Ipswich Town

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Manager Kieran McKenna feels his Ipswich Town side are doing plenty right despite their winless start to the Championship season.

Ipswich scored a 106th-minute Jack Clarke penalty against Derby County but that was only enough to earn a 2-2 draw, meaning they head into the international break without a victory from their first four league games.

McKenna told BBC Radio Suffolk: "I don't feel like we are [too far away from our season sparking into life], but of course, it's really frustrating.

"We know we need to win games sooner rather than later but you can't wish your way there.

"It's only by performances getting better and learning lessons along the way, about the challenges, about the division, about what opponents are trying to do to stop us, that you get there.

"It's probably three games in a row that we've had more possession, much more chances than the opponent, we're not giving away much, we're not having too many problems in our structure, we've just given away some really poor goals against direct play.

"There's a lot of our work that is pretty good, but also we need to do better to turn it into wins. How quickly we can make that happen, that's the challenge ahead of us. No one's going to give us it."

Listen to Kieran McKenna's post-match interview on BBC Sounds

Ipswich Town manager Kieran McKenna spoke to BBC Radio Suffolk after his side earned a 2-2 draw against Derby County thanks to Jack Clarke's 116th minute penalty.

"Hopefully it'll be a big moment for us at the end. The group has been through a lot and the club has been through a lot over the summer

"It's been a challenging summer so it's a nice moment to go into the international break - a big thing for us to get a late goal here.

"I think the performances have been getting better every week as players have been getting up to speed and integrated.

"It's really frustrating - we know we need to win sooner rather than later but you can't wish yourself there, it's only about learning lessons that you get there."

Ipswich are set to break the Championship transfer record with a move of up to £20m for 19-year-old Norway international striker Sindre Walle Egeli from Nordsjaelland. (Farzam Abolhossein, externali)

Want more transfer news from the EFL? Take a look at Friday's gossip column here.

Ipswich Town host Derby County on Saturday (15:00 BST) with Kieran KcKenna's side still looking for their first win of the new season after a 1-0 defeat to Preston last weekend left them in 18th position in the early Championship standings.

Derby have also had a slow start to the season, though they did pick up their first point at the third time of asking last time out as they snatched a 1-1 draw at home to Bristol City.

• Ipswich Town have won each of their past two league games against Derby County and will be looking to win three in succession for the first time since April 2010 (five wins).

• Derby County have won four of their past six away league games against Ipswich Town (D1 L1), as many victories as across their 15 away matches against them between 1992 and 2014 (L11).

• Ipswich are unbeaten across their past 22 home games in the Championship (W15 D7), a run which has seen the Tractor Boys net 2.5 goals on average per fixture.

• Throughout the opening three matchdays of the 2025-26 Championship, no side has attempted fewer shots than Derby (21), whilst they've also recorded the second-fewest touches inside the opposition's penalty area (45).

• No player has recovered possession for their side more frequently in the Championship this season than Derby's Ebou Adams (21), whilst he also ranks joint-top amongst Rams players for tackles made (eight, alongside Matt Clarke).

Image source, Rex Features

Ipswich Town captain Dara O'Shea believes Republic of Ireland team-mate Kasey McAteer will have a big impact at Portman Road following last week's £12m move from Leicester City.

McAteer had a half-hour run-out as a substitute in Saturday's 1-0 defeat at Preston North End after just one training session with his new club.

"I think that's five Irish lads here now," O'Shea told BBC Radio Suffolk.

"I know Kasey quite well from playing with him in the international set-up and I know what he can do, and how effective he can be."

With just two points from their first three league games of the season, Ipswich will try again for their first victory in Saturday's home fixture against Derby County.

"There's lot of new partnerships everywhere, the whole group, everyone's getting to understand each other," said O'Shea.

"Cohesion's massive for us and the way we want to play, we're not a team that just lumps it (forward) - we're big on our patterns and how we can link and get up the pitch.

"The more time we have together, the more hard work we put in on the training pitch, I really do believe things are going to come good for us."

Gavin Ramjaun
Final Score reporter at Deepdale

Image source, Getty Images

Many were touting Preston to go down come the end of the season, a long, long way off, yes, but as their finish to the last campaign saw them just stay up, you'd be justified to call it.

It's a solid side this, built on a big back three, a good keeper who can set up attacks, and old-fashioned bull-dozery up front. Never write Milutin Osmajic off for delivering when it matters, as he did from the penalty spot to give them the winner against Ipswich.

A talented player - and served well from the impressive Thierry Small down the Preston left. A modest team perhaps punching above their weight, could they be a shout for the play-offs?

It's a brilliant start for Paul Heckingbottom's side, two wins and a draw, with victories over two of the relegated sides from the top flight.

