McKenna: A Tough Game But One We'll Be Much Stronger For Wednesday, 1st Nov 2023 23:10 Boss Kieran McKenna admitted Town’s 3-1 Carabao Cup defeat to Fulham was a tough game but one which the Blues will be much stronger for. Town exited the competition at the fourth round stage, their furthest they’d reached since the 2010/11 campaign. Goals from Harry Wilson, Rodrigo Muniz and Tom Cairney saw with Whites into the quarter-finals, where they will meet Everton at Goodison Park, with Elkan Baggott netting his first senior goal for the Blues late on. “It was a tough game, no doubt about that, but I think a game and a night that we’ll be much stronger for,” he said. “It was always going to be a massive challenge irrespective of how the game went or which team was picked. “Of course, we had so many players coming back into the team from injuries and from missing long periods of time that we needed to get match minutes into because they’re going to be massive for us over the next six weeks. “And then to concede an early goal against a really good Fulham team, it was always going to be a really tough game. “But I’m pleased with how we stuck at it, I’m pleased that we kept trying until the last minute. We tried to stick to our football and there are big positives that we can take from tonight, to be honest. “Not least that the last 20 minutes of that game can go in a very, very different direction if you don’t have the right spirit, if you don’t have the right togetherness and mentality in the group. “When they’re bringing on starters to strengthen the team and we’re bringing on lads who we think have a big, big future at the club, that game can go in a really different direction. “But we kept going, there were some really good moments of resilience. We then get a goal and we finish the last 10 or 15 minutes trying to push, trying to get a goal, we had another chance or two, we were looking fit and fresh and pushing to the end of the game. “From that alone we can take big, big positives on top of having got so many minutes in a really high game against a really high level team into players who are going to be very important to us for the schedule that we have coming up.” Asked if his team, McKenna again made 11 changes, indicated where his priorities lie, he said: “I think that’s been the selection in every game in the competition and we’ve done well to get to this point. “We had three really good performances in the competition but this isn’t our year, this isn’t our time to be in a position to go and chase this trophy. Hopefully that will come at some point, but we’re in the middle of a massive transition to the Championship. “The boys are coping terrifically well but the physicality and step up in demand of the league is a big, big difference. “The players are pushing to the physical limit and we’re looking at a period now of a Saturday away game, a Tuesday away game, Saturday here but more so after the international break, I’m not sure but between the first game after the international break at West Brom and Stoke on 1st January, I think it’s maybe 11 or 12 league games. “We’re about to go into the most intense period, the biggest demand that this squad has been through and we’re going to need everybody to compete. “Coming through that game tonight, approaching and attacking the game in the way that we did, trying to do it in our identity, albeit in really difficult circumstances, that will stand us in good stead over the next six weeks and beyond. There were lots of positives we can take from the game.” Regarding debutant Axel Tuanzebe, McKenna said: “I thought he did really well to play so many minutes, first and foremost, it was a testament to his professionalism and how he’s been training and applying himself since he’s arrived and probably before that as well. “First and foremost, great for him to get through the game with no issues, didn’t necessarily to expect him to play 90 but we agreed that we would go as long as he felt comfortable and we wouldn’t make the fifth sub until until we’d checked if he was feeling good. “But he was feeling good and he got through the whole game and did some good things. Of course, it was a big challenge for everyone, but he did some good things, some good defensive moments, some good moments of distribution, some moments that he’ll be better off in a week, three weeks, six weeks. But I think it was really good to see him out there.” Asked whether playing the full 90 minutes will give the former Manchester United man confidence, McKenna added: “I think it’s really important for him. I think it was maybe February when he had his last start for Stoke and if you go back before that, he hasn’t had a run of games for a very long time. “But he’s been terrific in his application since he came in. I think the club have managed him really well to this point and we feel, he feels that he’s physically in a really good place and if we can keep going in that direction, we know we’ve got another really good player. “To get through the 90 minutes was a big, big positive and we’ll keep trying to build him up from here.”
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