‘We looked the more likely team to win it’ – McKenna reactions on first Premier League point

“And that’s playing against a well-established Premier League team with great familiarity between the players, with the manager.

“With the jump that we’ve made, and we’re integrating six new players into the team, two or three making their Premier League debuts for us, so to produce a performance as well organised and as coordinated and of good spirit and with moments of quality as we did, I think is a positive sign of the steps that we’re taking.”

Reflecting further on the second half, he added: “I think we had more of the possession in the second half, more of the territory, more of the game was played in their half, we created momentum, we won set plays, we know our execution to create clear-cut chances needs to improve at this level.

“We got into some really good positions that should be resulting in probably the creation of a good chance but we didn’t even to manage to get a shot off in those situations.

“And that’s playing against a well-established Premier League team with great familiarity between the players, with the manager.

“With the jump that we’ve made, and we’re integrating six new players into the team, two or three making their Premier League debuts for us, so to produce a performance as well organised and as coordinated and of good spirit and with moments of quality as we did, I think is a positive sign of the steps that we’re taking.”

Reflecting further on the second half, he added: “I think we had more of the possession in the second half, more of the territory, more of the game was played in their half, we created momentum, we won set plays, we know our execution to create clear-cut chances needs to improve at this level.

“We got into some really good positions that should be resulting in probably the creation of a good chance but we didn’t even to manage to get a shot off in those situations.

“And I think at the start of the game today we built on what we did against Liverpool in the first half and our pressure was really good and really aggressive again.

“I think the players are coming away from the first three games probably with more belief, and feeling that we’re in a good direction.

“That’s not to downsize the jump, the jump is massive and they’ve felt that. We know to get a win in the league you’re going to have to get a lot, a lot of things right on any given day. But I think they’ve come away feeling that we’re not too far away.

“We were right in the game today, we had some really good spells and I think they feel like they’re coming together as a team, our organisation, our spirit, the way they worked for each other with quite a new group of players, I think they’re feeling that we’re moving in the right direction.”

Regarding Delap’s excellent strike, he added: “A great moment, wasn’t it, for his first Premier League goal and the club’s first Premier League goal at Portman Road for 22 years.

“What a goal it was and I enjoyed his all-round performance again. As I’ve said each week, he’s getting better, he’s getting stronger, he’s learning, he’s still got great growth to come.

“You look at the young players that we had on the pitch today, him at 21, leading the line for a Premier League club. Omari (Hutchinson) beside him as the number 10 at 20 years old.

“Leif (Davis), Jacob (Greaves), some of the young players we have on the pitch, it’s a really, really good thing for the football club, to have players that young performing in the Premier League as they are. And the mix and the balance of the team is coming along well.”

McKenna hopes that the Liverpool and Fulham displays allied with the atmosphere mean that opposition sides will see Portman Road as a difficult place to visit.

“I’d like to think so,” he said. “I think both teams, Liverpool and Fulham, will have come here.

“I know with Liverpool, the game went in their favour, they got away from us in the last 30 minutes, but I think that both teams will come away knowing that they’ve been in a really good game and feeling they were playing against a newly promoted team, who are playing with great bravery, have pressed them high, have been really aggressive, won the ball back off them a lot. And also are playing with some bravery themselves.

“I think both teams will feel like they’ve been in a good game and we feel like we’ve given both teams a good game now.

“Again, there are more steps and jumps to take to turn those things into points and into three points, but I think for where we’re at, I think we’ve made some good steps.”

Put to him that not many newly promoted sides play in that manner, McKenna said: “I think it is a positive that in the Liverpool performance, with 10 players making Premier League debuts, seven from our League One team, the way that we pressed Liverpool in the first half and put them under pressure.

“Today, with lots of players playing their second or third Premier League game ever, six players out of the 11 having joined us recently and some very recently, a few making their debuts.

“To press as aggressively and as bravely with the organisation that we did today was really positive and to have moments where we really took control of the ball and, I won’t say dominated the opposition because I’m sure Marco (Silva) will have felt like their organisation was good, but where we controlled the game with the ball for spells as well.

“I think for the steps that we’ve made, I think that’s really positive and I think we feel, the players feel, that there’s a lot of growth left in the individuals and a lot of growth left in the team.”

