McKenna: I'm Not Thinking About Points Totals Or Positions Friday, 4th Aug 2023 17:50 While predictions for the season are being made by fans and the media, Blues manager Kieran McKenna insists that he has no hard and fast target for Town’s first season back in the Championship since 2018/19, which begins with Sunday’s live-on-Sky clash with Sunderland at the Stadium of Light. At the first in-person pre-match press conference of his career, the most recent at Town having been in March 2020 just prior to the pandemic with meetings with the media before games having been on Zoom, McKenna was asked what he would see as a successful season. “We've spoken about this with the players and I've spoken about it this week,” he said.” For me, I don't focus too much on outcome goals and it's not the way that we look at things and break things down. “Last season, I don't think we had one meeting with the players really where we spoke about promotion or points totals or anything like that. “Of course, we knew that was the goal, but once you know what your end goal is, it's all about the process and how you work every day to get better and I know that the club's goal and my goal is to be back in the Premier League in the future, and we know that's what the end goal is. “I think probably every team, if not at least 20 teams in the division, this season all would think that if everything goes our way, maybe we could get to the play-offs or better, so I don't think there's any benefit in focusing on that, to be honest. “We know where we would like to get this club back to, but the only way that we're ever going get there is by working really hard every day to improve, having a plan and a style of play and a way of working that we believe in and we stick to and then working every day to get better individually and as a team. “And then try and bring that into every match and try and fight for the result in our style every weekend. I think if we do that then you know we'll reach the big goal in the end.” “I'm not thinking about points totals or positions at the moment. I'm thinking about how we work every day, how we get ready for Sunderland and how we respect the opponent with all the respect that they're due, and how we focus on getting as good a performance as we can, and we look to do that for 46 games and see where we end up.“ Town go into their opening game away against the Black Cats with terrific momentum having won 13 of their last 15 matches as they romped to automatic promotion from League One. They remain unbeaten in their last 19 in the league, the second-longest run in club history and four off the record 23 achieved in 1979/80. McKenna says that will assist his side as they step up and go into the new season but at the same time has its limitations. “There's a lot of energy and positivity around the whole time, really, and everyone's excited,” he said. “It’s been a few years since we've been back in this division and the last season we were in the Championship wasn't very good, so everyone wants to attack it in a different way this year. “But I don't think you can rest on the fact that we have momentum. I don't think you can rest and you know we're not going to be successful this season just through good vibes. “You know the momentum can be lost in one match or in a run of matches, so that isn't what gives me confidence, what gives me confidence is how I see the players work every day, how I see them work every day last season how we've built our style of play how the players have improved individually and the scope that I see for us to keep improving individually and as a team. “I think that's what gives me confidence coming into the season, not the fact that we have you know momentum from last year we were unbeaten in our last however many League One games because that can go very quickly I think the better thing to take confidence from is how you work day to day.” Equally, the Black Cats have momentum from the end of last season with Tony Mowbray’s men having been unbeaten in 10 matches to finish sixth in the Championship table before losing the play-off final to Luton 2-0. “Again I think it's similar with us, they've got good momentum, but if we beat them on Sunday, the momentum is gone, so you can't go into the season relying on momentum. “They had a good season because they've recruited good young players who they've developed well and they've got a good manager and a big support behind them, and I think they'll be looking to have a good season this season for the same reason. “We both finished last season strongly, but I don't think it counts anything going into this season. “We'll both look to attack the game and be positive because I think that's what both clubs believe in and both managers and coaching staff and players believe in, and I think we'll both go and try and attack the game and have a positive start to the season.”
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