McKenna: We're Looking Forward to Busy December
Monday, 2nd Dec 2024 16:27
Blues boss Kieran McKenna says he, his staff and his players are looking forward to games coming thick and fast during December, as they used to in League One and the Championship.
Town got used to playing two matches a week in the EFL but Tuesday’s home game against Crystal Palace is their first midweek Premier League fixture this season.
While the first four months of the campaign have seen the Blues play either three or four matches, in December they’ll take part in six with three tough games in nine days over Christmas, Newcastle at home on December 21st, Arsenal away on the 27th and Chelsea at Portman Road on the 30th.
Following Tuesday’s visit by Palace, AFC Bournemouth are in Suffolk on Sunday, before the Blues travel to Wolves the following Saturday.
McKenna says his side are relishing playing more regularly, as they became used to in previous seasons.
“We're looking forward to it,” he said. “As a club, as a staff, as a playing group, we've been used to playing a lot more fixtures than what we have in the first three months of the season, so we're looking forward to a busier spell.
“As I've said before, the only thing that holds back from that is injuries and availability. We'd love to go into the spell with a full, clean bill of health. We'd love to have come through on Saturday with a full bill of health, but that hasn't been the case, so that's the only challenge that makes it a little bit tougher.
“We're not the only team in that position but with the position we're in, it's maybe more important for us to have as many bodies fit and available as possible.
“So we're looking forward to the period, we hope to have as many fit and available throughout it and don't pick up any more injuries.
“And if we can do that, then we feel that a busy period of games where concentration levels, fitness levels, all of those things, come into play more so than if you're playing once a week. We feel like that's a phase that has always suited us as a squad.”
Does he believe his team’s experience of playing Saturday-Tuesday-Saturday in League One and the Championship will serve them well through the busy spell?
“I think in some ways, from a mentality point of view, it will do because the players are really excited for the period,” he reflected.
“I can say that, genuinely, they want to have more games, they want to feel the rhythm of matches more.
“And with not having so many games as we're used to, international breaks, and all the things that we've had, it hasn't felt as frequent.
“So, from a mentality point of view, we're going into the period positive and we're looking forward to having lots of games. Will it help us? That's for us to show.
“Again, for us, injuries and availability are going to be really, really important. And we've got our fingers crossed on that.
“But from a mental point of view, which is a really big part of football, we're looking forward to having a busy period and something we're more than used to.”
McKenna says players prefer matches to training: “I think that's the mindset with a lot of our players who have come through that sort of background and are looking forward to having lots of games.”
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