I'd imagine he's on the shortlist of realistic candidates to replace ETH.
Kieran McKenna, Tuchel, Emery, Bournemouth manager, etc
He has lots of coaching experience also. If you're good enough, you're good enough.
Kieran McKenna | Ipswich manager
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In the latest episode of the United Hour Podcast, Nik @Rood and Imran @Annihilate Now! start with the good news by celebrating Manchester United Women's emphatic FA Cup win over Spurs at Wembley and the future of manager Marc Skinner.
Then it's the bad news and the ever worsening form of our Men with losses to Arsenal and Palace.
Finally the main debate - ETH Out now or keep him until the end of the season - if not longer. Are you Team Nik or Team Imran?
Kieran McKenna, Tuchel, Emery, Bournemouth manager, etc
He has lots of coaching experience also. If you're good enough, you're good enough.
Caveat: both those squads they took over were absolutely primed/about to be….(still not trying to diminish their achievements.
Well done McKenna. One to keep an eye on
Next United boss with Evans as his assistant!
We'd be bonkers to go for him before he's managed in the PL. I really like him, but it is far too soon.
I was so nervous for them against Coventry. So glad they did it. Felt they had to get a result in order to get automatic promotion. A loss here would have surely meant that Leeds got that automatic spot as S'ton has nothing to play for on the last day & Leeds would have won that at a canter. Stranger things have happened but they should be able to get at least point against Huddersfield at home in the final game.
What a stellar job McKenna has done with them.
I hope that we take a punt on him this summer with us looking to build everything from scratch. We have tried everything - cut from the same cloth, "winner", philosopher, hipster - maybe this time give it to someone young and exciting who has proven that he can have his team perform under pressure without the absolute best team at their disposal.
What a stellar job McKenna has done with them.
I hope that we take a punt on him this summer with us looking to build everything from scratch. We have tried everything - cut from the same cloth, "winner", philosopher, hipster - maybe this time give it to someone young and exciting who has proven that he can have his team perform under pressure without the absolute best team at their disposal.
Personally I don’t like this line of thought because it puts managers into these stereotypes and assumes that each one from the same bucket are equals. As if Ole is Pep, LVG is Klopp, Jose is SAF, or whatever. I get the point your making but it should be the right option if it’s the right option not because it’s different.
Specifically on McKenna I’ll admit that I also like the idea. I do agree that we need to stop looking for instant fixes and go with younger players to build a fresh, new and exciting attacking system taking cues from what Arsenal have done. In that sense if McKenna is the real deal then of course he should be an option. Having said that, we need to interview him and understand whether he’s anywhere near ready - mentally - for a job of this magnitude because the chances of any manager being so are low let alone a novice like him. So if he isn’t, then I’d rather let him grow more and revisit his competence and suitability 2-4 years on.
We gave it to Ole, who barely had a lot of experience for a United manager. We also gave it to managers with a lot of experience. If you are good enough and show good signs, why not.
McKenna was here under different managers for years the assistant. He trained the u18s. He went to League 1 and will likely be in the PL next season. Lets play attacking football. He should be on our radar as a future United manager. He wont get the job now, but Next season will be interesting.
I think Ineos might favour a British guy at some point, and he would be a good candidate.
Oh, most definitely. We as fans have very superficial knowledge of the inner workings of a club. We make suggestions looking from the outside with what we see on the surface. It is up to the club to do the due diligence and find suitability of a manager or a player to meet our goals. I have based my judgement on two things - his stellar record since he took over Ipswich in division one and the style of football he has played in the championship, which is very similar to a 4231 double pivot with high pressing and solid defense that I think would suit our club. It is up to the club to determine if he has all the other tools required to be a manager of a top club.
I also don't disagree with what you mentioned in your first paragraph. However, still, this time I would like us to go with someone young who has a good style of football and can rebuild the team instead of getting a manager with a lot of experience who'd be looking to get immediate results without building a solid foundation. I think McKenna and Motta are two such managers we should look at. I am sure there are others, but those two are the ones whose teams I have seen play football and admire.
