Kieran McKenna’s ‘biggest achievement’ could come at the end of the season according to Ipswich Town icon

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Ipswich Town and Kieran McKenna have not made a great return to the Championship following the club’s relegation from the Premier League last season.

Due to the business that Ipswich Town did in the transfer window last season and this summer it was expected that the Tractor Boys would be the favourites for the Championship title.

However, the Tractor Boys currently occupy 17^th position having won just one of their opening five Championship fixtures.

Ipswich could slip further down the table depending on the outcome of the EFL’s decision on what will happen with the abandoned game between them and Blackburn Rovers at the weekend.

This poor start has led an Ipswich Town icon to give his opinion on how he feels should Kieran McKenna guide them to the play-offs this season.

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Alex Mathie is fearful Ipswich Town have already cost themselves automatic promotion

Former Ipswich Town striker Alex Mathie believes that the Tractor Boys may already be out of the running for automatic promotion following their start to the campaign.

Mathie was speaking to Radio Suffolk, as reported by East Anglian Daily Times, when he suggested that if McKenna delivers the club to the play-offs then it would be the ‘biggest achievement’ of his career.

He said: “It’s going to take time for McKenna to mould his team the way he wants them to play.

“It will be his biggest achievement to get this team up there challenging.

At this moment in time, if we got to the play-offs, I’d be delighted with that – but it’s going to be a tough ask for them.

“There’s a lot of teams have got a head start on them, but who knows what they can do?

“I can’t see us getting in the top two, we’ve not hit the ground running. But if we get to the play-offs, we might be able to peak at the right time.”

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Alex Mathie is concerned about Ipswich’s defence

Heading into the campaign it may have been believed that Jacob Greaves and Dara O’Shea were arguably the best central defensive pair in the division.

Alex Mathie has raised concern about the pair due to their early season performances; this issue may have been fixed had Ipswich signed Sebastian Caceres in the summer.

He said: “They seem to get caught out.

“They go galloping forward and leave one there on their own, and that’s what happened for the (Blackburn) goal.

“One ball over the top killed us, so I think they need to work on that together – as individuals.

“They are two very good centre-halves, but as a pairing, they are still to gel for me.”