Burns' trivela against Coventry City was chosen as Goal of the Season (Image: Stephen Waller)

The EFL’s Goal of the Season: Wes Burns (Ipswich Town) vs Coventry City

My Goal of the Season: Wes Burns (Ipswich Town) vs Coventry City

No questions asked here. There were some excellent goals, although Jaden Philogene’s rabona against Rotherham United should’ve been ruled as an own-goal. This really had to be the winner.

The build-up. 🙌
The strike. 🤤@wesley__burns | #itfc pic.twitter.com/Fz48vTVWbf

— Ipswich Town (@IpswichTown) December 2, 2023

It was an astonishing strike, but the build-up is what makes it an award-winning finish. The way Town build from the back, pulling Coventry City from side to side before Wes Burns pulls out the trivela to fire the ball into the top corner.

This one could be up for a Puskas nomination later this year.

Only John Mousinho's Portsmouth have lost fewer games than Kieran McKenna's Ipswich this season (Image: Stephen Waller)

The EFL’s Manager of the Season: Kieran McKenna (Ipswich Town)

My Manager of the Season: Kieran McKenna (Ipswich Town)

It had to be him, didn’t it?

Let’s start by looking at the other nominees. Farke has done a good job at Leeds, but the squad at his disposal is one of the strongest in the history of the division. Hull City boss Liam Rosenior was certainly a surprise inclusion, especially over the likes of Enzo Maresca (Leicester), Marti Cifuentes (QPR) and Danny Röhl (Sheffield Wednesday).

But it never really mattered, it was always going to be McKenna holding the trophy at the end of the evening. In his second full season as a manager, he’s guided a newly-promoted League One team to the top of the Championship in one of the most competitive campaigns in the history of the league.

He hasn’t made wholesale changes to the squad and spent loads of money in the transfer market, but he’s broken countless records and taken Town to 89 points from 43 games while playing an incredibly attractive style of football. It’s clear that, one way or another, this man is going right to the top.