Also to be noted that he was incredibly highly regarded when he was coach of our youth team which also played a very entertaining style of football.
The odds on them being 18 months away from the Premier League in March 2023 would’ve been absolutely massive. Incredible since the moment he walked in there. He’s followed in the footsteps of Paul Lambert and Nigel Atkins so let’s not get too excited yet about his potential.
Did they also do that in their first managerial gig because thats what Mckenna would be accomplishing if he manages to get Ipswich promoted to PL that's mighty impressive and worth getting excited over combined with football he has them playing .
He won't leave Ipswich this summer if he guides Ipswich up. He comes across as a really decent bloke and he's building something there. Give him a season in the top flight with them. Let ETH have his final contracted season and see what happens. Maybe he will be back at Utd then?
The problem with that plan is another year of ETH which he has not earned. In such a case it’s better to get someone more experienced in and it’s up to McKenna to further prove himself to be an option when we’re looking for a manager next.
Expereinced managers haven't exactly been our forte to be honest. I'm certainly not advocating for McKenna to take over in this moment in time, certainly one for the future but the pool of available managers isn't huge right now. I do agree that he may be our manager after whoever is next though.
Yes, those are added advantages. He managed our U18's and won the title with them. Also, he was on the coaching staff of Jose, Ole and Rangnick (only for a little bit, I think). He is well familiar with the club and has had experience coaching in three different managers with varied styles of football and approach to the game. He has then used all this experience to get Ipsiwch where they are today. He has a lot of positives and shown enough promise to be a contender, in my book.
Why give ETH another season and let him have a say in another transfer window when he has proven himself to be totally inept in the previous two years. A majority of his signings range from mediocre to bad and already need to be replaced. It's pointless giving him another window and season. We need to start from scratch.
Also, we don't know what is Ipswich's plan for the Premier league. Will they spend enough money to strengthen the team to stay up in the premier league? A lot of how they do will depend on what the owners and the management have in mind than solely on team's performances under McKenna. I rather get him here now then depend on a year at Ipswich, which may or may not tell us anything about his managerial ability.
I think its less about experience and more about is there a coach out there who is overperforming relative to the level of the club (also relative to the premier league). The championship is probably on par with the dutch and portuguese league and id liken signing Mckenna as bringing in an over-performing /promising manager from one of those leagues. Whilst he has less experience at this stage than Ole, he has already far surpassed anything Ole did prior to the United job (again relative to the club/league). I think if Ineos believes his style fits what they want the team to play like then go for him. Especially if we are transitioning into having managers who are more like coaches rather than managers then it could make sense. Either way, whether its a Mckenna or a Jose what is really key to the next managers success (or EtH's if he stays) is the recruitment.
I dont think we know who will be in charge of transfers come the summer? Its all speculation at this point. How much of a say ETH will have on transfers will depend on a lot of things behind the scenes by INEOS. We also have an impending spending cap on the PL with not a lot details right now which could implicate how we do our business from here on. I don't want ETH here as much as many posters do next season but we need to be sensible and have a long term plan. That may well be bringing in McKenna but my point I was trying to make is that I don't think he will jump ship this summer.
Ipswich has just had some huge investment (Championship money wise), around 100mil I think. They have a really good club structure there and could sell some players i.e. Davis to raise a considerable transfer fund. Include the TV revenue in and I think they will be fine. They have been well within profit and sustainability limits and have already sold all of their season tickets for next season. If anything they may not feel they need to spend a bucket load of cash if they are smart with their loan signings as they have shown this season.