Asked to speak more on the bravery he wants from his team further, he continued: “I don’t think we are ever exclusively man-to-man, so with our pressing structure, we always try and provide some cover and have players working between two jobs.

“But certainly whenever we can push the ball to the areas that we want to be, we want to be aggressive with pressure and be at least man-to-man in the area that the ball is in.

“We’re working really hard on those principles and I think we’ve implemented them pretty well across the season.

“In the two home games especially, we’ve had a lot of high turnovers and the next step for us is creating chances out of those high turnovers quickly and exploit the gaps in the opposition.

“Of course, we know from those situations that the individual quality of the opposition is such that if they can break that pressure, if they can win a one-v-one duel or if they find a good connection, then we’re defending big spaces and we were defending today on half a pitch three-v-three and Jacob Greaves was defending 60 yards of space against Adama Traore.

“To be aggressive in this league, to get good pressure on the opposition, you have to be brave in terms of the spaces you’re ready to defend. Do it in as organised a manner as possible, try and account for the what-ifs, deal with what can go wrong as well as possible.

“But there’s also always going to be some opportunities where the opposition manage to break that pressure and then it’s about how well you recover to goal, how you can stop that being a big chance.

“And I thought we did that pretty well today. We’ll continue to work on those principles and try and make it an important part of how we play here at home, especially.”

Asked whether the buzz around the town and the stadium makes his job easier, the Northern Irishman smiled: “It helps us, I don’t know if there’s too much about the job this year that could be described as easy, but it certainly helps us.

“I think the supporters have been fantastic, the atmosphere around the game has been excellent.

“I have to say that when Fulham scored a goal today where we dropped our level, but they executed really well, the crowd all start clapping and singing a song and that’s a brilliant boost to have for the players and it’s going to be hard to keep that over 38 games, over 19 home games, but that’s we’re going to hope for.

“That’s the support that will give us the best chance and the supporters have had a fantastic part in what we’ve done over the last couple of years and have played a fantastic part in the first couple of games here.”

McKenna had praise for skipper Sam Morsy, who has made an impressive start to the Premier League season.

“He has,” he said. “I think he’s improved in his performances from the Liverpool game, even. He’s showing growth and that’s Samy.

“I won’t mention his age now but he’s not in the start of his career, but he always wants to improve and he sets that tone for the rest of the group as well and he’s always looking for the margin to get better and to review and reflect on his performances.

“It’s clear to see and I know how hungry he is to have an impact at Premier League level and I think he’s had a good start, but I’m pretty confident that he’s going to be a better player in a couple of months because of the mindset that he has he’ll continue to improve.”

Loanee Kalvin Phillips, making his first league and home start for the club, also impressed his manager.

“I thought it was a good week for him in terms of progress,” he said. “He’s had some minutes in the cup in midweek, got maybe almost 70 minutes today. Fitted in well into the team, he’s fitted really well into the group, we’re enjoying having him here.

“I thought we were really competitive in the middle of the pitch, he and Samy at least held their own in the midfield battle and I’m sure he’s going to continue to get stronger as the weeks go on.

“One, just physically, building up his fitness and having minutes in midfield areas in the Premier League is a physical stretch, but also just understanding his teammates and how we play and us understanding him and how we can utilise him best.

“I thought it was a good step forward and important minutes and he’s an important part of our squad.”

Put to him that there were a lot of positives to take from the day, despite those outside the club perhaps believing the club needed a win on the board following defeats in their opening two matches, McKenna responded: “We’re three games into a 38-game season and we know we’ve gone through a summer of incredible upheaval and we’ve got so many players making their Premier League debuts.

“The start of the season was never going to be (easy). Of course, we’ve tried in every game to get as many points as we can but the priority is always going to be building the group, building the team, building our style of play and coming together as a group.

“I feel like we’re doing that well, we’re a team, a club and our culture is never really about counting points, looking at league tables, setting goals of where we want to finish this season, it’s just about being the best that we can be, working hard every day, training to the best of our capability, preparing for each game properly, giving full commitment to each game.

“And at the end of the day we’ll see how many points we’ll get. We know we’re most people’s favourites to end up in the bottom of the league and Fulham were favourites today coming to our stadium.

“But we don’t focus on those things, we’re on our own journey, we’re trying to get better all the time. I feel that the group’s improving, they’re coming together as a team and that’s all that I’m focusing on really, and the points at the end of the season, they’ll be what they will be.”