McKenna: No Surprise Millwall are Competing at the Top End
Friday, 20th Mar 2026 17:30
Town boss Kieran McKenna says it’s no surprise to him that Millwall, who visit Portman Road for a top-of-the-table six-pointer on Saturday, are among the challengers at the top of the Championship.
The Lions are currently fourth, behind the Blues on goal difference alone following last weekend’s fixtures when Blackburn came from a goal down to beat them 2-1 at the Den, the home side having been reduced to 10 men when Zak Sturge was shown a straight red card just before the hour, a dismissal which was subsequently overturned by the FA.
“They have done very well,” McKenna said. “It’s clear to see in their results and when you watch the games, you can see how competitive they are. That’s credit to them.
“They deserve to be where they are, that’s obvious to say. They’ve got a really good experienced manager [Alex Neil] and really good players, a really effective team and it is going to be a real test for us tomorrow.”
Asked what type of match he anticipates on Saturday, the Blues manager added: “We want to make it the same game at Portman Road as against anyone – a fast game with us with the ball trying to attack.
“But I’m pretty sure teams will come to Portman Road and try make it the kind of game they want to make it.
“There are obvious things about Millwall. They are strong at set plays, they have a big counter-attack threat and they have their own weapons as well.
“I think it is going to be a tough game, like they all are in the Championship, especially when you are playing a team as strong as Millwall.
“We will try and make it the type of game we like at Portman Road, but we are pretty sure the opposition will try and stop us doing that. That’s the beauty of football. We have to find a way to overcome that.”
Does he feel Town and Millwall have been given the credit they deserve for their seasons?
“I don’t know, I don’t follow the discourse around Millwall,” McKenna responded. “But they have done excellently.
“They are a team who have been around the play-offs for a few seasons in a row so they have consistently challenged in this division.
“They have taken another step now this year and Alex has done a top job and they have some top, top players for this level.
“They have a really experienced team, they have good depth and it is no surprise to me that they are competing at the top end of this division.
“For us, I’ll let other people judge. I know how hard we have had to work to get to this level, but I also know there is still a long way to go. We want to keep on getting better and doing better.”
Whatever the result on Saturday, McKenna says both teams will still believe they will be in the promotion shake-up come May.
“We’ve got 27 points to play for, they’ve got 24 points to play for,” he continued. “Of course, it will be a pretty big game to win for either team, but whichever way it goes both teams will be looking at still being in a strong position going into the break.
“The motivation couldn’t be any higher to go and win the game. We’ve prepared as well as we possibly can, but we know each of the last nine games for us are going to be built as very important games – and they are very important games.
“But you take each one as it comes and it doesn’t mean anything more really than the three points, to be honest.
“The best way to get those three points is to focus on your performance and execute what you want to execute and play as well as you possibly can to try and get the result. Whether it goes your way or it doesn’t, you get on with trying to win the next one.”
The sides played out a goalless draw at the Den on Boxing Day, McKenna expects Saturday’s match to be similarly closely fought.
“It was 0-0 and it was tight,” he recalled. “I thought they carried a threat, I thought we controlled the game for larger parts but they are a hard team to break down.
“I think they are the only team with more clean sheets than us [Millwall 15, Town 14] and you can see why – they defend their goal with a lot of determination.
“I am sure both teams have reviewed that game this week, although you know things aren’t always going to be the same with maybe one team or another tweaking. We are not expecting anything other than a tight and tough game.”
Only two sides have picked up more points on the road than the South Londoners’ 32, the same as Championship leaders Coventry, the Lions having played an away game fewer than the other top three performers having won nine, drawn five and lost four.
Stoke are the only team in the division to have conceded fewer goals on their travels than Millwall’s 20. Eight sides have scored more away goals than the Lions’ total of 24.
McKenna says that that away form should be little shock: “No surprise with an experienced team and an experienced manager, lots of players who have been around the block in the Championship and they have defended well. So lots of ingredients you need to have a good away record.”
Among the threats the Blues will be looking to repel will be 24-year-old forward Femi Azeez, the subject of Town bids during the January window, who is the Lions’ joint-top scorer with eight and top of their assists chart with seven.
“Anyone who watches Millwall will see a lot of assists and a goal threat,” McKenna continued. “But it’s not just about that player, they’ve got good players all over the pitch.
“They’ve got a few players who are performing right at the top level of the Championship, they’ve got some big experience, they’ve got good options, depth, different profiles that they can play in different positions, so they are a really strong team with lots of capable players.
“We have prepared as well as we could and will give them as much respect as we possibly can and then we’ll focus on our strengths and try and bring the game to them.”
