Frustrated Kieran McKenna felt his team created more than enough chances to have beaten Watford, the game having ended 1-1 after the Blues failed to take a number of late second-half opportunities.

Imran Louza gave the Hornets the lead on 16 with their first serious attack of the match, but Jaden Philogene levelled five minutes later to take his tally for the season to six.

Town had plenty of opportunities to win it, especially late on, with Ivan Azon, Marcelino Nunez, Jack Taylor and Cedric Kipre all unable to convert good opportunities.

“Frustrated with the result, frustrated to just get a point in the game,” McKenna said. “Of course, there were some ups and downs in the game, but I thought there were more positives than negatives and certainly on chances created we’ve done more than enough to win the game, so we’re frustrated to only come out of it with a point.

“But we have to keep learning and improving, take the lessons from it. We’ve conceded a poor goal, so we’re all disappointed with that, at a moment when we’ve not really had to do any defending and we’re all back there as a team.

“The reaction to the goal was really good, that’s a big positive, learned from previous lessons. Came together well as a group, got straight back into our football, kept cool heads, scored a really good goal, so we get ourselves to half-time in a decent position.

“And I think most of the second half we’ve chased it well. It’s not easy when a team are defending deep and really trying to hang on for the result for a lot of the half.

“You’ve got to work the ball wide, you’ve got to get into good crossing positions, you’ve got to get bodies in the box.

“We did that, we got a couple of great chances off it. We had some shots around the edge, we had some chances from set plays, we did enough of the things that you need to do in that situation to feel that over the course of time we certainly would have won that second half and won the game.”

Azon had perhaps Town’s best two opportunities, nodding one wide, while Watford keeper Egil Selvik made a very good save from the other, also a header.

The Spaniard, on loan from Serie A Como for the season, is still to open his account for the Blues despite having come close in virtually every game he’s played.

“As a forward, you can only keep getting in the right positions and he’s doing that and he’s giving us good energy, whether he starts, whether he comes on,” McKenna said.

“He’s had chances all the time he’s on the pitch, so he’ll be frustrated not to score. Of course, we’re all frustrated we didn’t take one of the chances and we’ve probably got quite a few forwards in that category who maybe can’t quite believe how they’ve not scored yet.

“But I’m sure when the first goal goes in with quite a few of them on an individual level they’ll feel a lot better and our execution in terms of taking chances and being clinical will go up.

“It’s obvious to say, but you can see it with the boys on the left. When you get your first goal, whether that’s Jaden’s against Sheffield United here, Jack [Clarke] took the penalty against Derby, and it all feels really different and things fall to you and you’re really clinical.

“We’ve not had that across the frontline. We need it and we need it sooner rather than later, but the boys are trying, working hard, getting into good positions pretty consistently, so I’m sure on an individual level goals will come and that will help us as a team win more games.”

Watford wideman Kwadwo Baah appeared very fortunate not to be shown a second yellow card in the 69th minute after clattering Darnell Furlong but McKenna says the incident was a long way from his technical area.

“It was right in the far corner from me, so my focus was on us,” he said. “I didn’t have a big opinion on that, to be honest.”

In the second half, there was a frank exchange of views on the edge of the Town penalty area between Philogene and Azor Matusiwa after Watford had counter-attacked with the winger on the floor claiming he had been fouled. Other players stepped in to calm the situation down.

“I don’t know the details of it,” McKenna said. “Of course, both were emotional in the game, both trying to in the game.

“They know that it shouldn’t happen on the pitch. These things happen all the time, training ground, behind closed doors, but you don’t want it to happen on the pitch because you don’t want to give off the wrong impression as the boys are united and those two are.

“It was just a bit of passion that spilt over, but they both know it needs to stay in-house and discuss these things in the dressing room.

“The players discussed that themselves and they know that, and those two boys will learn from that and they’ll both be ready to help us get the result on Saturday.”

Photo: TWTD

ArnieM added 23:07 - Nov 4 Changed a winning team again didn't you. When will you stop tinkering??
-29

N2_Blue added 23:14 - Nov 4 Stop being a dick Arnie. He made 3 changes after a game 3 days ago, one of which was forced with Davis. Thought Town were excellent tonight compared to the last two home games. Watford got all the breaks. Should have won but didn’t take the chances that were made. Plenty to be optimistic about. 7 points off 2nd with a game in hand and team is slowly finding itself.
32

billlm added 23:15 - Nov 4 Shocking finishing,
12

del45 added 23:22 - Nov 4 Why do you keep saying the boys are still learning what do you do in training week in and out .
4

cressi added 23:26 - Nov 4 I actually agree Arnie changed middle of the park we never ever had control of the game or the ball really everything seemed so loose I'm far from convinced we are heading in the right direction. We have good individuals but are far from being a team.
2

virginblue added 23:39 - Nov 4 People do realise that the 2 players who were left out missed excellent chances to win the game when they came on, so to blame the result on team selection is just bizarre. We missed chances and ran into a totally bizarre ref who let pretty much anything go for an hour.
8

cressi added 23:41 - Nov 4 Virgin blue at least when they came on we was making the chances.
-3

KernowBluey added 23:43 - Nov 4 A lot of good chances missed that 2nd half, levelled it but a lot of good link up play after which is a huge positive. Egeli going from strength to strength, Azon again unlucky not to score, Nunez blazing wide, Taylor blazing over. In another day we'd win that 4-1 and we'd be hunky dory so a few lessons learnt. Just wasn't our night. However, we are averaging around 2ppg which is a huge positive. Up the Town.

8

Bert added 00:21 - Nov 5 We have to expect more of this type of “football” from the opposition and find a solution when the tactics consist of getting in our faces, stopping the flow and counter attacking. This is what the Championship is. Awful to see the disagreement between two players and hugely disappointing that O’Shea appears to lack any emotion, guile or motivational leadership skills. There are other players better equipped to undertake this role.

