Blues boss Kieran McKenna says on-loan Sunderland midfielder Dan Neil has made the adjustment to life at Portman Road “fantastically well”.

The 24-year-old made his first Championship start for Town at Watford on Tuesday and impressed in the first half before tiring, perhaps unsurprisingly given it was only his third time he had begun a game and eighth appearance in all this season.


Asked how close Neil, who if he is involved tomorrow will make his home debut having played his first four games for the club away from Portman Road, is to full match fitness, McKenna said: “He has, of course, started, so we believe he is ready to come in and start games. With the cup game, that’s two starts he has had now so that’s really useful.

“There is an adjustment when you go to a new club and I think he has made the tactical adjustment fantastically well. He has shown his intelligence and experience as a footballer.

“I think, compared to most teams and most clubs, there is a physical adjustment to how we want to play and train, especially in the role he played the other night. But again, I thought he adapted to that really well the other night.

“Now, is he ready to do that for 90 minutes twice a week? I think that will probably be a bit too much or too soon - and too much of a risk.

“But he has recovered well this week and showed good things the other night and I am sure he will have a role to play tomorrow.”

Neil coming into the midfield and Anis Mehmeti being added to the attack in January has given McKenna plenty of selection headaches, although the Blues boss points out one or two important players are currently sidelined.

“I think we are still missing one of the best players in the league [Jaden Philogene, knee], and we have been for quite a while, and we are still missing one of the most important players in our group in terms of character [Ashley Young, hip].

“There are some losses there, but we are happy with the depth we have underneath that. You certainly need that in any Championship season.

“The Ipswich fans might look at the Swansea squad and think they have some really fantastic midfield options in terms of numbers, though I am not saying they are better than ours.

“Most teams now have really good depth. We were one of the first teams to really utilise it a couple of years ago, in terms of doubling up for every position and having fresh forwards ready to go. I think there are very few clubs that aren’t doing that now.

“For me, the differentiator is having that little bit of extra talent on the bench - that does make a difference.

“But it is the motivation and engagement of your substitutes, it’s people willing to do a role within a squad, within a team, knowing they will have their moments.

“Starters are really important but the guys who come off the bench and finish in those forward positions are just as important. For me, that’s the bit that makes the difference.

“We are going into this phase with good numbers but it is how you show that ethos within the group and within each game. That’s the bit that hopefully will give us a push and mean the strength of our squad can make a difference.”

Games coming thick and fast means few players in the attacking areas of the field will start week in, week out and McKenna says there are regular conversations between him and his squad.

“I have those discussions with players pretty much every day,” he said. “Especially when you are in a big game schedule as we are now.

“That’s a big part of the job. It is not about making them feel important, especially at this stage of the season, as everyone in the group needs to know that it’s the team that comes first.

“Whether you play 90 minutes or you don’t play, you have a role to play in the build-up to the game and you have a role to play on matchday.

“But you are communicating with the players about their role, especially with a group like ours that are, at the least until the end of the season, still forming with new players and different partnerships and what might work in different games and what qualities we might need.

“Looking at players for some games and knowing you have another game in a few days’ time, all these things come into it. That’s a lot, especially in phases like this when you have such a quick run of games.

“There are a lot of conversations with the staff and in my own head and then you communicate that with the players as well as you can.”

Photo: Matchday Images