Kieran McKenna | Close to signing long term deal to stay at Ipswich

Fair enough, I think the lack of a clear stand out candidate means that this a free hit with him and if he fails we can always bemoan the paucity of obvious targets in the market. The potential pay off is huge and he has a chance because he knows the snakes and where the skeletons are so it will be easier for him to navigate the terrain.

We don't get free hits. Especially as it's Ineos' first managerial appointment.
 
if it happens, they'll absolutely have to back him long-term and be okay with Rangnicks proposed "open-heart surgery".

I'm all for it ... just feels like a very un-United thing to do.

They already did that with ten Hag.

15 signings (10 permanent, 5 loans) in only 2 seasons and he's made a total balls of it.
 
We don't get free hits. Especially as it's Ineos' first managerial appointment.
INEOS don't go up for re-election even though a positive relationship with the fan base will be beneficial.
 
Not many nowadays and McKenna hasn't had a chance to try yet.
Granted, but are we in the position to take hm on as an "experiment"
I don't think at this point we can take the risk, the players we have need a coach who has a lot of respect and a proven track record in one of the mre dominant European leagues, Tuchel is the obvious choice if ETH is in fact going.
 
INEOS don't go up for re-election even though a positive relationship with the fan base will be beneficial.

What are you talking about? It's the pressure that builds. Fans spoke exactly the same way with ETH. Huge improvement season one, poor season in year two and gone. That's with a good track record. Promotion with Ipswich won't be the shing treasure it is now when the press spin it. The major thing in McKenna's favour is surely the injuries will be less and we will get a bounce from that. If we don't the pressure will be on him in months. The stories write themselves.
 
I think it's pointless comparing McKenna to our previous appointments in any way, because the environment, and the job itself should be night and day now with Ineos coming in, compared to what it was under the Glazers.
 
If United or Chelsea do get him, I wonder if the press might give him a bit more leeway given that he’s British.
 
Yeah, following the impressive career path of the great Nigel Adkins.

Seriously it's a super achievement, not sure it's good enough for the shambles that is United just now.
It’s much harder to do now than it was previously. The amount of money the clubs coming down have compared to the rest of the league. Also the quality of the league tactically is so so much higher.
 
Yeah, following the impressive career path of the great Nigel Adkins.

Seriously it's a super achievement, not sure it's good enough for the shambles that is United just now.
It's on the recruitment team at clubs to work out if it can translate higher up.

For example, yes I know it's a different league but Juve (in a similar situation to both Chelsea and United right now) plucked Conte after a promotion from Serie B and it worked.

Was actually warming to McKenna after doing some research into his Ipswich team (knew a bit anyway due to somewhat following Plymouth who they were fighting for promotion with in 22/23) so a little gutted it looks like we'll miss out now.
 
I can't believe his situation is being compared to Pep and Zidane when they took over their clubs. Day and night difference between united now compared to Real Madrid and Barcelona then. Then, these two were part of glorious teams so they know what is the standard needed to be a winner.
 
For example, yes I know it's a different league but Juve (in a similar situation to both Chelsea and United right now) plucked Conte after a promotion from Serie B and it worked.

The massive difference is that Conte was a massive Juventus legend.

Being a legend obviously doesn't mean you'll be a good manager but it sure as shit helps ensure the players and fans give you more time and respect.
 
I can't believe his situation is being compared to Pep and Zidane when they took over their clubs. Day and night difference between united now compared to Real Madrid and Barcelona then.

You are absolutely right. I may be contradicting myself, but perhaps we need a rough cleaner as manager before we bring in McKenna. At the same time maybe McKenna needs to go the hard way in order to learn, develop and prove himself.
 
You are absolutely right. I may be contradicting myself, but perhaps we need a rough cleaner as manager before we bring in McKenna. At the same time maybe McKenna needs to go the hard way in order to learn, develop and prove himself.
You'd do well to bed in the likes of Wilcox, Ashworth & Berrida so they're all on the same page and then have McKenna come in as the final piece of the jigsaw and he only has to focus on coaching.
 
If United or Chelsea do get him, I wonder if the press might give him a bit more leeway given that he’s British.
I was thinking this myself. If he has a strong start there's a chance he becomes a bit of a media darling I reckon.
 
I do feel like you're overestimating some of those players, though, even if they were on a decent level between 2019 and 2021.

