Town boss Kieran McKenna says it’s not been too difficult for the players to come back down to earth after Tuesday’s 3-0 victory over Hull City on what the Blues manager described afterwards as a “special performance”.

McKenna’s side comprehensively took apart the Tigers, who had previously been on a run of eight games without a defeat, before celebrating in their dressing room with club sponsor Ed Sheeran.

“I don’t think it’s too hard to come back down to earth,” McKenna reflected. “Of course, it was a really good night, on the pitch and off the pitch. There were some nice moments to enjoy.

“But I think the group is experienced and sensible enough to know that it is just one game, one night, in a long season and the next challenge comes around very quickly – especially with it being the last game of a block of games.

“I think all our focus is now on Preston and we have managed to move on pretty quickly. All the talk around the training ground has been about that and how we can try and deliver a performance in what is going to be a very difficult against a completely different style of opponent. We will try and impose ourselves in the game and try and finish this block of games well.”

Quizzed on whether teams might have underestimated the newly-promoted Blues early in the season, McKenna said: “It’s hard to say because you don’t know what the messages the other teams are getting. I think we are generally spoken well about as a team.

“The only little difference from being in League One last year is that, game-by-game, there were often major changes to the other team’s system or strategy or selection.

“It’s more common now that teams will come here and play their regular style of play, whether that’s Hull City’s style of play, Preston’s style of play or Leeds’ style of play. It’s more common that they will come and take us on in their way.

“That doesn’t make the games easier, by any stretch of the imagination. But it is perhaps a little easier to plan and prepare.

“When you get teams coming to Portman Road like Hull did on Tuesday night trying to play attacking and positive, it makes the game a little more open than playing teams where a lot of their preparation is focused on stopping us.

“I think that was more the case last year and it hasn’t been too often the case so far this year.

“Of course, when you are doing well, it is increasingly likely that teams might adapt to try to stop your game. But on the other hand, we are a newly-promoted team and there are lots of big squads in this league.

“I don’t spend too much time talking about players and budgets in this league, but there are lots of teams in the league further along than us in that way.

“So I think it is to be expected that teams will try and impose their strengths and we will try and do the same. Hopefully, that will make for lots of good games of football, which is what we have had so far.”

Photo: TWTD

MK1 added 20:34 - Oct 6 Such a cool customer. Talks sense and fills the players with confidence. I'm not, but think he could sway me.
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