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McKenna: We’ll Look to Impose Our Style and They'll Look to Do the Same
Friday, 12th Aug 2022 18:51

Town host the MK Dons looking to make it seven points from nine in their first three games this season against a team with whom they have drawn in their last four meetings.

The Blues have beaten the Dons only once since dropping into League One, the 1-0 victory at Stadium MK in September 2019, that season’s Portman Road fixture between the sides didn’t take place due to the pandemic.

Since then the clubs have played out four draws with McKenna in charge for the goalless stalemate in Buckinghamshire in February.

Quizzed on the Blues’ start to their League One season, Town having taken a point from their 1-1 opening-day draw with Bolton and three from last week’s 2-1 victory at Forest Green Rovers, McKenna says it’s about taking each game in isolation rather than looking at the position overall at this stage.

“It’s game by game and trying to get three points,” he said. “I thought we could have and should have had three points against Bolton, but we didn’t so we had to accept the point and we got the three points last week.

“It’s not about adding up tallies, it’s about fighting for the three points every week. It’s a team that we didn’t manage to beat last season, so just like last week we picked up some points that we didn’t have last year, and this is another chance to go and do that.

“So we do everything we can for the three points. We feel like performance levels across the first two games are in the right direction and if we keep doing that, then we’ll give ourselves a good chance to win games like we have in the first two and that’s what we’ll look at doing on Saturday.”

The Dons, who lost a number of last season’s regulars over the summer, have had a disappointing start to their League One season, having been defeated 1-0 in both their matches, however, McKenna says their display at home to Sheffield Wednesday a week ago was worthy of at least a point.

“There’s obviously been a fair amount of changes there, so for us it’s about trying to understand the new players and their roles,” he said. “And getting to understand the slight change in system that they’ve undergone so far this year. But for me, fundamentally, you can see the principles are still there.

“They are still a very well-coached and very well-drilled footballing team, and everyone knows their jobs on and off the ball, and they have a clear identity and style of how they want to play.

“I think their first game of the season against Cambridge was probably one they would have been disappointed with, and I think [head coach] Liam [Manning] said that himself.

“The performance wasn’t at the level they’ve hit over the last 12 months, but I thought last week against Sheffield Wednesday they were very good. I thought they dominated the game and on another day could have had at least one point, if not three.

“They’ve had some changes, but you can see the process where they are embedding those new players and I think they are going to be a strong side again and a very similar challenge to what we faced last year.”

Among the key men to depart of the summer perhaps the most notable was 20-goal top scorer Scott Twine, who joined Burnley, while defender Harry Darling, moved on to Swansea, former Blues loanee Troy Parrott returned to his parent club Spurs before joining Preston for the season, and ex-Town striker Connor Wickham left after a short spell and recently joined Forest Green Rovers.

Twelve players have come in including former Blues loanee Louie Barry, who signed on loan from Aston Villa.
"Also among the additions are centre-half Jack Tucker from Gillingham and veteran former Norwich midfielder Bradley Johnson, who joined from Blackburn.

The game, which will be watched by another big Portman Road crowd with 22,000 seats having been sold by midweek, is a meeting of two of League One’s pass masters with MK currently top of the table for passes, having recorded 1,078, and Town third on 897.

Possession-wise, the Dons have enjoyed 64.3 per cent of the ball during their two games, the most in the league despite the two defeats, with Town second on 59.3 per cent.

Asked whether it will be a case of which side is able to impose themselves upon the opposition in what are expected to be very hot conditions with the temperature set to rise above 30 degrees, McKenna said: “I think goals is what’s going to count! Both teams want to dominate the ball because that’s the way they see as the best way to win games and to make sure they score more than the opposition.


“I think there are similarities with that between the teams and we’ll look to impose our style and I would have thought they’ll look to do the same.

“And in those conditions, if you can dominate the ball more and make the other team do more running without the ball, it maybe increases your chances as the game goes on.

“But at the end of the day it’s going to be about who can outscore the others by not giving away any goals, first of all, and then it’s about going to score as many as we can to give ourselves the best margin to win the game.”

