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McKenna: A Special Performance
Wednesday, 4th Oct 2023 00:01

Town boss Kieran McKenna hailed the Blues’ 3-0 victory over Hull City as a special performance.

Goals from Wes Burns, Conor Chaplin and Marcus Harness saw Town to the win and back to the top of the Championship table.

“You have to keep saying it, enjoy the moments. I thought it was a special performance, really,” McKenna said.

“We spoke about it before the game, I felt like we had one in us. We were nine games in before tonight. We’re fit, I think we’re learning game by game and it’s our first home night game back in the Championship.

“I felt like we had the feeling of a really good performance in us and I thought we delivered that.

“I liked so many things about us. Our work on the ball to play through the pitch against a really good team. Our work against the ball, our discipline and organisation, the aggression of our pressing.

“Our humility to defend in a block whenever we needed to, the performance of the starters and impact of the subs and the atmosphere in the crowd, it was a night to enjoy.

“It’s only one night, it’s one game, it’s three points, but that doesn’t take away the fact that we should all, everyone associated with the club, should enjoy tonight and maybe tomorrow before start to think about another big game tomorrow.”

Town once again showed their goal threat and have now scored in their last 28 matches and have netted two or more in their last 16 home matches.

“We do [think we can score every game], we try and have different ways and different threats and we’ve developed that, it’s not like it was 10 years ago that there were questions whether we would score enough goals and things like that.

“The players have really developed individually and we’ve developed as a team to try and have different threats, to try and play through the pitch, to be able to play in behind, to be able to combine centrally and be a threat from crosses as well.

“We were really clinical tonight with the finish for the first goal, the finish for the second goal.

“It doesn’t always work like that, but the players and the group have really developed their threat and we need to keep doing it because, as we saw on Saturday and we’ll probably see next Saturday again, teams are going to set up to try and stop us and try and deal with our threats.

“So we need to keep working on different variations being as variable as we can be with our threat and having different ways to attack and, of course, different ways to defend.”

Asked how it ranked as a result, McKenna reflected: “It was certainly one of our best performances, there’s no doubt about that. I think the players coming into the team, that’s such a credit to themselves and how they’ve trained.

“Marcus and George [Edmundson] being the two making their first starts in the league, I think they were both outstanding and reflects really well on the way they’ve been training.

“But also reflects really well on the group, reflects well on Sone Aluko, who wasn’t in the squad, reflects well on Axel Tuanzebe, who’s still working [on getting up to full fitness], reflects really well on the whole group because you can’t prepare to play matches if you have a group where everyone isn’t buying into what we’re doing.

“I think when players step into the team it’s a big boost for them, but it’s a big boost for the squad and a reflection of the standards day-to-day and a big reflection on the staff’s work day-to-day to help these players get ready to perform.

“Delighted for those two boys tonight, Brandon [Williams] as well, coming into the team, building himself up again.

“I think that was one of the big positives tonight, the impact of those boys coming into the group and how that reflects on everyone at the training ground and the work going on day-to-day.”

Town’s 25 points from their first 10 games is the best start a promoted club has ever made in the Championship, beating Southampton’s 22 in the 2011/12 campaign.


Quizzed on how that feels, McKenna said: “It doesn’t change that much, to be honest. We’ve had a 12-18 months in terms of records and stuff like that, but I’ve always said they’re things to look back on in the future.

“For now, they don’t change much. Tonight was a good night, I’m not going to shy away from the fact that it’s a night we should enjoy as a group of staff, players, a football club, supporters, everyone together.

“But it’s one game. Saturday against Huddersfield last Saturday was a completely different type of game and Preston on Saturday has every chance of being a completely different type of game again, so playing so well tonight doesn’t get us six points.

“It’s just a night to enjoy. Of course, longitudinally, there are positives we can take, but there’s also room for improvement.

“Our focus is just on the next game. Enjoy tonight, recover tomorrow and then get ready for Preston and I think the time for looking back on those things is probably way, way down the line.”

