Town boss Kieran McKenna felt his side created enough chances to win two Premier League games as they were beaten 2-0 at Leicester City and admitted it was a frustrating way to lose.

The Blues, down to 19th behind the also relegated Foxes, missed a host of opportunities over the course of the 90 minutes, Leif Davis going closest when he struck the post early on, while Omari Hutchinson, George Hirst, Julio Enciso and Nathan Broadhead all had chances with which they will feel they ought to have done better.

Jamie Vardy scored his 200th Leicester goal in his 500th and final appearance for the Foxes to give the home side the lead in the 28th minute with Kasey McAteer adding the second on 69.

“That’s a really frustrating way to lose a game,” McKenna said. “At this level you can lose games in different ways, but I thought we created the better chances in the game, for sure.

“Controlled most of the game but we weren’t clinical enough with our chances and our concentration wasn’t good enough in the moments that they scored, especially the first goal. Our action and our reaction wasn’t good enough and Leicester punished us with a really clinical finish.

“It’s a really frustrating way to lose a game. I honestly think there’s a lot that we can take from this one, especially going into next season, but in terms of this season, it’s a frustrating one.”

McKenna was happy with the overall performance with the lack of ruthlessness at both ends of the pitch the issue.

“I think that’s a big one in terms of the clinical nature of this league,” he reflected. “I know Leicester aren’t going to stay in it but Jamie Vardy has certainly been in it for a long time and that’s where we have to get to in terms of execution.

“And you know in this league, if you don’t take your chances, you get punished, but also, things we’ve been talking about in the dressing room, there haven’t been many games where we’re been the dominant side creating lots of chances this season, so we haven’t had too much practice at that. Today was one of those.

“If you compare it to where we were at last year in terms of going away to Leicester and the games against Southampton, I think we’re much, much, much more dominant this season than we were, but we didn’t find a way to win the game.

“So there’s a lot for us to take from that going into next season where we know there will be a lot more games where we’ll have control of the game, we’ll be the team in the ascendency in the game.

“There are a lot of things that you need to do well from a mental point of view, from a tactical point of view to make sure you win those games and you don’t give them away and you don’t lose them.

“So we know we’re going to be in that position in terms of what some of the first half felt like today more often. It’s a good position to be in, it’s better to be the team who feel like they’re controlling the game and creating the better chances, but those winning margins, those winning details, we know we have to re-find those now in the summer and build them with a new group.

“And if we can do that, we’ll be in a great position because there were a lot of good things in evidence.”

McKenna dismissed the suggestion, as he did pre-match, that the result might put down a marker for next season when both teams will be in the Championship.

“No, I don’t worry about that,” he insisted. “We wanted to win the game for this season. Get the club a little bit more money and on how we competed and where we feel we deserve to be.

“We wanted to win the game in terms of this season and we have another chance to try and do that next weekend [at home to West Ham].

“In terms of next season, I don’t see it having any impact, to be honest. If you asked me if we’d come here today and won comfortably 2-0 or 3-0, which would have been more dangerous for next year, to be honest, some of the lessons from today that we just spoke about in the dressing room, if we use them well going into pre-season, going into next season, I think that could stand us even better stead.”

Nevertheless, McKenna admits that the two points from the six games against fellow relegated sides Leicester and Southampton hasn’t been good enough, the Blues having taken eight points from those matches in the Championship last year, drawing 1-1 twice with the Foxes and doing the double over the Saints, 1-0 away and 3-2 at home, despite never dominating those matches.

“That’s something we need to own and reflect on,” McKenna continued. “We played against those teams last year, they were generally, with Leeds, by far the hardest games that we had.

“For example, when we came here last year we managed to get a point but it felt like we were clinging on with our fingernails to the game and really we managed to hang in there and then push late in the game with some substitutes and get a point.

“The two games against Leicester this year have felt completely different to that. We’ve been dominant in both games, in my opinion.

“Look, four games in football is a small sample, so we should have won the first game [against Leicester] and it probably wouldn’t be a discussion point, apart from a referee’s decision. If Leif hits a millimetre closer to the inside of the post today we go 1-0 up and there’s every chance we win the game.

