Kieran McKenna takes aim at Ipswich Town players - it has caused a stir online | OneFootball

Despite grabbing a late equaliser away to Blackburn Rovers on Tuesday night, Ipswich Town boss Kieran McKenna has blasted his side's performance

Ipswich Town rescued a draw away to Blackburn Rovers on Tuesday night, with a late goal from the EFL Championship's record signing Sindre Walle Egeli, meaning the Tractor Boys take a point back to Suffolk, but despite this, head coach Kieran McKenna was left far from impressed with his side's performance.

Upon their return to the Championship this season following relegation from the Premier League, many had expected Ipswich to be in and amongst the automatic places for much of the season, but so far, that hasn't transpired.

The Tractor Boys sit seventh in the table after 18 games, and whilst they are only one point away from the play-off places and five off second place Middlesbrough, more had been expected of Kieran McKenna's side.

In McKenna's first full season in charge at Portman Road, the 2022/23 season, the Northern Irishman led the club to promotion from League One, and would follow that up with yet another promotion the following campaign to go from the third tier to the Premier League in just two years.

The jump to the top flight proved to be too much too soon for Ipswich and McKenna, who were subsequently relegated back to the Championship at the end of last season.

With, on paper, one of the strongest squads in the division, many had expected Ipswich to be in and around the top two for much of the season, but that has so far not been from the case, with their draw away to Blackburn on Tuesday understandably infuriating McKenna.

Kieran McKenna was left fuming with his Ipswich Town side following the draw away to Blackburn Rovers

Ipswich's tie against Blackburn on Tuesday night was meant to be played in mid-September, but was postponed in the 80th minute due to a waterlogged pitch, despite the home side leading 1-0, and it was rescheduled for early December and played out last night, ending in a 1-1 draw courtesy of Walle Egeli's late equaliser.

Despite the Norwegian finally netting his first goal since his Championship-record £17.5 million move from Danish side FC Nordsjaelland, McKenna was left far from impressed with his side's display, as they were unable to take advantage of their game in hand and break into the top six.

In his post-match interview, McKenna said: "I thought it was a really poor performance, no two ways about it.

"We weren't good enough tonight in any aspects of the game, really.

"We take the point and the outcome, because it was probably more than we deserved from the performance, but we need to be much, much better than that, and there are things we need to rectify."

Indeed, whilst Ipswich have not yet hit the heights many had expected them to just yet, they still sit well within reach of the top six and that second automatic spot, with Saturday's opponents, Coventry City, running away with the league, ten points clear of 2nd place Middlesbrough.

McKenna and Ipswich will host Frank Lampard's Coventry on Saturday, in what is bound to be an interesting affair at the least, and should the home side want to take anything from the game, they must perform at a much higher level than they have so far.

Ipswich Town fans react to Kieran McKenna's post-match interview

With the club not hitting the heights many of its supporters had expected, fans are beginning to grow slightly restless and worried over their side's performances, with some fans having reacted to McKenna's interview following the draw.

McKenna has an awful lot of credit in the bank following his back-to-back promotions just a couple of years ago, but fans are growing tired of their side's performances, and understandably expect better.

Whilst fans are appreciative of his honesty in this instance, they believe that McKenna has not been totally honest on a regular basis, with the draw at Blackburn another poor performance in a season which has already had too many.

With Championship games coming thick and fast, managers and head coaches are often forced to rotate their sides around to rest and give others a chance in the squad, but Ipswich supporters are beginning to grow frustrated with the regularity with which McKenna is changing the starting 11 around.

An incredibly harsh take given what McKenna has achieved with Ipswich and that they sit just narrowly outside of the play-off places, but a manager/head coach is always just a few games away from a crisis, and despite the Northern Irishman's success in Suffolk, he is not immune to criticism.

Ipswich Town have not yet hit the expectations that had been set on them upon their return to the Championship

Upon their relegation, Ipswich had to do a lot of rebuilding and preparing for life back in the second tier, so maybe their early struggles can be more understandable when you take into consideration the losses of the likes of Sam Morsy, Liam Delap, Massimo Luongo, Cameron Burgess, Conor Chaplin, and Luke Woolfenden.

Though they brought in the likes of Sindre Walle Egeli, Marcelino Nunez, Kasey McAteer, Darnell Furlong, Azor Matusiwa, Jens Cajuste, Ashley Young, Chuba Akpom, and Ivan Azon, the majority of them have struggled to adapt to life in Suffolk thus far.

Ipswich remain one of the strong contenders for the automatic spots this season despite their struggles to hit the heights many had expected, and with a supremely talented squad, you can only imagine it's just a matter of time before things finally click into gear at Portman Road.