Mckenna takes positive after Ipswich beaten 2-0 by Liverpool
17/08/2024
Portman Ropad Stadium, Ipswich, UK
17/08/2024
Portman Ropad Stadium, Ipswich, UK
Category
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SportsTranscript
00:00Paul, do you want to get his underwear?
00:15I think there were a lot of positives to take, of course, mostly in the first half.
00:20I thought it was a really strong first half performance.
00:24We made it a really difficult game for Liverpool.
00:28We pressed really well, our organisation was very good.
00:32We were physical, we were aggressive, we were brave out of possession.
00:35In possession, we did a lot of good things as well.
00:38I thought we found a really nice mixture between showing our bravery and our composure to build short passes,
00:43but also used the physical presence that we had on the top line with Wes and with Liam.
00:48I thought we gave a really, really strong team a lot of problems.
00:52I think it was a really positive first half performance.
00:55I think we showed all the ingredients that we're going to need to have a good season this season.
01:01Of course, the challenge for us then is that we have to be able to do that for longer.
01:04We have to be able to do that for 90 minutes, or in the periods where we can't be like that,
01:10we have to find ways to manage the game and be how we want to be in that phase.
01:16I think there were a lot more positives to take from the game.
01:19Of course, the second half was difficult and Liverpool kicked into the stride and the game got away from us.
01:25I think the players should be really proud of their efforts and the way that they managed to step up.
01:29I think they all come away from the game more confident in terms of feeling like they can compete at this level,
01:34they can play at this level, but also knowing that there's a lot of areas for us to improve in.
01:39That's the job now, that's the work, and that will start on Monday.
01:44Next.
01:46What did you think happened in the second half?
01:49They made a change, but it felt like they advanced more on you and had more of a pitch?
01:56Yes, a number of different factors.
01:58There weren't huge differences tactically in the second half.
02:01Trent played a little bit higher on the right-hand side, so there were a few little adjustments.
02:07I think our physical level dropped, that's the reality of it.
02:11That's understandable, one, by the efforts we've put into the first half, but also we're very early on.
02:17We've got quite a few players out there playing their first ever game of Premier League football,
02:21ten of the starting team playing their first ever start at the Premier League level,
02:24so there's an adjustment to the intensity.
02:26We have a few who haven't completed the full pre-season, who probably are a little bit undercooked going into today.
02:33I think there was a physical drop-off from us.
02:35Liverpool, of course, credit to them. They showed their quality in the top line,
02:40especially in their ability to utilise the space in behind and play the ball into the space in behind for their fast runners.
02:46I think that's the challenge that we're going to face.
02:52The biggest thing for us, in terms of lessons, is finding that level of execution in the first half
02:59to probably get the goal that I don't think would have been undeserved.
03:02And managing the period in the second half when Liverpool were in full flow and playing really well.
03:07Just managing that phase of the game better so that we can stay, even if it is at 1-0 down,
03:13we can stay at 1-0 down and manage to stay in the game.
03:15If we do that, we would have the possibility to push hard late in the game.
03:19I think you have to respect the level of the opponent, you have to respect the jump for our players,
03:24and there's not too much to criticise them on.
03:26But there's details that we can improve on in the second half that will give us a better chance to stay dominant for longer.
03:45We tried to prepare as we normally would for a game.
03:48We tried to keep everything as normal and we've had a good week of preparation.
03:53Of course, we acknowledge the achievement, the occasion for so many of the group to have been part of bringing Premier League football back to Ipswich
04:03for the first time in so long and the way that we've done it with back-to-back promotions is incredible.
04:08And for 10 players to make their first Premier League start, that's climbing the mountains.
04:13Such a small percentage of professional footballers manage to play in the best league in the world.
04:18It's something that I'm very proud of them. They should be very proud of themselves, as I know they are.
04:23So we acknowledge that. But other than that, it was concentrating on the performance.
04:27I think you can say in the first half by how we performed, the players dealt with the occasion very, very well
04:33and managed to impose ourselves on a fantastic team and made it a really competitive game in that first half.
04:48Liverpool vs Man City. How quickly can you get into that? How much time can you take for that?
04:54You're left to Liverpool vs Man City when you would expect a big result for Ipswich.
04:59After that, maybe the matches could vary very quickly, including the league cup, where you would need to pick up points.
05:04The way the picture has come out, of course, with it being Liverpool vs Man City in the first two games, we take that as a real positive.
05:11We know that it's going to give us a real good insight to the top echelons of the league and of club football in the world, to be honest, in the first couple of weeks.
05:21We know that the group is riding at the deep end, but we feel like that can hopefully fast-track our adjustment and our development into this league.
05:29So we take that as a positive. We know on the flip side of it, there's a chance coming into the season that we'll have no points after the first two games.
05:38But we also know that the league is really difficult and the game after that is Fulham. It's another excellent team.
05:43We've had a couple of years in the Premier League now. After that, I think it's Brighton.