McKenna probably won’t stray too far from the team which started the opening league game against Bolton with Christian Walton in goal, probably behind the back three of Janoi Donacien, Luke Woolfenden, who missed the Forest Green match due to illness but was back for the Colchester Carabao Cup tie, and George Edmundson.

Richard Keogh signed from Blackpool in the week and has been involved in a couple of training sessions following a groin injury which kept him out of the Tangerines first two matches, but seems most likely to be among the subs.

Leif Davis and Wes Burns look set to be the wing-backs with skipper Sam Morsy and Lee Evans in the centre of midfield.

Marcus Harness and Conor Chaplin will probably be behind lone out-and-out striker Freddie Ladapo with the increasingly familiar switch of the front players in the second half seeing Kayden Jackson, Tyreece John-Jules and Sone Aluko all playing a part from the bench.

MK head coach Manning, who came through the ranks with the Town academy as a player but never made a senior appearance and subsequently cut his teeth in coaching at Playford Road, will be celebrating a year in charge at MK.

He says his connections with the Blues, and those of his coaching team, will be forgotten once the match gets under way.

“Myself and the staff spent time at Ipswich, but I'm just concentrating on us, carrying out the game plan,” he told the MK Citizen.

“Last year was so early on in my time back in England and it was a nice occasion but there has been a lot of change at the club since then.

“I have really good memories at what is a terrific football club. But I'm not going back there to enjoy it, I'm going there to win a game.”

Manning was an academy player alongside new Blues signing Keogh, who also had a stint with MK the season prior to the current boss taking charge.

“I played with Richard in the academy when we were 13, 14, 15,” Manning recalled. “He's got a lot of experience, he's had a terrific playing career and he'll bring a lot to that dressing room, which is already stacked with quality.

“They've invested a huge amount to do that and Kieran has given them a clear identity and style and that's what makes it an exciting game.”

Having faced Sheffield Wednesday last week, Manning knows his players will have another tough test this week but he says they should relish it.

“They're two favourites for the division with the size of the clubs, budgets, depths of squad,” he added.

“But these are the games you want to play in, to put in a performance and show what you're capable of.

“And you'll only do that if you believe in what we're doing. I'm sure all the players are looking forward to it.”

Having lost both their League One games this season, the Dons returned to winning ways with a 1-0 victory over League Two Sutton United in the Carabao Cup on Tuesday.

Manning’s side is expected to be without six players, including two of their strikers, Will Grigg, a summer signing following his release by Sunderland, and Mo Eisa.

Daniel Harvie, Tennai Watson, Josh McEachran and probably Nathan Holland are also set to miss out.

The Blues and the Dons have only ever met on eight occasions, seven times in the league - three Town wins and four draws - and once in the Carling Cup at Stadium MK in 2007 when the game ended 3-3 before the home team won a penalty shoot-out 5-3, the Buckinghamshire side’s only victory over Town.

In February, the Blues recorded their first draw of the McKenna era as their game away against MK Dons ended 0-0.

Town, backed by a monster 6,850 away following, their biggest ever travelling army in the league, were on top for most of the game with Jackson and Burns coming close to breaking the deadlock in each half.

At Portman Road in August last year, Macauley Bonne scored twice but the Blues were pegged back twice by the MK Dons in an entertaining 2-2 draw.

Bonne netted an excellent opener in the 16th minute but the visitors levelled on 58 through Twine.

The on-loan QPR man put the Blues back in front on 72 before Town gave Matt O’Riley a helping hand to level again three minutes later.

In addition to Manning's history with the Blues, first-team coach Chris Hogg was also at Town as a player without making a senior appearance and worked in the academy in various positions up to U23s coach.

Former Blues full-back David Wright, who also had roles at Playford Road, is Manning’s assistant first-team coach, while ex-Town keeper Lewis Price is their goalkeeper coach.

Dons loanee Barry made four starts and three sub appearances while with the Blues in the first half of last season.

New Town signing Richard Keogh was with the Dons between August 2020 and January 2021, making 20 starts and one sub appearance.

Saturday’s referee is Carl Brook from Sussex, who has shown eight yellow cards and no red his two matches so far this season.

Brook will be refereeing only his third Town match having taken control of two comfortable Blues home victories last season.

The 3-0 defeat of Burton, in which he yellow-carded Lee Evans and two Brewers and the 6-0 hammering of Doncaster when he booked Cameron Burgess and two visiting players.

