Former Man United first-team coach Kieran McKenna is on the cusp of becoming a Premier League manager with Ipswich Town.
Not since April 2002 have Manchester United made the long trip to Portman Road to face Ipswich Town.
That could all change next season with the Tractor Boys on the cusp of ending their 22-year-exile from the Premier League. The Suffolk club will be promoted this lunchtime if they avoid defeat at home to Huddersfield Town, who are already all but relegated.
Ipswich took a giant stride towards promotion in midweek, beating Coventry City 2-1. Victory nudged them three points clear of Leeds United with one game left to play.
Should they get the job done, they will become the first club to jump from League One to the Premier League in successive seasons since Southampton in 2012. You might ask how have they managed it. The answer is very simple: Kieran McKenna.
The former United first-team coach stepped into the cut-throat business of management for the first time in December 2021, answering Ipswich’s call. He had been tracked for 18 months by the club’s chief executive Mark Ashton who knew within instantly upon meeting McKenna that he was the right man for the job. “We approached him and when I met Kieran I knew within 30 seconds, honestly,” said Ashton.
McKenna had spent five years on the coaching staff at Old Trafford, working alongside the likes of Jose Mourinho, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and very briefly Ralf Rangnick. However, he knew he was ready to test himself as a manager when Ipswich came knocking.
“It was the right time for me to take the step, it’s the right profile of club I was looking for and I’m grateful for them giving me this opportunity,” said McKenna, explaining why he exited Old Trafford. “I’m confident I’ll be able to repay that faith in the future.”
If Ipswich get themselves over the line, the Northern Irishman will have done more than repay the faith; he will have etched his name in Ipswich folklore. After achieving an 11th-placed finish in his first season in charge at Portman Road the goal for 2022-23 was clear: win promotion from League One.
The campaign saw Plymouth, Sheffield Wednesday and Ipswich push each other every step of the way in pursuit of the two automatic spots. Ipswich won one of them, finishing second with 98 points.
Often sweeping opponents aside, their pleasing-on-the-eye style of play earned rave reviews. Many anticipated they would make a good fist of it back in the Championship. With just one game to go, they have exceeded those expectations by some distance.
Playing an exciting, expansive and free-flowing brand of football, Ipswich have fought tooth and nail with the three clubs that dropped out of the Premier League last season, all of who are equipped with parachute payments.
McKenna has, by and large, persisted with the same group of players who got the club out of League One, with the exception of one or two new imports, such as Omari Hutchinson and Kieffer Moore. His coaching methods have brought the best out of his squad.
The way in which he has transformed Ipswich’s fortunes and managed to get the very best out of individuals will be no surprise to Solskjaer, whose appointment at United saw McKenna earn more responsibilities at Carrington.
“He’s the most thorough and analytical, step-by-step, process-driven coach that I’ve worked with,” Solskjaer told The Athletic last year. “He makes it so easy for the players to see and understand what we wanted from them.”
Amidst Erik ten Hag’s struggles at Old Trafford, Kieran McKenna has been rumored to be a potential candidate for the top job, returning to Manchester United.
While his impressive work at Portman Road has not yet earned him the credentials for such a significant role, he has certainly proven himself capable of handling the challenges of the Premier League.
Despite previous reports of dissatisfaction among United players regarding McKenna’s coaching methods at Carrington, he finds himself on the verge of achieving one of English football’s remarkable success stories.
If Ipswich Town secures promotion to the Premier League, it would mark a significant accomplishment for McKenna, offering him the chance to compete against some of the world’s top coaches.
Should Ipswich Town secure promotion, McKenna will undoubtedly look forward to facing Manchester United next season. With the Tractor Boys’ current momentum, United might face a formidable challenge during their visit to Portman Road. This potential turn of events promises an intriguing dynamic for both clubs in the upcoming season.
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