ArnoldLane
Member
- May 28, 2024
- 29
McKenna on Brighton if anyone interested
"Each game starts at square one and we're facing a really good Brighton side. It's going to be a big challenge and we just take the game fresh and give it everything we got.”
McKenna was asked whether he sees Brighton as a blueprint for Town trying to establish themselves in the Premier League, the Seagulls having been a fixture in the top flight - and latterly the top half of the top flight - since being promoted in 2016/17.
“They've done it fantastically on their journey,” he said. “As I've said before, it's well known and well regarded and they've done incredible work really to establish themselves as they have, but each journey is unique.
“I don't know what the reference is for us in modern football. Brighton were four or five years at the top of the Championship competing in the play-off positions, investing heavily in the squad, in the training ground and everything before they got promoted.
“So the point that they got promoted was very, very different than the point that we got promoted, similar for Brentford, Fulham, Bournemouth, obviously kicked on really well but two teams who were in the Premier League for a good amount of time, had one season in the Championship, kept the group together bounced back up and have now kicked on.
“So, I'm not sure there is a reference for us. I'm not sure there is a shining example that we can see and in some ways that's a challenge. But in another way, it's exciting because there are no rules for how you go from League One to the Premier League in two years and try and make a real good fist of it.
“We're doing what we feel is right. We've tried to make the decisions that we feel are right, but I think we're on our own journey and there aren't many who have been on this journey, and certainly not in the very modern Premier League that we're facing at the moment.
“They are an example in some aspects for every football club in the world in terms of how well they've been run and made decisions, but in terms of us competing in the Premier League this season, I think we're our own story.”
Earlier in the season, the Blues battled to a 0-0 draw at the Amex Stadium, a match McKenna says was as tough as any so far.
“I think it was one of the most difficult games we've had and the players really felt that on the pitch as well, and that was part of their reflection,” he said.
“We know the level of the opponent. I think they were much better than us on the day, but that's understandable at the time of the season and the journey we've been on compared to where they're at.
“To get something out of the game, we showed a great level of resilience and we showed a great level of desire, and our defensive organisation was really good to keep them at bay.
“We had a few moments which went our way and actually we had a 15-20-minute spell in the second half where we kicked on and actually we could have went and got a winner.
“I think we're going to need those ingredients again tomorrow night. We know they're a very, very good team whenever they're in full flow and they've shown that all season.
“They've beaten some of the best teams in the league and played very well in the majority of their games.
“So we're going to be up against it at times, we're going to have to show resilience at times, but we also know that we can impose ourselves on them.
“We want to do it for longer in this game than we managed to do in the away game, and that will give us a better chance to get a result.
“We know the level of the opponent, we know the challenge, it's a good test for us to see where we're at from when we played them early in the season and we're going to go and try and give a good account of ourselves.”
Brighton boss Fabian Hürzeler, the youngest manager in the Premier League at 31, is someone McKenna, who is seven years older, admires and the Town manager feels the two have taken comparable paths to the Premier League.
“I don't know the ins and outs of how he works,” he said. “Of course, I think there are some similarities. He's much younger than me and makes me an old hand at it, but there are similarities in terms that he's done a very, very good job at St Pauli and got them promoted to the Bundesliga when they weren't expected to be.
“Other than that, I think you can watch the teams and there are some similar principles in there in terms of what we want from our teams in certain phases.
“And I think he communicates very well. I think he communicates very well in the media and I've met him once or twice now and he's a very nice guy, so he seems to be doing a good job and we'll try and give them a really good contest tomorrow.”
Has Brighton’s style of play evolved over the course of the season, Hürzeler having taken over in the summer following Roberto De Zerbi’s departure with McKenna himself having been ear-marked as the man to take over at the Amex until he opted to sign a new deal at Town.
“I think probably more so they've had quite a few changes and they've had quite a few injuries as well,” he reflected.
“They’ve got a lot of different options, especially in the forward positions, so I think he's said himself they've probably not been as consistent in terms of selection as he would have liked.