Henderson and De Gea don't get in over Onana, Fred doesn't get in over Mainoo, Hojlund can easily reproduce Martial's 19/20, or Cavani's 20/21 season. We'll surely sign a new DM that can do their job at least as well as Matic under Ole. Greenwood and Pogba are still the only two question marks from this list for me, but I'm probably not taking the latter over Mainoo in the left-sided #8, or over Bruno in the advanced #8/#10 anyways. Also, if we start off the next season with Olise and Amad as our RW options, that's better than anything Ole and McKenna had at United, even though I rated Greenwood very highly, be that at RW or up front. I don't see a world where he stays though, and I would wholeheartedly agree with that decision. Sancho is a question mark, like I already stated.

Our other best players under Ole were IMO Shaw, Maguire, Rashford and Bruno, and they're all still here and they're all still the same players if we put them in that same environment that they used to play in under Ole. The young core is bigger and much more talented now than it was under Ole. All those 9 players I listed + the players we will sign this summer fall into that core.
I like Rasmus but no chance can he easily produce Martial 19/20, an elite level of ball control, hold up, link up, passing and vision. In terms of quality of individual players, Ole's team was stacked compared to now.
 
There are quite a few of us who have reiterated this point. I've actually been Ole out after his first half season under United, Mourinho out in his 2nd season, and Ten Hag out back in like November.

There has been only 1 demand many of us have reiterated. That is to play good football. All of our managers post Fergie have failed at this very basic ask. The reason why this is demanded by a few of us, is because we believe history has shown that the best sides all play football that is entertaining, maybe apart from Simeone. But even Simeone, the players understand their instructions and make best use of their style. Everything feels optimized. They're dangerous when they get a chance. Maybe I shouldn't use the word entertaining because that is subjective and people find Pep's football boring too.

This very basic asks shows that players have chemistry, and don't rely on individual brilliance most of the time.


The underlying metrics will show that even if United finish with a bad result over the season, that they will have a much better season(s) if they continue playing at that level, or at least you will be able to see very clear signs that the players are taking to the manager's instructions well that you can expect improvement the next season, providing the instructions are not flawed like Ten Hag's.


If it was up to you, you would have sacked Klopp after his first 3/4 season with Liverpool. That's the entire problem with Ten Hag. The players don't look like the coaching is giving them clear benefits within the match, regardless of results. The underlying metrics show United should actually be worse than they really are. A clear indication that this is very much like Mourinho's 2017/18 season (except with even worse results - 8th place), and unlike Klopps 2017/18 season. In that season, results showed Mourinho > Klopp. Who prevailed the following seasons? The results from the previous season, or the performances (underlying metrics) from previous season?
I agree with the premise of playing good football and results will come, but my point about McKenna is we can't really be ok with coming 8th again and not making Europe. Results have to be important as well.
 
I like Rasmus but no chance can he easily produce Martial 19/20, an elite level of ball control, hold up, link up, passing and vision. In terms of quality of individual players, Ole's team was stacked compared to now.

Numbers-wise, he most certainly can.

His hold up is also good. Link up is great too, not as good as Martial's, but the Frenchman is genuinely amongst the best link up players in the world. The others I'll give to Martial, but Hojlund is a different type of striker. Physically stronger and still has more pace, which is a rare combination. Good carrier. Great finisher, great link up player as well, like I said.

If we look at their potential peak ability based on the potential they showed at 20-21, I'd say Martial could've been a Ballon d'Or contender and someone who could've easily been the main man up front for a CL/PL contender, or even a starter at Real Madrid, based on the raw talent he showed in France and early on at United. It obviously didn't pan out the way it could've, but the world beater talent was there and I'll die on that hill.

However, Hojlund just needs more service and a better team around him to be able to prove himself as a great striker who's already capable of leading the line for a big club. And his raw talent is also scary. We just need to make sure this time it doesn't pan out the way Martial's United career did.
 
I agree with the premise of playing good football and results will come, but my point about McKenna is we can't really be ok with coming 8th again and not making Europe. Results have to be important as well.

They do, but you also have to set reasonable expectations. If United do sack Ten Hag and replace him this summer with McKenna, it is not realistic to expect us to leapfrog four or five clubs and suddenly get ourselves back into the Champions League. McKenna would very much be learning on the job at this level and we'd need to be patient for a couple of years. INEOS have replaced all of United's senior management and some key appointments won't be in post for a while, either. Put it all together and we might have to accept two or three years outside the CL.
 
Fair enough, I think the lack of a clear stand out candidate means that this a free hit with him and if he fails we can always bemoan the paucity of obvious targets in the market. The potential pay off is huge and he has a chance because he knows the snakes and where the skeletons are so it will be easier for him to navigate the terrain.
Stand out candidate? Poch, Tuchel, De Zerbi, Potter, Southgate, Nagelsmann, Flick.....this summer is full of available (or potentially available) managers.
Between all of them going for Ipswich manager with zero experience in bigger leagues seems completely crazy.