05:46So every game is going to be difficult, for sure. We have two of the most dominant teams in the league early on.
05:52I think we'll take positives from today. But other than that, it's just going to be about our journey, how we continue to improve, both from a physical point of view, as you say,
06:00and how we build that up over the next weeks and months, but also tactically and mentally and from a technical execution as well.
06:07How we continue to improve over the next few months. We won't spend much time, to be honest, talking about the league table or positions or points.
06:14That's not how we work. That's not how we've got to this point. It'll be about full commitment to each game, give each game our best, learn our lessons,
06:24train and propel really well, train and prepare really well the next week and get ready to go again. That'll be the same whoever we play against.
06:31The atmosphere in general today has obviously been a long wait to get back to the Premier League. Did it live up to everything you hoped for today?
06:41Your players seem to really feed off that, certainly in the first half.
06:45No, the supporters were fantastic. We've had some great atmospheres here. We've had some noise in the last few years.
06:51But there were moments in the first half where it was right up there with anything that we've had.
06:56The supporters were great. I think more importantly in the second half, because the first half, the excitement of the game, the flow of the game, the way it was going,
07:05the fact that we were having opportunities and pinning Liverpool in on occasion, of course the supporters were right behind us.
07:11But I think more importantly for the season, in the second half when the game got away from us a little bit and Liverpool were the dominant team and looked like scoring,
07:18the crowd kept pushing the players. They were right behind the team and said, right with us to the end.
07:23That helped the players play right to the last whistle, which they managed to do.
07:28I think they will have enjoyed the game. Of course, we want to win every game.
07:33But they've seen their team and they've seen the group, so many of the groups that they've been proud of over the last couple of years.
07:39They've seen them go and compete for 45 minutes, but they've seen them go and compete really well against one of the best teams in the league.
07:47They've had a good look at the level, they've saw the level and the challenge that's ahead of us.
07:51I know and I really believe they'll be with us every moment of every game.
07:54Just a quick fitness update, you've got Danny Gokey, Aaron Miller out today, is that true?
07:59Yes, he got a knock in his calf in the early part of the week, so we were hoping that he would be OK up until he had a fitness test this morning,
08:07but he wasn't able to make it. I think that's a big positive from the day, if I'm honest, because it's such an important lesson for the group.
08:16Walton's come into the game not having played a league fixture for 15, 16 months.
08:21His last league fixture was in League One and he's trained and prepared all last season, didn't manage to get minutes in the league,
08:28lost his position through an injury and he stayed ready and performed really, really well today.
08:34So I think it was a big lesson for us and a big reinforcement for the group in terms of everyone being ready and everyone being needed.
08:42That's going to be the case all season and that showed up pretty well today.
08:47Is Wes OK?
08:49No, Wes has a hamstring, so we don't know the severity of it yet, but I'm sure he will get assessed in the next few days.
08:56That's a disappointing one, so we'll have to assess that.
09:01Sorry, Phil, just in front of you.
09:09Who?
09:11No, we're not going to comment on that.
09:13Can you please go?
09:16Kieran, you had a couple of promising counter-attacking situations, particularly in the first half.
09:21How encouraging was that and what do you need to do better to turn them into proper goalscoring chances?
09:27It's just our execution. We had some big moments where we were breaking through the pitch and we had an overload on one or two occasions as well.
09:35It's the execution of the timing of the pass, the angle and the weight of the pass, the timing of the support and run.
09:41I think if we had got those elements better, then we would have had a couple of big, big chances.
09:46That's the challenge, developing our execution and developing our execution under big fatigue because the intensity and the level of the game is so high.
09:55You're playing under more fatigue than players will have ever played under before.
09:58Of course, even if it is an overload situation, better defenders facing you in big environments and big pressure situations.
10:06Executing in those situations will be key for us and something that we can take from today.
10:11I think that if we can improve on that, then certainly the scoreline could have been different at half-time.
10:17Phil, we can take one question from you on a different subject, please.
10:20I was just thinking about the mood in the dressing room. You've been defeated. I think it's only your second league defeat and 40 at home.
10:27It can't be the normal mood after a defeat?
10:37No, the players are positive down there. The group is used to winning. We want to win every game and it's never going to feel good not winning, especially at home.
10:46It doesn't matter if it's home or away, it's never going to feel good. The boys are positive down there.
10:50I think the overriding emotion for most of those who start the game should be pride and an increase in confidence that they showed that no matter where they've come from,
11:00they can compete in the Premier League against one of the best teams.
11:03They're positive down there. They also know that we've got strides to go.
11:07They also know that Liverpool are much better than us in the second half and deserve to win the game in that period.
11:12There's a realistic mood down there of being proud of what we've achieved to get to this day and lots of elements of the performance we can take confidence from individually and collectively.
11:22But also knowing that there's some more strides to make and I'm sure the attitude and positivity on Monday will be really good to get to work on that.