Kieran McKenna accepts Ipswich Town's poor record against Leicester and Southampton has hurt them this season (Image: Ross Halls)
Kieran McKenna accepts Ipswich Town's poor record against Leicester and Southampton has hurt them this season (Image: Ross Halls)
Ipswich Town boss Kieran McKenna accepts his side's struggles against their relegation rivals have hurt them this season - but insists there are positives to take.
The Blues are heading back to the Championship with Leicester City and Southampton, the same two sides they came up with last season.
But while McKenna's took eight points from a possible 12 against the duo in the second tier, this season they've pocketed just two, failing to beat either of them.
READ MORE: Stuart Watson's verdict on defeat at Foxes
However, speaking after Town's 2-0 defeat at Leicester City on Sunday which saw them drop to 19th spot, the Ipswich boss insisted that his side have shown huge improvements in the games themselves.
Ipswich Town were beaten at Leicester City on Sunday
Ipswich Town were beaten at Leicester City on Sunday
(Image: Ross Halls) Put to McKenna that struggling against the Saints and Foxes has been a clear shortfall, he replied: "Yeah, that's clear. That's something we need to own and reflect on.
"Last year, along with Leeds, they (Leicester and Southampton) were by far the hardest games that we had.
"When we came here last year we managed to get a point, but it felt like we were clinging on with our finger nails to the game. We managed to hang in there and then push late in the game with some substitutes and get a point.
"The two games against Leicester this year felt completely different to that. We've been dominant in both games, in my opinion.
"In the two games against Southampton, I think we were much, much, much more dominant this season in those games than we were (in the Championship) - but we didn't find a way to win the games.
Town were beaten by rock bottom Southampton in Suffolk back in February
Town were beaten by rock bottom Southampton in Suffolk back in February
(Image: Steve Waller) "Look, four games in football is small sample. We should have won the first game against Leicester and, but for a referee's decision, it wouldn't be a discussion point. If Leif hits his shot a millimetre closer to the inside of the post early on today then we go 1-0 up and there's every chance we win the game.
"Southampton, at home, we had much better chances in the game that should lead us to winning. So the margins are really fine.
"I think it's a positive thing that, in my opinion, we are much more dominant than we were last year against that level of opposition. But also we're not going to hide behind the fact that coming out on top in tight games is going to be massively important for us.
"It's something we did fantastically well at last year (in the Championship) and it's something we need to get back to next year.
"It's better to be the team who feel like they are controlling the game and creating the better chances, but we know we need to refind those winning details this summer and build them with a new group.
"If we can do that we'll be in a great position because there was a lot of good things evident today."
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