Once the butt of many jokes, former Manchester United coach, Kieran McKenna, has taken to senior management like a duck to water.
The former assistant coach was appointed manager of Ipswich Town in December 2021 and has not looked back. Taking over a side stuck in 12th in League One, two years later his side sits second in the Championship table after 21 games. The Tractor Boys are only one point off Leicester City and crucially, ten ahead of third placed Leeds and lie in the automatic promotion places.
There stands a very good chance that the Northern Irish man could be leading his side to Old Trafford next season in the Premier League.
It probably should come as no surprise as McKenna has always had glowing references. After having to retire as a player at only 22 years of age, he went on to study sports science at Loughborough University and would later graduate to manager of Tottenham’s under 18s.
The county Fermanagh man’s rapid rise was noted and in 2016 he was appointed manager of United’s under 18s. Nicky Butt, who was the Red Devil’s head of the academy at the time commented, “I was watching Kieran work and I thought he was young to be so confident in what he was doing and very good at it. Everyone you spoke to about him spoke very highly of him. He is very dedicated, very committed and very, very organised. He is on the ball with everything”.
McKenna won the U18s Premier League Northern Division title and when Rui Faria left, Jose Mourinho appointed him to the role of assistant manager. When Ole Gunnar Solskjaer came in, his responsibilities with the first team were increased and even Ralf Rangnick was said “to love” working with him.
Solskjaer describes McKenna as the “most thorough and analytical, step-by-step, process-driven coach that I’ve worked with”.
The Northern Irishman is currently the youngest coach in the top four divisions in England and was labelled by The Mirror as “English football’s most exciting new manager”.
Despite this, the coach was not well respected by fans of the Old Trafford side. The Manchester Evening News reported that “Kieran McKenna was always regarded as one of the most talented coaches at United, though some fans decided to pinpoint him as the reason for the club’s struggle”.
The Peoples Person also relayed information that the former under 18s manager had his share of critics in the first team squad. A source commented “he commanded respect from players through the manner of his set-up but conceded that when he asked them to push past a comfort zone they might subconsciously question his pedigree”.
Perhaps it was his young age, as the manager even now is only 37 years old, and his connection to two ultimately unsuccessful managers in Mourinho and Solskjaer. The departure of Rui Faria was seen as a catalyst for the struggles of “the special one” and it is possible the Northern Irish coach was compared unfavourably by supporters.
What is clear though is the style and success of his Ipswich team. In a notoriously tough league, after being promoted to the division in May 2023, the team from East Anglia have won 16 from 21 games and scored 45 goals. In fact, they are the division’s top scorers.
The Ulsterman’s side has been described as a “machine to battle and win points, with clear movement principles in each area but with the freedom to generate – something that the footballers will be very grateful for”.
Therefore, some believe that the manager has “the potential to go on to manage a top-six Premier League club, such is his level of diligence and research when preparing”.
Therefore, if under-pressure United manager, Erik ten Hag is sacked, could McKenna be ready to take over the United hot seat? He does have experience working with big names after his time at Old Trafford and claims to have grown up a fan of the Old Trafford side.
The Irish Post also linked the Ipswich manager to the United job should the former Ajax coach depart.
The likes of Brighton, Celtic and Leicester have all been credited with an interest in McKenna’s services and it stands to reason that the former assistant manager will get a shot in the Premier League, be it at Ipswich or elsewhere.
However, it is probably too soon for McKenna and Manchester United. Despite an impressive record, the Northern Irishman needs time to learn the ropes in the top division and build up a reputation in the top flight.
As we have seen time and time again, only a special type of personality can succeed at the club. It is also highly plausible that Ulsterman would not want to risk his own career by returning to Old Trafford just yet.
Having enjoyed a meteoric rise, why take the risk of having your name tarnished in such a high risk, low reward job that is the home end of the Old Trafford dugout? Ten Hag would probably vouch for that right about now.
