Town boss Kieran McKenna says he and his squad are aware of the significance of the rivalry between the Blues and Norwich City ahead of Sunday’s East Anglian derby at Portman Road, but that much of the preparation for the game has been the same as it would be for any other match.

McKenna’s side - and their fans - go into the fixture looking to end a long 16-year wait for derby glory, another Northern Irishman, Jim Magilton, having been the last man to lead the Blues to success against the Canaries, back in April 2009 when they won 3-2 on home turf.

The Town manager says that other than stressing the importance of the match, his groundwork ahead of the game hasn’t altered too much from his regular approach.

“Not really, not in terms of the structure of our work,” he said. “But we all, me certainly, and the players and everyone else, are aware of the significance of the match.

“Like any big match, whether it’s a game for promotion or a cup final or whatever it might be, there are two parts to it. There’s the occasion, which you want to enjoy.

“You have to acknowledge and embrace it, speak to the players about that and make sure everyone understands what the occasion is going to be like. And we’ve done that over the last couple of days. 

“We’ve spoken to the players about the significance of the rivalry to the supporters and the history of the rivalry. One of our staff members here, who’s been here the longest, spoke really well to the group about that and shared some of the history and some of the stories and the importance of it for an Ipswich supporter.

“So, of course, we’ve addressed that side of it and made sure that everyone’s really, really clear on what this game means to our supporters.

“But other than that, like any other big game, there’s the preparation, the details, the organisation that you have to get right that are going to be really decisive in the game. 

“And you generally stick to your normal process for that and prepare the game as you would.

“That’s been part of the work today and it will be a bigger part of the work tomorrow as well.

“We’re looking forward to both sides of it. We’re really looking forward to the occasion. We're looking forward to the atmosphere, to the stadium. 

“But we also know we’re up against another tough Championship side. It’s going to be a tough match and we’re going to have to get details right in all phases of the game and execute really well. So it’s a really good challenge for us in both ways.”

Asked to name the who the staff member who spoke to the players, McKenna laughed: “I’ll tell you if we win, because then I’ll give him credit. If we don’t win, I’ll blame him, so I don't need all the fans blaming him as well.”

Quizzed on whether it was a tub-thumping speech, the Blues boss continued: “I think when you know the staff member it was, he’s not a tub-thumper.

“He spoke very well about the area, the geography and the history of the clubs, which is always important for new players to understand anyway, irrespective of a derby.

“And then to some of the history of the fixtures, some of the big moments that the club has had, some of the disappointments that the club has had and I think everyone left the room with a really positive mindset to try and turn this weekend into one of the real positive memories.”

Town go into the game unbeaten in four matches overall and on a streak of the same length at Portman Road, having beaten Sheffield United 5-0 and Portsmouth 2-1 in their last two games on their own turf.

The Blues, who drew 1-1 away against fifth-placed Bristol City on Tuesday, go into the weekend 13th in the table, three points off the play-offs and four from the top two having begun to establish some momentum in recent weeks, particularly at home.

“Step by step,” McKenna said. “We’re certainly not getting ahead of ourselves and there’s a lot of work to do, so we've got a lot of improving, a lot of growing to do.

“I think since the international break, irrespective of the games, I feel a difference in the atmosphere inside the building here since we came back. And we’ve got a couple of positive home results since then, which helps, and we just want to keep building on that. 

“So, it’s just full focus on Sunday and if we can make that one go our way, then I think we can look at this block, since the international break, as a really positive step for us.”

Norwich have lost all five of their home games this season - four in the Championship - but are unbeaten in all five of their away games, again four in the league, since head coach Liam Manning took over in the summer.

They sit in 19th in the division having taken eight points from two wins - 2-1 at Portsmouth and 2-0 at Blackburn - and two draws - 1-1 at Coventry and Stoke - on the road. They have taken the lead and been in front at half-time in all their away games and at no stage have been behind.

Manning, who is beginning to come under some pressure from Canaries fans due to the home record, is yet to win a game against Town at Portman Road having drawn two and lost two with previous clubs MK Dons and Bristol City.

