Town manager Kieran McKenna felt the Blues’ performance in their 1-1 home draw with Southampton was a step forward from their display in their opening match at Birmingham City nine days ago.

Although the scoreline in the two games was the same, Town were the ones who looked most likely to win against the Saints, while a last-gasp penalty grabbed them a point at St Andrew’s.

A Taylor Harwood-Bellis own goal gave the Blues the lead on four, but Jay Robinson levelled for Southampton on 29 with his first senior goal.

“I think the performance was a step forward from last week, as you would expect it to be in all aspects, just from the fact that it’s the second game, back at home and some players having got their first game out of the way and under their belt.

“There were plenty of good aspects about the performance. A really good start, had the better of the play in most phases on and off the ball, and had the better chances.

“We weren’t quite able to find enough to really say that we absolutely dominated the game in any spell or really, really should have won it, but we were certainly the team that looked more likely to win it.

“We just need to take the steps forward now in every aspect - to be a better team, to be more dominant in that game, to find a way to win it.

“That’s an awful lot of different areas but it’s good feedback for us. The first game last week was good feedback for us and we have to use that feedback to get stronger and we need to do all the right things as a club off the pitch to make the group as strong as we possibly can.

“But I think in general it was frustrating not to get the win, but in some aspects a step forward.”

Town ended their record run of nine home defeats on the bounce but are still without a league victory at Portman Road in 2025.

“One thing I have spoken to the group about is that we can’t allow the narrative to build on the home record from last year,” McKenna continued.

“It’s a new group, the second half of last season we were competing in the toughest league in the world against a really big injury crisis for most of those games.

“This group is a new group. There are very few of those players who played the majority of those games probably, so we can’t allow as a club that narrative to build around us. It’s a new season, it’s a new start for so many of the players in a different division.

“It’s our first home game and against one of the better teams probably in the league, certainly personnel-wise.

“We delivered a pretty good performance, had the better chances, were disappointed we didn’t get the winner but for the stage of the season we’re at, for all the challenges we’re having at the moment, it’s not a bad day’s work.

“We know we need to improve in every aspect but as long as the performances go in a positive direction, as long as we show the right qualities, we always have the belief that the results will come after that.

“Two tough games in really, really difficult circumstances and we’ve not been beaten. We want to pick up our first three points as soon as possible, but the only way to do that is just focusing on the day-to-day, focus on the next game and do enough of the right things to do it, so that will be the next challenge this week.”

Asked whether he prepared for Will Still’s Saints any differently than he did Russell Martin’s or Ivan Juric’s sides last season, McKenna said: “We were fairly confident that it would be a back five after they’d done that in their first few games.

“The style’s also fairly different, all Southampton fans would probably say, from Russell but we know they’ve got a good manager now, lots of good players, good squad.

“We prepared the game as well as we can, there weren’t too many surprises in there. We know the quality that they have and they were a difficult opponent.”

Photo: TWTD

blueboy1981 added 16:17 - Aug 17 Yes, we had another Shot on Target ! - but we were at Home !
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Gforce added 16:19 - Aug 17 Another fair assessment on all aspects. However it's still glaringly obvious we are short on quality in the middle of the park. Fingers crossed we have 3/4 top end additions lined up.
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jas0999 added 16:36 - Aug 17 Don’t disagree with his comments and it’s clear he’s very frustrated (rightly) with other comments regarding the lack of signings. We’ve lost two very very good creative players who score goals this week - with no replacements signed. Had just one senior striker in the match day squad. Each to their own, but for me, it’s simply not good enough. Next we will be hearing the team needs time to gel!

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itfc2024 added 16:37 - Aug 17 we couldn't play much worse than last week to be honest
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Steve_ITFC_Sweden added 16:40 - Aug 17 McK always gives a refreshingly objective assessment of the match, while obviously still being as positive as possible. A long way away from the "We wuz robbed" days of some of the managers in the past (and some still today).
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BobbyBell added 16:41 - Aug 17 So we played two of the fancied teams for promotion and drawn with both. It's not a disaster and we have new players to bed in and we have negotiations underway for more players to come in.
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AlpineBlue added 16:53 - Aug 17 BobbyBell. Not sure you've realised it but after drawing against 2 of the 3 favourites for promotion, you're supposed to be a big bed-wetting baby. The comments section below a McKenna post-match interview is no place for measured sensible opinions.
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Bazza8564 added 17:38 - Aug 17 AlpineBlue, brilliant, and correct! I sit right behind the press box and I normally have a chance to speak to Phil, i have thought about a sign-in that eliminates the comments entirely, ill ask next time. Lots of positives for me. When Ogbone is fit and Jaden and Clarke is an either or on the left and the Scandinavian lad is in right with cheo, we will look more balanced. Szmodics or Chaplin looks great and so Im thinking Akpom as a ( alternating with Hirsty makes sense. I am a little concerned how Hirst seems to tire so game on game off might suit him with 15 from the bench. Overall, two draws, two tough games behind us and an unspent cash profit of £57.5m so far in the window. it's lookimng good again Taylor worked hard but lacks Jens' quality and I thought Azor was excellent

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Jimmytractor added 17:41 - Aug 17 I thought the first 10mins and the 2nd half we were playing well. Matusiwa looks as though he will be a big player for us,great battle with Armstrong,philogene probably his best game for us.i thought Smodicz was our best player today,on another day he’d have scored 2 x goals.a much improved performance.
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ArnieM added 17:45 - Aug 17 Thought we did alright today, given the squad is still incomplete. That was Philiogene's best game in a Town shirt by a country mile. Gives me hope re him ,at last. Clarke looked better in the early part of the game, worked hard off the ball and did one or two good things. He did tire though znd id gave had him off 15 mins sooner than McK did tbh, as he started to lose the ball regularly. Szmodics, and Hirst work well together and u is all about partnerships Our biggest achilles heel is our midfield. Taylor, im afraid just doesnt do it for me. And I can see Cajuste and Matisuwa being the MF partnership. But I wish McKenna would play a 3 man midfield because we so often get outbattled or overrun. But that's McKenna's ta tactical shortfall IMHO, znd I doubt hes going to change. Problem is this means our forwards simply dont get the service. So even if McKenna " has answered for Akpom" I suspect itll be more if the same, subs like for like no combinations up front. All in all a lot to take heart from to today, but fir the love of God if we are coaching the defence to pi ss about with it back n forth across the back line, ffs move the ball quicker!!

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ArnieM added 17:47 - Aug 17 Edit..." plans for Akpom"
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armchaircritic59 added 19:25 - Aug 17 Almost criminally short of guile in midfield, from what I saw from the vantage point of my sofa, no doubt those of you who were there, can confirm or deny! Like many I thought LD was our best player. To me the game seemed to played at 100mph and not a huge amount of quality, given both teams in's, outs and ongoing transfer rumours/dealings, maybe not too surprising. Southampton offered next to nothing in the second half, but we couldn't kill them off. Lots to work on and more comings and goings no doubt, but I'm not passing any judgement until the window has closed and we've had at least another 2 weeks after that to get everyone integrated, I'm remain very confident that the team we see at the moment, will be very different performance wise by the end of September. It's not an overnight fix.

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bluesince76 added 20:28 - Aug 17 How was there an improvement from last week we drew away last week this week we only draw at home should be winning at home piss poor so far.
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