Ipswich Town manager Kieran McKenna reacts to 2-2 draw at Chelsea in the Premier League - and the reason why three promoted sides are all going to be relegated at the first attempt
Ipswich Town boss Kieran McKenna felt his players and fans could be proud of their efforts following their 2-2 draw with Chelsea at Stamford Bridge, despite the Blues having led 2-0 at half-time.
Although Town missed out on a first double of the season, and a first over the West Londoners since 1978/79, McKenna’s side were given a rapturous reception by their 3,000-strong travelling support at the end.
“I think the reaction was deserved and I thought the players and the supporters did themselves proud,” said McKenna, whose 2-1 home loss to Wolves last week all but confirmed relegation back to the Championship after one season.
“We knew it was going to be a really difficult game. We knew we were coming into it in a challenging situation, not just league position and stuff like that, but availability and injury, and playing against a fully motivated and almost full-strength Chelsea, so it was always going to be tough.
“The scorelines didn’t always go with the flow of the game. In the first half, we certainly weren’t at our best with the ball and it probably looked like there was a bit of nervousness in there at the start of the game.
“But we were really clinical, took our moments fantastically well, executed in the areas that we wanted to execute in the game plan and we defended with a lot of resilience and probably a little bit of luck, to be honest.
“In the second half, I actually thought we played better than the first half. We had more chances and for lots of the second it was a pretty even game with both teams pushing for the goals.
“We were disappointed to concede right from kick-off [in the second half], that was a big setback, but I think the response to it was very good.
“And from that moment, where it could end up a really difficult second half, it was actually, until [Jadon] Sancho’s goal, a pretty even second half and we looked as likely to get our (third) goal as they did their second goal.
“Of course, a brilliant moment from Jadon to score and make it 2-2 and then both teams were going for the win.
“It took a couple of great saves from Alex Palmer, to be fair, but we had our moments going up the other end.
“It was a really good game and the players gave everything to it again and I think they can be proud of their efforts.”
McKenna felt a draw was a fair enough result and added: “Chelsea had the better chances over the game but I think that was always going to be the case.
“But for the number of chances we created and the quality of our chances for an away team, I think we deserved something from the game. We could have won it at the end, we could have lost it.
“For us to compete with Chelsea as we have over the two games is testament to the group.”
Despite the Blues, now 14 points off safety, being set for Championship football in 2025/26, with their fate potentially being mathematically confirmed as soon as next week, McKenna was proud of the performance and taking four points off a club as big as Chelsea this season. Town won the reverse fixture 2-0 at Portman Road in December.
“I think we can take great pride in it,” he said. “The background of our team, our group today and the journey that a lot of those players have been on is huge.
“So to come here and compete, I’m really proud of them on an individual level, but you also look at the spirit and then organisation and the commitment that the group showed today.
“And that’s a group of players, some of them have been here through the promotions, some have arrived later this season, some are on loan, you’ve got some lads out of contract, some lads in contract at the end of the season, but you’ve seen a group that are there fighting for themselves, fighting for each other and fighting for their club and you can’t ask for too much more from them than that.
“In terms of competing in the game, we should be pleased. Our first-half record in games this season, from where we’ve come from, is really good.
“That’s not something we’re going to take great satisfaction from in the summer, I’m not going to enjoy my holidays any better because we were really good in the first half, but it’s a real testament to the way that we work, the way the players commit to training, the way they commit to the game plans, the way that we’ve approached games.
“But the step up has been really big and there are lots of different reasons why we haven’t always been able to to turn performances and positions into points.
“That’s, of course, a disappointment but I know there’s a lot of good underlying work going on here at the club and in the group and if that continues then the club will be in a great position.”
Asked about the biggest challenges coming into the Premier League, McKenna was in no doubt: “It’s certainly a big jump, the biggest jump is the physical and the individual quality level of the players, that’s it. And that is a financial jump because that comes from the Premier League’s strength and the quality of the players that can be attracted and paid for.
“And that quality now doesn’t run at the very top of the league, it runs right down through every team who can establish themselves in the Premier League for one season.
“I think the strength of the league this season is very strong in terms of the depth of that strength across the league.
Read more: Chelsea 2-2 Ipswich match report
“It looks like it’s been too much of a mountain for us this season in terms of picking up the points we would have wanted, we’ve not been too far away from it, but it looks like we’re not going to be able to climb that mountain.
“The three teams [promoted last season, Town, Leicester and Southampton] competed in what was said to be the strongest Championship ever. Leicester were labelled the strongest team in Championship history, Leeds not far off of it, the biggest budget in Championship history, but the step for all three teams has been too big.
“For us, we know that our journey is very different to Leicester’s and Southampton’s but the three teams that competed at the very top end of that division last year haven’t been able to compete this year and the reason why in my opinion is the strength of the league and the strength of the players that teams can bring in and can develop.”
