Ipswich Town manager Kieran McKenna wants his team to finish a difficult Premier League season on a high. (Image: PA)
Ipswich Town manager Kieran McKenna wants his team to finish a difficult Premier League season on a high. (Image: PA)
Ipswich Town manager Kieran McKenna says it's 'really important' that his team finish a brutal Premier League campaign on a high today.
Following back-to-back promotions, the Blues have come up short in the club's first season at top flight level in 22 years.
Relegation was confirmed with four games to go and Town go into this afternoon's game against West Ham at Portman Road (4pm ko) knowing they need to win, and Leicester need to lose at Bournemouth, in order to finish best of the bottom three.
Asked if it was important his team ended on a positive note, McKenna - who has overseen just one home league win in 24/25 - replied: “It's really important. There's no doubt about that. To me, it genuinely feels like there's lots to play for in the last game in many different aspects.
"You can't guarantee the result at any level of football, certainly not in the Premier League, but we need to guarantee the commitment that we give to the performance and do everything to reward the supporters with a good day.
"That's what we're going to try and do."
Reflecting on some standout moments from an ultimately disappointing season, the Blues boss said: “We've had a couple of wins against some of the biggest, richest clubs in the world. We'd like to have had more, but there's no guarantee that you get any as a newly promoted team - certainly with the climb that we've had.
"No doubt Tottenham away (2-1 win) was special. No doubt Chelsea at home (2-0 win) and the way that we did that was special. Our other wins (against Wolves and Bournemouth) were just as special too.
"We've had some really intense, really good games. I don't think there's too many bad draws for us in the division. We've had a couple, probably in terms of balance of play, feeling like they should have been wins. But generally, if you've competed with the team and you take points in the game, you've done a lot of things well.
"So there's been some really good moments. They're not sticking too much at the front of my head at the moment though, to be honest. The losses tend to stick with you a little bit more.
"But I know that, over the course of the season, there's been a couple of results in a couple of the games that will live with the supporters for a very long time, that are up there with any on an individual game basis that the club has been through in the last couple of decades. So there's certainly a few memories there to cherish."
Asked what he has learned from his first season as a manager in the Premier League, McKenna said: "I've coached in the Premier League for quite a few seasons (formerly as Manchester United assistant manager), so I don't think there's been anything that shocked me.
"Taking a team from League One, to the Championship, to the Premier League in three seasons in modern football, with the way it's gone financially, has been an incredible journey.
"Each step of the way we've learned an awful lot about the differences between the leagues, the recruiting between the leagues, the importance of many different factors. Mostly, to be honest, we've learnt about the challenges related to progressing so quickly.
"There have been lots of lessons learned, things that I think we've done well that set us up well for the future, and also things that we would do differently if we had time over again.
"But everything that we've done has been for the right reasons and with the best interests of the club at heart. And when you make your decisions along those lines, I think it tends to hopefully work out pretty well in the long term."