‘Breathtaking’ Ipswich facing pivotal festive period with Jose Mourinho’s no.2 at Man United attracting plenty of admirers

Ipswich’s crunch Christmas schedule will indicate whether they’ll last the pace in the promotion race.

The Tractorboys have defied all expectations after securing promotion from League One last term and find themselves comfortably in second position in the Championship table.

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Three points behind Leicester City, Kieran McKenna’s side are staggering 10 points clear of recently-relegated duo Leeds and Southampton as the season’s halfway point approaches.

While Ipswich have kept much of the same squad who finished second in League One last term, they’re clearly onto something very special as they continue to rival three clubs who played in the Premier League just last year.

This Christmas could be crucial for them though, with a trip to Elland Road on December 23 and a home clash with Leicester scheduled for Boxing Day – both matches exclusively live on talkSPORT 2.

Kieran McKenna has been a huge part of their success since taking charge two years ago, with the former Manchester United coach losing just three of 46 league games played at Portman Road in that time.

Discussing the record, GameDay Live host Durham told talkSPORT.com: “Coming into the Championship, where they didn’t even win the title, they’ve lost two out of 22 league games.

“This run goes all the way back to February. They drew 0-0 to Bristol Rovers when Joey Barton was the manager.

“He declared that Kieran McKenna was under serious pressure to get Ipswich promoted and since that post-match interview, McKenna and Ipswich have been relentless.

“They’ve been sensational and they’ve also been very good to watch, so maybe Joey deserves a bit of credit for that!”

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In securing promotion from League One last year, Ipswich racked up 98 points and scored a staggering 101 goals, conceding just 35 in the process.

With 47 goals in 22 games so far this season – largely thanks to the prolific trio of Conor Chaplin, George Hirst and Nathan Broadhead – that lethal touch is clearly still present.

But according to Durham, it’s their defensive record that they’ll have to keep an eye on.

He said: “I’ve heard people say that they’ll fall away and that Leeds will go up with Leicester, but they don’t dare say that Ipswich will fall away.

“Ipswich are 10 points clear of third place, so are there any signs that it will happen? Yes there are.

“They concede goals. There’s no doubt that their defence is leaky – probably because they commit so much to going forward and they’re so entertaining to watch – but they’ve conceded more than anybody in the top seven.

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“They’ve also scored more than anybody else, but their goal difference is inferior to Leicester and the reality is that Ipswich can be got at.

“If the goals do dry up then they’ve got a problem at the back.”

Ipswich could be one of the clubs impacted by two major international tournaments in the New Year, with captain Sam Morsy included in a 55-man shortlist for Egypt’s African Cup Of Nations squad, while Cam Burgess will join Australia’s Asian Cup squad.

But the most important man at Portman Road right now is McKenna, a head coach who is arguably the most in-demand boss outside of the Premier League.

After working in Tottenham’s academy, the 37-year-old moved to Manchester United to work as the club’s Under-18 manager before being promoted to the first team and working as assistant manager under Jose Mourinho.

After Mourinho’s sacking, he then worked as part of the coaching team under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Ralf Rangnick, before stepping out his own – a move that has drawn huge interest due to Ipswich’s incredible brand of football.

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“You can’t argue with what Kieran McKenna is doing, Durham said. “You also can’t argue that he will be wanted at some point by bigger clubs and that may well be unsettling for him and could have an impact on the club at some point, maybe even this season.

“If a Premier League club sacks their manager and all of the speculation is that they’re going after Kieran McKenna then it might have no impact, but it could have a big impact.”

Those views were echoed by talkSPORT host and former Ipswich striker Darren Bent who said: “He’s just down to earth, he’s a man with a plan, which sounds a bit bonkers. But I remember sitting in a meeting with him at the start of last season, me and [Darren] Ambrose got invited to this meeting, we met the owners, we met him and spoke about his philosophies.

“Everything he spoke about in that meeting has come to fruition and about the way he wants to play. If you see some of the goals they’ve played this season, the way they’re playing football.”

Asked about Ipswich’s promotion hopes, Bent added: “It’s imperative Ipswich go up, and I think they will go up, because he’s going to be on a lot of teams’ shopping lists.

“The more he improves, the more he concentrates on what he’s doing, the level he keeps achieving it, if he keeps going up the ladder… He’s a fantastic coach.

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“Hopefully he stays for many more years to come.”

But while Ipswich will be totally focused on maintaining their own form, it’s hard to ignore the recently relegated Premier League sides who are on their tails.

Both Leeds and Southampton endured steady starts to the campaign after changing managers and seeing a number of players move on during the summer transfer window.

With a sizable points tally to claw back on Ipswich, Durham believes that the Tractorboys will be hoping to keep their promotion hopes in their own hands.

He said: “It’s not just about Ipswich and if they might fall away. If results do drop off the big question is have Leeds and Southampton got what it takes to overhaul the deficit.

“Ipswich might be able to afford a drop-off if no one is there to chase them down.

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“Leeds need a defender in the window, they need a centre-half; Saints probably have the best chance to make the top two if either Leicester or Ipswich do fall away.

“Southampton have cottoned onto Russell Martin’s tactics really quickly and they seem to be getting better and better, so Southampton might be ones to watch out for.

“From here, Ipswich should see it through but we know that football doesn’t work like that.

“Whatever they pick up from Leeds and Leicester will be a huge indicator of whether they will stay the course.”

Ipswich’s festive fixtures against promotion rivals Leeds and Leicester will take place on December 23 and December 26 respectively, with both games exclusively live on talkSPORT 2.