I don't think any structure takes full responsibility of the recruitment. The team is build with inputs from the manager. As you rightly said, we'll have some FFP restrictions and will need to carefully plan our summer spending. Not all the positions we want to strengthen will be done in a single transfer window. Keeping that in mind, I rather have a long term manager in place who can decide with the recruitment team on the positions we need to strengthen immediately and the positions that can be left as it is for a later date. I don't want ETH to be making those decisions just for one season. With only one year remaining on his contract he'll get into self-preservation mode and will obviously think of his long term future rather than the club's. Anyway, I don't think it's ideal to go into a season with only one year remaining on a manager's contract. So, we either part ways with ETH or give him a new contract. There isn't a third option.
Good. Hope they give McKenna enough tools to show his mettle i.e. if he stays with them next season.
Well yes. Every top club wats Alonso and he has even less experience.
Hiring managers based on experience hasn't gone well for us really, I believe that most managers have a 6-7 year peak where their ideas are at the forefront of the game, and then the elite game can pass them by and they're past their best - we've seen that with Mourinho, Benitez and others with their defensive game, with Pochettino's pressing game to an extent. McKenna seems to be coming into his own.
I still think we'll somehow keep Ten Hag for next season and if McKenna makes a good impression in the PL next season he'll be a top candidate. I'd personally go Tuchel right here, right now as I can't stand to watch this side under Ten Hag any more.
Whenever I see you post I always go "Wait isn't he a Chels..*brain interrupts and says P-Ro*.. ahh nevermind".
They'll argue that figures like Pep and Zidane, having been top players themselves and commanded respect from players. But then you question why other top players such as Lampard and Thierry Henry didn't succeed in management. They'll likely shift the goalposts. José Mourinho succeeded with relatively little experience and gradually became less relevant as he gained more. The truth seems to lean towards talent over experience. If you've got it, you've got it. Now, it's up to INEOS to determine if Kieran McKenna possesses that talent to lead Manchester United. Previous appointments like Rockies' have proven successful at clubs like Barcelona, Real Madrid, Arsenal, and Leverkusen FC. It's perplexing why some doubt its potential success at Manchester United, particularly when expectations are at an all-time low.
it wouldn't be too bad, if he didn't have that horrible bacon sandwich debacle. Don't ever want that attached to meIf he fecks over Leeds from the automatic promotion spots, he will have my heart forever.
Apparently they rank 16th in the wage table for the Championship. To potentially come 2nd is absolutely incredible.
It really is. The were in league 1 last season and have had to deal with teams like Southampton, Leeds and Leicester for promotion this season.
The core squad is basically the same as what they had in league 1. Massive credit to everyone involved in assembling it and the coach for bringing the best out of them.
This is the real feat, taking a promotion spot (hopefully) from a parachute payment team.
Give it to Kiri till the end of the season ?
Just a phenomenal achievement if they get it over the line. That squad and budget has no business getting 2 promotions in a row and might learn harsh lessons in the PL without very good recruitment. But for now, it should get widespread attention just how great an achievement it would be
They will probably be massive favourites to go back down assuming they get result they need last day. Would fans look past an immediate relegation?
Thanks for all the replies.
If he is in the Pep & José level of coaching talent, fair play. For every single "he did without experience" there's probably 50 who failed at it.
We haven't seen him at top flight yet so let's see how he does if they go up. I hope it goes well and he somehow gets them to stay in the league.
To me his journey is not long and adverse enough yet for him to be considered for the United position. He's had two and a half relatively pressure-free seasons in his career. When he took over Ipswich were 12th so no big expectations there. If all goes well perhaps a playoff run. They finished 11th. The expectations were probably pretty similar in his first full season at Ipswich. I'm sure a vast majority of their fans would've taken avoiding relegation this season.
He probably hasn't had to deal with big egos. Something that will always be present at United.
There's a lot of questions to be asked about the defensive side of his game.
He hasn't had to manage adversity. Again something that comes with the package at United.
I would love it if him or Carrick one day became our manager, just don't think we have enough evidence at this moment. Ole also knew the club inside out and is probably seen as a smart individual too. After a good start and being close to a Europa League trophy it eventually didn't work out.
