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‘A goalkeeper with really high potential’: McKenna backs Town shotstopper and praises young striker
Ipswich Town manager Kieran McKenna has backed goalkeeper Aro Muric and praised young striker Liam Delap ahead of Saturday’s match against Wolves at Portman Road.The Blues boss will stick with Muric between the sticks following the 26-year-old’s late mistake in Sunday’s 2-1 defeat to AFC Bournemouth.The £8m summer signing from Burnley ran off his line in the 87th minute, leading to the Cherries equalising, before they scored again in stoppage-time.
Ipswich Town goalkeeper Aro Muric has been backed by boss Kieran McKenna. Picture: Barry GoodwinMcKenna was asked if Muric was still his first-choice goalkeeper: "We support all of our players,” he said.“We know that mistakes are going to be made over the course of the season. We think that he's an extremely talented goalkeeper, I have to say.“I think he's got attributes to his game that are top, top class. He's also very young for a goalkeeper and settling into a new club.🙌 Aro Muric's stop to deny Erling Haaland has been nominated for the @PremierLeague Save of the Month award for August. Voting is open now. ⤵️— IPSWICH TOWN (@IpswichTown) September 5, 2024 "There are areas of his game that he's working really, really hard on and we're fully engaged in that process with him."Obviously he was disappointed with Bournemouth's first goal on Saturday. With any goal that goes against you it's never just one thing though. There were a couple of other things as a team, and with individuals within the team, that we could have done better to stop the goal. "But's a good professional in terms of how he works day-to-day. He's training well, he's adapting to the demands that we're putting on him well, in many aspects, and is really keen to help the team. I know he's going to do that in the games ahead."
Muric was signed from Burnley for £8m in the summer. Picture: Barry GoodwinMcKenna added: "He was disappointed, as all the group were, but that's the nature of football and that's the nature of being a goalkeeper. “We made other mistakes in the game. Probably every player on the pitch made a mistake at some point on Saturday, but when you're a goalkeeper your margins are really, really fine.Aside from the error against Bournemouth, Muric was beaten by Bryan Mbeumo's cross in a late 4-3 loss at Brentford in October and struggled in the 4-1 defeat to Manchester City at the start of the season.However, he has also produced some excellent stops in goal and has been nominated for several Premier League ‘Save of the Month’ awards.⏱️ Town U18 are out of the FA Youth Cup following a closely-contested 3-2 defeat at AFC Bournemouth in round three.— IPSWICH TOWN (@IpswichTown) December 11, 2024 "I think he's been in good form. Up until that moment on Saturday I think he had a good game,” McKenna said. “His performances have been improving as the season's gone on. He's been helping us in a lot of different situations and I think he's been really growing into the season."When you're a goalkeeper or defender and you make a mistake then there's a chance it leads to a goal, especially at the level we're operating in, but it's how you bounce back from that. He's been training well. "We believe he's a goalkeeper with really high potential who's already doing things excellently this season. He is doing things that have prevented goals. One example would be his cross claiming. He stops chances for the opposition with how good he is at claiming crosses.Can you pick a favourite out of these six stunners? 🧤Vote now for September's Save of the Month award 👇#PLAwards— Premier League (@premierleague) October 3, 2024 "He's also a young goalkeeper settling into a new area and new club with new coaching staff, new team mates and new demands. That process isn't always going to be perfect."McKenna added: “Christian (Walton) is working really, really hard and Cieran Slicker was working really hard. “It's a strong department that pushes each other and helps each other.”Town striker Liam Delap is the club’s top goalscorer in the Premier League this campaign with six goals and has been tipped as Bayern Munich star Harry Kane’s ‘obvious long-term successor’ by BBC Match of the Day pundit Danny Murphy.
McKenna has praised young striker Liam Delap. Picture: Barry GoodwinDelap is without a goal in his last four goals and McKenna was asked if he needs to start scoring again soon.“No, I think for Liam, you know, it's of course the goals and the goals he had at the start of the season were a big bonus,” McKenna said.“But it's never the be-all and end-all when he was scoring regularly at the start of the season. There was lots to work on. I think he's had some really good recent performances.“Probably the Man United game, he had two of the best chances that he's had all season from inside the six- yard box or one from just outside the six-yard box.“He had two massive chances. Other games, he hasn't had so many chances and went byhimself and put the ball in the top corner. So you're going to have flows like that. We can't expect him to do that every single game.“For a 21-year-old, as I've said many times, for a 21-year-old playing his first season in the Premier League and in some aspects his first season as a central number nine week in, week out, I think he's doing a terrific job and we're pleased with him. “He's working hard to keep improving and I think he can do that.”Town travel to the Molineux Stadium on Saturday with a 3pm kick off against 19th-placed Wolves.The two sides both sit in the relegation zone with nine points each and have never come up against each other in the Premier League.