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

Tom Van Persie said:
This video also does a good job of explaining their build up play. Patterns of play and all that. :)
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I confess I enjoyed that. Well done. However he missed the whole Ipswich Subs thing.
Which is that before the match you tell your forwards that they are going to come off before 70 minutes. So run yourself into the ground while you have the chance. Then with 20 minutes to go what seems like an entire new set of forwards come on and run flat out at the tired defenders.

At Portman Road when the first sub stands up and takes his track suit off people nudge each other because we know what is about to happen. 2-3-Even 4 forwards are changed. It is no co-incidence that Town score a large proportion of their goals between then and 90 minutes and even after that in extra time we scored a lot. The locals here call it McKenna time. (Dont know where they got the idea of naming extra time after a manager ?) But it destroyed Leicester and Southampton last season.
Good luck this afternoon.
 
Giggsyking said:
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?
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Well, Paul Lambert and Nigel Adkins haven't exactly set the world on fire after doing the same. It is an impressive achievement, though. Does it say much about your ablity to win major trophies with a Premier League team - no, probably not (although that doesn't mean McKenna isn't capable of that, just that we don't really have enough information to form a conclusion).
 
Giggsyking said:
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?
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That isn't the only reason why he's been targeted by United, Chelsea and Brighton. Ipswich play brilliant football and there's clearly a feeling among big clubs that his football can translate to the next level. He's a forward thinking coach and very good at developing players. He basically ticks the boxes in what clubs are looking for in managers nowadays.

He's of course a gamble but feck it he's a gamble worth taking in my opinion.
 
Giggsyking said:
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.
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Being a legend doesn't matter. Initial respect can easily be lost or gained depending on how they manage minutes, tactics, egos, etc... Ultimately what you do as manager decides how you're perceived by those below you.

Knowing the standard also means nothing. Some of the best footballers ever make for bad managers even though they know the standard. In fact, how does proving yourself outside of a league title at one of the top clubs then translate to "knowing the standard"? Yet they're able to step into the big clubs and then win.

All of what you're saying is vague. Like a footballer, it's about talent and application.

Prior to their big managerial appointments they're on the same level as McKenna. Xabi managed Real Sociedad B and got them relegated to the 3rd division, and was then hired by Leverkusen. They assessed his coaching ability within that and thought his ideas and process were worth hiring.

If we hire McKenna it would be for the same reason. You don't need Premier League experience as a manager. That's just some arbitrary thing the fans have decided is required. I used to think some managerial experience was required. Then Arteta proved that wrong too, so it turns out I was wrong. Besides, McKenna was an assistant coach while United finished top 4, not that it's required for being hired.
 
Lash said:
:wenger: you can't be serious? Even with Ten Hag I would expect us to have a better point tally next season. If we're hiring McKenna, it should be because we think he will improve our points tally by a good margin.
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I am 100% serious. It’s what we need. We’ve had 81 points under Jose but it was always obvious the wheels were falling off. And under Ole we got 74 but we never looked close to City. I’d rather us get 60 points for the next 2 seasons and then 90 in the 3rd. Rather than continually going for results first and only ever getting to the 80 mark.
 
Giggsyking said:
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.
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I disagree, British managers are far more likely to get leeway from the press. On your second point, you'll notice that I said if he has a strong start.
 
I’ve watched two games were Ipswich faced a high pressing team and they struggled to beat the press. Not sure if that’s a recurring theme
 
moses said:
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.
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Agreed.

I think it's too early for him and the structure isn't even set yet, would be an absolutely incredible feat if the stars aligned first time.
Infra-red said:
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).
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Oh I'm not for McKenna, I'm just saying that should be our expectation for our next manager. If they think McKenna is that man, then fair enough, but I'm not so sure.
3KDré said:
I am 100% serious. It’s what we need. We’ve had 81 points under Jose but it was always obvious the wheels were falling off. And under Ole we got 74 but we never looked close to City. I’d rather us get 60 points for the next 2 seasons and then 90 in the 3rd. Rather than continually going for results first and only ever getting to the 80 mark.
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Sure I'd take that, but there's absolutely no guarantee it would jump to 90? I'm not asking to solely focus on results, I'm saying focus on it to the extent we improve on this season. The main focus should be getting us playing well, but it would be disastrous for us to not be in Europe again for a club this size.
 
jamesjimmybyrondean said:
I’ve watched two games were Ipswich faced a high pressing team and they struggled to beat the press. Not sure if that’s a recurring theme
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They are fairly direct. The focus is on getting the ball forward quickly and efficiently in as few passes as necessary rather than patiently building play from deep with long passing sequences.
 
