Boss Kieran McKenna says it’s probably a new experience for the players to be as dominant in games as the Blues have been in recent weeks.

Town have been well in control of most of their recent matches with the possession stats usually in the late 60s and 70s, however, without always turning their superiority into three points.

That was the case at Shrewsbury last week when the Blues were 1-0 up and well on top until Cameron Burgess’s 75th-minute sending off and then Shaun Whalley’s equaliser for the Shrews nine minutes later.

Afterwards, McKenna said that had Town maintained the intensity in the final third that they showed in the opening six minutes, in which James Norwood scored their goal and Conor Chaplin had an earlier opportunity, he had no doubt they would have netted more than once.

Asked what he has done to address that situation this week, McKenna said: “We’ve had a lot of discussions. I think it’s a number of different factors, it’s rarely one thing or the other.

“In terms of the game last week and our intensity in general, I think Shrewsbury had one shot before the red card, one shot before they scored a volley from 30 yards in the game,” he said. “I’m not going to make any big, rash judgements over that.

“Looking back at the game again, our performance for most of the game in most areas was very, very good, but we didn’t manage to push for the second goal as much as we would have liked or as much as we spoke about at half-time.

“That’s a learning curve for the players, I think it’s technical and tactical thing but also it’s mental things. It’s an adjustment at times to being as dominant in games as we are at the moment.

“It’s probably a new experience for most of the players to be as dominant as we were on Saturday in a game and to understand the feeling that, although it feels like the game is over and we are in complete control, at this level it’s very rarely the case.

“Every team has a knock-out punch, it seems. Every team is able to score a goal from a moment, teams are often waiting for that one moment and so long as the game is 1-0 no matter how comfortable or how well you feel you’re playing, how dominant and how in control you feel in the game, even if they’re not getting near our final third, it can only take one moment.

“It can take one long ball, a long throw, a set piece or a speculative shot and the game is different.

“We’ve had a lot of discussions about that this week, especially about developing the players’ understanding of that situation and I think they’ve taken some of those messages on board.

“Hopefully and really most importantly we need to carry those memories and those lessons into next season and the players who are going to be a big part of it next season, we really need them to drive that message whenever we’re in that situation again next year.”

Keeper Christian Walton has said that in a year’s time he wants Town to be “sat in first place, points clear at the top of the league”, which McKenna believes is how all the squad will feel, although no conversations have yet taken place regarding the aims for 2021/22.

“I think it runs throughout the squad, we haven’t spoken outwardly very much as a squad about next season, the focus has to be on this season at the moment,” he said.

“I think the time for that is mostly going to be in pre-season where we lay our goals out for the season.

“But I think in general Christian probably echoes the sentiments of the rest of the players, that they feel positive about what’s being built here, positive about the squad that’s being developed, positive about the changes that will come in the summer and the direction of the club and our ability to go and be a really, really strong team in this division next year.

“I think he’s echoing everyone’s thoughts and ambitions there, both in the playing staff and also I’m sure the supporters.

“That’s something we’re going to have to work really hard to achieve but something that it’s more appropriate to speak outwardly about as a group in pre-season.”

Photo: TWTD

Suffolkboy added 16:57 - Apr 14 COOL emphatically epitomises our man ! Roll on next season ! COYB
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KernewekBlue added 18:20 - Apr 14 With our current owners and with the way things have improved since KMcK took over from Paul Cook, I feel we can be forgiven for thinking we ought to grab an automatic promotion spot next term. Given that there's scope in the closed season for additions and/or improvements to our on-field personnel, allied to the fact that we now have a bit of financial clout behind us, I suspect the aim for next season will be to go up as champions but with a contingency of reaching the play-offs as a minimum. I like the way we now get a calm, well thought out assessment from our manager with a clear direction the club want to go in. Next season should be a fun, positive experience for us all... about time too! COYB

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ArnieM added 18:27 - Apr 14 “Possession” stats means sod all unfortunately, and certainly don't mean points ….. that's down to GOALS ( and more of em than your opponents)….
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BlueBertie added 19:49 - Apr 14 ArnieM, Jesus wept man, I'd stay away next season if I were you if you just want hoofball again with zero entertainment. I'm almost done with those on here that keep on moaning. Results will come playing this way if you know anything about football. Just give it a rest.
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gosblue added 21:57 - Apr 14 There is a pattern emerging. We have a right go at the opposition for about 20 minutes or until we score a goal. Then we control the game by playing keep ball. We should be more ruthless and go for the throat. We have so much ability but we appear afraid to try things in the goal third in case we lose possession. If we move the ball quicker and try to be more incisive, we would blow away most teams in this league. I've said so many times that if you are 3-0 up it doesn't matter if the opposition get a late goal or a dodgy penalty or whatever.

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BlueBertie added 23:53 - Apr 14 Down votes from the moaners I'm referring to. Deary me guys.
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shakytown added 00:46 - Apr 15 A few pieces of the puzzle still missing in the squad. We need some size in the box to be a threat from set pieces and some pace to get opposition defences out of position. Im sure the boss will know this and be looking for the right players already. More hope for next season than for a long time but we just need to score goals period!!!!!
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BlueBertie added 11:56 - Apr 15 .....and the same old farts down voting. Give it a rest you two. I bet you don't go to all the games home let alone away. 🤣🤦
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AlanG296 added 12:24 - Apr 15 Bluebertie, perhaps you should just accept that people are entitled to have different opinions, and whether you agree or disagree with them, the right thing is to respect their right to have them. Life would be boring if everybody agreed on everything.
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BlueBertie added 14:03 - Apr 15 Not about opinions fella, was just saying to stop moaning. If you can't see what's going on down there then you should stay away.
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