‘Breathtaking’ Ipswich facing pivotal festive period with Jose Mourinho’s no.2 at Man United attracting plenty of admirers

Ipswich's crunch Christmas schedule will indicate whether they'll last the pace in the promotion race.

The Tractorboys have defied all expectations after securing promotion from League One last term and find themselves comfortably in second position in the Championship table.

Three points behind Leicester City, Kieran McKenna's side are staggering 10 points clear of recently-relegated duo Leeds and Southampton as the season's halfway point approaches.

While Ipswich have kept much of the same squad who finished second in League One last term, they're clearly onto something very special as they continue to rival three clubs who played in the Premier League just last year.

This Christmas could be crucial for them though, with a trip to Elland Road on December 23 and a home clash with Leicester scheduled for Boxing Day — both matches exclusively live on talkSPORT 2.

Kieran McKenna has been a huge part of their success since taking charge two years ago, with the former Manchester United coach losing just three of 46 league games played at Portman Road in that time.

Discussing the record, GameDay Live host Durham told talkSPORT.com: «Coming into the Championship, where they didn’t even win the title, they’ve lost two out of 22 league games.

“This run goes all the way back to February. They drew 0-0 to Bristol Rovers when Joey Barton was the manager.

“He declared that Kieran McKenna was under serious pressure to get Ipswich promoted and since that post-match interview, McKenna and Ipswich have been relentless.

“They’ve been sensational and they’ve also been very good to watch, so maybe Joey deserves a bit of credit for that!»

In securing promotion from League One last year, Ipswich racked up 98 points and scored a staggering 101 goals,