The Tigers take on the Tractor Boys at Portman Road on Tuesday evening
Kieran McKenna is not taking Hull City lightly (Image: Richard Pelham/Getty Images)
Kieran McKenna says Hull City’s form this season and place in the table mean he will afford them the respect they deserve when his Ipswich Town side looks to end the Tigers’ impressive away record.
City were 1-0 winners at Portsmouth on Saturday thanks to Matt Crooks’ well-taken strike to make it five straight wins on the road, and seven victories and a draw in their last eight, which is the best record of anyone in the league.
Town and the Tigers sit locked together on 60 points inside the top six, with this mouthwatering contest both clubs’ game in hand on those around them in the promotion race.
McKenna says he will not take Sergej Jakirovic’s in-form Tigers lightly, given they’ve recorded impressive recent away wins at Middlesbrough, Millwall and Preston North End.
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“They’ve been a big threat to teams and they’ve won in really different ways,” McKenna told TWTD. “An opponent that we’ll fully respect and prepare for because they’ve shown they can win high-scoring games and score lots of goals, and they’ve shown that they can defend and nick games as well.
“They’ve been incredibly efficient in their attacking play in terms of the goals they’ve scored compared to the chances they create. They’ve got real final-third quality with the players that they have.
“And they’ve shown they can dig in and defend at the other end, so they’ve been a big threat all season, and they’ll be a big threat here on Tuesday night, so it’s up to us to be ready for that.”
LISTEN: Dean Holden previews Hull City’s trip to Portman Road
City have been one of the big surprise packages of the season under Jakirovic, and are in the promotion race on merit after 34 games of the season, and McKenna has been impressed with the job being done by the Croatian.
“Yes, I’m sure they’re really happy with where they’re at,” the Northern Irishman continued. “He’s (Jakirovic) obviously doing a good job, and they’re an opponent that we’ll fully respect, and we look forward to the game.
“We’ll prepare as well as we can, but we’ll ultimately focus on ourselves and recover well now and get back out here on Tuesday night and try and deliver another really good performance.”
Saturday’s win at Fratton Park was like so many this season away from home, with the Tigers giving up possession but being clinical in attack when the chance comes along. McKenna says City have a variety of ways to win a game, which makes them dangerous.
“If I’m honest and look at some of their games against the best teams, they did a really good job away to Middlesbrough and Southampton, teams like that, with really good defending, counter-attacking performances, so they’re a versatile team.
“Lots of experienced players at the back, some real quality in the front area of the pitch, so they’re a dangerous opponent, and we have to be ready for them to threaten us in different ways, and we have to go and try and threaten them in as many different ways as possible.”
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