Quizzed on what he’s made of Norwich’s Jekyll and Hyde form so far this season, McKenna said: “Of course, they’ve come out on the wrong side of their home games, which never creates a good atmosphere.

“But they’ve picked up some good points and a couple of good wins in their away games and when we watched the game on Wednesday, I thought the performance was good, on another day they should really have beaten West Brom [who won 1-0]. 

“So we’re not concerning ourselves too much with their form or anything like that. In these types of games, it doesn't really tend to have a whole bearing on it anyway. Both sets of players, staff and supporters will see it as a one-off game.

“We know we're preparing to face an opponent that has some good players, some strengths. We believe that we’ve got some really good players and some strengths as well. And we just focus on how we can put more of ours into the game than theirs.”

The Team

Having made six changes for the visit to Ashton Gate, McKenna seems likely to return to essentially the XI which beat Portsmouth last weekend.

Alex Palmer will be in goal behind a back four of Darnell Furlong, skipper Dara O’Shea, Jacob Greaves and Leif Davis.

Jens Cajuste seems set to return to the midfield alongside Azor Matusiwa with former Norwich man Marcelino Nunez dropping to the bench.

Ahead of the midfield duo, McKenna looks likely to bring back, from the right, Kasey McAteer, Sammie Szmodics and Jaden Philogene, although may be considering switching Jack Clarke to the right, the former Sunderland man having caught the eye against the Robins, when he netted his second penalty of the season, and off the bench in previous matches.

George Hirst appears certain to come back in as the number nine with Ivan Azon returning to the subs.

The Opponents

The Canaries have a number of players sidelined ahead of Sunday’s match, among them forward Mathias Kvistgaarden (knee), left-back Ben Chrisene, midfielder Amankwah Forson (both hamstring), winger Papa Amadou Diallo and midfielder Anis Ben Slimane (both quad).

Norwich are hopeful skipper Kenny McLean, a Blues target during Mick McCarthy’s time as boss, will be over a back problem in time for the visit to Portman Road.

Asked what a victory over Town on Sunday would mean, head coach Manning said: “It would mean everything. To a certain extent, results and form go out of the window a little bit and it becomes a unique game.

“We’ve had some chats with the lads, I’ve done numerous bits, especially with some of the new players, and a large number of foreign players. We have to educate them and make them understand the importance of the game, so we’ve done that.

“But come the weekend, it’s then understanding how we get success and for that we have to show emotion, we have to show passion, but it also has to have an element of control to it, we don’t want to be reckless.

“We’ve done some of the educational pieces gearing up to go there to do us and to give the fans something to get behind.”

Following the 1-0 loss to West Brom, Manning said he thought Town were the ideal opposition for his side to face at this point in time and he still believes that to be the case.

“I think so, where they’ve been, the money they’ve spent, etc. There’ll be pressure that end,” he explained.

“It’s one of those that we should relish, we should look forward to it, we should be ready to step up and give absolutely everything.

“As disappointed as I was on Wednesday night, I couldn’t question the lads’ attitude from that perspective. I thought they gave everything with and without the ball and just lacked quality in the final bit, plus their keeper had an incredible evening.

“That’s the same message for the weekend: Give absolutely everything that you can.”

Manning says he has a lot of time for Blues boss McKenna: “He’s someone that I haven’t spoken to in a little while, but we’ve spoken numerous times throughout the years.

“I was at MK when he first went in there, coached against him when they were in League One.

“Numerous things [have impressed me], I think the achievements but also how long he’s been there to do that. He’s a terrific coach that has achieved some fantastic things and that’s underpinned by being a decent bloke as well, which I think is equally important.”

Turning back to the game, he added: “I’m desperate to win. Even more so where we’re at. The frustration around the place and the energy here, it’s huge to go down there to perform and to win.”

History

Historically, the teams are very closely matched, Town winning 42 (38 in the league), losing 42 (36) and drawing 23 (20).