9

armchaircritic59 added 00:49 - Nov 5 Just as I feared would happen. The team with the worst away record in the division, having to play again this Friday night, there for the taking. Blew it. How long does it take for someone to work out how to beat a low block? I was going to do my first ever blog on it, decided against it, might well be resurrected!
7

delias_cheesy_flaps added 01:02 - Nov 5 KM makes far too many unforced changes IMHO. Coventry on the other hand, make very few unforced changes and play like a team, not a bunch of strangers, and look where they are!
7

jas0999 added 04:00 - Nov 5 This is another really poor result. Can’t say I’ve been impressed with either of our strikers. Hirst has been occasionally okay (two goals Saturday), but by his own admission should have scored more. The Spanish chap has a poor goalscoring record and you can see why. He’s not a finisher. It’s a problem. It’s a must to beat Swansea now. We are miles off where we need to be - top two. With this squad, highest paid manager in the league it’s the only acceptable outcome. All these excuses of the players learning is wearing thin. It’s November.

2

Nottsblue66 added 04:18 - Nov 5 N2 blue What rubbish we are finding ourselves . Take those blinkers off FFS. McKenna again week after week plays the same formation such a one trick pony
-2

Nottsblue66 added 04:31 - Nov 5 Jas0999- spot on its November and fans saying players are finding them selves some fans will be saying this in February FFS.im sorry but when will fans realise it's the manager that is at fault same formation week after week no plan B and the same rubbish comes out of his mouth after every game. He is on 6M a year and every manager in the league can read him like a book as they know what formation he'll play. We will not get 2nd spot teams up there who are far better than us we will struggle to make playoffs I said this before season started and I'm sticking by it. I do think if we fail to make playoffs McKenna will either leave or get the sack

-3

Bluearmy_81 added 06:02 - Nov 5 N2- Arnie has a differing opinion to you so he’s a dick?! Maybe that makes you a bad snowflake…?! And possibly the actual dick
-6

Bramidan added 06:17 - Nov 5 We created more than enough chances to win that game. 2 headers when it looked certain goals. The fact we are not putting the chances away is not down to team “tinkering” the chances are being created. The fact we lost is down to our strikers not converting chances.
10

Crawfordsboot added 07:13 - Nov 5 N2 is right. Arnie is a moaner. Players today cover about 20% more ground than they did in the eighties. With a high press approach keeping the same 11 every game they would simply blow up. Modern football is a squad game and even if he had available the same 11 to start (which he didn’t) the team would need fresh legs on the hour.
5

Billericay12 added 07:51 - Nov 5 I thought we played well. Our pressing was excellent and we won the ball back quickly. Had we taken a couple of those chances all on here would be saying how well we played. 7 points from last 9 is good form and we would all have taken that. But keep up the negativity and drive out the best manager we have had since Bobby Robson. In the words of Mick McCarthy “be careful what you wish for” !

11

Thegeniusofmuhren added 07:55 - Nov 5 Hopefully a proven forward in Jan. Akpom scored a hatful for Boro as did Sammie for Blackburn. Were they one offs or could we work our style around them!? I agree with most though, find your best 11 and start with them if they're available. You can't play a weakened team as everyone is capable of winning in this division, there's no "easy" games.
1

Bazza8564 added 08:29 - Nov 5 Fine margins, we take one of the hatful of chances we would all be talking about a hard fought win, and a good number of people on here wouldnt be posting at all.....
8

coolhand added 08:34 - Nov 5 Unfortunately, we have assembled a top 6 squad, but only a mid table team at any one time. Why does the spine of the team can play almost every game but the midfield has to be changed because of fatigue?
1

ITFC_1994 added 08:41 - Nov 5 Agreed KM. If we win this 3-1 (which we definitely should have) the mood is completely different.Honestly the absolute meltdown from some fans at relatively small things atm- McKenna saying "tough atmosphere" and Matusiwa and Jaden having an argument....its pathetic. Things could be so much worse- look at Southampton, Luton last year etc. We are in an ok position and more then capable of putting a run together. Not sure why fans are so ott with the moaning and causing drama nowadays. Wasn't this bad when we had real problems - in the keane/jewell days, or when MM told us all to f off at Norwich.... was that because we were stripped down to the real fans at that point and it's just those who have come out of the wood work following our recent success that are doing all the moaning... Anyway, we need to stick together. Some of the comments on here and social media are pathetic

10

Karlosfandangal added 08:52 - Nov 5 Nunez the number 10 for me……or get Chaplin back in Jan and cancel Akpom loan……..or maybe give Akpom a good run as the 10 I don’t really know the answer
1

JewellintheTown added 09:04 - Nov 5 We got bullied tonight and the ref kept letting it slip, giving Watford more confidence to get worse. Should have been more free kicks, cards and a sending off. That wasn't the players fault. Philo/ Mat barny shouldn't have happened, but showing their frustration. They'll sort it out and will grow from it. All still learning and settling, but some super entertaining play going on. Milliseconds and tiny differences and there would have been 4+ goals. Players forming some great understanding & showing promise. Egeli really gaining confidence and understanding, as are most of the new boys. Watford, despite some of their dirty physicality, were a good side last night and battled well. Tough opponents. Yet all of this, and the doom and gloom pessimists are still not getting it yet.

3

poet added 09:57 - Nov 5 Yes we missed a plethora of chances, but what a lot of people on here seem to be forgetting, you don’t get chances unless you have created them in the first place. McKenna’s team, including subs, were so dominant that they could easily have won this game 5-1. The chances were squandered, you can’t blame the manager for that, those mistakes have to be shouldered on an individual level.

2

Blogs 297 bloggers

Ipswich Town Polls