Blues Travel to Millwall With New Season Only a Week Away Friday, 22nd Jul 2022 10:41 Town continue their pre-season friendly programme with a visit to Championship Millwall on Saturday afternoon (KO 3pm). With the opening game of the League One season at home to Bolton Wanderers only a week away, manager Kieran McKenna was asked whether the team which would line-up at the Den would be close to what might be considered his first XI. “I think with the strength of our squad, I’m not really interested in the thought of a first-choice XI,” he said, speaking after last week’s 3-0 win at AFC Wimbledon. “I think if you want to have really, really good depth like we have, you can’t play the same XI every week. “I’m not interested in what our first-choice XI is, I’m interested in having a really strong group of players and having the right team available for different games. “At the moment, from this week we’ll start turning our eyes towards Bolton a little bit and what that game will look like and what team will play, and obviously we’re going to want a good amount of those players on the pitch against Millwall next weekend because it’s going to be a great challenge. “But we’re not looking for that magic recipe of a first-choice XI because we’re going to have a strong squad, we’re going to have very capable depth of two players in each position and I’m going to have to use that squad over the course of a season.” Is the idea of managers having a first XI or a best team perhaps a dated one these days? “Yes, at some clubs it is, obviously at the higher levels of the game it may be more prevalent. If you look at the top couple of teams in the Premier League you’d probably struggle to name their first XI. “That doesn’t necessarily mean it’s the only way to do it but I think if you want to have a strong squad and have equal depth across two good players and two really strong people competing for each position. “You don’t necessarily have to have a first-choice XI, I think you can train and develop the team in certain ways that certain games are going to suit some people more than they’re going to suit others and pick your team accordingly and that can enable you to stay fresh over the course of the season and people contribute in different ways at different times.” As at Wimbledon, it’s likely most of those that start will play the full 90 minutes with the players not involved or making only brief appearances probably playing against Southend United in the final friendly of pre-season at Portman Road on Tuesday. McKenna will hope winger Kyle Edwards is back from the knock which has kept him out of action since prior to the West Ham match, although the former West Brom man seems more likely to play against the Shrimpers than the Lions. New signing Marcus Harness could make his first appearance in a Town shirt. The game will see the Blues reunited with former goalkeeper Bartosz Bialkowski, while another former Town glovesman, Andy Marshall, is their keeper-coach. Fans travelling to the game should note that Greater Anglia will be impacted by strikes on Saturday. As of earlier in the week, the Blues had sold 420 tickets for the match with 40 remaining for sale and with a further allocation available on the day. Prices are £11.50 for adults, £8.50 for seniors (64-plus and under-22) and £6.50 for under-18s.
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