The sides most recently met in April 2024 when Nunez’s 39th-minute free-kick for the Canaries saw the promotion-bound but under par Blues lose 1-0, the dramatic 3-2 home win against Southampton earlier in the week perhaps having had an impact on the performance.

At Portman Road in the previous December, the teams drew 2-2, one of six stalemates in the last 10 games between the teams, five of them 1-1.

Nathan Broadhead put the Blues in front in the 34th minute, the home side having spurned a number of earlier chances, but Jonathan Rowe equalised against the run of play five minutes before the break and then put the visitors in front four minutes after the restart. Video evidence subsequently showed both goals ought to have been disallowed for offside.

Wes Burns smashed in a leveller for Town on the hour but the Blues were unable to find a winner in the final half hour.

Town are without a win in 14 derbies - eight defeats, six draws - their last victory having been at Portman Road towards the end of Norwich’s 2008/09 Championship relegation season when they won 3-2 in what proved to be Magilton’s final game as boss.

David Mooney put the Canaries in front before Town struck three times via Alan Quinn, Giovani Dos Santos (penalty) and Jon Stead with Sammy Clingan adding a consolation for the visitors towards the end, also from the spot.

The highest margin of East Anglian derby victory is 5-0, the Blues having won by that scoreline in 1946 - the first league meeting between the teams - 1977 and 1998.

Town’s biggest defeat was the 5-1 home reverse in April 2011, while the highest-scoring match was the Blues’ 4-3 away win at Carrow Road in February 1968.

John Wark is the leading goalscorer in the derby having netted nine times, while Hugh Curran is Norwich's top scorer having bagged five.

Familiar Faces

Town midfielder Nunez joined the Blues in the summer for an initial £7.5 million in the summer after three years at Carrow Road in which he made 86 starts and 33 sub appearances, scoring 12 goals.

Canaries midfielder Liam Gibbs came through the academy ranks at Town before turning down a new contract and crossing the border in the summer of 2021, the clubs having agreed compensation.

Bury St Edmunds-born Gibbs, whose family are Town supporters, made one League One appearance for the Blues, in addition to two EFL Trophy starts and one sub appearance.

Norwich boss Manning was an academy player and coach with Town, as was his assistant Chris Hogg, who was also a joint-caretaker-assistant manager under Bryan Klug at the end of the 2017/18 season.

First-team coach analyst James Krause was a member of the Blues’ 2005 FA Youth Cup-winning side.

Blues assistant manager Martyn Pert is from Norwich and was a youth player with the Canaries. Similarly, Town’s head of athletic performance Matt Allen was a schoolboy with Norwich.

U21s coach David Wright had a period coaching with the Norwich academy before returning to Portman Road, having also had a spell on loan at Carrow Road as a player prior to his playing stint with Town.

A number of other members of the club’s academy and off-field staff, including academy head of recruitment Alex Kaufman, previously worked at Norwich.

Officials

Sunday’s referee is Thomas Kirk, his assistants Alex James and Matthew Smith, and the fourth official Josh Smith.

Cheshire-based Kirk has shown 31 yellow cards and one red in seven games so far this season.

Kirk is in his fifth season as an EFL referee having risen swiftly through the divisions. Sunday’s match will be his 16th Championship match.

In his only previous Town game, the 2-1 win at Morecambe in League One in October 2022, he awarded the Blues two penalties,

On 58, Kyle Edwards was tripped by Farrend Rawson for the first, Town’s first spot-kick in nine months, but Conor Chaplin’s effort was saved.

Six minutes later, the Blues were given another when Kayden Jackson was felled by Jacob Bedeau. This time Lee Evans was successful to claim the points. Evans was the only Town player booked during the game along with six home of the home team.

Squad From

Palmer, Walton, Button, Furlong, Johnson, Young, H Clarke, Davis, O’Shea (c), Greaves, Kipre, Matusiwa, Cajuste, Taylor, Nunez, Humphreys, J Clarke, Walle Egeli, Szmodics, Philogene, McAteer, Akpom, Hirst, Azon.

Photo: TWTD

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