Kieran McKenna | Close to signing long term deal to stay at Ipswich
- Thread starter roonster09
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Spoke really well on this one too. Seems a genuinely nice guy who really cares about the club.
I just went down to Christchurch park in Ipswich to greet the team. Both McKenna and Ashton did a bit of talking, they certainly seem fully engaged in Town as a (still unfinished) projec, which is great.
I wonder if he'll emulate Alf Ramsey? I was too young to remember him winning the league with Ipswich but I believe it came at the end of successive promotions.
Could see him get Southgates job. Feels like a natural progression. Dont think it would be the best career move but there are an increasing number of young National team managers. Doesn’t seem to be the last job in football position that it always used to be.
Double promotion.
Was critical of him cause he was in charge of coaching (with Carrick) but it seems that Ole was overruling them and essentially they had no chance of success. He has been majestic so far in lower divisions.
I wouldn’t mind him getting the manager in summer, even if it might be a bit too early. We definitely should keep an eye on him though, if he does well in EPL, he should be in the list for the new manager (maybe as early as December when we find ourselves 18 points below City with EtH in charge).
Was critical of him cause he was in charge of coaching (with Carrick) but it seems that Ole was overruling them and essentially they had no chance of success. He has been majestic so far in lower divisions.
I wouldn’t mind him getting the manager in summer, even if it might be a bit too early. We definitely should keep an eye on him though, if he does well in EPL, he should be in the list for the new manager (maybe as early as December when we find ourselves 18 points below City with EtH in charge).
Why would Northern Irishman be Interested in England's National team job .
That’s right- both Alf and BobbyRobson went on to manage England straight from Ipswich, and both after sustained success.
I think McKenna would be wasted a little as a NT manager. He’s so hands-on I’m not sure he’d enjoy the long periods of inactivity you get in that job.
Why do you think?! Can’t work out if your question is a joke or not. Apologies if I’m being whooshed.
I think he’d need a couple of seasons of success (whatever that would look like) in the Prem with Ipswich before he takes on a job as mammoth as Utd.
@UnrelatedPsuedo @macheda14 He is a young manager doing pretty well who has just started his career why would he put that on hold for National Team Job which doesn't happen to be even his home country one what appeal does it hold for him and how is it natural progression for him .
Had he been Englishman might have made sense at certain level even then it would have been a stretch .
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Are you joking? He’s 37. He may remain insanely well principled and be anti English. But he’s lived here longer than he has there. Being offered a job that saw him manage some of the best footballers in the world, most of whom are under 28, would be a huge opportunity.
Do we know his political views/religion?
Fascist/Jewish
If Ipswich go down, I imagine he'll get a chance at a stable PL club. Maybe Brighton, West Ham or Palace. Hopefully by then, he'll smash it and return to us.
Unfortunately, don't see him returning to us. Don't blame him.
Unfortunately, don't see him returning to us. Don't blame him.
oh I see. I get that a young manager would maybe want to save NT management until later in their career. But IF he made the decision to manage a NT, then managing one of the biggest (and probably highest paying) national teams in the world, in a country where he has lived for 40 years, is a no brainer.
Edit he’s 37 so I imagine it would be tough to have lived here for 40 years!
Do we know anything about his family situation? Nagelsmann at least cited the children he has with his ex-wife as a reason why he chose to stay with the national team instead of moving to a club abroad (which he apparently could have done). Having the opportunity to stay close to your little kids and have more time than as a club manager could be attractive, especially for managers in that age.
He does have youngish kids, and a big extended family back in the island of Ireland somewhere.
I doubt very much that he would be interested.
Southgate has shown that the England gig is suited for politically correct unimaginative level 3 managers..
McKenna is way, way better than the England job.
I always enjoyed away games at Portman Road. I remember the 0-6 hammering and Gary Bailey saving three penalties and one match when Garth Crooks and Arthur Graham scored for us there.
Cause Northern Ireland are shit
That’s right. Paul Cooper was our GK, and despite being quite short for a goalie he had a ridiculous record when it came to penalties.
We’ve not had a terrible record against you actually. Even in the 9-0 season we somehow won 3-2 at Portman Rd, despite being an awful awful team.
Great achievement for him. I always fear for managers who have taken a team into the Premier League against the odds though. The team usually struggles (understandably) and the manager gets the chop in January because the owners are looking for a "new manager bounce" that might just about scrape them enough points to survive.
It always seems like the manager is being punished for having overachieved in the first place!
Hopefully he'll do a good job and keep them up next season.
It always seems like the manager is being punished for having overachieved in the first place!
Hopefully he'll do a good job and keep them up next season.
You mean his legs didn’t align at United
Would love to see him back at United in the hot seat next season.
He strikes me as sensible and with enough belief in what he’s doing to say no even if we called, though, so I think he’ll try his luck in the PL with Ipswich. Hope he does well!
He strikes me as sensible and with enough belief in what he’s doing to say no even if we called, though, so I think he’ll try his luck in the PL with Ipswich. Hope he does well!
My first time there was in early 1969. You won 1-0 with a Tony Dunne own goal. Was Bobby Robson managing you then? I remember the long trip back to Manchester on the special. In those days, it was hit and miss whether the heating system worked and I was too young to buy a drink (and looked it). Cost me two weeks paper round wages to go to that game.
Craig Forrest played out of his mind in that away game.
Strange to think the England job would be that appealing to what is now a young manager about to embark on PL football?
Why would he...he's a young manager at the pinnacle of league football across Europe and not only that it's a massive project and challenge to keep Ipswich up and stabilise them so it's not like he's out of things to do.
Long term his goal is probably to end up back at a United or a top club in general and the trajectory for that type of gig is to be exceptional in club football. Once you go into international management you're out of sight out of mind unless you win a tournament because it's so different and there would be hardly any room for error in an England gig.
To be honest that job is a poisoned chalice, it's suited to managers that have done the club merry go round, jaded sorts, or someone like Gareth Southgate who was an FA institutionalised man with no reputation to begin with. A top managerial talent on the up doesn't want to manage England in my opinion. It will be someone that got sacked or someone ready to transition to another stage of their managerial career.
Why would he...he's a young manager at the pinnacle of league football across Europe and not only that it's a massive project and challenge to keep Ipswich up and stabilise them so it's not like he's out of things to do.
Long term his goal is probably to end up back at a United or a top club in general and the trajectory for that type of gig is to be exceptional in club football. Once you go into international management you're out of sight out of mind unless you win a tournament because it's so different and there would be hardly any room for error in an England gig.
To be honest that job is a poisoned chalice, it's suited to managers that have done the club merry go round, jaded sorts, or someone like Gareth Southgate who was an FA institutionalised man with no reputation to begin with. A top managerial talent on the up doesn't want to manage England in my opinion. It will be someone that got sacked or someone ready to transition to another stage of their managerial career.
I think it was 1969 that he joined town, so it may well have been an early Bobby Robson game.
Who?
Our former (2019-2021) first team coach.
Ah. Thanks.
And also comes across as a proper footballing man. Knows the game well being a former player himself and clearly has the business and commercial acumen to back it up. Ashton could actually be one to look out for in the future as well.
He's actually English but raised over there.
Sitting alongside Southgate at the Villa game.
McKenna to take Liverpool after Klopp?
Has anyone told Arne?
Not according to @TrebleChamp99
It’s a surprise
McKenna probably telling him not to bother. Not worth the hassle. Imagine being rejected by Southgate though
We’ll make sure the headlines says we was never in for him.