“The Southampton game at home, we had much better chances in the game. That should lead us to winning the game, so the margins are really, really fine.

“I think it’s a positive thing that we are, in my opinion, much more dominant than we were against that level of opposition, but we’re not going to hide behind the fact that coming out on top in margins and tight games is going to be massively important for us and is something that we did fantastically well last year and it’s something that we need to get back to next year.”

Does he feel players are anxious in goalscoring positions with the Blues having netted only 35 times in their 37 Premier League games this season.

“I don’t think you can group every bit together,” the Northern Irishman considered. “I think maybe in some situations some players, possibly, yes. If you’re in a run of scoring goals and confidence, then you’re more likely to take the chance when it comes along. That might be the case with some.

“As I say, it’s not too many games this year, certainly away from home, where we’ve been in the ascendency, creating chances, so the repetition of being in those positions is something that we’ll get more of going forward and that will give us a better chance to improve as a team and on an individual level.

“We know that with the chances we had today, you should win two Premier League games, so to not score a goal is disappointing, but it’s something that we can use for motivation going forward.”

McKenna knows the Blues, who had 20 shots and 31 touches in the opposition box, both the highest this season, won’t face many better sides than Leicester in the Championship in 2035/26.

“No, I don’t think we will,” he said. “I think they’ll be strong again. If you step back, you can see how the narrative has completely flipped around not just ourselves but moved around Leicester and the strength and the challenge of coming somewhere like this today.

“But, as I’ve said, I think there are some really big lessons for us going into next year. I’d much rather be sitting here with three points and a worse performance, but we have to take what we can from the game and if we take it, the margins of being a team who are creating the better chances and control, but the concentration and discipline needed to make sure you don’t give everything away is the position that we’ll be in more and we’ll need to deal with that better than we did today.”

Quizzed on whether keeper Alex Palmer might have done better on Leicester’s second goal having been beaten by a powerful shot at his near post, McKenna said: “We’ll always reflect on that with Alex and with [goalkeeper-coach] Rene [Gilmartin] as well. No one ever likes getting beaten at the near post, but it was a well-struck shot.

“I’ve not seen the side angles of it yet, so we’ll come back together and see if there’s anything we could do better on that.”

The Blues boss confirmed that the decision to start former Foxes striker Hirst as the central striker rather than Liam Delap was tactical rather than related to fitness or the England U21 international almost certainly moving elsewhere in the summer.

“It was just around George Hirst, to be honest,” he said. “I think he’s performed really well when he’s come on, he’s performed well when he’s started games in the league and in the cup and I think he deserved the chance to play.

“Liam’s been fantastic and is working well but George has been an important part of the group and coming back to his old club, he deserved the opportunity to start the game.”

Regarding central defender Cameron Burgess, who was absent from the 10-man squad, McKenna said: “He’s got a little niggle in his hamstring so he missed out today, we’ll see how he is next week.”

TWTD

davidsc1971 added 18:40 - May 18 Not sure if we watched the same game. I thought we were awful
3

Nottsblue66 added 18:43 - May 18 Same rubbish out of his mouth after every loss Feels like he has no more to give Time for pastures new McKenna
-7

carlo88 added 18:45 - May 18 Oh dear. I used to love reading his comments after the game, now I think I've lost interest. Just pray we get off to a good start next season.
0

cooper4england added 18:57 - May 18 Must confess I also feel he was watching another game. Still a great manager for us but will need to produce the goods quickly next season.
0

