McKenna Has Backing to Add to Staff Thursday, 13th Jan 2022 16:50 Blues manager Kieran McKenna says he has the club’s backing to add to his staff but is in no immediate hurry to do so. McKenna brought Martyn Pert (above, left) with him from Manchester United as his assistant when he took over as boss last month with Charlie Turnbull subsequently recruited from Fulham to work as the Blues’ head of analysis. “No big change to what I said a couple of weeks ago really,” McKenna said when asked whether he was planning any further additions. “I have the backing of the club to bring in one or two more staff when the time is right. “They’ve left that very much open as my responsibility, and it has been great to have that support. “They’ve also been very clear and share my thoughts that we don’t need to rush that. I wanted to have a really good look at the group, let the current staff group that I have get their feet under the table, get to know the players, get to know the other staff who are already in the building. And we feel like we’re doing that at the moment. “I’m happy with the staff I have here, I think they’ve all been working here really well, the staff I’ve brought in but also the staff that were here already. “That’s something that I will look to do. Whether that’s in the next couple of weeks or the next couple of months, I wouldn’t put a timescale on it at the moment. “I’ve had conversations with a couple of different people and will do so over the next period of time as well. We don’t feel like we’re in a major rush on that. “Again, everything here at the moment, we have to get the short-term right but we have to work around a long-term plan about what’s going to be right for the club going forward, so we want to take our time on decisions like that. “I don’t feel like we’re short on anything at the moment and I think there will be possibly some changes going into next season. “But whether than initially starts in the next few weeks or next few months, I don’t want to commit to that at this stage. “We’ll see how those conversations go and keep monitoring the squad and how we’re working and how we’re developing as a staff and how we can feel we can improve the team most and what areas we feel that we can use a little bit of extra support in.” He says he and CEO Mark Ashton are in constant contact: “That’s pretty much the case with Mark anyway since I started the job and I see that being the same going forward. “It’s very important not just in terms of recruitment but in terms of all aspects of the club that we have a really tight relationship, that are both joined-up in our thinking with things and if there’s anything that we need to discuss through then we do so. “So that relationship has been good. Obviously, recruitment is a big part of that. It’s not just Mark and myself but [director of football operations] Gary Probert, [chief operation officer] Luke Werhun, the recruitment team here, [assistant manager] Martyn [Pert] and my other assistant coaches as well. “Everybody having a say, everybody having a really good eye on what’s out there at the moment, what moves we might need to do and what players might end up having offers from here. “So there is a lot of dialogue going on at the moment on a daily basis and we feel like we’re in a strong position, but we’re trying to stay active and stay alert and be ready should it be the right thing for us to make a move.” One tweak which has been made since McKenna came in is the matchday routine ahead of home matches. The squad travelled in to Portman Road on coaches ahead of kick-off having had a meal together at Playford Road beforehand. “It’s important really that we take a fresh look at everything,” McKenna continued. “Anything that I think can give us a little margin, be that from a physical point of view or a tactical point or even just the group dynamic and the spirit within the group. “Any little marginal gain that we can get we will look to do it and the club are supportive of that and have helped us with that on numerous things over the last couple of weeks that we want to change. “One of those is that we’re lucky enough to have the training ground here that is a good option to have pre-match here and all come together a little bit earlier to have some meetings at the training ground and travel across to the game together, drive through the town and feel the atmosphere on the way across to the game. “We felt like that was the right thing for that game and for many games going forward, so that was something we did. “It’s important that we look at every area and not just do what’s been done or what’s been the norm. “Do what’s going to be the right thing for us and what can make very small differences that can eventually add up to a big difference.”
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