“And then when you have different players available, sometimes that changes the structure that you decide to play in, so I think they've had quite a lot of variation over the last couple of months.
“The team that we played in the fourth game was a little bit different. I think maybe it was the first game that [Georginio] Rutter came into and that changed their positional balance a little bit, so they've had quite a bit of variation.
“I don't think there's a big change in style, but I think you can clearly see from the start of the season what they wanted to do.
“I think it's more of an effect, probably they have a big and deep squad, they've had some injuries and personnel-wise they can certainly change the whole front four, they can change a couple of midfielders and have different options that change the nature of the challenge in that area of the pitch.”
The Seagulls are without a win in eight Premier League matches, although losing only two, and have dropped to 11th in the table.
At the weekend, they won their first game in a month and a half, albeit a 4-0 FA Cup victory at Championship Norwich City.
On their travels in the Premier League this season, Brighton have won three - 3-0 at Everton on the opening day, 1-0 at Newcastle in October and 2-1 at Bournemouth in November - drawn four and lost three.
McKenna says Albion’s lack of recent victories illustrates the tightness of matches at this level.
“I think it's just the competitive nature of the Premier League,” he reflected. “You can say they've not won in eight games, but also they've only lost four times in 20 games, and the only teams who've lost fewer are Liverpool and Arsenal, I believe, so they've been really, really hard to beat.
“What I think they have said, and I'm sure they are saying, is they've probably drawn more games than what they would want and they've lost some leads late, and they've conceded some late goals.
“I'm sure a couple of those draws being turned into wins, they'd be in a much happier position with their points total and their place in the table.
“The games that I've watched, they've shown some really, really good things. It's clear that in flow, when they're on top in a game and when things go how they want, they're a top side, a top, top Premier League team.
“But the league is so competitive this year and the margins to win games are really, really tough, and they've probably had too many draws, which is why they're maybe not quite as high as they want. But that certainly doesn't change our perspective on the size of the challenge that we're going to face.”
"Each game starts at square one and we're facing a really good Brighton side. It's going to be a big challenge and we just take the game fresh and give it everything we got.”
McKenna was asked whether he sees Brighton as a blueprint for Town trying to establish themselves in the Premier League, the Seagulls having been a fixture in the top flight - and latterly the top half of the top flight - since being promoted in 2016/17.
“They've done it fantastically on their journey,” he said. “As I've said before, it's well known and well regarded and they've done incredible work really to establish themselves as they have, but each journey is unique.
“I don't know what the reference is for us in modern football. Brighton were four or five years at the top of the Championship competing in the play-off positions, investing heavily in the squad, in the training ground and everything before they got promoted.
“So the point that they got promoted was very, very different than the point that we got promoted, similar for Brentford, Fulham, Bournemouth, obviously kicked on really well but two teams who were in the Premier League for a good amount of time, had one season in the Championship, kept the group together bounced back up and have now kicked on.
“So, I'm not sure there is a reference for us. I'm not sure there is a shining example that we can see and in some ways that's a challenge. But in another way, it's exciting because there are no rules for how you go from League One to the Premier League in two years and try and make a real good fist of it.
“We're doing what we feel is right. We've tried to make the decisions that we feel are right, but I think we're on our own journey and there aren't many who have been on this journey, and certainly not in the very modern Premier League that we're facing at the moment.
“They are an example in some aspects for every football club in the world in terms of how well they've been run and made decisions, but in terms of us competing in the Premier League this season, I think we're our own story.”
Earlier in the season, the Blues battled to a 0-0 draw at the Amex Stadium, a match McKenna says was as tough as any so far.
“I think it was one of the most difficult games we've had and the players really felt that on the pitch as well, and that was part of their reflection,” he said.
“We know the level of the opponent. I think they were much better than us on the day, but that's understandable at the time of the season and the journey we've been on compared to where they're at.
