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

I can’t see him coming back after how it ended, being hounded out by fans on social media, club legends like Scholes and whatnot. He’s not a boyhood United fan.

Still, he tried his best for us under Ole, and I much prefer him and Ipswich to get promoted than Leeds for other obvious reasons too.
I think he is a boyhood United fan? Anyway - the idea the Ipswich manager isn’t going to want the United job because Paul Scholes said mean things is just proper batshit. He needs another club after Ipswich before us but zero reason why in a few years time he won’t be a candidate should he keep showing what he is currently.
 
My only criticism is he can't sort out his defense. I'm not sure if he plays high risk, high rewards football due to the number of goals they have scored but equally they have a terrible goals against record for a team 2nd in the table.

It's worked in L1 and Championship football but when you play against the likes of Salah, Haland et al. I'm not certain it's sustainable at top level. Maybe he needs more technical defenders? Their matches have certainly been entertaining though!
 
My only criticism is he can't sort out his defense. I'm not sure if he plays high risk, high rewards football due to the number of goals they have scored but equally they have a terrible goals against record for a team 2nd in the table.

It's worked in L1 and Championship football but when you play against the likes of Salah, Haland et al. I'm not certain it's sustainable at top level. Maybe he needs more technical defenders? Their matches have certainly been entertaining though!

It was the same when he was in charge of our U18s.

He’d probably be smart to try to find a defensive expert to his staff, perhaps as an assistant. I think he’s currently got Martyn Pert (strength & conditioning expert, although working as an assistant manager), Lee Grant (gk expert, although working as a 1st team coach) and Charlie Turnbull (?) in his coaching staff.
 
Amazing stat. He’s done an incredible job at Ipswich - nobody can deny that.

But talks about managing the likes of Man United are too premature. That’s as much about managing and motivating players who are already global superstars v/s the day to day coaching to improve players with a more humble background who are probably way more grounded.

Would love to have him in the Premier League. Either managing Ipswich or another mid table team.

Definitely one to watch for the future.

You make it seem as if the steps are linear and logical, he is either the right man or the wrong man now, no managing Brighton to 8th or West Ham to 7th makes any difference to this, we have seen many managers make a jump from where he is now and then to get a PL team mid table only to fail because the team then sold all the good players to the big teams this doesn't prove anything other than for mid to bottom end PL clubs it's hard to keep their best players and nigh on impossible to keep replacing them with the same quality
 
Imagine he turned down the United job because he was "hounded out by fans on social media".

I don't think social media had anything to do with him moving into a head coach role elsewhere, I'd be surprised if he even cared that much what randoms on the internet said about his coaching ability from their lofty positions of no knowledge, especially when he is clearly rated by people whose job it is to actually know about what coaches do.
I think he is a boyhood United fan? Anyway - the idea the Ipswich manager isn’t going to want the United job because Paul Scholes said mean things is just proper batshit. He needs another club after Ipswich before us but zero reason why in a few years time he won’t be a candidate should he keep showing what he is currently.
He’s much loved at Ipswich now, why would he come back here when people, including myself at times, were slandering him 24/7 without even knowing what he actually did? Surely he knows that he’d thrive more in an environment where there’s less nonsense around him. I’m not sure what it was with him and Carrick either because Van Der Gaag, McCarthy and McClaren get next to no criticism. I mean, McCarthy was apparently the reason for Rashford playing well last season, but Rashford’s the reason Rashford’s playing poorly this season. Work that one out.
 
He’s much loved at Ipswich now, why would he come back here when people, including myself at times, were slandering him 24/7 without even knowing what he actually did? Surely he knows that he’d thrive more in an environment where there’s less nonsense around him. I’m not sure what it was with him and Carrick either because Van Der Gaag, McCarthy and McClaren get next to no criticism. I mean, McCarthy was apparently the reason for Rashford playing well last season, but Rashford’s the reason Rashford’s playing poorly this season. Work that one out.
Think people were underrating him because of rumours coming out in the media and social media. Maybe we should all learn to take this stuff with a large pinch of salt.
 
Think people were underrating him because of rumours coming out in the media and social media. Maybe we should all learn to take this stuff with a large pinch of salt.

And the same rumours would start as soon as he loses a couple of matches. Unfortunately.
 
