Ipswich Town manager Kieran McKenna will wait until the end of the season to reflect on his side’s Premier League campaign
Ipswich Town manager Kieran McKenna will wait until the end of the season to reflect on his side’s Premier League campaign (Image: PA)
Kieran McKenna has admitted that next week will be a pivotal one in Ipswich Town’s battle to avoid the drop.
The Blues currently sit 18th in the Premier League table, occupying the last relegation spot. They have 17 points from 29 games, leaving them nine points – essentially 10 due to goal difference – from safety.
If they are to survive, their form will need to improve quickly. Town are the only side in the top five tiers of English football yet to win a league game in 2025. They will likely need four or five between now and the end of the season to stand a chance.
Regardless of whether or not they manage it, McKenna is adamant that his side will learn a lot from this campaign, although his focus is purely on the upcoming trip to Bournemouth
Asked whether this is a big week for in their season, McKenna told Sky Sports: “It is, even just by the numbers. There are nine games left and we’ve got two of them in three days.
“It’s a big week in terms of points to play for. It’s a big week in terms of a good chunk of our remaining fixtures, and of course, one of them being the Wolves fixture. I think they are one position above us in the league. That puts a little bit more on that game as well.
The Blues are nine points from safety ahead of games against Bournemouth and Wolves
The Blues are nine points from safety ahead of games against Bournemouth and Wolves
“It’s a big three-day block, so there’s no doubt about it. We’ll have plenty of time to prepare and it’s up to us to be as ready as we can. We have to try and deliver good performances in both games and get points on the board.
“A big thing is that we’re not in the process of reflecting on everything at this stage of the season. We’ve got nine games left and we’re on to the next game and we want to finish this season really, really strongly.
“We’re still trying to make it a great season. That’s where our mindset is at, and that’s where all our focus is.
“When you climb as quickly as we have from League One to the Premier League, you’re going to learn a lot of things along the way. Making the jump from where we were this time last year to now, to the Premier League, with the group that we have and the rate of change that there’s been, you’re going to learn an awful lot from it.
“We certainly have. I think it’s been a pretty unique journey for the Premier League and a unique challenge. Everyone involved in that process is going to be a lot wiser and a lot stronger for it.
“At the end of the season – hopefully after a successful end to the season – we’ll look back on a lot of things, We’ll all be stronger and wiser for the experience, but for now, our focus is on Bournemouth, trying to get ready for the next game and finishing the season as strongly as we can.”
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