We don't get free hits. Especially as it's Ineos' first managerial appointment.
Kieran McKenna | Close to signing long term deal to stay at Ipswich
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In the latest episode of the United Hour Podcast, Nik (@Rood) and Jamie (@Vault Dweller) are here to talk about United's dreadful home defeat at the hands of Big Ange's Tottenham Hotspur. Should this have been the end of Ten Hag? How long does he actually have left? And does Nik finally want ETH out?!
We don't get free hits. Especially as it's Ineos' first managerial appointment.
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.
INEOS don't go up for re-election even though a positive relationship with the fan base will be beneficial.
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.
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.
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.
These "links" are starting to read like "come get me!" pleas, or like his agent is trying to get more concessions out of Brighton.
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 think McKenna was here already during Mourinho time. Wonder thought who hire him? Was it Jose?
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.
Cheers
This video also does a good job of explaining their build up play. Patterns of play and all that.
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.
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.
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 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.
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.
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.
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.
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
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I don't disagree that it's a risk but Southgate hasn't exactly proven himself any more then McKenna.
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.
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.
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.
Agreed. And isn't flick also already confirmed for Barca?
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.
Southgate? His last job in club football was 15 years ago when he relegated Middlesborough.
Chaos is a ladder.
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.
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.
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?
Yes I think he is.