He’s much loved at Ipswich now, why would he come back here when people, including myself at times, were slandering him 24/7 without even knowing what he actually did? Surely he knows that he’d thrive more in an environment where there’s less nonsense around him. I’m not sure what it was with him and Carrick either because Van Der Gaag, McCarthy and McClaren get next to no criticism. I mean, McCarthy was apparently the reason for Rashford playing well last season, but Rashford’s the reason Rashford’s playing poorly this season. Work that one out.

He would hopefully want to come back because he (hopefully) don’t give a fig about opinions of people who have no basis for ther opinions and no responsibility attached to uttering them (that is, fans like us).
 
He is doing a remarkable job. All the hype around him before joining United seems to be looking true.

Be interesting to see how he performs in the premier League if they make it.
 
He is doing a remarkable job. All the hype around him before joining United seems to be looking true.

Be interesting to see how he performs in the premier League if they make it.

They won't do so well imo, he has this group of players massively over achieving, they'd need something like Forest and overhaul the whole team if not they'll struggle
 
They won't do so well imo, he has this group of players massively over achieving, they'd need something like Forest and overhaul the whole team if not they'll struggle

Yeah they look they'd be pretty easy to get at in the prem. I'd imagine he'd have to come up with a more compact tactic.
 
There’s something quite nice about a season where we are such obvious overachievers. If forced to bet I’d still say Leicester and Leeds are most likely to go up, but what a position to be in. McKenna deserves an awful amount of credit.
 
Leicester lost, Leeds losing (still in the first half, mind). Looking quite interesting.

I see Tuanzebe is there these days! How’s he getting on?

Looks like he was playing (starting) as RB for them today (3 of the last 4 matches).
 
How would you rate your run in compared to your rivals?

It’s really tough to say. No one has an obviously easy run in, but the top 3 have all played each other home and away so there are no 6 pointers. Leicester have home matches against the teams currently in 4th, 5th and 6th though, which will be tough, especially with their current form. Ipswich have the East Anglian derby away to Norwich, and a home game against Southampton for their next two games, we could easily lose both. So if pushed I’d say Leeds just about have the edge on paper, but here they are losing to a Watford team with nothing to play for. Should’ve just said I don’t know!
 
Rooting for Ipswich. Miss them in the EPL.
 
It’s really tough to say. No one has an obviously easy run in, but the top 3 have all played each other home and away so there are no 6 pointers. Leicester have home matches against the teams currently in 4th, 5th and 6th though, which will be tough, especially with their current form. Ipswich have the East Anglian derby away to Norwich, and a home game against Southampton for their next two games, we could easily lose both. So if pushed I’d say Leeds just about have the edge on paper, but here they are losing to a Watford team with nothing to play for. Should’ve just said I don’t know!

Really hope you's do it. Was briefly in his company last summer when he was home, he's from same area as me. We're all rooting for him, he's a nice guy. Plus I hate Leeds
 
Leicester lost, Leeds losing (still in the first half, mind). Looking quite interesting.



Looks like he was playing (starting) as RB for them today (3 of the last 4 matches).

I went tonight. Had a class first half. Second half less on the ball.

Really good win tonight overall.
 
I went tonight. Had a class first half. Second half less on the ball.

Really good win tonight overall.

Happy for him. Hope he manages to carve out a Premier League career given how many thought he was an outstanding prospect. That loan to Villa and then Gerrard took over...eugh.
 
Talk in the Dutch media about Ajax going for him. Would be a great step towards potentially becoming a United manager in future.
 
Talk in the Dutch media about Ajax going for him. Would be a great step towards potentially becoming a United manager in future.

Seems like the club is a mess at the moment. Not sure if the timing would be right.
 
Talk in the Dutch media about Ajax going for him. Would be a great step towards potentially becoming a United manager in future.

I can see it now. "Ten Hag even got United to sign his own replacement from Ajax."
 
Talk in the Dutch media about Ajax going for him. Would be a great step towards potentially becoming a United manager in future.

I’m not blind to the difference between Ipswich and Ajax, but I’d be very surprised if this happened. If McKenna keeps doing what he’s doing then I’m sure at some point he’ll leave us. But I’d run a mile if offered the Ajax job. Huge expectations meaning it is almost impossible to overachieve, and very easy to underachieve.
 
Another impressive win. I wouldn't be mad at all if he was on our shortlist this summer
 
Find it funny how people jump to conclusions and want every single manager that’s doing great. How about we let him grow as a manager and see if he can keep them in the prem if they get into it first time of asking… same people wanting him will be the ones moaning to sack him if he failed here.