"We're aware..." - Kieran McKenna highlights concerning recent Ipswich Town trend | OneFootball

Highlights

For any team with lofty aspirations of promotion to the Premier League, there are a number of hallmarks that must be evident across the course of a season if the side is to challenge over the full 46-game season.

One of those is to have strong foundations at the back, allowing the side to perhaps grind out results by the odd goal whilst not particularly flourishing in front of goal, and there have been countless teams that this theory has applied to over the years as they secure promotion to the top-flight.

Ipswich Town have been a joy to watch this season, with 16 of their 17 outings so far being encounters in which both they and the opposition have found the net, with a total of 59 goals across those games, certainly giving fans value for money.

However, there has been one underlying trend of late which could unease Tractor Boys' fans if it was to continue.

What is the concerning trend from Ipswich Town's recent cluster of games?

Out of the sides currently occupying a top-six place, only Preston North End have conceded more than Kieran McKenna's side, who hace shipped 23 goals from those 17 games.

However, the concerning trend at present is the amount of early goals which Town are conceding, having done so in all of their last six games which includes the EFL Cup defeat to Premier League Fulham.

The latest they've conceded an opening goal in that spell was away to Birmingham City on November 4th, where Jay Stansfield gave Blues the lead after 13 minutes at St Andrew's, with the earliest coming in the form of Sam Nombe's 4th minute opener in the re-arranged fixture at Rotherham United.

This has given Town a mountain to climb in all of those encounters. In fact, it's quite remarkable that they've only lost one of the five Championship games in that run, such is the talent at their disposal at the other end of the pitch, where they remain the league's top scorers with 36 to their name.

"We analysed and spoke about..." - McKenna on player awareness of trend

The statistic was brought to McKenna's attention after the 2-0 defeat on Saturday night at the Hawthorns, and he admits that both whilst him and the squad are aware of it, it's not their main defensive focus as they conceded from a set-play after five minutes in the West Midlands.

"Of course it's something we analysed and spoke about with the group over the break." The Northern Irishman told the East Anglian Daily Press.

"We're aware of it, but we're not obsessing over it. I've been here for two years and this hasn't been an issue for us until quite recently.

"It's not like we're being battered at the start of games with chances, we've just got to defend set play moments better," He continued. "Now we've conceded a set play against Rotherham, an early set play against Swansea and an early set play tonight."

Whilst many will highlight the fact that Town's ability to fightback in a number of games also demonstrates the character needed in a promotion battle, it is a run which can't go on forever.

If it does, then Town will become increasingly at risk of being caught up by the likes of Leeds United and Southampton as the season progresses, having picked up just two clean sheets from the last ten Championship games.