The reasons why Ipswich Town might become Burnley FC 2.0
Although McKenna’s club is in ninth place with 13 points after eight games, they are tied with Burnley, led by Vincent Kompany, at the same point in their 22/23 championship campaign. That season, the Clarets tied the record of winning ten straight league games with just three losses, and they were promoted with seven games remaining.
Given the parallels that are beginning to emerge between these two Championship campaigns, Ipswich may be on the verge of following suit, and we are all aware of McKenna’s abilities at this level. After an outstanding run that featured two victories and a draw, McKenna’s aforementioned Manager of the Month accolade may undoubtedly be a turning point in Town’s season. Even though Jaden Philogene lost out on Player of the Month to Oli McBurnie of Hull City, witnessing his season start was arguably the high point for Ipswich fans.
After failing to score in August, Philogene’s September campaign featured a spectacular hat-trick in a 5-0 thumping of Sheffield United and his fourth goal in two home games in a 2-1 triumph against Portsmouth. Going back to McKenna’s award, it is similar to Vincent Kompany’s October 2022 win, which followed Burnley’s similarly sluggish start to their promotion campaign. The Belgian team’s season-opening victory over Huddersfield was their only victory in August; they lost to Watford on the road and drew the remaining three games.
But by October, the Lancashire team had settled into a groove and maintained their winning streak that began in September, finishing first in the standings with five victories and three draws. Even though the same number of points after eight games is insufficient, the timing of both management awards does indicate a similar pattern is developing. Ipswich might finally settle in after McKenna’s September accolade, just as Burnley’s comeback was heralded by Kompany’s October award.
Yes, Burnley was also undefeated in September of that year, but they only played three games and drew two more. In Kompany’s example, the current Bayern Munich manager preferred to play with the ball at a fast pace, whilst Sean Dyche’s Burnley were known for their direct and physical style of play. In a similar vein, McKenna has once again transformed Ipswich into a highly skilled team that can dominate games in the second division by gaining possession. It’s important to note that both managers prefer to play in a 4-2-3-1 style, and Kompany currently arranges his Bayern team in this manner after experimenting with it at Burnley.
This strategy is best demonstrated by the previously mentioned victory over Sheffield United, which McKenna said after the game was a “real good step forward for us” by fusing patient build-up play with clinical finishing when the chance presents itself. The Northern Irishman’s ability to maintain this in the Championship over longer stretches of time is really demonstrated by his prior Championship Manager of the Month honours, which he received in September 2023 and March 2024 during Ipswich’s promotion-winning season.
This supports the notion that McKenna, once more, has the same strategy that helped Kompany lead Burnley to championship success. Ultimately, McKenna’s recognition may signal the start of another unstoppable run towards the Premier League in Suffolk, just like Burnley never looked back following Kompany’s breakthrough in October in 22/23. If history repeats itself, the Tractor Boys may be celebrating promotion with seven games left to spare at this point in time, as their point totals are equal.
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