Regarding the second goal which started with keeper Vaclav Hladky, McKenna was asked if it was a special one for him.

“It was. The bravery from Vaz, of course, to take the ball under pressure and play through the pitch,” he said.

“And that’s been a lot of work in progress. Even the way the supporters stay behind him now and stay behind the boys at the back because I think they understand it now.

I said it last year and we went through that process of helping them understand that that’s a big part of the reason why we’re such a threat high up the pitch because of the bravery of the boys at the back.

“We looked at a moment with the group against Cardiff where we lost the ball deep in build-up and the reaction of the team was fantastic and Vaz ended up making a really good save as the striker tried to round him.

“I showed the players because you could see on the camera that what happened was five or six of the supporters stood up and started applauding.

“And for me that was a really good sign and a good moment and a sign that the understanding is there, the empathy is there with the players and what they’re trying to do, and how hard and how much work it takes to execute and the fact that it’s not always going to be right, but we’ve got to stick together with it.

“That was a good sign and it showed in the second goal tonight, the bravery, and then the execution to go right the way through the pitch and finish the move off in such good style.

“A really good goal for us, I thought we had quite a few moves really that were really, really top end and it was great to finish that one off.”

Was there any doubt that Hladky would keep his place despite Christian Walton returning to the squad having recovered from the plantar fascia injury he suffered in pre-season?

“No, look, Vaz has performed so well in the start of the season, he’s performing so well, he’s in such a rhythm,” the Blues boss added.

“Christian’s an outstanding keeper as well and has been a big part of this team and is going to continue to be a big, big part of the group, but he’s only been back training a couple of days with the whole group.

“It’s great to have him back in the squad, you never know, so it’s great to have him here and available, but Vaz was always going to stay in the team tonight and build on the work that he’s been doing.”

Sponsor Ed Sheeran was at a game for the first time this season and was handed a League One promotion medal having been a member of the squad.

McKenna was asked if his number 17 was happy after this evening's match.

“He came down to the dressing room tonight, which was nice,” McKenna revealed. “The players hadn’t met him, he’s been to some games here, but he’s so busy doing marvellous things so they hadn’t had a chance to meet him yet.

“Great for him to be here tonight with a really good performance, lovely for him to be able to come down the dressing room after the game and meet the players

“They had a little bit of a sing-song together, which is a moment for everyone to enjoy, players and staff and he’s an important part of the football club. We really appreciate his support and it was great to have him here tonight.

“What did they sing? Perfect. That’s your headline? I’ve done the job for you!”

McKenna was asked whether he’s enjoying watching his team playing at the moment.

“Yes, I enjoy it,” he said. “Not every night’s like tonight, not everyone comes to play a football match against us and each game is different tactically, mentally, everything.

“I didn’t enjoy watching Saturday even though we did a lot of good things, but it was a different type, a different style of game and we had to show different qualities, to battle to get a hard point.

“When you do that, you also know there will be other nights when you can show different qualities, and tonight was one of those nights.

“It’s hard to ever really step back and enjoy it because you’re always trying to be in the moment, to keep the standards high, help the players during the game in the right ways, and I thought that was part of tonight.

“It wasn’t just some of the excellent football that we played throughout, it was the defensive work, it was the humility of the substitutes to come on and help the team keep the clean sheet.

“There’s not too often that you can really step back and enjoy it, but tonight was one of those nights because we had the three-goal margin that you could take a few of those moments.

“But in general, we’re so intensely trying to live in the moment and keep trying to get better and perform for every minute of every game that there’s not too much time to look back.”

The Town manager was quizzed on his players running off the field with purpose at half-time, while Hull trooped off somewhat disconsolately. Is that a conscious thing?

“It’s something that we spoke about early in my time here,” he said. “But the players have really taken it on. It’s not like we speak about it all the time, it’s something that we spoke about, but there might only be 60 or 70 per cent of the team here now that was here then.

