Blues forward Sone Aluko says he’s happy with how pre-season has gone and can’t wait for the campaign proper to get under way when Bolton Wanderers visit Portman Road on Saturday.
Aluko, 33, is going into his second season with the Blues and was among those to start last night’s final pre-season friendly against National League Southend United, which ended 3-1 to Town.
"Bit mixed,” he said when reflecting on the performance. "I thought we were really good in the first half. We started the game with really good intensity and scored an early goal. Played really well, pressed really well, so really happy at half-time.
"Second half we weren’t the same, never really got the same fluidity and let them back in the game.
"But to be fair to them, they ran hard, they were a good team, they made a lot of changes but that disrupted the game. We weren’t really happy with our level in the second half.
"All in all, we’re very happy with how pre-season’s gone. Having a team that’s pretty much fully fit, the whole team, Dom [Ball] aside with a small niggle, has come through it really well. We’ve scored goals, we’ve looked sharp, we’ve looked fit, so we’re happy.”
Might players have been wary of potentially picking up a knock during last night’s match with the season only a few days away? "I think so. It’s been a long, tough pre-season but really that’s no excuse.
"Our league starts on Saturday so you want to go out there and for 90 minutes really put in a top performance, which we did in patches. We took our goals well, so we’re happy with that. All in all, we’re quite pleased.”
It was Aluko’s seventh-minute free-kick which led to Tyreece John-Jules’s excellent volley to put the Blues in the lead.
Town’s lack of goals from free-kicks and corners last season was a frustration to manager Kieran McKenna and Aluko says the players have been working on improving that area of their game since they returned on June 20th.
"Set pieces are something which have been a big thing for us this pre-season,” he continued. "Something we really want to improve. Something we’ve worked on, me and Chappers [Conor Chaplin] have worked a lot on our deliveries, Lee Evans has great delivery as well.
"We had one against Crystal Palace, a wide free-kick from which we scored and another one today. Something we’re working on, so when it works on the pitch it really pays off and we’re really happy about that.
"When you have the numbers we’re now putting into the box, I think that’s a big difference from last year, we’re getting five or six buzzing in there sometimes.
"Greg [Leigh] got his goal, wing-back to wing-back scoring. We’re trying to be more efficient and more deadly in the box and it’s starting to show.”
Overall, the former Nigerian international felt the game against the Shrimpers was a useful exercise with the visitors providing a decent test.
"It was good, they’re a non-league side but they didn’t play like one, they ran hard and we got good numbers in our physical data,” he said.
"Felt sharp, I felt good, I’m really happy with how pre-season’s gone and how my performances have been this pre-season, so I’m looking forward to the season.
"I think we’ve prepared ourselves really well. I think Saturday’s game, there’s a full house here against a good team and they’re the games we usually play well in. We’re well up for it, I’m looking forward to it, I’m looking forward to getting the season going.
"As much as pre-season’s good for trying to work on some things, it’s not the same as competitive games, so I’m really looking for that.”