Ipswich Town manager Kieran McKenna has insisted that his focus has been on the final eight matches of the Championship season throughout all of the recent controversy that has hung over the club.
Last week, Reform UK’s leader Nigel Farage visited Portman Road – a situation that sparked widespread criticism from sections of Town’s fanbase.
However, ahead of Easter Monday’s clash at home against Birmingham City, McKenna stressed that he has largely been concentrating on the race for promotion.
Ipswich Town manager Kieran McKenna. Picture: Barry Goodwin
“Of course, as manager and all those people who really care for the club, you don’t like to see a situation that’s caused discord amongst the supporters and people who care about the club,” he said.
“But other than that, honestly, I think there’s been lots of opinions and dialogue on it. I think my opinion, that doesn’t benefit that much. I think in terms of impact on my job, yes, apart from, again, the feeling that you don’t like to see discord, not greatly.
“My focus has just been here, working with the players who haven’t been on international duty, trying to get ready for the last eight games. That’s where my focus has been. That’s where certainly the staff, training ground and players have been focused and been looking forward to.
“So that’s been our focus over the international break. And we’re looking forward to getting to Portman Road now on Monday. And I think that’s going to be a really good moment for everyone.
“The main contribution that I can make – or the coaching staff or the players can make – is getting ready for Monday, getting ready for the run-in and making sure we go out there on Monday and deliver a performance like we have many times, that the supporters can get right behind, be proud of their team, as they are whenever we play in our identity and trust that that will give us a result that everyone can enjoy.
“So, honestly, that’s where my focus is. And that’s where we’re trying to make the impact.
And McKenna is hopeful that it will be a united Portman Road when the Tractor Boys run out against Birmingham.
He added: “I think that bit’s hard for me to comment on. If you ask me in terms of any concerns inside the training ground here with the staff, with the players, then honestly I don’t.
“I feel everyone is really together, really motivated and looking forward to the run-in, knowing that it’s a big challenge but a big opportunity. In terms of how supporters feel and things like that, that’s not for me to say.
“All we can control is what we put on to the pitch for them and control as much of that as we can. Again, that’s my only focus is preparing the players as well as we can, going out there on Monday. We’ve got three league games left (at home).
“Hopefully by the time we get to QPR (last game of the season), it’s still a really big game. Certainly the two we have coming up are fantastic games to look forward to, really important games for the club, the type of games that we want to be involved in.
“Our home support always has been fantastic in my time here and the best way that we can bring that support behind the team and keep everyone noisy and pushing us is to deliver a really strong performance in the identity that the supporters can be proud of.
“That’s all that I can control and the players can control at the moment. I really believe that we’ll do that on Monday and when we do that, I’m really confident that the supporters will be right there behind us.”