Manchester United could see a lot of changes in the summer. This will be the first official offseason with INEOS in charge and that has led to the speculation of some big decisions being made. One area where the Red Devils will look for a change is the head-coaching position. While Erik Ten Hag has managed to lead the team to an FA Cup Final, their form in the Premier League has been disastrous. The club are currently eight and could miss out on Europe if they fail to win in the FA CUP Final against Manchester City.
Gareth Southgate, Thomas Tuchel and Graham Potter were the names thrown into the discussion. A new candidate has emerged as recent reports suggested that the club have contacted Ipswich manager Kieran McKenna to join the club as the manager.
The 38-year-old joined the Manchester United coaching team as a U-18 coach. His work there helped him get promoted to the first team as an assistant under Jose Mourinho. McKenna was retained by Ole Gunner Solskjaer as an assistant coach alongside former United player Michael Carrick. He was also in Ralf Ragnick’s coaching quartet before he decided to leave the club in 2021.
Does Kieran McKenna’s work with Ipswich warrant a head coaching job at Manchester United?
After being an assistant to some of the best managers in the game, Kieran McKenna got his first break as the Ipswich Town head coach in 2021. He started well and displayed great potential in a short amount of time. Although he wasn’t able to help them get promoted, the fans believed in him as the club were playing an attractive brand of football under him.
In his second season at Ipswich, McKenna helped the club secure a promotion in style. The club had a 19-game unbeaten run during the season, which helped cement their place in the Championship. With clubs like Leicester, Southampton and Leeds all in contention for the promotion, it was difficult to imagine that Ipswich would get their second promotion this season. However, the Tractor Boys did the unthinkable and finished second behind only Leicester to move up to the Premier League for the first time since 2002.
Is Kieran McKenna ready to manage in the Premier League?
Securing two promotions in a row is not an easy task, which is why Kieran McKenna has received praise from everyone in the world of football. He was linked with the Crystal Palace job earlier this year, but the 38-year-old decided to stay at Ipswich and get them promoted. His patience has paid off as he will indefinitely be on the touchline in the Premier League next season.
McKenna inspired Ipswich to play a highly attacking brand of football in the Championship. His team ended up scoring the most goals in the competition [92] which helped their promotion bid massively.
His history of having been at Manchester United certainly helps his case of being the next manager. However, he is still new to the managerial world to be handed the responsibility of being the United coach. The job is definitely not easy as the team are in a transitional phase, which makes managing them even more difficult. McKenna should have a year in the PL with Ipswich as only that will help determine if he is ready to take over a big club like United.
