| Queens Park Rangers 0 v 1 Ipswich Town SkyBet Championship Saturday, 19th August 2023 Kick-off 15:00 |  |
McKenna: Hard-Fought is the New Routine Saturday, 19th Aug 2023 18:41 Hard-fought is the new routine, manager Kieran McKenna said following the top-of-the-table Blues’ 1-0 win at QPR, their third victory in three games since they returned to the Championship. Conor Chaplin’s first goal of the campaign was enough to see Town to the three points and maintain their place at the top of the table. At his post-match press conference it was put to McKenna that it was a far from routine win and his team had to work for their victory, McKenna said: “I think that is routine, having to work really hard. “I’ve said it several times, we’re not in a position where we’re going to go and dominate games every week like last season and win comfortably every week, we’re going to have to work really, really hard for every point that we get. “And coming away to QPR, their first home league game, the atmosphere that meant there was going to be in the crowd, it was never going to be anything other than hard fought. “Both teams would have chances and we would have to fight really hard to impose our football and create as many chances as we could and limit them as best we could. “I think hard-fought is the new routine and we need to enjoy that challenge, make that step up and keep working as we are to come out on top of tight margins every week because that’s how it’s going to be.” While the Blues had chances, Rangers also had opportunities with Town keeper Vaclav Hladky making important and impressive saves, maintaining his positive start to the season in Christian Walton’s absence. “I think the first half was pretty tight,” McKenna reflected. “We had more of the ball and more shots. I thought we had more of the game, but they were waiting for moments and mistakes and we made some, which was where their opportunities came from. “And the atmosphere in the ground every time they got a throw-in or a corner or a shot, it feels like pressure. “But I thought we were controlling the game fairly well without finding our top level intensity. “And it wasn’t easy because it was a hot day, it was a dry pitch and I thought we were playing pretty well, just a step off it on and off the ball in terms of our intensity. “We spoke about it at half-time and we agreed - and we have agreed - that we’re going to have to be at our absolute maximum intensity every week to get points and I think we stepped up in the second half. “I thought we played well, I thought we controlled the second half apart from some isolated moments that we didn’t defend well enough that gave them chances. “But in terms of the flow of the game, I thought we were much better, we built pressure well, we had some chances before the goal and we were good value for it when it came.” The Blues boss was asked whether he felt his side should have been awarded a penalty prior to the goal when George Hirst was felled by Steve Cook. “I thought at the time, I’ve not seen it back,” he said. “I’m sure they’ll say it wasn’t, I thought it was. But the margins haven’t gone our way in those decisions this season so far, hopefully it will readdress itself in time.” Reflecting on Chaplin’s winning goal, he added: “A typical Conor goal because you know in tight spaces with defenders around, there are not many better players at finding ways of getting their shots off in minimum space with both feet. “He hits it low and he hits it hard very often, which is hard to stop for goalkeepers, especially when there are goalkeepers around. “It was always going to come, he hit the underside of the bar at Sunderland, he had eight shots last weekend against Stoke. Today he got on the end of three or four arriving on the second line. “If he keeps doing that and we keep getting to those areas, then we know he’s a threat and sooner or later one will go in the net.” The Blues’ excellent start to the season, they’re the first promoted side to win their first three games in the Championship since Southampton in 2011/12, will inevitably lead to more focus on Town from the outside. But McKenna says it’s not something which is taken much notice of within the camp: “Same as really. We’ve ignored it from the start. We ignored it last season, we’ve focused on performances and results. We ignored it last season when we’d draw a game and it would be perceived as a negative result. “We just focused on performances and trying to get better. There’s certainly no deluded heads in that dressing room, we know how hard we’re having to work for every game. “We know that we’re doing some things well but we know we can still improve. The margins are going our way, a lot of games will come down to the margins but we know if we keep improving and do enough of the right things you give yourself a better chance of being on the right side of those margins. “We know how tough the division is. It looks like anyone can beat anyone and I think there’s certainly no chance of anyone down there getting ahead of themselves. We’ve got Leeds next weekend, so every game is one that pricks your attention, pricks your full focus and every team has big threats and we know we’re going to have to work unbelievably hard just to compete. “The players are happy down there but they’re tired and they know they’re going to work just as hard or harder again next week.” Today’s win took the Blues to a new club record 21 matches unbeaten in all competitions. McKenna says he’s proud of that record while not being too fixated on it. “Yes, but we don’t think about it day-to-day that often or week-to-week because it is full focus on the next game,” he said. “Sometimes with records like that, you only really look back on whenever they’re finished, and we don’t want this to finish any time too soon. Our focus is just to try and win each game. “When I arrived Ipswich had a whole lot of negative records and every week you would tell me how long it’s been since they beat that team or how they’ve never won on TV or never won in London. “First win here since 2010, you say? There you go! There’s lots of other records and when you’re in a phase you’re getting more positive records thrown at you, that’s better than the other way around. But both scenarios, it’s just about the next game.” Quizzed on whether the record is more special as it beats the one achieved by Sir Bobby Robson’s side in 1980/81, he said: “The levels are different but the club and the players’ levels are different, so to be undefeated at any level you’re playing at is a really good achievement. “I wasn’t aware of the record, but we know we’re on a good run, we’ve moved up a division and it’s not something that we’re focusing on, but to be undefeated for that long reflects really well on the group and the players, irrespective of the level they’re operating at.” Janoi Donacien was substituted eight minutes before half-time and McKenna says the full-back had picked up a niggle. “He said he felt his groin, so realistically it’s probably a little strain,” he said. “A shame for him, it is what it is, the boys are operating right on the edge. “It’s why we have a squad and we had two players more than ready to come on in that position and contribute well, and we thought Harry did that. That’s why we’re going to need a really strong squad.”
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