Outpoll | Ipswich not yet 'complete' team

News
AI
Ipswich not yet 'complete' team - McKenna

Ipswich not yet 'complete' team - McKenna

1 day ago7 min read3 comments

The Championship table might show Ipswich Town riding a formidable five-match unbeaten streak, but manager Kieran McKenna is having none of the premature hype, insisting his squad is far from the polished, 'complete' article many are beginning to perceive. This refreshing dose of managerial pragmatism emerged following a seismic 3-1 victory over arch-rivals Norwich City in the East Anglia derby, a result that not only snapped a torturous 16-year winless streak in the fixture but also catapulted Town to ninth place, with a tantalizing chance to breach the playoff spots with a win against second-placed Middlesbrough this Friday.Yet, for McKenna, the architect of this impressive early-season form, the narrative isn't one of arrival but of a painstaking construction project still in its foundational phases. 'I think there's different types of identity in terms of how you want the team to play on a consistent basis,' he explained to BBC Radio Suffolk, his analysis cutting through the celebratory noise with the precision of a seasoned tactician.'Are there phases of games or periods when we've been a front-footed, exciting, attacking team? Yes. Are there periods of great spirit and togetherness in the team? Yes.But it takes longer for a team to show those things consistently, week after week, two games a week in all sorts of conditions, on good days and bad days. That takes longer to build.' This measured perspective is reminiscent of the early days under legendary managers like Sir Alex Ferguson at Manchester United, where the emphasis was always on process over fleeting results; McKenna, much like those storied gaffers, understands that true team identity isn't forged in a handful of matches but over the grueling, relentless grind of a 46-game Championship season, a marathon where squad depth, tactical flexibility, and mental resilience are tested to their absolute limits. The upcoming clash at the Riverside Stadium serves as the perfect litmus test for McKenna's thesis.Middlesbrough, under Michael Carrick, have been a fortress at home this season, embodying the very consistency McKenna covets—'solid and strong in all phases of the game,' as he noted, a unit that concedes few chances and exhibits a structural stability Ipswich are still aspiring to achieve. The fixture's timing, a Friday night immediately following an international break, adds another layer of complexity, disrupting training rhythms and demanding an immediate, intense focus that McKenna believes can paradoxically 'dial everyone in straight away.' Behind the scenes, the break provided a crucial window for rehabilitation. The derby triumph, while monumental, left a trail of 'quite a few knocks and issues,' but afforded valuable treatment time for those not on international duty.McKenna reported productive sessions, including 11-versus-11 drills, allowing for more individualized work on the training pitch. On the injury front, there are green shoots of recovery: defender Harry Clarke, yet to feature this campaign due to a knee problem, is nearing full fitness, while the potential return of dynamic Welsh midfielder Wes Burns from an anterior cruciate ligament injury in the coming weeks could feel like a major new signing, adding a potent weapon to Ipswich's attacking arsenal.The absence of former Town defender George Edmundson for Boro due to a hamstring injury removes a familiar and capable adversary, a small tactical reprieve McKenna acknowledged with a touch of professional respect. The broader context for Ipswich's ascent is a Championship landscape in constant flux, a league notorious for its unpredictability and brutality.For every Leicester City or Leeds United with parachute payments and Premier League pedigrees, there is an Ipswich, a club with a proud history now methodically climbing back towards the elite. McKenna's caution is not merely modesty; it is a strategic imperative.To declare the project complete after a handful of positive results would be to ignore the lessons of this division, where a three-game losing streak can swiftly undo the progress of a five-game unbeaten run. The true test for this Ipswich side will be its response to adversity, the inevitable dip in form, the key injuries, and the tough away nights in the depths of winter.Can they maintain their front-footed identity when not everything is going their way? That is the hallmark of a 'complete' team, and as McKenna astutely observes, that particular destination remains a considerable journey ahead. The data, the underlying metrics of chance creation and defensive solidity, will tell their own story as the season unfolds, but for now, the most telling statistic might be the manager's own tempered expectations, a clear-eyed vision that could ultimately prove to be the club's greatest asset in the grueling campaign to come.