Ipswich Town: Kieran McKenna on slower Premier League schedule

Life moves at a slower pace for Ipswich Town in the Premier League. 

By the time Everton visit Portman Road on Saturday, October 19 the Blues will have played eight games in the space of 66 days. For context, Kieran McKenna's men had already played 14 matches come this time last year and 16 - double the current number - at this juncture the year before.

There are eight less league matches to play in the 20-team top-flight, of course. Town entered the Carabao Cup a round later (and fell at the first hurdle against AFC Wimbledon). If the same happens in the FA Cup, then Kieran McKenna's men could play as few as 40 matches this campaign. Again, for context, the totals in the previous two campaigns were 52 and 56.

The EFL's relentless Saturday-Tuesday-Saturday schedule is generally celebrated (putting aside the much-maligned EFL Trophy), while Premier League big boys complain about the stresses being put on their jet-setting stars as extra games get added to an elite calendar that seems to have action almost every day of the week. The Blues, however, find themselves between the two. A sweet spot? That's up for debate. 

Ipswich Town have got two weeks before they can try and improve on the performance in last Saturday's 4-1 defeat at West Ham. (Image: PA)

“It’s different rhythm and one we’re adapting to," admitted McKenna, whose team have just one evening kick-off between now and Christmas (Crystal Palace, Tues, Dec 3).

"There was the pause after Fulham for the first international break. There was seven days between the Southampton and Aston Villa games (the latter played on a Sunday). There's now another break.

“For me, in my career, it’s the first time I’ve had this sort of schedule. The League One and Championship schedule is very, very busy. At (Manchester) United we were always deep in Europe and cup competitions, so it was always two games a week there too. 

“One benefit to the extra time has been the chance to bed in a lot of new players (Town made 12 summer signings). We’ve been able to have more time with the players and more detailed conversations, not just about technical and tactical things, but also about how we’re going to be as a group, laying down some principles for the culture within the group.

“Being on the training pitch and in the classroom more is enjoyable. It gives you chance to try and develop the whole group more. And you get more time, individually, to go into more detail. 

Ipswich Town crashed out of the Carabao Cup at AFC Wimbledon, on penalties, leaving fringe players with fewer opportunities to play. (Image: Ross Halls)

“When you’re in the Championship and it’s a two-game week, really the sessions with the whole squad are preparation sessions. On top of that you have one or two days where the boys who didn’t play in the last game will train and I think we put more emphasis into them than any other clubs.

"All the staff worked really, really hard to develop those players individually to maintain their levels so that they were ready to step into the team. But, as a group, you don’t a chance to train very much as a whole collective. 

"When there’s a longer period of time to the next game, it’s not just eyes on the opposition.

"We’re able to work on ourselves, how we’re able to compete, how we push each other every day, how we try and make the standards here as best as they can possibly be. I think that’s really important, with a new group, that we’re able to lay that ground work down now. 

“We’re able to fit in more unit meetings, more individual meetings and get into the detailed preparation a day or two earlier than we were able to in the Championship. It means we can be really confident that, when the whistle blows, everyone is really clear of their jobs."

The Blues boss does acknowledge, however, that there are some drawbacks.

“It’s brings its challenges," he admits. "With a fairly healthy squad, as we’ve got at the moment, it’s a challenge to give players competitive minutes.

"You can execute things in training, you can make scenarios as live as possible, but you still need the feedback from the matches to improve. So we’re trying to take the feedback from each match and really maximise what we do with it each single week. We obviously don’t have quite so many matches to help with that process. 

“Of course, in the Championship, if a game doesn’t go your way, or you don’t perform how you want to perform, then you know the chance to go again is coming around just a few days later. 

“At the moment, internally/externally, everyone is judging the performances and talking about how we’re doing in the division, what areas we are doing well in and what we need to improve on – but the sample size is so small. It’s a game every eight days and in a 90 minute football match things can happen."

Liam Delap will be looking to continue his goalscoring form when Everton visit Portman Road a week on Saturday. (Image: PA)

Town currently have 10 players away on international duty in Aro Muric (Kosovo), Cameron Burgess (Australia), Dara O'Shea, Jack Taylor, Chiedozie Ogbene, Sammie Szmodics (all Republic of Ireland), Wes Burns, Nathan Broadhead (both Wales), Omari Hutchinson and Liam Delap (both England U21s).

With Axel Tuanzebe, Jens Cajuste, Massimo Luongo and Ali Al-Hamadi all currently injured, that leaves the Blues boss with just 11 outfield first teamers to work with over the coming days.

McKenna added: “In general, I think that extra time we have together as a group to go into a bit more detail is beneficial. I think the players are enjoying it and it’s helped us. 

“I still feel that we are still in the early stages with the squad. Some joined us late in the window, while some have only just come back from injuries. 

"Leading up to Aston Villa was our first full week with the whole squad and bit-by-bit the understanding is improving at the training ground. I’m looking forward to seeing that translate into matches at the highest level."