Edit: scratch Southgate
 
Last edited:
Stand out candidate? Poch, Tuchel, De Zerbi, Potter, Southgate, Nagelsmann, Flick.....this summer is full of available (or potentially available) managers.
Between all of them going for Ipswich manager with zero experience in bigger leagues seems completely crazy.
I don't disagree that it's a risk but Southgate hasn't exactly proven himself any more then McKenna.
 
If United or Chelsea do get him, I wonder if the press might give him a bit more leeway given that he’s British.
Good point. He probably will get a lot of leeway. It’s just everyone who isn’t English gets terrorised unless your pep and Klopp.
 
They do, but you also have to set reasonable expectations. If United do sack Ten Hag and replace him this summer with McKenna, it is not realistic to expect us to leapfrog four or five clubs and suddenly get ourselves back into the Champions League. McKenna would very much be learning on the job at this level and we'd need to be patient for a couple of years. INEOS have replaced all of United's senior management and some key appointments won't be in post for a while, either. Put it all together and we might have to accept two or three years outside the CL.
I would absolutely expect to fight for top 4 next year. Pool has to find a new way without Jurgen, Villa has to joggle the league and CL, Spurs has beginning to crack the last few months and they are...Spurs.
I dont think our players are as shit as our league position says, I mainly blame clueless tactics.
 
I don't disagree that it's a risk but Southgate hasn't exactly proven himself any more then McKenna.
Ye Southgate shouldn’t be on the list. Neither should Nagelsmann as we’ll want the new manager to start ASAP and since he’s competing in the euros he won’t be available. I think the main contenders will be McKenna and poch.
 
Ye Southgate shouldn’t be on the list. Neither should Nagelsmann as we’ll want the new manager to start ASAP and since he’s competing in the euros he won’t be available. I think the main contenders will be McKenna and poch.
Me too - I can't tell what our preference would be between them either. Both have their own unique advantages to claiming the job.
 
Ye Southgate shouldn’t be on the list. Neither should Nagelsmann as we’ll want the new manager to start ASAP and since he’s competing in the euros he won’t be available. I think the main contenders will be McKenna and poch.
Agreed. And isn't flick also already confirmed for Barca?
 
They do, but you also have to set reasonable expectations. If United do sack Ten Hag and replace him this summer with McKenna, it is not realistic to expect us to leapfrog four or five clubs and suddenly get ourselves back into the Champions League. McKenna would very much be learning on the job at this level and we'd need to be patient for a couple of years. INEOS have replaced all of United's senior management and some key appointments won't be in post for a while, either. Put it all together and we might have to accept two or three years outside the CL.
We're talking 6 points to make up on Tottenham. Take games like Chelsea, Brenford, Burnley, that should have been 3 points. I would expect whoever comes in to be able to get us over the line with the squad we will likely have improved.
 
Stand out candidate? Poch, Tuchel, De Zerbi, Potter, Southgate, Nagelsmann, Flick.....this summer is full of available (or potentially available) managers.
Between all of them going for Ipswich manager with zero experience in bigger leagues seems completely crazy.
Southgate? His last job in club football was 15 years ago when he relegated Middlesborough.
 
We're talking 6 points to make up on Tottenham. Take games like Chelsea, Brenford, Burnley, that should have been 3 points. I would expect whoever comes in to be able to get us over the line with the squad we will likely have improved.

Yep. I think as it stands, a couple of signings and less injuries and we catch Villa quite easily in my opinion.

I'd say that applies to ETH, Poch or even De Zerbi as boss. McKenna scares me, though lots think he has a high ceiling, he's the one most likely to be overwhelmed in my opinion.
 
I was thinking this myself. If he has a strong start there's a chance he becomes a bit of a media darling I reckon.

No chance a united manager becomes media darling. If 3 months go by and we are still losing to the likes of Crystal Palace, he will be grilled, and it will be ugly.
 
We're talking 6 points to make up on Tottenham. Take games like Chelsea, Brenford, Burnley, that should have been 3 points. I would expect whoever comes in to be able to get us over the line with the squad we will likely have improved.

With a novice manager with no managerial experience at a higher level than the Championship? I wouldn't expect us to leapfrog Newcastle, Chelsea, Spurs and Villa in those circumstances. They won't be standing still this summer, either.

McKenna would very much be a slow burn type of appointment with an eye on long term improvement rather than short term success - everyone would need to set their expectations accordingly, otherwise the atmosphere around the club will be absolutely toxic if we're sitting in 6th or 7th place at Christmas (even though that would be totally reasonable in the circumstances).
 
Just imagine he never worked for united before and remove the fecking bit of sentimentality, and think, would you take a manager to lead the biggest club in the country because he took his club to promotion two times?