Ipswich Town head coach Kieran McKenna delivered a blunt and frustrated assessment after his side’s chaotic 5–3 defeat at Wrexham.
Despite goals from Anis Mehmeti, Ivan Azon and Cedric Kipré, the Blues conceded five for the first time under McKenna away from home.
The manager described the dressing room mood as “angry and disappointed” and insisted the team must respond quickly ahead of Tuesday’s trip to Watford.
McKenna admitted Ipswich Town fell well below their usual standards, particularly without the ball.
“We’re really, really disappointed with the outcome, disappointed with ourselves and obviously the goals that we conceded today,” he said.
He felt the attacking play was good enough to win the match, but defensive errors repeatedly undermined the team.
The head coach believed the performance was close to being a positive one, but ultimately was undone by costly mistakes.
“It was on the cusp of being a really good day for us with some of the qualities that we showed,” he added. “
But the goals we conceded and mistakes we’ve made as a team or on an individual level, have cost us the result we wanted.”
McKenna confirmed the coaching staff will review each concession in detail. He acknowledged the quality of Kieffer Moore’s opener but felt the build‑up should have been defended better.
“We should defend the basic flick‑on better,” he said, highlighting a lack of intensity in the second goal as the most disappointing moment.
He also reflected on Ipswich Town’s game management after taking a 3–2 lead early in the second half. “Maybe at 3–2 you can say we didn’t manage the game well enough,” he admitted.
“We leave ourselves a little bit open on a transition… we could have managed that situation better.”
Even so, McKenna felt George Thomason’s equaliser carried an element of misfortune. “We defend the 18 well, block the shot, and it just falls right to their player,” he said.
But he was more critical of the fourth goal, calling it preventable. “We don’t attack the ball well enough, and they score almost unopposed on the six‑yard box.”
McKenna described the mood as sombre and uncharacteristic for a group that has defended well for most of the season.
“Everyone’s really disappointed. Of course, really frustrated. I don’t think it’s like us… to concede five goals in a league game for us is really strange.”
He stressed the need to return to the defensive standards that have defined Ipswich Town’s campaign. “We know we need to stand up and do better in some situations as a team from a defensive point of view,” he said.
“We need to redouble down on the things that have made us a good defensive team this year.”
Ipswich Town still haven’t recorded a comeback win this season, but McKenna saw signs of progress in how the team responded to going 2–0 down.
“There is a step towards it today… how we reacted to going behind early, how we came back and went from a losing position to a winning position,” he said.
However, the inability to hold the lead proved decisive. “What’s cost us today is not seeing a game out when ahead,” he added. “And that’s something that we’ve done really, really well this season consistently.”
McKenna also addressed questions about whether last week’s FA Cup rotation contributed to this defeat. Ipswich Town made ten changes for the 1–0 loss at Wrexham, before reverting to the Pride Park XI for this league fixture.
Wrexham, by contrast, made only three changes from their midweek draw at Bristol City.
Asked if rhythm had beaten rest, McKenna was firm in his response. “I don’t think so,” he said.
“Of course, if you rest in the cup and you lose the next game in the league, then it can be said that was part of the reason why. I don’t think it was, or else we wouldn’t have made those decisions.”
He pointed to Kieffer Moore’s early goal as evidence that freshness wasn’t the issue. “Kieffer didn’t start either of Wrexham’s last two games and ran in behind inside the first five minutes and smashed it in the top corner,” he noted.
Even so, he acknowledged the debate. “I get that can be a discussion point in these moments, and we take that into account.”
With a quick turnaround before Tuesday’s trip to Vicarage Road, McKenna wants the team to carry forward the positives while addressing the defensive issues.
“By the time we get to Tuesday, we need to take the positives from some of our attacking play… but ultimately we know we can’t concede those goals and we need to do better.”
He also acknowledged the contrast between Ipswich Town’s home and away form.
“The Championship presents some big challenges away from home and, up to this point, we haven’t overcome those challenges as often as we would have liked.”
