Kieran McKenna confident Ipswich have made progress despite likely relegation
Boss McKenna insists the club are well placed to go again next season
Last updated 25th Apr 2025
Ipswich boss Kieran McKenna is confident the Suffolk club have made progress despite their impending relegation from the Premier League.
Town's return to the Sky Bet Championship after just one season back in the top flight will be confirmed on Saturday unless they win at Newcastle and 17th-placed West Ham - who have a 15-point cushion - lose away to Brighton.
While there have been some memorable moments for the Tractor Boys - including wins over Tottenham and Chelsea - those have been few and far between, with 20 league defeats so far showing how much work there is still to do at Portman Road.
McKenna, though, insists the club are well placed to go again next season, having made a swift rise up from Sky Bet League One under the Northern Irishman, who took charge in December 2021.
"(We are) in a project that has been an incredible journey - the project here is to try and build a sustainable Premier League football club," McKenna told a press conference.
"We have taken some incredible steps to that quicker than anyone would have believed.
"It looks like we are going to take a step back this year, but that is often how progression needs to happen.
"We are all focused on making the best of the next few games and then tackling the next challenge, whatever it will be next season. It is my full 100 per cent focus."
Ipswich will be without defender Leif Davis, who starts a three-match ban after he was sent off for a late tackle on Bukayo Saka during last weekend's 4-0 home defeat by Arsenal.
With several of his first-team squad unavailable on a lengthy injury list, McKenna expects to have to draft in some academy players to fill up the bench.
Whatever match squad McKenna is able to pull together, the Ipswich boss insists they will all be up for the challenge at St James' Park against a Newcastle side looking to close in on Champions League qualification.
"It is a fantastic game, a big, big, big challenge, no two ways about it," the Town boss said.
"Those who have the chance to be involved in it are looking forward to it, but knowing that it is going to be a big test.
"But motivation (for the players), focus, all those things, honestly, they have not been a big challenge.
"Those who are fit, especially, are just really focused on trying to get the preparation that we need and being ready to go to the game on Saturday and give it our best."