adminKieran McKenna identifies challenge Sheffield Wednesday will pose to Ipswich
Sheffield Wednesday are set to face one of their toughest challenges of the campaign when they travel to Portman Road to take on Ipswich Town this Saturday.
Ipswich boss Kieran McKenna has highlighted the Owls’ tactical adaptability as a key factor his side must guard against, admitting that Wednesday have produced some “really, really good football” at various points this season. Despite their recent struggles, McKenna believes the Yorkshire club possess the quality to cause problems if underestimated.
Wednesday head into the contest desperate to end a long wait for victory, having not won since September and currently enduring a 14-match winless streak. Their difficulties were compounded on Monday night when they suffered a heavy 3–0 defeat to Derby County at Hillsborough, marking their fifth loss in six matches.
That performance drew strong criticism, with frustration aimed at both the players and head coach Henrik Pedersen. Wednesday attempted to build play patiently from the back and move the ball through the thirds, but the approach proved costly. A mistake in possession led directly to Derby’s opening goal, leaving the Owls chasing the game from an early stage. They were also accused of controlling the ball without real purpose, repeatedly taking risks in dangerous areas close to their own penalty box.
McKenna, whose Ipswich side were beaten 3–1 by Leicester City in their previous outing, acknowledged that Wednesday’s style has at times contributed to their problems. However, he was keen to stress that the Owls are far from one-dimensional and have shown genuine quality this season.
“Honestly, they’re a team that can play in a lot of different ways,” McKenna said, speaking to the East Anglian Daily Times. “There have been spells where they’ve played really, really good football. They went to Leicester in the opening game of the season and were right in the contest, and away at Southampton they had more of the ball and close to 60 per cent possession in the second half.
“They’ve got good players who are comfortable in possession and can hurt you that way. At the same time, they’ve lost games and conceded goals trying to play like that.”
The Ipswich manager also pointed out that Wednesday have shown a more pragmatic side when required, proving they are capable of adapting their approach depending on the opposition.
“They’ve gone away to teams like West Brom and come away with a 0–0, and they’ve been to Birmingham and defended a lot more to earn a draw,” he added. “So they can play both ways, and we need to be prepared for either scenario.”
McKenna wary of a defensive approach
Ipswich’s results this season underline how dangerous they can be when opponents take the game to them. Of the nine league matches they have won so far, only two have been decided by a single goal, suggesting the Tractor Boys often thrive when space opens up.
As a result, McKenna admitted his side must be ready for the possibility that Sheffield Wednesday may adopt a deeper, more cautious setup in an attempt to frustrate them.
“It’s fairly obvious that the games we’ve won by bigger margins have come when teams have been more open against us, or when we’ve scored first and they’ve had to come out,” he explained. “We’ve also had home games where teams have defended extremely deep, and those matches have been much tougher.
“But that’s generally the case for most possession-based teams in football. With the changes we’re dealing with at the moment, that kind of game is probably more likely.”
McKenna stressed that Ipswich must continue to develop the ability to win in different circumstances if they are to achieve their ambitions this season.
“In the end, we have to be capable of winning both types of games,” he said. “We need to win when teams go toe-to-toe with us, and we also need to find a way when teams come here to frustrate us.
“Whichever way it goes on Saturday, we’ll be ready for it, and we’ll show them full respect.”
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