Kieran McKenna has said this many times. “We just need to keep being humble, keep respecting each opponent, and focus on delivering performances.” This time, he was referring to Town’s opponents tomorrow night at Portman Road. Accrington Stanley won’t just kneel and wave a white flag at us, they will be determined to prove their worth. Our visitors may be at the foot of the table, but they are certainly no mugs.
McKenna knows the potential pitfalls of a match like this and warned, “They’re fighting for their lives at one end of the table, and we’re fighting for our lives at the other. We know it’s going to be another challenge.” Having some humility is important but it is equally important to have some belief. It is good to be respectful of the opposition, but we must guard against overdoing it. With Plymouth facing Derby County there is a real chance they could drop some points, and we must be ready for that possible eventuality. We don’t need to be ostentatious but we do need to remain focused.
In 67 games under his stewardship, McKenna still has good stats. His win ratio is still above 50.7 % after 67 games, and he has still only lost a total of 12 games. That compares favourably with most of our past pretenders to the throne. Paul Hurst is having a fantastic FA Cup run with Grimsby Town, and yet, he is still our least successful boss. In just 148 days in charge, his win ratio stands at 6.7% after his 16 games at the helm. Did we not give him enough time? Was he out of his depth? We will never know.
So tomorrow night is a big one for a number of reasons. We could make it four wins on the bounce, and close the gap further on the Pilgrims, if they cannot overcome a very resolute Derby County team. It is another Tuesday night fixture under the lights, and we tend to do very well in this environment. And it could just bring us the momentum we have been longing for in advance of some challenging fixtures away at Bolton and Barnsley which are coming up shortly. Winning is a good habit we must try to keep.
