O’Shea: I Feel Like the Group Is in a Great Place
Monday, 26th Jan 2026 09:56 by Kallum Brisset

Town captain Dara O’Shea believes the Blues are still in a good place despite Saturday’s 3-1 defeat to Sheffield United.

Having found some momentum with five straight wins in all competitions, the weekend’s disappointment at Bramall Lane brought an end to Town’s perfect start to 2026 and leaves them five points adrift of second-placed Middlesbrough in the hunt for automatic promotion.

The Blues do still hold a game in hand and have been the form side in the division in recent months, particularly defensively where Kieran McKenna’s side have kept four clean sheets in their last six league matches since Christmas.

A large part of that success has been down to Cédric Kipré’s continued run in the side at the heart of the defence, the Reims loanee having started each of the last 12 Championship games alongside the ever-present O’Shea.

“I’ve known Ceddy a long time,” the Town skipper said of the Ivorian international, who he also played alongside at West Brom. “He’s a really good guy and I get along great with him off the pitch and on the pitch as well.

“Our qualities suit each other well, he’s very laid back but you see on the pitch he’s an absolute animal and an absolute monster. The whole back unit, I don’t necessarily think me and Cédric, there’s been a collective with the goalkeepers that have been in and the full-backs as well.

“It takes a lot for us to be moving in a good way, you see our habits day-to-day and when it comes to games I think we’re in a really good place. I’m just enjoying playing football, that’s the main thing.

“The start of the season was difficult, the whole team were trying to find their feet and there was lots of disruption in whatever way. I’m enjoying my football a lot, obviously I love it here and I think it’s a great club. I’m enjoying playing and finding our groove.

“Last season in the Premier League was the total opposite to what we’re experiencing now. I just think it maybe took us the start of the season to adapt to that, change the mindset and understand that we are the team that everyone wants to beat.

“It’s going to be hard and we’re going to have a lot of the ball at times. Sometimes that’s not the easiest thing having a lot of the ball, teams just sit in and make it difficult. I’m enjoying football a lot at the moment, I just want to keep going.

“I feel like the group is in a great place, I want to add more to that myself and try and get more out of the boys as well.”

At the other end of the pitch, Town’s forward line has been bolstered with Friday’s addition of Anis Mehmeti from Bristol City, the first signing of the January transfer window.

Mehmeti had barely met his teammates before making the journey to Sheffield on Saturday, where he came on as a 71st-minute substitute for his Blues debut.

On his arrival, O’Shea said: “A really good player. Very exciting when we all heard he was coming in because he’s one of the best players in the league. Technically with the ball at his feet, he’s amazing.

“You saw a lot of glimpses getting on the ball and trying to bring us forward. Off the ball as well, his work rate is top and something that is going to align with the group.

“We’re a hard-working group, we pride ourselves on that so him coming into the group can add to that a bit more and push us on again.”

Town have been perhaps blessed over the last month to have a run of successive matches at home, with Portman Road proving to be very profitable in terms of league points since the turn of the year.

On the flip side, the Blues will follow this weekend’s home match against Preston North End with five straight matches on the road, including two long trips to Wrexham and the rearranged Championship fixture at Portsmouth.

Ahead of that run, O’Shea has called upon his players to meet the pressures head-on that come with being one of the sides expected to be competing towards the upper reaches of the table.

“It’s a very busy period coming up with a lot of away games and we’ve got to get ourselves ready for that and get our heads around that,” the Irishman said. “A great game for us to bounce back with at home, hopefully we can get three more points on the board.

“The away games are always going to be harder. We love playing at Portman Road, it’s a great feeling having our fans there.

“It’s easy for teams to come and play against us in a way because they’re not really expected to maybe get a result. For us, that’s the pressure we’ve got to take on.

“At the start of the season, as a group we recognised that, and we’ve got to use that to our advantage and take the confidence from that. Teams are coming and trying to disrupt us so they’re going to make it difficult, it’s not going to be easy, and it’s going to be unpredictable at times.

“You watch games throughout the week of the team you’re going to play against, and come the weekend, they’re playing in a totally different way because they’re playing against Ipswich. That’s the nature of the league, we’ve got to find a way.

“We’ve got enough good players to do that, we’ve got enough good coaches and management to do that as well. I feel like we’re in a good place.”

Photo: Matchday Images

Please report offensive, libellous or inappropriate posts by using the links provided.

Page:
1

warfarinman69 added 10:24 - Jan 26 I like O'Shea but not sure how good he is at being captain. In truth probably only the team can answer that. But he took the defeat and indifferent defensive performance far too well. He doesn't sound bothered. I hope it's just the way it comes across in these controlled media days.
7

Papillon64 added 10:41 - Jan 26

Lets just go with a 'bump in the road'. we have no divine right to win every game and Sheffield Utd are no mugs at home. It would be boring if we won every week and I for one look at the positives of how the season and team is developing/panning out. I am steering clear of the player character assassinations as on this day, unfortunately, for different reasons, it just didn't happen. On too the next one.

PortmanTerrorist added 10:59 - Jan 26

warfarinman69 I will go further, as I said it then and stand by it now that McKenna giving him the Captaincy was a huge mistake. Decent (not great) defender but that does not equate to leadership qualities.....listening to his post match interview nearly had me come off the road on way home from Sheffield.