McKenna, whose side now have no more Saturday 3pm kick-offs at home this season, says he and his staff alter their preparations little for 12.30pm starts.
“It doesn’t hugely change our approach in terms of the team,” he said. “Certainly for home games, we are always here three hours before a game and have a meal together and do our last meetings here before travelling to the game.
“Of course, you are having a version of a big breakfast rather than a lunch like you would for a 3pm kick off, but other than that, we don’t change too much.
“Players have to find their own rhythm and some like it and some don’t like it. There are probably more who don’t prefer it, but it is so common in football now in every division, and especially this division.
“It is something players are used to by now. They have their routines and we advise them a bit on what and how to eat to fuel up a bit more today [Friday] as they have one less meal tomorrow. Things like that.
“Other than that, in terms of how we train during the week and do our meetings, it doesn’t change too much.
“I know it’s a different routine for the supporters and probably a challenge for them as well, especially for those who have to travel and especially when it’s an away game.
“I trust that come 12.30pm tomorrow, the players will be ready and the supporters will be ready to create the atmosphere that we want.”
The match is the club’s annual Foundation Fixture, aimed at raising awareness of and funds for the Ipswich Town Foundation, the club’s charitable arm. The players will wear specially designed shirts in the warm-up which will subsequently be put up for auction.
“It is always a good one,” McKenna said. “They are such an important part of the club and the club is always such an important part of the community so it is always nice to have a day to recognise that.
“To see that aspect of the club continuing to go from strength to strength is really important.
“It will be good to recognise that tomorrow and I’ve seen the nice T-shirts. But more importantly, raising awareness of the important work and I am sure that will continue at the club. Hopefully we will get a good result on the day.”
Elsewhere, Middlesbrough in second are at Blackburn in another lunchtime kick-off, while leaders Coventry visit Swansea in a 5.15pm start.
McKenna almost certainly won’t stray too far from the team which won at Sheffield Wednesday last week, although while forced into one change.
Christian Walton will continue in goal behind a back four of Darnell Furlong, skipper Dara O’Shea, Jacob Greaves and Ben Johnson. Leif Davis and Cedric Kipre remain suspended with the Ivorian serving the final match of his two-game ban. Davis won’t be back until the Norwich match a week after the end of the international break.
Azor Matusiwa, who like Furlong and Anis Mehmeti is now no longer under the threat of a suspension if he picks up another booking, will be in central midfield with Dan Neil probably starting alongside the Dutchman as he did at Hillsborough.
Wes Burns is unavailable for the right-sided role having suffered a calf injury last weekend, so McKenna will have to choose between Sindre Walle Egeli and Kasey McAteer, the latter perhaps getting the nod having shown some bright moments when coming off the bench in recent weeks.
Mehmeti seems set to start in the middle with Jack Clarke on the left but with Marcelino Nunez, who McKenna said was touch and go to return to the squad following his hamstring injury, and Jaden Philogene, who made his return from his knee injury last week, likely to be among the options from the bench.
Ivan Azon, who scored his fifth goal of the season against the Owls, seems set to return to the XI as the central striker with George Hirst dropping to the bench.
Millwall boss Neil admits Saturday’s match is significant but insists it won’t dictate the outcome of the Lions’ season.
“If you can beat the teams around you, you go into those games with a real confidence because they’re the teams, if you make the play-offs, you may need to meet again,” he told BBC Radio London.
“We understand the importance of the game but it’s not going to make or break our season although it is a vitally important match at this stage.”
After the international break, Millwall visit Boro on Good Friday, then host one of Neil’s former clubs, Norwich City, currently one of the division’s form sides, on Easter Monday.
“It makes no difference,” Neil added. “We’ve got eight games to play and we need to win as many as we can.
“Naturally the more the games whittle down, the more important they become because you can’t make up the points when they’re gone.
“We need to make sure we go and give the best account of ourselves in the game and try to win the match.”
Regarding Town, Neil believes the Blues are now showing the form which was anticipated at the start of the season.
“They’ve got one of the best squads in the league,” he told Southwark News. “Everybody was waiting for Ipswich to really kick into gear and be where they’re expected to be. They’re fighting at the top end of the table just now.
“They’ve got a good coach. They’ve been to our ground before. They’ve spent millions and millions of pounds to put that squad together. They were in the Premier League last year. I don’t think it’s a surprise to anybody that Ipswich is up there.
“People would probably have had them a bit further ahead than where they are now. But, having experienced it myself, it’s not easy when a team comes down and then you have to push them back up again.
“That’s not an easy turnaround because you’re used to not winning games in the Premier League because it’s so competitive and then you need to try and recalibrate the mindset.
