Recommended reading on the Athletic - in depth profile of the outstanding job our ex-coach Kieran McKenna has done since moving to Ipswich. The club had been relegated to the third tier and was mid-table in League One, playing awful football, when he took over. He immediately transformed the club, has built an entertaining, high-scoring style of football and is now chasing back-to-back promotions, with Ipswich holding their own in the Championship against several recent PL clubs with significantly better resources.
McKenna's Ipswich over the last two seasons has won more points than any other side in the PL/EFL, and he sits in the top three for points per game, just below Guardiola and Mikel Arteta, and ahead of Klopp.
Apparently, he's proved to be a great communicator and man manager, as well as being tactically progressive and strong on attention to tactical detail. Very likely to be managing in the PL soon, whether with a promoted Ipswich or getting headhunted.
I always felt there was probably untapped talent in the club during Solskjaer's time at the wheel. Every failing organisation contains underpromoted people who could make it better. Carrick has also done a job post-United that suggests he was capable of contributing more than putting the cones out.
https://theathletic.com/5328440/2024/03/26/kieran-mckenna-manager-profile/
Kieran McKenna
posted on 26/3/24
In any era, there are few, very great managers, so in terms of stats alone, it's unlikely McKenna is one of them, but you just never know. He could be the next SAF / Wenger / Klopp / Pep, just as Alonso could be, or maybe it's neither of them.
But I would rather we took a punt on someone who could turn out to be one of the next great managers, because I don't feel it is ETH. The step-up from championship manager to top level PL manager has not really been made, but surely someone can do it. Unlikely as it may be, would be great if it was McKenna or Carrick, and they ended up with us
posted on 26/3/24
Pretty impressive to be fair. They have pretty much already guaranteed themselves a playoff spot already.
posted on 26/3/24
Hopefully he can get Ipswich into the PL and see how he competes at that level. Alternatively he goes to a well run club to test himself.
We've seen the likes of Kompany steamroll the Championship only to struggle with that style in the PL (partially down to his squad available I'm sure)
posted on 26/3/24
comment by kinsang (U3346)
posted 1 hour, 20 minutes ago
In any era, there are few, very great managers, so in terms of stats alone, it's unlikely McKenna is one of them, but you just never know. He could be the next SAF / Wenger / Klopp / Pep, just as Alonso could be, or maybe it's neither of them.
But I would rather we took a punt on someone who could turn out to be one of the next great managers, because I don't feel it is ETH. The step-up from championship manager to top level PL manager has not really been made, but surely someone can do it. Unlikely as it may be, would be great if it was McKenna or Carrick, and they ended up with us
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I don't think anyone is suggesting he's the guy we should turn to next. Even if he were the next Guardiola, he could probably do with a stepping stone job where he acquires experience he can apply at a top club.
posted on 26/3/24
comment by FFS Mike. (U1170)
posted 1 hour, 34 minutes ago
Hard to understand whether Ole was some kind of dictator that absolutely wouldn’t listen to his coaches advice or ideas, if McKenna was willingly sat on some good insight but left Ole to hang himself, or if his ideas were put forward but just didn’t work with the players we had at the time.
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Not necessarily one of those. He was a very young coach, probably still working on his coaching skills and still forming his ideas about tactics. I doubt there was a secret magic recipe he was holding on to, or that Solskjaer was refusing to deploy. More likely that Ole had some fairly credible ideas about how he wanted to play but lacked the coaching finesse to realise that (while also being undermined by the general dysfunction at the club) and maybe Carrick and McKenna were figures who had great capabilities that weren't the right fit in that structure, whereas Solskjaer maybe needed deputies who had specific experience and know-how in translating *his* ideas into practice at the top level.
My take-away about underpromoted talent is to challenge the widely held view of the time that the entire coaching staff were useless because the football was failing.
posted on 26/3/24
comment by Red Russian (U4715)
posted 17 minutes ago
comment by kinsang (U3346)
posted 1 hour, 20 minutes ago
In any era, there are few, very great managers, so in terms of stats alone, it's unlikely McKenna is one of them, but you just never know. He could be the next SAF / Wenger / Klopp / Pep, just as Alonso could be, or maybe it's neither of them.
But I would rather we took a punt on someone who could turn out to be one of the next great managers, because I don't feel it is ETH. The step-up from championship manager to top level PL manager has not really been made, but surely someone can do it. Unlikely as it may be, would be great if it was McKenna or Carrick, and they ended up with us
----------------------------------------------------------------------
I don't think anyone is suggesting he's the guy we should turn to next. Even if he were the next Guardiola, he could probably do with a stepping stone job where he acquires experience he can apply at a top club.
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The Liverpool job will be available in the Summer...
posted on 26/3/24
McKenna was also appointed as Joses assistant manager at United before Oles time.
posted on 26/3/24
comment by Diafol Coch 77 🏴 (U2462)
posted 51 minutes ago
comment by Red Russian (U4715)
posted 17 minutes ago
comment by kinsang (U3346)
posted 1 hour, 20 minutes ago
In any era, there are few, very great managers, so in terms of stats alone, it's unlikely McKenna is one of them, but you just never know. He could be the next SAF / Wenger / Klopp / Pep, just as Alonso could be, or maybe it's neither of them.
But I would rather we took a punt on someone who could turn out to be one of the next great managers, because I don't feel it is ETH. The step-up from championship manager to top level PL manager has not really been made, but surely someone can do it. Unlikely as it may be, would be great if it was McKenna or Carrick, and they ended up with us
----------------------------------------------------------------------
I don't think anyone is suggesting he's the guy we should turn to next. Even if he were the next Guardiola, he could probably do with a stepping stone job where he acquires experience he can apply at a top club.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
The Liverpool job will be available in the Summer...
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A valid observation
posted on 26/3/24
whats the Ipswich budget like compared to the rest?
posted on 26/3/24
comment by FFS Mike. (U1170)
posted 5 hours, 52 minutes ago
Hard to understand whether Ole was some kind of dictator that absolutely wouldn’t listen to his coaches advice or ideas, if McKenna was willingly sat on some good insight but left Ole to hang himself, or if his ideas were put forward but just didn’t work with the players we had at the time.
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Or maybe he’s just lucked out with Ipswich and didn’t have much to offer ole.