The efforts of forward Conor Chaplin have been crucial to McKenna’s team’s recent success.
Ipswich Town are striving for promotion to the Premier League and are only one point behind league leaders Leeds United and Leicester City, who currently hold the automatic promotion berths.
Following a shock 2-1 defeat to Cardiff City on March 9, the Tractor Boys revived their promotion hopes with a 6-0 victory against relegation-threatened Sheffield Wednesday on March 16.
Easter weekend typically marks the start of squeaky bum time in the EFL, and for Kieran McKenna’s team, now is the time to prove that they are worthy of a spot in the Premier League next season.
But, regardless of what happens between now and the conclusion of the season, the Suffolk club has had a fantastic season, and it is astonishing that they are in the Championship championship battle after only been promoted from League One last season.
One of the important components of McKenna’s recent success has been the services of attacker Conor Chaplin, who joined the club from Barnsley before of the 2021/22 season.
Conor Chaplin was an excellent deal!
The Tractor Boys recruited the ace from Barnsley for just £750k, and he has since become one of the club’s most treasured assets, with a significant say in the Championship’s quest for promotion.
Chaplin had a very good debut season at Portman Road, scoring nine goals and providing three assists in 39 League One games as the Suffolk club finished 11th in the third division.
The former Portsmouth player was then absolutely outstanding during the 2022/23 League One season, McKenna’s first full season with the club, scoring 26 goals and providing five assists in 45 games.
His contributions that season helped him finish as the division’s equal top scorer with Peterborough United’s Jonson Clarke-Harris, earning the Tractor Boys automatic promotion to the second tier.
Chaplin has remained dangerous in the Championship, scoring 12 goals and providing seven assists in 37 games.
However, the 27-year-old recently suffered an injury and did not play the following week when his team faced Sheffield Wednesday.
Ipswich will hope that Chaplin’s comeback from injury comes soon.
McKenna told the East Anglian Daily Times after the triumph on Wednesday that Chaplin had a strain in his “side/back” that he picked up in training.
Given how important the ace has been to the Tractor Boys’ promotion push thus far, McKenna will be hoping to have one of his key players ready to play by Easter weekend.
With 12 goals in the Championship this season, the Englishman is the Portman Road outfit’s joint-leading scorer with Wales international Nathan Broadhead.
McKenna told the East Anglian Daily Times after the triumph on Wednesday that Chaplin had a strain in his “side/back” that he picked up in training.
Given how important the ace has been to the Tractor Boys’ promotion push thus far, McKenna will be hoping to have one of his key players ready to play by Easter weekend.
With 12 goals in the Championship this season, the Englishman is the Portman Road outfit’s joint-leading scorer with Wales international Nathan Broadhead.
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