Lash said:
Agreed.

I think it's too early for him and the structure isn't even set yet, would be an absolutely incredible feat if the stars aligned first time.

Oh I'm not for McKenna, I'm just saying that should be our expectation for our next manager. If they think McKenna is that man, then fair enough, but I'm not so sure.

Sure I'd take that, but there's absolutely no guarantee it would jump to 90? I'm not asking to solely focus on results, I'm saying focus on it to the extent we improve on this season. The main focus should be getting us playing well, but it would be disastrous for us to not be in Europe again for a club this size.
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We should aim for it, sure. But we shouldn't aim for it at the cost of the long term vision like we have done.
 
Tom Van Persie said:
Southgate? His last job in club football was 15 years ago when he relegated Middlesborough.
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I just throw him on the list. My mistake. My point is that there are really many and proven managers for picking and going for McKenna is absolute madness.
Not gonna lie; i am very worried with these rumours. Stories were how INEOS will bring "best people in business" on key positions. And, for most important job inside the club, we are back to "knows the club" criteria.
 
Andycoleno9 said:
I just throw him on the list. My mistake. My point is that there are really many and proven managers for picking and going for McKenna is absolute madness.
Not gonna lie; i am very worried with these rumours. Stories were how INEOS will bring "best people in business" on key positions. And, for most important job inside the club, we are back to "knows the club" criteria.
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That's clearly not what this is though. He doesn't know Chelsea, but they seem interested too. The criteria seems to be exciting, tactically astute, young up and coming manager.
 
Pickle85 said:
That's clearly not what this is though. He doesn't know Chelsea, but they seem interested too. The criteria seems to be exciting, tactically astute, young up and coming manager.
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I don't doubt that he is talented. Obviously he is. But hiring manager with zero PL experience while some very good managers are literally free to hire just seems too much. For me at least.
 
Andycoleno9 said:
I don't doubt that he is talented. Obviously he is. But hiring manager with zero PL experience while some very good managers are literally free to hire just seems too much. For me at least.
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Definitely a risk, agreed, but wouldn't it be nice if we for once got ahead of things and grabbed a member of staff before they blew up? It's a really exciting appointment for me though, again, not without risk.
 
Tom Van Persie said:
This video also does a good job of explaining their build up play. Patterns of play and all that. :)

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That was interesting. Found myself getting frustrated with their opponents more than anything else, (what on earth was that from 'Boro) but it was still good.
 
if we get McKenna then we know a fair few of these players stay and get another shot. They get an arm around them and suddenly they play out there skin… for now. It’s literally rinse and repeat.

We’re starting again… again.

If we get him I hope they still sell most these players and wipe the whole squad clean, similar to Arsenal and what they done since arteta came. That can’t change.
 
ForeverRed1 said:
if we get McKenna then we know a fair few of these players stay and get another shot. They get an arm around them and suddenly they play out there skin… for now. It’s literally rinse and repeat.

We’re starting again… again.

If we get him I hope they still sell most these players and wipe the whole squad clean, similar to Arsenal and what they done since arteta came. That can’t change.
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Which players would get another shot that don’t deserve it? The only name I can think of might be Rashford, but not sure who else.
 
Rojofiam said:
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.
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On pure numbers I would agree. I thought you meant the overall individual ability contribution.

Rasmus raw talent is scary for sure. He may not be as refined technically, but I see a lot of good things from him that makes me think he can be great if he is well developed.
 
ForeverRed1 said:
if we get McKenna then we know a fair few of these players stay and get another shot. They get an arm around them and suddenly they play out there skin… for now. It’s literally rinse and repeat.

We’re starting again… again.

If we get him I hope they still sell most these players and wipe the whole squad clean, similar to Arsenal and what they done since arteta came. That can’t change.
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This myth will never end
 
OldTrevil said:
On pure numbers I would agree. I thought you meant the overall individual ability contribution.

Rasmus raw talent is scary for sure. He may not be as refined technically, but I see a lot of good things from him that makes me think he can be great if he is well developed.
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I don't think that will be an issue, and it's not like Martial isn't amazing technically. We aren't comparing Hojlund to some random player. He just needs service and a good attacking setup, and he'll score a lot of goals.
 
Dec9003 said:
Which players would get another shot that don’t deserve it? The only name I can think of might be Rashford, but not sure who else.
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Sancho, Maguire, mctom, awb, shaw to name a few that I’d move on.

