Ipswich Town boss Kieran McKenna is convinced the Blues can still have a successful season, despite their poor start.

The pre-season promotion favourites have plundered just three points – and no wins – from their first four games back in the Championship, to sit 20th in the early table.

They needed a 106th minute penalty from Jack Clarke to rescue a home point against Derby County yesterday, and still have yet to score from open play – other than an own goal in the 1-1 draw with Southampton.

McKenna has previously spoken of the challenge of bringing a new group together after a hectic summer which has seen more change then he’d like at Portman Road.

But the transfer window shuts at 7pm tomorrow night, with the Blues returning to action against rock-bottom and pointless Sheffield United at home on Friday, September 12th (8pm).

“I think whether it’s three points, six points, five points, seven points, it’s been a really, really difficult summer in almost every aspect – certainly by far the most difficult in my time here,” McKenna admitted after yesterday’s dramatic draw.

“We come out the back of that period now and we go on to the next chapter. I wouldn’t feel, I don’t think, drastically different if we had five points or six points.

“Of course points are important. We want to win our first game as soon as possible. I feel like we’re not far away from that, but we’ve come through an incredible amount as a club over the course of the summer and as a team over the course of four games.

“We now move on to the next phase. I think by Monday night we’ll be in a really strong position in terms of the depth and quality we have in the group. That’s not been the case right through the summer but we’ll be there by Monday night.

“Now we’re on to the next challenge because we have to now bring that group together. We have to keep working hard on the training pitch.

“It’s going to be really difficult to do that over the international break of course but we’ll work really hard with those that we have.

“Really importantly we need to work really hard with the group coming together and building that shared mindset and mental strength and resilience and all those things that you need to be successful in the Championship.

“It’s been an incredibly difficult summer. We’ve got a really big challenge ahead of us.

“In some ways it’s quite exciting because I know there will be expectation on us.

“I know how difficult it is and how it’s going to be but I really believe we can still have a really good season. That’s the challenge ahead of us.”

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