“What I will say, I’ve watched a few of their games already. They’ve been very good in a lot of the games. I watched them against Swansea in particular. I thought they were excellent. We are certainly going to have to be at our best if we want to try and get a result.
“They’re a different animal at home than they are away from home. They’re much more slick at home. They’re very on top of you. The fanbase gets behind them. They’re a really well-coached team.
“I think Kieran is a really good coach. There’s going to be loads of things that we’re going to come up against at the weekend. But we’ve faced these types of challenges before, and we’ve managed to overcome them. I’m hoping that this will be another one.”
While Sturge’s red card has been rescinded, Neil is hopeful he may have one or two of Ryan Leonard, Casper De Norre, Caleb Taylor and Alfie Doughty back from injury with quartet set to be assessed.
Former Town midfielder Massimo Luongo remains sidelined with the ACL injury he suffered earlier in the season, while Dan Kelly and Lukas Jensen are also long-term absentees.
The sides are very closely matched historically, Town having won 23 games (19 in the league), Millwall 21 (20) and with 15 (15) having ended in draws.
The Blues have won five of the last nine meetings, drawing two and losing two, both in the 2018/19 relegation season.
On Boxing Day, the teams drew 0-0 at the Den. Town were largely in control of the game but tested home keeper Max Crocombe all too infrequently, while Walton in the Blues’ goal made the afternoon’s outstanding save in the first half.
The teams last met at Portman Road in November 2023 when superb first-half goals from Conor Chaplin, future Lion Luongo and Nathan Broadhead saw Town to a comfortable 3-1 victory over Millwall and to within a point of Championship leaders Leicester City.
Chaplin got the Blues up and running in the fifth minute, Luongo added the second on 12 and Broadhead the third six minutes before the break with Town well worth their half-time lead.
In the second period, the Blues continued to dominate without adding to their lead, while the Lions pulled back a consolation against the run of play in the 78th minute through sub Kevin Nisbet.
Familiar Faces
Ex-Blues midfielder Luongo, a member of the back-to-back promotion-winning side, joined the Lions in the summer following his Town release. The Australian international made nine starts and two sub appearances before suffering his injury.
Third-choice Millwall keeper Joel Coleman was with the Blues during 2022/23 but without making an appearance having been named on the bench twice in the FA Cup.
Saturday’s referee is Michael Salisbury, his assistants Simon Bennett and Matthew Wilkes, and the fourth official Andrew Humphries.
Preston-based Salisbury, whose father is long-serving EFL referee Graham Salisbury, has shown 56 yellow cards and two red in 14 games so far this season.
Salisbury’s most recent Town match was the 3-0 defeat at Newcastle in April in which he red-carded Blues full-back Johnson for two bookable offences inside the first 37 minutes.
Just before half-time, the Magpies were awarded a penalty after Julio Enciso pulled back Jacob Murphy. Salisbury waved away the protests but VAR persuaded him to take a second look and he changed his mind and Alexander Isak converted from the spot. Greaves, Liam Delap and one home player were booked.
A month earlier, Salisbury was in charge of the 4-2 home defeat to Nottingham Forest in which he booked Kalvin Phillips and one of the visitors, while he was the VAR official for the 2-2 draw at Chelsea a fortnight previously.
Salisbury was also in the middle for the 4-1 defeat at Liverpool in January last year when he booked Delap and Enciso.
Prior to that, he was also the VAR official for the Brighton home game when he failed to overrule referee Tony Harrington’s decision not to send off Joao Pedro for his challenge on Blues keeper Walton with ex-referees’ chief Keith Hackett highly critical of the pair afterwards.
Salisbury was at Portman Road in December 2024 when he refereed the 2-1 defeat to AFC Bournemouth, booking Delap, Sammie Szmodics and one of the visitors.
Before that, he was slated to take charge of the Blues’ 4-1 defeat at Manchester City in August but pulled out just before kick-off due to injury and was the fourth official. He was also the VAR official for the Brighton away match at the start of last season.
The only other Town game he has taken charge of was the famous 3-2 victory over Southampton at Portman Road in April 2024 in which he booked Taylor, Chaplin and Sam Morsy, as well as one Saint, and dismissed former Blues loanee James Bree with five minutes remaining for denying an obvious goalscoring opportunity.
Walton, Palmer, Williamson, Furlong, Johnson, Boniface, O’Shea (c), Greaves, Baggott, Matusiwa, Cajuste, Neil, Taylor, Clarke, Nunez, Walle Egeli, McAteer, Mehmeti, Akpom, Hirst, Azon.
Photo: TWTD
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