Stuff was going on all over the place on Saturday and where was our Captain, mostly stood back almost in fear of getting involved. At one point in 1st half, half the Sheff U team were surrounding the ref for 20 seconds, O'Shea then strolled up to him and was sent away immediately. That is not behaving with dignity, that is weakness...and that was not a one-off, even in this game. He simply is not a leader, just watching a few Town in 5s will show you that close up. Give the armband to Leif as he gets what it takes and has seen a true leader in Sammy.

I repeat this is not a reaction as have been saying the same thing all season but that team performance, his behaviour and that ridiculous interview have tipped me over the edge as I believe they are all linked.

PositivelyPortman added 11:03 - Jan 26 Warfarinman69 DOS is certainly no Holland or Millsy that’s plain to see! I’d describe him as a curate’s egg.
1

Tedray added 11:24 - Jan 26 Oddly enough I thought that we fielded a very good solid team verses SU So where did it all go wrong. Perhaps it is the make up of the players themselves sadly The next few games will be off paramount importance and will shape our season Hopefully more grit and determination will be on view.
2

55015Deltic added 11:44 - Jan 26 Don't rate him and he's not a Leader by any calibre.
5

Jugsy added 11:56 - Jan 26 I rate him, continuous improvement and a level head. Like PositivelyPortman says, he's not Holland or Millsy, but he's also not a Chambo, Morsy, De Vos, Williams, Mariner, etc... he's his own man doing it his way, with the approval of the manager. Captains don't come in cookie cutter shapes. Back the boys, COYB.
6

Cloddyseedbed added 12:04 - Jan 26

They weren't on Saturday. How many times when we have games in hand do we put in bad performances? Get consistent away and I'll start believing. As mentioned in another post, continue to play Egeli and Hirst and McAteer on their present form and your always going to struggle. A one off bad game can occasionally be excused but it sems to be happening too regularly especially away from home.

MickMccarthyWasRight added 12:27 - Jan 26 A great place??? I’m fairly stressed right now, Dara. Side note: Saipan is a dreadful Roy Keane propaganda piece. Don’t bother watching lads.
2

SickParrot added 12:46 - Jan 26

The problem is that there have been too many way away days like Saturday , where we are sloppy all over the pitch. I believe that the main issue is that the players recognise that if we concede the first goal we never win. Consequently we are nervous and tentative and then, if we do concede the first goal, they automatically think "oh no, not another bad away day". I certainly do!
We must somehow change this because we must pick up more points on the road to sustain a promotion push. Our fragility away from home is of course also creating more pressure on us to win all our home games, which is of course impossible.

Gazelle added 12:48 - Jan 26 A lot of people seem to agree with me that we picked the wrong starting eleven but having said that we still let three in with an arguably better defence. Every team who wins a league has a game like Saturday, even Coventry have had two.
1

Jugsy added 12:54 - Jan 26

Cloddyseedbed - I understand the sentiment about the game in hand, but I don't think we put in a bad performance when we have one to play (assuming the point is about the pressure getting to us when we have a game in hand). We put in a great performance against Bristol City and a good one against Blackburn, both with a game in hand. It's super annoying to have a game in hand at a time when we would have likely put points on the board but I think that feeling sits more with us as fans than it does the team.

billlm added 13:20 - Jan 26

Tedray, I disagree solid nope if your playing hirst and sindre in the same team especially away from home that's weak not solid both way off it passengers,
Away from home we're not manly or strong enough get bullied and fold,
I'd like a less skillful more workman like team away from home tough it out we may get more points, flakey at best away from home, one really good result only away from home in half a season poor,

Linkboy13 added 15:34 - Jan 26 Our away form hasn't been very convincing too many players not showing enough work rate and commitment. They need to watch videos of Nunez who's attitude is exemplary and a manager's delight. To many players go into hiding away from home .
2

armchaircritic59 added 18:01 - Jan 26

Where it goes wrong too often as the poster above was asking, as far as I'm concerned has two answers. It's either 1; The Low Block or 2; Teams that get stuck in and don't respect reputations ( and why should they? ). We have problems with either, heaven help us if we play a team that does both!

As for D O's, having seen him in action as a Captain, what I've seen on the pitch, doesn't strike me too much like a leader. We don't see what happens behind the scenes of course, another important part.

dirtydingusmagee added 22:27 - Jan 26

i have always said he is not a leader, and as time goes on i see nothing to make me change my mind , We have improve if we are to have a hope of promotion,we have teams chasing us down .One thing to brighten our day [ a bit] our neighbours have beaten Coventry tonight its a strange feeling wanting them to win and lose at same time . I listened to game,and they played well which is worrying .

armchaircritic59 added 23:45 - Jan 26

dirtydingusmagee, I've always said Norwich would never go down this season, they have actually signed some decent younger players, who now appear to be adjusting to the Championship. I actually had them down as dark horses! Thanks to them for tonight! Apart from all that, what Norwich do or don't do is only of passing interest to me, they could be European champions or in the Isthmian league, I wouldn't care. I just care about ITFC! I gave up on petty rivalries decades ago. If we got awarded double points for beating them in a league match I might get a bit more excitable again, but it's just the same as everyone else, 3 points.

As for improving, it's our away form that needs improving, the Championship away form table from the start of the season has us in 13th place, 4 wins out of 13 played, some way below good enough. 4 points less than Norwich and 2 less than Blackburn!