Ipswich Town manager Kieran McKenna says his side can't brush their heavy defeat to Newcastle under the carpet (Image: PA)
Ipswich Town manager Kieran McKenna says his side can't brush their heavy defeat to Newcastle under the carpet (Image: PA)
Ipswich Town boss Kieran McKenna says the team can't afford to sweep their heavy defeat to Newcastle under the carpet if they are to have any chance of bouncing back over Christmas.
The Blues were thumped 4-0 by Toon on Saturday, and now face a daunting pair of fixtures over the festive period, starting with a trip to Arsenal on Friday night (8.15pm) and followed by a home game with Chelsea a week tonight (7.45pm).
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And McKenna says his charges must accept what they got wrong in the Newcastle game if they are to improve for the next couple.
"It's not about brushing this under the carpet," said McKenna. "To be honest, I think some of the lessons from today, and some of the things we didn't do well, are going to be absolutely pivotal in the next couple of games.
“If we're talking about game management, defensive resilience, those sort of things, then going to the Emirates is as tough as it gets when it comes to those requirements."
McKenna's men have got two daunting fixtures over the Christmas period
McKenna's men have got two daunting fixtures over the Christmas period (Image: Steve Waller)
And the Town boss acknowledged his side are going to have to be at their very best to stand any chance of getting a result over Christmas.
He insisted: "If we take the lessons from today then, in some ways, it's a useful time to have a couple of really difficult games because we're going to have to show those things in abundance."