Town boss Kieran McKenna says he’s happy with his squad, the transfer window having closed on Monday, despite not having added another striker as many supporters had hoped.

The Blues made two senior additions, midfielder Dan Neil from Sunderland on loan and Anis Mehmeti, who joined on a permanent basis from Bristol City for £3 million.

“In terms of players in the building, I think we have enough to be successful,” McKenna said. “In terms of recruitment, having good players in the building is such a small piece of what will make us and the team successful.

“We have good depth, good players in each position, players who can contribute and be successful here.

“I also feel that we don’t have too much depth, in terms of everyone in the squad should feel close to the team and should feel they are going to have a part to play - very likely on the pitch, but if not being really close to the team off the pitch and pushing others. That’s a good place to be.

“It’s always nice to get to that point when the window is shut and you can look the group in the eyes and they can look each other in the eyes, and redouble down on what the goals are for the season. Everyone knows they are going to be here until the end.

“As I say, everyone knows in the group that they are going to be having a big part to play. We go into Saturday with that mindset first and foremost and from there, there is a little bit of a break before 16 leagues games and we have to go at it with everything we’ve got.”

Regarding not adding a striker on deadline day as many fans had hoped, the Blues having made approaches for Patrick Bamford, who eventually extended his stay at Sheffield United, and Callum Wilson, who ended up remaining with West Ham, earlier in the window.

“I don’t think I have ever spoke about strikers in particular,” McKenna said. “I said there’s pretty much every area of the squad we would look at in January to see if there was a way of improving it, in terms of what someone could bring to the team or what someone could bring to the group.

“Pretty much every area of the squad, we looked at in that respect. We are very happy with the two that we have brought in.

“Dan with what he brings to midfield, Anis an example of a player who was identified who we thought could bring us extra qualities and who was obtainable to the football club.

“The realities are that, in the other areas of the squad, there were very, very few players who were identified who could improve our team or bring something different to our playing squad. And those players who were identified weren’t obtainable to the football club in this window.

“Of course, there are reasons for that. One of those reasons is that we have a good squad and good players at the football club.

“So that’s how the window ended. Of course, you want to strengthen the squad in every area where it is possible to strengthen, and it is disappointing when you can’t do that.

“We need to keep reviewing and reflecting on all our processes and be the best we can be. But in reality, the fact we didn’t go and make a late signing on the last few days of the window, for a player who may not or we could not believe with a reasonable level of confidence would bring us something and improve us, I don’t think that’s a bad sign for the football club.

“It would have been really easy to do something and get the last day acclaim or the positive vibe just for the sake of doing it. But I think that would be a sign of weakness for the football club. I think it’s a sign of strength not to do something and, for me, that’s how a good football club operates.

“We’re really happy with the two we have added. Of course, we would have liked to have added in a few different ways to the group, but it was not possible to do for different reasons.

“And then, as we said we would do, we stick with the group we have and who we believe in, that have improved and who we think will still keep improving.

“Now we can go with a real clear focus, hopefully with everyone 100 per cent behind them, to try and be successful in the last 17 league games.”

Regarding his involvement in the recruitment side McKenna said: “I think there’s a time and a place to talk about that fully - we do fans’ forums and things like that. We are training this morning so to give you a full rundown would take a little bit longer.

“In reality, it has changed in some aspects since I’ve been here. We’ve had a couple of different heads of recruitment since I’ve been here, we now have a relatively new head of recruitment [Mick Court], who is working hard and building a team.

“[Chairman and CEO] Mark [Ashton] has said publicly that area of the club has needed to grow really quickly to try and catch up with the success of the football club. That’s still an ongoing process and we need to keep working and striving to improve that in every area.

“My role in the head coach, the manager era, I am certainly someone who spends my predominant focus with my players, working with them on the pitch and in the analysis room preparing them for games and trying to improve the group.

“The club works really hard to identify the players, like most clubs the coach and his staff will have input into that. Then we all try and make the right decisions for the football club.

“A deeper rundown of who does want is probably not for this forum. We know it is an important area if we want to be successful as a football club over the years to come. It is going to be of massive importance. The club has worked to take steps forward in that area and I am sure will continue to do so.”

Photo: TWTD