Squad from: Walton, Hladky, Donacien, Woolfenden, Edmundson, Keogh, Burgess, Burns, Vincent-Young, Leigh, Davis, Penney, Morsy (c), Evans, Humphreys, Harper, Aluko, Harness, Edwards, Chaplin, John-Jules, Ladapo, Jackson.


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ArnieM added 20:05 - Aug 12
Its got “ draw” written all over it , hasnt it.
4

dirtydingusmagee added 20:41 - Aug 12
not one of KM s brightest interviews imo, Just want to see some improvement in our finishing , some here say we dont need another striker ! , i would like to see some results backing that up, starting against Dons would be nice .
7

blueboy1981 added 20:50 - Aug 12
What Style ? - we need GOALS !
No Cup distraction excuses this Season - once again !!
4

TimmyH added 21:28 - Aug 12
I don't think they'll be too many styles on show tomorrow...temperature is meant to be around 33/34c and in the cauldron of the stadium will be even higher! Maybe a sporadic period of play every now again but I wouldn't expect too much.
2

ArnieM added 21:47 - Aug 12
Spot on TimmyH . It'll be about pacing themselves through the game in all honesty !
1

brassy added 22:40 - Aug 12
a new striker is wishful thinking buh
1

norfolkbluey added 08:35 - Aug 13
I can't see any new faces coming in now not even on loan. This is all about the team knowing what is expected of them and being creative when it matters, something that has not been in abundance as yet. You can only get creativity when you know what to expect of players around you. Players make runs when they expect they're going to get passed to. You see it time and again from the top teams. When you have intuitive players often playing in pairs from mid field to forward to space or feet goals will come. I am sure getting a settled side will help but McK keeps chopping and changing so how can the team gel properly? Perhaps he has too many players to choose from? Teams with limited numbers but have consistency do better than a team with a plethora of players who don't know each other properly. Too many player changes week in and week out won't produce goals.
3

ArnieM added 08:39 - Aug 13
Let's see what happens over the next 5 games. If he keeps a largely settled 11 I think we'll see consistency start to emerge. But I do believe we will see a striker come in, but we might be having to offload one or two players first. Eg I can't see Harper remaining here, nor Penney.
0

dirtydingusmagee added 09:10 - Aug 13
congratulations Norfolkbluey . at some point someone was going to say Gel or Gelling , YOU WIN the coconut . LOL.
2

dirtydingusmagee added 09:48 - Aug 13
i know its the norm, but sometimes i wish managers didnt have pre match interviews, most of it is a load of bull####.And it often makes them look stupid post match. KM has thus far come across as being sensible and a thinker, this interview was not his usual standard, it was more like those weve heard from likes of Cook,. Hope the post match interview is a good one . COYB
0

Orraman added 10:14 - Aug 13
In this game, as probably every other home game, it is imperative that we score first. If opponents get that first goal then it's “park the bus” no matter how long left to play. With the heat today if MK are leading with 30 mins to go we will certainly see epidemic proportions of falling over for no apparent reason as well as the maximum permitted use of subs. Sad to see how this time wasting at all levels is killing the spectacle. According to reports more than half of last weeks Prem games were active for less than 60 mins
0

Linkboy13 added 10:17 - Aug 13
The players have been saying how hard they have worked in pre season Saturday we should find out in the 30c heat. The hot weather should suit our possession style of football. Burns should be on fire in the conditions.
0

Letchworth_Blue added 10:22 - Aug 13
At the moment our "style" is dominating possession and not scoring enough goals. Please coach/get strikers to finish when given a chance......
3

Ebantiass added 12:49 - Aug 13
1-1 written all over this one Im afraid.

Come on town prove me wrong, lets take an early lead in the sun and be 3-0 up at half time in a 4-1 win.⚽⚽💙💙
0

SickParrot added 14:17 - Aug 13
MK are a good side. I Can't see them losing all of there first 3 league games, so I think a Town win is unlikely today. Also we won't have as much possession as normal so will probably create even fewer good chances than normal. Therefore, as we've been struggling to score anyway, I have predicted a 2 nil defeat. Just hope I'm wrong.
0


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