“To get something out of the game, we showed a great level of resilience and we showed a great level of desire, and our defensive organisation was really good to keep them at bay.
“We had a few moments which went our way and actually we had a 15-20-minute spell in the second half where we kicked on and actually we could have went and got a winner.
“I think we're going to need those ingredients again tomorrow night. We know they're a very, very good team whenever they're in full flow and they've shown that all season.
“They've beaten some of the best teams in the league and played very well in the majority of their games.
“So we're going to be up against it at times, we're going to have to show resilience at times, but we also know that we can impose ourselves on them.
“We want to do it for longer in this game than we managed to do in the away game, and that will give us a better chance to get a result.
“We know the level of the opponent, we know the challenge, it's a good test for us to see where we're at from when we played them early in the season and we're going to go and try and give a good account of ourselves.”
Brighton boss Fabian Hürzeler, the youngest manager in the Premier League at 31, is someone McKenna, who is seven years older, admires and the Town manager feels the two have taken comparable paths to the Premier League.
“I don't know the ins and outs of how he works,” he said. “Of course, I think there are some similarities. He's much younger than me and makes me an old hand at it, but there are similarities in terms that he's done a very, very good job at St Pauli and got them promoted to the Bundesliga when they weren't expected to be.
“Other than that, I think you can watch the teams and there are some similar principles in there in terms of what we want from our teams in certain phases.
“And I think he communicates very well. I think he communicates very well in the media and I've met him once or twice now and he's a very nice guy, so he seems to be doing a good job and we'll try and give them a really good contest tomorrow.”
Has Brighton’s style of play evolved over the course of the season, Hürzeler having taken over in the summer following Roberto De Zerbi’s departure with McKenna himself having been ear-marked as the man to take over at the Amex until he opted to sign a new deal at Town.
“I think probably more so they've had quite a few changes and they've had quite a few injuries as well,” he reflected.
“They’ve got a lot of different options, especially in the forward positions, so I think he's said himself they've probably not been as consistent in terms of selection as he would have liked.
“And then when you have different players available, sometimes that changes the structure that you decide to play in, so I think they've had quite a lot of variation over the last couple of months.
“The team that we played in the fourth game was a little bit different. I think maybe it was the first game that [Georginio] Rutter came into and that changed their positional balance a little bit, so they've had quite a bit of variation.
“I don't think there's a big change in style, but I think you can clearly see from the start of the season what they wanted to do.
“I think it's more of an effect, probably they have a big and deep squad, they've had some injuries and personnel-wise they can certainly change the whole front four, they can change a couple of midfielders and have different options that change the nature of the challenge in that area of the pitch.”
The Seagulls are without a win in eight Premier League matches, although losing only two, and have dropped to 11th in the table.
At the weekend, they won their first game in a month and a half, albeit a 4-0 FA Cup victory at Championship Norwich City.
On their travels in the Premier League this season, Brighton have won three - 3-0 at Everton on the opening day, 1-0 at Newcastle in October and 2-1 at Bournemouth in November - drawn four and lost three.
McKenna says Albion’s lack of recent victories illustrates the tightness of matches at this level.
“I think it's just the competitive nature of the Premier League,” he reflected. “You can say they've not won in eight games, but also they've only lost four times in 20 games, and the only teams who've lost fewer are Liverpool and Arsenal, I believe, so they've been really, really hard to beat.
“What I think they have said, and I'm sure they are saying, is they've probably drawn more games than what they would want and they've lost some leads late, and they've conceded some late goals.
“I'm sure a couple of those draws being turned into wins, they'd be in a much happier position with their points total and their place in the table.
“The games that I've watched, they've shown some really, really good things. It's clear that in flow, when they're on top in a game and when things go how they want, they're a top side, a top, top Premier League team.
“But the league is so competitive this year and the margins to win games are really, really tough, and they've probably had too many draws, which is why they're maybe not quite as high as they want. But that certainly doesn't change our perspective on the size of the challenge that we're going to face.”
