Ipswich Town: Kieran McKenna on trip to Brentford

The Blues, still winless after eight Premier League games, are looking to bounce back from successive defeats to West Ham and Everton.

That won't be easy against a Bees side who have claimed 10 points from a possible 12 at the Gtech Community Stadium.

“In their last home game, against Wolves, they had a lot of chances and scored five goals. I think they're third in the league for their home xG," said McKenna.

"They’ll probably see us as a bottom half side and they face those teams in a really positive manner.

"They’ve evolved their style this year. They’re building a lot shorter from the goalkeeper and through the pitch, but they also have the qualities they’ve had for a quite a few years now in terms of crosses, putting lots of bodies in the box and being a big threat on set plays. 

Brentford have claimed 10 points from a possible 12 at the Gtech Community Stadium so far this season. (Image: PA)

“We know they’re a formidable team at home, but it’s a big chance for us to go and test ourselves. We believe if we can show the best of ourselves that on any given day we can be competitive against almost any team."

This is Brentford's fourth season in the Premier League following finishes of 13th, ninth and 16th.

“They’ve done fantastically well as a club and Thomas (Frank) has done fantastically well as a manager," said McKenna.

“There are things Brentford have done we can take inspiration from, but their journey has been different to ours. The season before they got promoted they lost in the Play-Off Final. They had a couple of years pushing at the top of the Championship, so by the time they arrived in the Premier League they pretty much had their Premier League team already set. Our journey is very different with the speed of the ascent we’ve made."