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McKenna: New Leadership Group Finalised - Ipswich Town News

Blues manager Kieran McKenna says a new leadership group has been finalised with the players assembled over the summer getting to know one another better having taken part in some team bonding last weekend.

The Town squad saw significant change in the summer with a number of the new additions only arriving shortly before the transfer window closed at the start of September.

McKenna says the squad spent some time bonding last weekend following the Friday night game against Sheffield United.

"There have been a few different little bits,” the Town boss said. "Playing on the Friday night was good last week so they had a little bit of time together on the Saturday afternoon, which was good.

"And we've got our leadership group now together as of this week, which is a big step, which we couldn't really do until the group was finalised. That came together this week.

"They’re spending lots of time at the training ground. They’re not rushing off after training, which is usually a good sign. We’re chasing a few off late in the afternoon.

"The energy is good around the group. They’re enjoying each other’s company. I think they’re enjoying competing against each other. I think they can all feel the strength of the group.

"But it’s really important how we carry that together now as one team going into the weekend.”

Former captain Sam Morsy, Axel Tuanzebe, Conor Chaplin, Massimo Luongo and Cameron Burgess were among the senior players who departed over the summer, while Jacob Greaves recently revealed he was a member of last season’s leadership group.

McKenna wouldn’t elaborate on who is in the new group: "No, I always like to keep that private, something that the boys vote for. And we’ve had a different structure over the last few years, usually a group of three or four who join the captain in it. 

"That group’s changed anyway over the last few years, but a lot of the players who have been part of that group are not in the squad at the moment. 

"So that’s a really fresh leadership group, which the boys vote for. It’s only one small bit. We've spoken lots with the group. 

"It’s about everyone stepping up from a leadership perspective. But having that together and finalised also helps with some situations and will help us in the time ahead.”

Quizzed on what the players got up to at the weekend, McKenna smiled: "You’d have to ask Wes Burns about that. He was in charge!”

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