“Is McKenna Too Comfortable with Failure? Ipswich Boss Highlights Progress Amid Collapse
Ipswich Town Manager Kieran McKenna Admits Setbacks Against Rivals but Highlights Progress
Ipswich Town boss Kieran McKenna has acknowledged that his team’s struggles against relegation rivals have been costly this season, but believes there are still encouraging signs to take forward.
The Blues are returning to the Championship alongside Leicester City and Southampton — the same clubs they were promoted with last year.
While McKenna’s side claimed eight points from a possible 12 against those teams during their time in the second tier, they’ve only managed two points against them this season, failing to secure a single win.
Following a 2-0 defeat to Leicester City on Sunday that saw Ipswich fall to 19th in the Premier League, McKenna stressed that despite the results, his team’s performances against top opposition have significantly improved.
When asked about the disappointing results against Leicester and Southampton, McKenna admitted: “Yes, it’s something we need to accept and reflect on. Last year, along with Leeds, they were the toughest opponents we faced.
“We scraped a point here last season, but it felt like we were barely holding on. This time, we’ve been the better side in both games, in my view.”
McKenna also pointed to a marked improvement in their performances against Southampton this season, despite not finding a way to win.
“Four games is a small sample size,” he added. “We should have won the first game against Leicester, and without a controversial referee decision, it wouldn’t be a discussion. If Leif’s shot today goes an inch more inside the post, we’re 1-0 up and maybe we win.
“At home against Southampton, we had far better chances and should’ve won. The margins are incredibly fine.”
Still, McKenna sees positives: “We’ve shown we can dominate against teams of that calibre — far more so than last season. But we can’t ignore the fact that winning tight games is crucial.
“That’s something we excelled at in the Championship, and something we need to rediscover going into next season.
“It’s better to be the team in control, creating chances. Now it’s about refining the winning edge and building it with the group we’ll have over the summer.
“If we can do that, we’ll be in a strong position. There were many encouraging signs in today’s performance.”