DifferentGravy added 19:02 - May 18 Yes, we had 3 opportunities prior to them scoring. But we conceded a poor goal and were on the back foot. Second half wasnt an improvement and, we werent creating. So, with 60 minutes played (and with nothing to lose having already been relegated and losing 1-0) surely it is reasonable for fans to expect the manager to make changes, put some pressure on their defence.....one of the worst defences in the league.....with Faes......one of the worst defenders to appear in top flight football. But no.....Mckenna opts to leave it until we go a further goal behind......71 minute played to be precise......and rather than put another forward on and go for it he decides to just change personnel. Yes, we then create a couple of chances.......but its all too little too late. Mckenna absolutely should of got us promoted from league 1. Cook had laid some of the groundwork (Morsey etc) and he had the financial backing of new owners. It would have been a failure otherwise. The second season was a feather in the cap. Nobody expected automatic promotion. The league one players stepped up and a decent bunch of championship players were assembled. Credit to Mckenna here. This season, I think the majority of rational fans understood that it would be a struggle to stay up. Up until xmas the team really did itself proud. Yes, injuries didnt help. But neither did some of Mckennas signings, the constant(in my opinion needless) squad rotation. A pivotal loss to Southampton. But what sticks in my throat the most is his limited tactics (or refusal to adapt). Against Utd we continued with one up front despite playing against 10 men and being 1 down.....for 45 minutes! Pass, pass, pass....back to our keeper.....pass, pass, give it way. This year(2025) has been a dreadful watch. No invention, no variation. Same tactics, same formation, same outcome.

15

Blue_Heath added 19:06 - May 18 Fine margins again is it?, no learn how to defend. We have let in only 5 less than Southampton and now more than Leicester.
4

grinch added 19:30 - May 18 he is talking rubbish now out of depth and should say so he has lso all credibility in last few months and snding playets like Taylor out to also speak rubbish is not good. Leicster were looking to the future we were as usual in our 1 and only plan...i worry for next season as we have imploded
-5

Bramidan added 20:17 - May 18 Frustrating? He should sit where we are. Where’s plan B?
6

MickMillsTash added 20:25 - May 18 Deeply Annoying / Frustrating The ref was a joke but we can't blame him The defending for their goals was poor and Palmer is not the keeper we need The 3 - Encisco , Hutchinson Clarke need to be better if they are going to run back as little as they did today- how many times did we have the ball in decent positions, slow it down and let Leicester get 8 behind the ball ? we need to have the confidence/ ability to attack more Did we have a game plan for Hurst- we didn't get the ball into him to break the press or play him into the channels- apart from when he should have scored in the second half And For McKenna - we needed to make the subs earlier- Cajuste was spent and whatever it was we trying to do was not working any more. Playing that 3 with so little cover for the aging Morsy and broken Cajuste was questionable. However he's right we should have won, if Omari can't score the 2 chances he had in the first I guess it not going to be our day. Lots to learn from today, more to learn from the season - I hope we do- Well Done Vardy , we all hate but we would have loved him at our place.

3

backwaywhen added 20:29 - May 18 Here go all the doom monger , he is correct we created more than Leicester 19 goal attempts to their 9 , was was going for us up until that silly slip from Clarke allowing them to break and create Vardy a chance which he took well , second half we were sloppy all over the pitch , my only criticism of KM today was subs should have been before their second …..Encisco is a great player but he needs to bring his teammates to the table with more lay offs he’s too greedy with the ball . We go again firstly with West Ham and then recharge the batteries quickly as we start behind the rest of the Champions regarding rest time …..show some faith with KM it’s been a harsh lesson for all at the club ……..Uppa Towen .

1

Carberry added 20:32 - May 18 Burgess has a hamstring niggle, that's classic BS. Phillips was on the bench with 18 stitches in his foot a few weeks ago. Fine margins and positives are back. This is all coach speak, what we want to hear is honesty like, 'we weren't good enough', 'taking chances has been a problem all season', 'defensive concentration too'. You are being badly advised, Kieran, don't keep trying to pull the wool over our eyes. We aren't stupid.

3

Suffolkboy added 20:33 - May 18 The ‘ malcontents’ are having their way with some biased views again ; reluctant as ever to recognise our abysmal failures in front of goal ! We must be much more ruthless , determined and intelligent AND find some new characters to literally drive this team forward on the pitch ! The close season clear out should be very interesting ; along with a probable reshaping of the side and squad . Never mind — COYB

3

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