A lot of positives for sure but to me there's just simply too many question marks that need to be answered before he could be in the conversation.
If he is in the Pep & José level of coaching talent, fair play. For every single "he did without experience" there's probably 50 who failed at it.
We haven't seen him at top flight yet so let's see how he does if they go up. I hope it goes well and he somehow gets them to stay in the league.
To me his journey is not long and adverse enough yet for him to be considered for the United position. He's had two and a half relatively pressure-free seasons in his career. When he took over Ipswich were 12th so no big expectations there. If all goes well perhaps a playoff run. They finished 11th. The expectations were probably pretty similar in his first full season at Ipswich. I'm sure a vast majority of their fans would've taken avoiding relegation this season.
He probably hasn't had to deal with big egos. Something that will always be present at United.
There's a lot of questions to be asked about the defensive side of his game.
He hasn't had to manage adversity. Again something that comes with the package at United.
I would love it if him or Carrick one day became our manager, just don't think we have enough evidence at this moment. Ole also knew the club inside out and is probably seen as a smart individual too. After a good start and being close to a Europa League trophy it eventually didn't work out.
A lot of positives for sure but to me there's just simply too many question marks that need to be answered before he could be in the conversation.
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Who United? Yeh if we get relegated Hag has to go.
Very happy for him. He's done an incredible job which still feels like it hasn't gotten the attention it deserves.
It's also yet another example of someone being incredibly competent but just perhaps not being in the right environment previously. He was seen as a joke along with Ole and Carrick during his time here and look at him now. Maybe think twice before you call anyone at the top level of the game a 'clown' or some other dumb shit.
It's also yet another example of someone being incredibly competent but just perhaps not being in the right environment previously. He was seen as a joke along with Ole and Carrick during his time here and look at him now. Maybe think twice before you call anyone at the top level of the game a 'clown' or some other dumb shit.
Lets be real, nothing which happens in the Championship ever gets any attention. It's a shame because its usually a super competitive and fun league.
According to my mates - 100%. They are already expecting it. Very very few town fans expected the club to be in the position they are in now. They were happy to consolidate themselves on the Championship and steady the ship for a few seasons.
He's doing a great job but the next United manager? Seriously? He's done well in the lower leagues for a couple of seasons. Is that all it takes to be manager of Manchester United?
I'm rooting for him and I'd love Ipswich to get promoted. But - for the sake of his career he'd probably be better off not getting promoted. Because they'll almost certainly get relegated, and he'll almost certainly get sacked. All the good work you do, the miracles you acheive are instantly forgotten when you're losing every week.
The now infamous Derby team that got relegated with 11 points are a perfect example of this. The manager (Billy Davies, I think?) performed miracles in getting them promoted. It was touted as being an incredible acheivement, against all odds etc. Annnddd he was sacked after a handful of games. He clearly wasn't the problem, the squad was just nowhere near Prem standard. Happens all the time with promoted clubs. The mangers amazing, what a legend for taking them to the big time. Then sacked as soon as they struggle.
I'm rooting for him and I'd love Ipswich to get promoted. But - for the sake of his career he'd probably be better off not getting promoted. Because they'll almost certainly get relegated, and he'll almost certainly get sacked. All the good work you do, the miracles you acheive are instantly forgotten when you're losing every week.
The now infamous Derby team that got relegated with 11 points are a perfect example of this. The manager (Billy Davies, I think?) performed miracles in getting them promoted. It was touted as being an incredible acheivement, against all odds etc. Annnddd he was sacked after a handful of games. He clearly wasn't the problem, the squad was just nowhere near Prem standard. Happens all the time with promoted clubs. The mangers amazing, what a legend for taking them to the big time. Then sacked as soon as they struggle.
I blame McKenna.
Ipswich should immediately sack him if they get automatic promotion, for not consolidating a mid table position.
Seriously though, I think McKenna is a brilliant coach, and would love to see him as first team coach at United.