Boss Kieran McKenna has really enjoyed his first four months in the Portman Road hotseat but with the Blues set to finish 10th or 11th in the League One table says no one at the club is under any illusions about the scale of the task of getting out of the division at the fourth time of asking next season.

McKenna, 35, was named Town boss on December 15th last year and despite the Blues not being able to make it into the play-offs, reflects on the time since positively.

“Really good. As I’ve said before, I’ve enjoyed every day, to be honest,” he said. “Obviously there are some days you enjoy more than others depending on how games go but I’ve really enjoyed it.

“My impressions of the football club from the first day was that it’s a fantastic football club, the supporters have been fantastic with me and with the group.

“I think the plans and the vision and the ambition of the football club is very much aligned with me and we’ve got a very common idea of where we want to take the team.

“I think it’s been a big learning curve season for the club. I think I’m in a better position and will be in a better position going into pre-season having had the few months with the team, in order to go into pre-season with a real clear idea of where we need to improve and what we’re doing well and want to keep doing.

“It’s been a really enjoyable first four months for me and I’m just excited now to get a full pre-season and develop the squad and see where we can take the team, keep improving the team and hopefully do all the right things to give us a good chance to have a better season this year than we have had in the previous years at the football club.”

McKenna knows that 10th or 11th is far from where Town supporters - and their ambitious owners - expected the Blues to finish this season.

“I think that’s obviously not where we want to be but that’s the reality of the situation,” he reflected.

“The club has been in League One now for three seasons. I think a ninth-place finish [last season], an 11th-place finish [the year before] and this season’s either going to be 10th or 11th.

“I think it’s a reality for everybody. I’m sure when Ipswich came down to this league they wanted to get back out of it at the first attempt but they weren’t able to do that and I think everyone has learned more about the division over that time, and certainly in my few months here I’ve learnt more about the division.

“I think we’re in a place at the club now where nobody’s under any illusions about the scale of the task that we have ahead.

“Because we have a great history and a great fanbase and a great support, it gives us absolutely no divine right to win football matches in this division more than any other team.

“There are a lot of big clubs in this division, a lot of clubs who have been in the Premier League and been in the Championship more recently than us, and for a lot more years than us.

“And the fantastic support and heritage that we have at the club doesn’t give us any more right than them to get out of the league this year or next year.

“What we have to use is that fantastic support and the history of the club we have to use that as fuel going forward to improve the team and improve the football club.

“Only by doing that day by day and by making good decisions and following a plan and building strategically and cleverly over the summer and going forward will we give ourselves a good chance to win more matches than the club has done in any season so far in League One and put ourselves in a better position in the league and have a chance of making steps in the direction that we want to go in.”

Is he expecting the division to be even tougher next season given the sides that are coming down, Derby, Barnsley and Peterborough.

“I think there are already very big football clubs in the league, so some big football clubs will go up and some big football clubs will go down,” the Blues manager continued.

“But, as we’ve seen, not just for us but for different teams across the season, it’s not just the games against the so-called bigger clubs or the clubs with the bigger stadiums or the bigger fanbases that are difficult in this league. The teams who don’t have maybe that same history or support are still very difficult games for a number of different reasons.

“We’ll enjoy playing against the Derbys or whoever else might be in this division next year but also we know that we have to be ready for the other 23 teams in the division and the different challenges which are really varied that this league presents.”

Photo: TWTD

Bazza8564 added 17:06 - Apr 29 a big summer window and next season is no longer about the Cook legacy, can't wait to see how and who he adds…..
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Suffolkboy added 18:13 - Apr 29 His open excitement mirrors our hopes ! COYB
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Radlett_blue added 19:10 - Apr 29 Barnsley & Peterborough aren't remotely "big clubs", although Posh are usually competitive in this division. Derby will hopefully get a huge points deduction. No reason why Town shouldn't be at least top 6 next season, but there will be the pressure of expectation on McKenna.
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SpiritOfJohn added 19:14 - Apr 29 I am hoping that with Kieran McKenna at the helm we will have the best prepared squad in the league next season. I like what he says about being able to deal with all of the challenges and that we will respect all teams, while at the same time we will need to grind out the wins every week. Can hardly wait to find out who is top of the shopping list...
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SouperJim added 19:40 - Apr 29 As a fan base we've suffered false dawn after false dawn over the last 20 years, but it does finally feel like we have reason to be optimistic beyond blind hope. Our form under McKenna since the (incredibly tough) challenge of making the playoffs became out of our reach has been disappointing, but prior to that we were on a run of 2 points per game for a considerable period. If we can add some quality strikers then with the platform McKenna has already created, combined with his tactical nous, we surely have to be a real force next season. With that said, I am also increasingly concious that we have become a little too accepting of mediocrity at Portman Road. Our support is fantastic, but it's about time what happens on the pitch consistently deserved our backing. I hope the owners keep the pressure on.

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FrankMarshall added 20:01 - Apr 29 Feel good factor has returned to the club even if we end up finishing 11th. Fans were generally pretty angry last season about finishing 9th but the anger isn't there this time round. We've not really been competitive (in terms of promotion) in this league for the last 3 years. Next season I hope a different story unfolds. Might not be top two; but can see us making a firm bid for a play-off spot. Once you are in the play-offs= anything can happen. This time next year could be looking forward to a play-off semi-final and a potential final. If we do go up would be one of the best days in the clubs history in many years.

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Jonaldo added 09:17 - Apr 30 Good to hear, his eyes are open to the game at this level being as much about graft, physicality, fitness and "Sunday League Bully Boy" tactics as it about recruitment, resources and riches!
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Len_Brennan added 09:31 - Apr 30 There is a lot of expectation around KMcK & where he will take the club, and there are a number of factors which justify that expectation; not least of which is how he speaks & carries himself. He has the support of the fans, his players & has the backing of the board; these are essential elements for any successful team. But I too am wary of false dawns & acknowledge that he still has it all to prove, despite the run of results when he came in & the clean sheets. We were in 12th place in the league when he was appointed & it looks very likely that we will finish 11th, in League One. MK Dons, Sheffield Wednesday, Sunderland & Plymouth have pulled away from us, while Portsmouth & Bolton have reeled us in & gone past us in that time. So it's not as though he has established us as a top 2 side who would have gotten us up automatically had he been in charge from the start of the season. The summer months will be key; new signings & pre-season training will shape the side that we will be over the months, and we are justified in having confident in KMcK's ability to have us prepared for a strong start to the new season ... but it is not a foregone conclusion, so we cannot get carried away by our own enthusiasm.

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