Ipswich Town Boss Urged To Make Major Decision
Manchester United have come calling for Ipswich Town‘s manager, Kieran McKenna. A few years ago the decision to make the step up would’ve been a no brainer, but former Liverpool defender, Neil Warnock has urged the 37-year-old to stay put.
The Tractor Boys have been the story of the season in the Championship so far and could be on the verge of back-to-back promotions from League One to the Premier League, if they gain at least one point on the final day against Huddersfield Town. The last team to achieve this feat was Southampton, with their promotion from League One in 2011, and an eventual return to the top-flight in 2012.
McKenna has been a revelation at Portman Road. He has catapulted the East Anglian side into an automatic promotion position, which has led to them challenging last year’s relegated Premier League clubs. Leeds United, Leicester City and Southampton had all been considered huge favourites to occupy the top three spots at the start of the season. Their lucrative parachute payments and comparatively extortionate squad values have however, been outshone by the Tractor Boys’ rapid rise.
Recent speculation, reported by Football Insider, has suggested that the 37-year-old is being heavily linked with the Manchester United job, if Erik Ten Hag leaves Old Trafford this summer following growing concerns over the Dutchman. McKenna had already managed the aforementioned club’s under-18 side prior to his Ipswich appointment; as a familiar face, there’s no wonder he’s on the radar.
Ex-Liverpool and England defender, Neil Warnock, has offered his view on the situation and has ultimately urged McKenna to remain in charge of the East Anglian side for another year, if they do achieve promotion this season.
“If it’s Manchester United, I think he goes, and that’s not being disrespectful to Ipswich, but how often does the Manchester United job come around?.
“The other club I’ve seen him being linked with is Brighton, which would almost fit into the mould of the way he manages or coaches, and then working within the constraints of what Brighton do and the recruitment they do, would that be almost the next step for him to then progress on to a Manchester United?
“I think back-to-back promotions, no matter what level you are at, is quite incredible, but to do that from League One into the Championship and then Championship into the Premier League, if they do attain that, would just be phenomenal.
“I think the old saying comes in that the grass isn’t always greener sometimes, and when you’ve got ownership and a set of players who understand your values, to go into a Premier League team and try and change that straight away or try and implement that into a team, how difficult is that going to be?
“If I was him, I would probably stick for another year and just see where it takes you from there.”
Warnock clearly acknowledges the underlying lure of the United approach and the sheer size of the job in question. However, with the core group of players in the Ipswich squad and the understanding that they share with McKenna, the ex-Cardiff City boss’ main urge is to remain for another year.