“They’ve really taken that on and driven it, and body language is important, of course, and showing that we’re feeling good and our fitness levels are there and we’re going to be ready to come out strong for the second half is important.

“It’s something that we spoke about quite a long time ago but the players, like they do with a lot of things here, have really taken it on and pushed that standard themselves.”

Regarding the instinctive way his players were moving the ball around during this evening’s game, he added: “It’s always pleasing when they do. Every game’s different and teams mark in different ways, give you different spaces.

“We work really hard on our attacking structure, we try and work on it every day in different ways and in different types of practices.

“But we work really hard on our attacking structure, we try and stay consistent, while still having different variations that we can use against different set-ups and different moves that we can quickly adjust to against different set-ups, and it’s nice when you see it coming off and some good moves like tonight.

“But we need to keep improving, we’re going to face different strategies. Huddersfield completely different, tonight completely different, Preston will probably be different again and we need to keep developing and improving. We can’t stand still now where we are now because then you become easier to analyse, easier to prepare against.

“We need to keep working to develop as a team, our movements, different structures we can use and we need to keep working to develop the players individually because it’s great having good patterns and good attacking structures, but individual quality and individual actions are what makes it come to life.

“We’ll keep working really hard on the group and we’ll keep working really hard with each individual.”


Photo: TWTD



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Wacko added 00:15 - Oct 4
Never heard a football manager use the word "longitudinally" before
11

ipswichboi added 00:15 - Oct 4
I don't want to wake up
25

Karlosfandangal added 00:23 - Oct 4
Broadhead again was brilliant…..o wait he wasn’t playing…. The way players just step in like they have played all season is a master stroke by our manager.

I am afraid this will be the 3rd manager we lose to a national team and at this rate a third statue of a manager at Portman Road ( the moment we win the Prem)
9

Trequartista added 00:41 - Oct 4
"Best Start" ??? What's a start? 8 games, 10 games, 12 games? Who defined it as 10 games? I'm sure there was a "best start" stat last week, and the week before that!
-2

itfc1981 added 01:59 - Oct 4
The treble is on!
4

KiwiBlue2 added 02:15 - Oct 4
It has been an outstanding start how ever long you define a start.
At the 10 game point I would have taken something like 5 wins, 3 draws and 2 narrow losses as a good start given being newly promoted.
Hopefully, if we can sustain the results, we will see ourselves and probably Leicester open up a good gap on the rest of the teams.
My second biggest hope is that we will do a double over Norwich...coyb...
3

Suffolkboy added 02:58 - Oct 4
KMis like a master artist , ever seeking to develop the picture at ITFC , always with imagination ,inevitable skill ,AND seemingly with an extensive palette to choose from !
Wonderful scenes being most cleverly created !
Well done everyone !
COYB
10

bobble added 03:51 - Oct 4
i miss mcCarthys post match insults of the fans..
7

MK1 added 05:40 - Oct 4
Every performance this season has been off the scale. Playing in the league above with virtually the same squad and performing like we are is unheard of these days. Absolutely amazing job by all concerned.
5

SpiritOfJohn added 06:12 - Oct 4
Another fabulous performance. Our football is more suited to the Championship than League One, but keep this up and we won't be there for long. Fascinating interview with the manager as always working so hard to be one step ahead of the competition. Here is a link to Ed Sheeran's appearance on Town TV https://www.skysports.com/watch/video/sports/football/12976183/ed-sheeran-gatecr
3

therein61 added 06:57 - Oct 4
Outstanding manager so thorough from A-Z and what a squad he's developing one that we fans can be very proud of.
6

Dissboyitfc added 07:37 - Oct 4
"be careful what you wish for" said some, this is what I wished for!
10

whymark4lazio0 added 07:59 - Oct 4
I wasn't sure what Mckenna meant by longitudinally. I had to look it up. I think he means in the statistical sense: 'By sampling data over time rather than merely once'. First time I've had to use a dictionary to understand a football manager. Makes a change from 'the boys done well'.
5

