Ipswich Town manager Kieran McKenna has likened playing Blackburn Rovers to Marcelo Bielsa’s Leeds United side.
McKenna was speaking to Ipswich Town’s club media after their 4-3 win over Rovers at Portman Road on Saturday, where he claimed it is the most open game he has ever been involved in.
Prior to being named Ipswich boss back in December 2021, McKenna was part of Manchester United’s coaching staff under three different managers – Jose Mourinho, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Ralf Rangnick.
It was under Solskjaer that McKenna went head-to-head against Leeds, with the three meetings he was involved in ending 6-2, 0-0 and 5-1.
Leeds were, of course, on the end of both defeats and particularly in the 6-2 result, the scoreline really could’ve been anything that day.
McKenna likens Blackburn to Bielsa’s Leeds
Speaking in his post-match interview after Saturday’s 4-3 win over Blackburn, McKenna believes the only comparison he can make from the weekend, is with Bielsa’s Leeds side.
“What a game. It was as open as I’ve been involved in. The only comparison I could probably make would be playing against Leeds under [Marcelo] Bielsa in the Premier League. We knew they were going to be open, they’d attack and that it’d be hard to keep them out, but we also knew that we would have chances.”
Blackburn are currently managed by Jon Dahl Tomasson who is now into his second season as manager at Ewood Park.
Only Plymouth Argyle, Norwich City and Southampton have been involved in more goals in the opening eight matches of the season so far, with Rovers having conceded 16 and scored 12.
Southampton and Rotherham United are the only sides with a worse defensive record than them and it will certainly be an interesting game when Leeds face them later on in the campaign.
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