Kieran McKenna discusses Ipswich Town’s adaptation to the Premier League, focusing on evolving strategies and the role of new players.
- McKenna transformed Ipswich into a high-pressing team, securing continuous promotions.
- Despite success, the current squad faces challenges in maintaining their style in the Premier League.
- McKenna’s approach involves pragmatic adaptations to remain competitive.
- Omari Hutchinson’s performance and pressing statistics highlight his significance to the team.
Kieran McKenna has orchestrated a remarkable transformation for Ipswich Town, turning them into a high-pressing, goalscoring unit. Under his guidance, the team accumulated 194 points and 193 goals across consecutive promotions from League One to the Premier League. However, many players from this initial journey remain, posing challenges in the current competitive landscape.
McKenna has always been an advocate for hard work and aggression. Nevertheless, the team’s style must evolve to remain effective in the Premier League. McKenna acknowledges the importance of adaptability, especially given the £100m investment into new players who need time to integrate and adjust to top-tier demands. He states, ‘At this stage and for a while yet, it’s just about us as a group adapting to the level.’
The beginning of the Premier League season was anticipated to be challenging due to the significant turnover in players. McKenna’s philosophy is centred on being open about potential setbacks and maintaining resilience. He explains, ‘We want to be brave, dominant and aggressive with and without the ball. But we also know the demands of the level, the step up we’re taking as a group, that it’s not going to be the case in every game.’
McKenna’s Ipswich has returned to foundational principles like defensive solidity as a response to Premier League pressures. The team aims to be difficult to beat, balancing pressing efforts with necessary defensive tactics. McKenna emphasises, ‘When you step up a division, knowing you can be hard to beat, get a clean sheet, defend when you need to – that’s important.’
Attacking depth remains a concern, highlighted by the unsuccessful attempts to sign Armando Broja and Reiss Nelson. However, the acquisition of Omari Hutchinson offers hope. Hutchinson, who completed the most pressures in the Premier League, is expected to grow into his role, given his understanding of McKenna’s strategies. McKenna comments on Hutchinson’s importance, ‘It was a big priority to keep him. He found a really good football home here.’
Despite lacking a win, Ipswich has shown resilience with three draws following tough matches against Liverpool and Manchester City. McKenna values these results over sporadic victories, maintaining a focus on team development and realistic goal settings. He states, ‘It’s about controlling what we can control and we’ve been very much oriented in that way for the last few years anyway.’
Ipswich’s journey under McKenna’s leadership highlights a strategic blend of aggression and pragmatism, vital for their Premier League aspirations.
