A slow start to the season has kept a side considered by many to be the best in the Championship, but Ipswich Town’s progress has been ominous in recent weeks.
Tractor Boys are third in the table, two points behind Middlesbrough with a game in hand. They have won six of their last eight.
Kieran McKenna, however, is coy about his side’s progress and position.
“Honestly, I wouldn’t even call it a promotion race yet,” he says Ski Sports. “A lot of teams are in similar positions, and anyone can win every weekend. The league is incredibly tight.
“We are focused on ourselves and not worrying about others. Consistency is difficult in this division and the gap between the teams is very small. Our aim is to keep winning and see where we are at the end of the season.”
Kieran McKenna has been named Ski Bet Championship Manager of the Month for December
McKenna may not be willing to call it a promotion race just yet. But whatever it is, it’s certainly a very different kind of battle than the one they were embroiled in two years ago.
In the 2023/24 season, Ipswich were very much the underdogs in the battle between the heavyweights of Leicester City, Leeds and Southampton. This time they were the favourites, but they actually have eight points less than at the same stage then.
McKenna believes that it is a new group that took time to integrate.
“After the summer turnaround, things won’t go perfectly smoothly,” he admits. “We’ve lost seven or eight regular starters, including the club captain, vice-captain and most of the leadership group.
“It took time for everyone to settle, both individually and as a group. Players like Cedric Kypres and Azor Matusiva, who are in their first season at the club, have grown massively.
“Even sophomores like Jack Clark and Jayden Filogen are showing their talent and improvement from last season.”
“Overall, there’s a lot of upside individually, but we’re still focused on improving as a team.”
“I think we have one of the strongest squads in the league. However, any lack of talent doesn’t automatically count for much in the Championship.”
“Hard work, teamwork, mentality and cohesion on and off the field is what matters. It’s a different challenge this year, but the work we do determines whether we’ll be successful, regardless of the strength of the team.”
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Highlights from the Sky Bet Championship match between Ipswich Town and Blackburn Rovers
Even with all that said, McKenna is still hoping to add to his squad before the January window closes.
Ipswich have never been shy of mid-season recruitment in recent years, with the club bringing in winter signings in every season he has been in charge at Portman Road.
“We’ve got good depth and numbers in the squad and we’ve been lucky with injuries this year,” he says. “But we always look to improve in every transfer window.”
“If we can find players who add quality now or for the future, we will continue to do so. If not, we will focus on improving the players we already have. The aim is to be as strong and balanced as possible by the end of January.”
Watch Ipswich Town v Bristol City live on Sky Sports+ and the Sky Sports app on Tuesday night; start at 7:45 p.m.