A word on Ipswich too, who need a wake-up call, still searching for their first win after relegation from the Premier League.

They play neat, intricate football but lack a finish. George Hirst, Sammie Szmodics, and Conor Chaplin are missing great chances; they've got the money from selling Liam Delap and Omari Hutchinson. Kieran McKenna has to buy smart to stay in the hunt in this wily division.

Image source, Getty Images

Ipswich Town boss Kieran McKenna admits his side didn't create enough chances in a disappointing defeat to Preston at Deepdale.

Milutin Osmajic's penalty was enough to secure a win for the home side, but it is now three games without one for McKenna's men.

He was left "frustrated" as the pre-season promotion favourites suffered defeat after successive draws.

"Really frustrated and annoyed by the result," McKenna told BBC Radio Suffolk. Our supporters have travelled a long way; we wanted to get the win after a couple of hard fought draws and we didn't do it, so that is the overriding emotion.

"We gave away a goal which we can't concede at this level, we won't be successful if we concede goals like that. That is clear, the type of performance we are going to face we needed to be stronger in the few occasions we had to defend."

McKenna said his side were in control but they need to work on their cutting edge.

"Before and after we had control of the game, there was some nice passages to our play but we didn't create as may chances as we would like.

"The connections in the team aren't strong enough. I knew it would be a difficult summer; we need to improve and quickly."

Preston North End will hope to grab three points off promotion hopefuls Ipswich Town on Saturday (15:00 BST) following an impressive 2-1 win over Leicester City.

The Tractor Boys are yet to fire up their Championship campaign, having drawn 1-1 with both Birmingham City and Southampton.

• Preston North End have won two of their last three league games against Ipswich Town (L1), after failing to win any of their prior eight matches against the Tractor Boys between April 2011 and November 2018 (D3 L5).

• Ipswich Town have won just two of their last 16 away league games against Preston North End (D6 L8), losing 3-2 on their last visit to Deepdale in February 2024.

• Preston North End have only lost four of their home league games since the start of last season; only Bristol City (3) have lost fewer home league games than the Lilywhites.

• After drawing each of their opening two Championship matches, Ipswich have now won just one of their last 21 league games (D6 L14) and have failed to keep a single clean sheet during that time.

Ipswich Town have made an offer to Mexican side Club America for Uruguayan international defender Sebastian Caceres. (Ipswich Star), external

Meanwhile Ipswich are also reported to have agreed a deal worth £12m to sign Leicester City winger Kasey McAteer. (East Anglian Daily Times), external

Want more transfer news from the EFL? Take a look at Friday's gossip column here.

Image source, Rex Features

Ipswich Town have confirmed that the arm injury suffered by forward Sammie Szmodics against Southampton is not as bad as first feared.

Szmodics was hurt in a second-half collision with Saints keeper Gavin Bazunu during the 1-1 draw, but managed to stay on the pitch to complete the game.

"We feared it was a break, but X-rays have cleared that. He's got some really heavy bruising there, but he's recovering well," Town boss Kieran McKenna said.

Ipswich have taken two points from their first two Championship games, the first was also a 1-1 draw at Birmingham City, and they are away to Preston North End on Saturday.

"Preston sides over their years in the Championship have been really hard to beat, have been physical, have been robust, trying to cross the ball and get bodies in your box, and been strong in the boxes," McKenna added.

"You know you are going to be in for a tough game there and we expect one on Saturday."

Ipswich Town legend John Wark says the club should not sell defender Luke Woolfenden.

The 26-year-old won promotion with the Tractor Boys in 2024 and went on to make 15 appearances in the Premier League last season - but has yet to start a league game since returning to the Championship, with Dara O'Shea favoured instead.

Wark expected Woolfenden to be playing regularly in the first team this season.

He told BBC Radio Suffolk's matchday team: "I think he's good enough to play and I was surprised he didn't play at the weekend."

Woolfenden has been linked with a move away, with Coventry City seeing a bid for the centre-back rejected.

Ipswich have already sold a number of first-team players during the summer transfer window, with forward Liam Delap joining Chelsea for £30m and Omari Hutchinson moving to Nottingham Forest for £37.5m.

Town will visit Preston North End on Saturday aiming to pick up their first win of the Championship season.

Listen to the full discussion and more on Ipswich Town on BBC Sounds.

Coventry have seen a bid for Ipswich defender Luke Woolfenden rejected, with the Tractor Boys keen to keep the 26-year-old at Portman Road. (Sky Sports, external)

Want more transfer news from the EFL? Take a look at Thursday's gossip column here.

Ipswich have failed in a bid to take Newcastle's 19-year-old English midfielder Lewis Miley on loan for the season. (Sky Sports, external)

Want more transfer news from the EFL? Take a look at Wednesday's gossip column here.