Broadbent23 added 08:29 - Oct 4
WOW. A chisel is ready for the statute, book and film also planned. The future is looking good.
1

meekreech added 08:35 - Oct 4
My man of the match is Harness . He has been coached by McKenna into becoming a more versatile player who is able to play in various positions which he was not able to do in the past. This shows how effective the coaching staff has become in improving the players and it will continue to show in the performances. Harness had been allowed to settle into a style of playing that restricted his effectiveness but has now become a more consistent performer. Long may this coaching staff continue.
9

Marinersnose added 08:44 - Oct 4
Fantastic summary from McKenna as he outlines exactly how he wants his squad to focus and perform. One could argue that this wasn’t our strongest starting lineup but because the squad are well coached they all know exactly what to do when introduced to the team.The best performance of the season for me. Hirst was unbelievable how he worked on and off the ball. Pleased Hladky got another mention as his pass for the third was top drawer as was the movement and touch of Hirst to setup Harness who was also brilliant. Awesome night
4

Karlosfandangal added 08:59 - Oct 4
Everyone played their part in the game brilliantly…..one player who seems to get missed is Davis nothing spectacular but what a player……close to 20 Assists in his Town career excellent
5

BuckieBlue added 09:01 - Oct 4
After 2-3 games I remember someone posting on here that it was early days but that if we were still doing well after 10 games things would be 'interesting.' Well things are now interesting! Going by previous Championship seasons it's realistic to say that we're at least a third of the way to a top 6 pts total already, so it would take something of an implosion for us not to make that....over to you KmK and the lads....!
5

Linkboy13 added 09:14 - Oct 4
I remember McKenna's first game at Home to Wycombe who at the time were a very good team. After about fifteen minutes you could see a massive difference in the way the team was organised every player knew what they were doing and this was after only a few days in charge which was amazing we won the game one nil and Wycombe only had one chance all game right at the end. The owners must do everything they can to keep him and supply him with the necessary funds to bring the club forward.
5

Lion added 09:24 - Oct 4
What a game under the lights. Had a good chat with George Burley last night and he's loving it. Warky's loving it, Stocky Mickwell is loving it, Bryan Hamilton, Big Al Hunter, Butch, Russell Osman, Milts...all the ex pro's who work at the club just can't believe what we are seeing, they are watching it as fans and are misty eyed about what Kieran and the boys are achieving, the whole club is just buzzing. Everybody is aligned, owners, fans, coaches, players, staff and it is amazing what you can achieve with momentum, quality and everybody pulling in the same direction.
Even Micky Mills, who always speaks sense, sugar coats nothing and says it exactly as it is, is farkin loving it. And like Micky says, something special is happening at our club, you can FEEL it.
I just love Kieran and the boys, and i love all of YOU x ;0)
6

Rimsy added 13:27 - Oct 4
Always a pleasure to hear McK speak. None of the usual guff we've been used to from previous managers over the last 20 years. Let's hope he hangs around long enough to see all his hard work pay dividends.
3

oldelsworthyfan added 14:53 - Oct 4
Hladky to Hirst to Harness...what a goal from three cool headed players.
Breath taking stuff!
3

IndianaBlue added 14:54 - Oct 4
I always 10 games into the season as a first marker on how well we doing and where we might end up in May. Not sure even the most optimistic of us would have predicted a record of W8 D1 L1 at this point.
Proud to be a long time supporter of this fantastic Club.
First class Manger, Squad, Management Team and Supporters that are all pulling in the same direction.

Not sure if anyone else has noticed, but an indication of how well we have started the season, we have almost twice the number of points as both of our fellow promoted teams from last year combined.
ITFC 25 PA+SW *2 26
2

oldelsworthyfan added 14:54 - Oct 4
Hladky to Hirst to Harness...what a goal from three cool headed players.
Breath taking stuff!
2

fifeblue added 21:31 - Oct 4
I agree about Harness. He has been a revelation this season.
1


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