O'Shea: I Don't Think We Can Put a Limit On It
Friday, 21st Aug 2026 17:24 by Kallum Brisset
Town captain Dara O’Shea believes there is no limit on what the Blues can achieve this season ahead of their Premier League return this weekend.
Saturday’s visitors Sunderland are perhaps the greatest example of a newly promoted side thriving in the top flight, the Wearsiders having defied the odds to finish seventh last season and achieve European qualification for the first time in more than 50 years.
The Black Cats spent around £160 million on new players last summer, a record for a promoted side that seems likely to be eclipsed by Town by the end of the transfer window on 1st September.
O’Shea knows that the primary objective is to avoid relegation back to the Championship, but says that a 17th-placed finish is not the ceiling for the Blues this season.
“I don’t think we can put a limit on it,” he said. “For example, what Sunderland did last season, a lot of people would have been putting them off to be relegated and they go on to achieve what they achieved.
“We know what we have inside the group, and we know what we’ve shown already to each other. Stabilising the club in the Premier League is the main goal no matter what, it would be silly not to say that.
“As the season goes on and we really see what we are and what we’re like, we’ll hopefully be looking elsewhere. We want to finish as high up as possible.
“This is a massive football club and a football club with a history of being in the Premier League and having high finishes. For us as a group, it would be amazing for us to try and push ourselves to the limit and see where that can take us.”
This weekend’s opponents carry danger across the pitch, particularly in the forward line through Dutch striker Brian Brobbey, who scored seven goals in his debut campaign last term.
“He’s done unbelievable like all their players have,” O’Shea said. “All the players that came in, there’s a lot of new faces that came in, and they’ve done unbelievable. Obviously he’s got massive threats and some great strengths that we’re going to try and nullify.
“It’s going to be a good game, it’s going to be a tough game. It’s not going to be easy, it’s going to be difficult and challenging. The mood in the group is really good, and the atmosphere throughout the training ground and on the pitch has been excellent. It’s a challenge we’re really excited for.
“What they did last season was remarkable. They set the standard for newly-promoted sides and showed that it is possible. They didn’t just stabilise themselves in the league, they pushed on and competed in a really good sense, and the rewards they’ve got for that.
“It’s going to be a tough game. They’re a strong group and have a lot of momentum behind them after the season they had. Some excellent players with some real qualities and threats.
“For us, we definitely see what we can do against them and we want to test ourselves against them and see how we come out.”
The last Town captain to survive in the Premier League was Matt Holland, who helped guide the Blues to a fifth-place finish in 2000/01 in their first season back after promotion the previous year.
After playing a pivotal role in getting the club back to the top flight, O’Shea says it will be a proud moment to lead the team out in front of a packed Portman Road this weekend.
The 27-year-old admitted: “It’s going to be special. Kicking off the season and walking the lads out is going to be nice. It’s something you dream of as a little boy, playing in the Premier League, and then getting to captain your teammates and the club you play for is amazing too.
“I think I’ll just enjoy the moment, I don’t want to think too much about things and just enjoy the moment for what it is and prepare for a tough test and hopefully three points.
“This club’s got a lot of history, and when you understand the magnitude of the club and understand that you’re club captain, it’s a massive honour.
“There comes a lot of stuff with that too, and it’s something that I love. I love having the ownership of wearing the armband, it helps me improve my game and keeps me at the top.
“It’s made quite easy that I do have responsibilities, but there’s lots of special people at this football club who do a lot of work behind the scenes. For us as players, it doesn’t go unnoticed, but maybe for people outside they don’t see it.
“It’s just a really good football club to be a part of. To have the honour of captaining the club is nice.”
Town’s pre-season form has been promising, having claimed four successive victories to prepare for Gary O’Neil’s first season in charge.
“Any time you win a game, it’s always great,” O’Shea added. “Every game you play, you want to win. We know the opposition is going to go up in a sense of we’re starting the league and we’re in the Premier League, the best league in the world.
“But you can’t ask for much more than winning football games, and the confidence that’s in the group has come off the back of them wins as well.”
_Photo: TWTD_