In the early going of this season’s Championship, Ipswich Town is challenging preseason favourite Leicester City thanks to an unbelievable run of form.
The two teams have essentially been on par with one another this season and have separated themselves from the pack.
The fact that the form has continued from last season, when Town finished second to earn promotion and was only outside the top three for one matchday, is even more amazing. The transition to the second tier typically throws some teams off, but the victories and points keep rolling in.
Ipswich Town has only dropped two games in all competitions this season, a 4-3 thriller against Leeds United on August 26th, despite trailing 3-1 after only 20 minutes, and a 2-1 away loss to Oxford United on January 21st.
They defeated Preston North End, another challenger for promotion, with ease on Saturday, winning 4-2. This was their eighth triumph overall.
After the game, manager Kieran McKenna spoke with TownTV. “With some fantastic goals and some fantastic entertainment, it was a tremendous outcome to round off the block of games. I wasn’t a fan of some parts, but we managed. I believed we were deserving victors since we scored some outstanding goals and didn’t blow many opportunities.
The manager was referring to a stretch of five games over a two-week period that includes a victory against Wolverhampton Wanderers in the Carabao Cup. Ipswich Town scored 15 goals while also giving away 8 goals.
“It looked a tired performance in some ways at the end of a big week, with a massive effort from the players,” McKenna added.
There were some imperfections, and I didn’t think we started the second half with the correct intensity. Nevertheless, we persisted, and the substitutes gave us new life and assisted in our victory.
“But we have to focus on the positives, and the players deserve a lot of praise for their efforts during this run of games,” said the coach.
Author’s Opinion
Ipswich now has a little respite before travelling to Bristol City and Rotherham United on the road. The pause will be necessary, but it might occasionally lose momentum.
The season’s start will have caught some people off guard because few people anticipated having such high aspirations.
The biggest test for McKenna’s troops will come as the season progresses and the Blues find themselves in another promotion battle. However, the early indications are quite encouraging, and if the goals continue to fly, they should be well-prepared to make it to the finish line.