I also understand it may not be possible as we might not have the budget to allow for replacements.
 
ForeverRed1 said:
So you think these players give everything? Is it a case of they’re just not good enough then?
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Another case is ETH doesn’t play them to their strengths. Another another case is ETH run them to ground to result in massive injuries. There are many causes and explanations.
 
If Mckenna is all that why were we so poor under ole with him as assistant. McKenna took training.
Ipswich is one thing, United is a whole different level Of pressure from expectation.
 
ForeverRed1 said:
Sancho, Maguire, mctom, awb, shaw to name a few that I’d move on.

I also understand it may not be possible as we might not have the budget to allow for replacements.
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Probably true but laughable.

After Rangnick saying the club needed open heart surgery the board felt ETH could get more out of the existing players. We've gone full circle.
 
RedIan said:
If Mckenna is all that why were we so poor under ole with him as assistant. McKenna took training.
Ipswich is one thing, United is a whole different level Of pressure from expectation.
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Totally false. Mckenna
 
RedIan said:
If Mckenna is all that why were we so poor under ole with him as assistant. McKenna took training.
Ipswich is one thing, United is a whole different level Of pressure from expectation.
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The players fell out with each other when we signed Ronaldo. Egos took over the dressing room and we've never recovered.
 
Drainy said:
good luck getting players who don't follow their manager's instructions (as has been complained about by the last 3 managers at least) to play successfully like that
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Who didn't follow instructions under the 2 previous managers? Garnacho? Antony? Hojlund? Amrabat? Casemiro? Amad?

McTominay seemed pretty much adored by Ole and Jose so I doubt it's him and unless Ole wanted Bruno to stop scoring and assisting every game I doubt it's him.

Rashford I could see. Martial will be gone anyway.
 
RedIan said:
If Mckenna is all that why were we so poor under ole with him as assistant. McKenna took training.
Ipswich is one thing, United is a whole different level Of pressure from expectation.
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Ole said it best in his recent interview in the Athletic. He was the manager, the coaches follow his instructions in how he wants us to play. Of course assistants have their input but ultimately the decisions are down to man in the big chair.
 
Paul778 said:
Probably true but laughable.

After Rangnick saying the club needed open heart surgery the board felt ETH could get more out of the existing players. We've gone full circle.
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Exactly. This has been ongoing for years and people having been calling it out for years. Nothings changed. Literally nothing.
 
McKenna is an exciting option because he is such an unknown it's either gonna go very well or very very badly
 
Andycoleno9 said:
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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Nagelsmann is staying with Germany unfortunately
 
RedIan said:
If Mckenna is all that why were we so poor under ole with him as assistant. McKenna took training.
Ipswich is one thing, United is a whole different level Of pressure from expectation.
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Because he is not the manager. He was just part of the coaching staff, and he was there under Jose as well. Clearly, the manager makes the big decisions. The two managers played nothing alike.
 
ForeverRed1 said:
Sancho, Maguire, mctom, awb, shaw to name a few that I’d move on.

I also understand it may not be possible as we might not have the budget to allow for replacements.
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If a player is given another shot they were getting it no matter who the manager is next season.
 
I'd prefer him at Ipswich or Brighton for 2 more seasons but if Chelsea really are in for him, then we've got to step in now.

I've always thought he was a massive talent and while it'll be a risk with him still quite inexperienced, we simply can't let Chelsea reap the benefits if he is ready to step up now.
 
Red Devil 26 said:
Perhaps not the thread for it, but I wasn't optimistic going into what proved to be Ole's last season and that wasn't solely down to the signing of Ronaldo. Our 2nd place finish the season prior might have looked decent on paper, but our performances were largely unconvincing, we rarely controlled games and had no real patterns to our play. We didn't have a sustainable way to win football matches. I predicted we'd drop out of the top 4 the following season, which is exactly what transpired.

Fluking a win against PSG in R16 and finishing 3rd in a CL group is better than what EtH delivered this season, but it's hardly anything to shout about.

Ultimately, I look back at Ole's tenure unfavourably as I never truly felt we were going anywhere with him.
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I can respect this viewpoint and I think it would be fair to add on that Ole didn’t have the conviction to pushback on decisions or implement his own thinking when it counted (or at least that’s how it seemed from the outside).

A lot of the same questions could be posed about KMC but that’s where I think a lot of that conviction needs to be taken over by Berrada, Ashworth, and Wilcox. The goal should be to split what SAF was doing amongst multiple individuals so that things are better optimized and run more efficiently. We shall see how things progress on this front.
 
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