Ipswich Town take on Manchester United, at Old Trafford, in a Premier League match tonight (7.30pm ko). Here’s what manager Kieran McKenna had to say ahead of returning to his former club.
A: We’ve got a great game to look forward to on Wednesday, so there’s a great energy around the training ground today. Everyone’s really excited to go to Old Trafford and play against Manchester United.
It’s a standout one in the calendar for sure. This is a stadium that many of us, having grown up watching football, will be inspired by. For quite a few of our players, it’ll be the first time that they’ve played at Old Trafford and a game like this doesn’t come around 10 times in every career.
The opportunity to go and compete there in a league game is fantastic for the football club, for the group of players and for the staff. We’re all really excited for iWe played them in the manager’s (Ruben Amorim) first game (a 1-1 draw at Portman Road in November), so that’s our clearest reference. There were some things that were good in that game for us, while they showed their quality in some moments as well.
Of course, I know quite a few of the players on a more detailed level (having been assistant manager at Manchester United from 2018-2021). Our players know pretty much all their players very, very well. We know that it’s going to be a big challenge because I’m sure they’re going to try and finish the season strongly.t.
We played them in the manager’s (Ruben Amorim) first game (a 1-1 draw at Portman Road in November), so that’s our clearest reference. There were some things that were good in that game for us, while they showed their quality in some moments as well.
Of course, I know quite a few of the players on a more detailed level (having been assistant manager at Manchester United from 2018-2021). Our players know pretty much all their players very, very well. We know that it’s going to be a big challenge because I’m sure they’re going to try and finish the season strongly.
If there was one simple reason to improve their home form, I’m pretty sure the last manager or this current manager would have addressed it. I’m sure they’re trying to find solutions. The people closest to it will have the best opinion.
They’re going to be desperate to get a win on Wednesday night. We’re going to be desperate to go there and get some points as well. So, you know, should make for a really competitive match.
: Probably PSG away (when United recovered from a 2-0 home defeat in the first leg to win 3-1 and reach the Champions League quarter-finals in 2019). I think that was pretty special for anyone who was involved in that one.
Working at the highest, highest level of the game at that stage, at the very top end of the Premier League and the latter stages of the Champions League, was an opportunity that not many people get in their careers.
Look at the Premier League, international and Champions League experience that they’re going to have on the pitch. It would be foolish of us to go there expecting anything other than a big, big challenge and a really tough game. I think that’s what we’re going to get.
We will go there with humility, knowing that we’re playing against some world-class players in their home stadium, but also with the confidence to know that we’ve picked up some big results away from home. We played well against Man Utd in the first game (a 1-1 home draw at Portman Road) and we’ll go there to try and impose ourselves on as much of the game as we can.
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