Town goalkeeper Alex Palmer has heaped praise on defenders Jacob Greaves and Dara O’Shea, believing a settled pairing can only help the Blues going forward.

As with Palmer’s position as the starting goalkeeper, Greaves and new captain O’Shea appear certain to be the first-choice defensive partnership this season under Kieran McKenna, having played together in both of Town’s league matches to date.

The duo have spoken previously about their relationship, while Palmer highlighted the qualities they both possess and why it is valuable for goalkeepers to have continuity in front of them.

“It can be very important,” he said. “When you play with a settled team, it only benefits. That’s not dismissing the other lads that we’ve got here, but you get to know how they play, what to expect and vice versa, so it’s a good thing.

“You see across football, if you can have a really strong backline and a consistent spine in a group of a team, it only helps.

“Dara, you see he’s quite calm but he’s assertive and on the pitch he’s a leader who really shows that fight and winning spirit that we need.

"Greavesy, he’s very similar. He shows off his skills on the pitch, he’s very good on the ball and I think he’s a well-liked character in the changing room. It’s good to have these types of characters and contrasting people, they’re a good bunch.

“I try and do my leading on the pitch more than anything. I feel like I’m quite a vocal guy on the pitch and off it I’m quite chilled out and down to earth.

“I feel like it’s my job on the pitch, especially against a team like Preston where we’re expecting set plays and balls into the box from everywhere, so that’s where I can show my character.”

Alongside Leif Davis at left-back, the majority of the Blues’ defensive unit has been in place since last season, with consistency a factor Palmer feels is significant.

“If you can have that throughout the team, it only helps,” he said. “We know in the Championship the games come thick and fast, so that’s where your whole team and whole depth is used.

“Even having people like Jens [Cajuste] come back in is massive for us because it’s someone that knows what the club, the manager and the players ask of him. It’s good to have people that can slot straight back in.”

Cajuste is one of seven new arrivals at the club this summer, while more are expected through the doors at Portman Road before the window slams shut in little more than a week’s time.

Transfer business is not something Palmer has to worry about, but the Town goalkeeper is confident any fresh faces will improve the squad and help the Blues achieve their goal of promotion.

He said: “Me personally, obviously I don’t know but it’s part and parcel of football, incomings and outgoings will just happen. But I think you see the people that we are getting in, the calibre of player, it’s only going to make the team better.

"You see the depth of the squad we’ve got here and the staff, I think we’re only going to get better and that’s just how it is and how we’ll be. That’s how the gaffer will push us to be each and every day in training is to get the most out of it.

“With an ethos like that, it’s only going to create a better team and that’s ultimately what we want to be. We know it’s a tough division but we’re expected to be up there, so it’s up to us to be able to perform well and hopefully start winning some games.”

Palmer himself was the final signing of the last transfer window, arriving on deadline day from West Bromwich Albion in early February.

After six months in Suffolk, the 29-year-old has fully integrated himself into the group and is grateful to have had a full pre-season under his belt.

“I think it helps get settled,” he said. “There’s a lot more time to work on things. Coming in last season halfway through, you’re getting thrown into it and you’re learning on the job almost.

“Luckily with the coaches we’ve got here, it’s easy to pick up things and you’ve got a great group of lads who get around you, so I felt like I settled in pretty well and hit the ground running.

“This year, it was just about how can we get back to where we want to be, that’s the main target.

“It’s such a good group and there’s a lot of young lads here. It’s a young and exciting bunch of lads that are enthusiastic and full of confidence, so it’s an easy group to get settled in.”

As with any manager, adapting to McKenna’s style of football takes time, even for a goalkeeper.

Palmer says he has fully embraced the Northern Irishman’s tactics, admitting that it was an easy adjustment from life under Carlos Corberán at West Brom.

He said: “There’s certain aspects that are different, but I feel like there was a reason why I settled in quite well. There’s a lot of coaching techniques, especially in possession, that are quite similar so I think that has helped me.

“They’re both great managers and I think being here under the staff, you’re only going to become better as a player. The level of detail that goes into every day and every session is only going to help you as a player to become better.”

On playing out from the back, he added: “It’s obviously what is asked of us. Those stray passes might be good passes in their terms.

“The thing is to see that there’s always a reason why we do something and all these patterns and everything we work on week in, week out.

"It’s not always going to go right, that’s one thing to realise is we’re doing something that’s tough, and sometimes things can go wrong and passes can be misplaced, but as a team we have everyone’s back so any little misplaced passes don’t hurt us too much.

“We all do it for a reason and it’s what is asked of us here. I’m really enjoying the responsibility of it and it’s only going to help me become a better goalkeeper.”

Photo: TWTD

chepstowblue added 13:56 - Aug 22 True, but it's such a shame that one of them isn't Cam Burgess !
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John_Grose added 14:01 - Aug 22 Just wish Greaves improves his positional play as clearly has a lot of talent but gets caught on the wrong side of the attackers too often
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afcfee added 15:20 - Aug 22 Won't have choice anyway will we lol
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BlueDread added 15:31 - Aug 22 A settled partnership is always beneficial but I’m just not convinced of the quality of either O’Shea or Greaves. They don’t seem to contribute the odd set-piece goal either. I can’t see how they are an improvement on Woolfie/Burgess.
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AVJones added 16:16 - Aug 22 A player should never give an interview like that. How would Kipre and Woolfie feel hearing that?
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