McKenna - on his future at Ipswich Town.

[Cabanas Blue]

🥳🥳🥳 Great news at last.

[Steve]

He's signed it - 4 years.


https://www.itfc.co.uk/news/2024/may/30 ... year-deal/

Never a doubt, was there ?


-:)

[Bluemike]

Sky Sports News has been told the key to keeping McKenna at Ipswich has been the calmness and great working relationship between CEO Mark Ashton and McKenna.

[Steve]

Sky Sports News has been told the key to keeping McKenna at Ipswich has been the calmness and great working relationship between CEO Mark Ashton and McKenna.

I quite believe that Mike

Loads of speculations, hearsay and quite honestly very poor journalism from certain media. Kieran's agents no doubt been working damn hard but at least we can look forward to the new season

Well, until Pep leaves Man City... *Joking* but there will be other times for totally believe Kieran is going to become a top, top manager.. He's a good guy

What a top man March Ashton is as well as the owners, chairman and all connected

[Charnwood]

Up at 5 every week day mate

Bloody hell mate it’s the middle of the night for me, 1am - 8am is my night time !

[Charnwood]

Great news about McKenna which for me has always been the most likely outcome.

After today this thread should become almost redundant and we can now concentrate on strengthening the team and speculating on who will be our first new signing.

[Steve]

Great news about McKenna which for me has always been the most likely outcome.

After today this thread should become almost redundant and we can now concentrate on strengthening the team and speculating on who will be our first new signing.

Well said, totally agree

Hoping Liz is breathing easier

[hallamblue]

Just seen it ..... WOOOOaahhhhh
Back o the net .....
NEVER in doubt, was it !

[Ohiotractorboy]

Thank God!!!

Great news, let's get on to signing some players!

[shabba]

Superb news!

Little 10min video on town tv with Km, MA and Matt Holland.
It’s great to have Matt around the club, what good people we have all over the club now!

I just love the way the club is at the moment!

[Charnwood]

Offering McKenna a new long term contract so attractive he couldn’t risk refusing was exactly what I proposed soon after our promotion was confirmed. If had to be the right thing to do for both ITFC and for McKenna. That’s how we kept Sir Bobby for as long as we did and if we can survive the next couple of seasons and build on it I can see he McKenna being another long term ITFC manager. I certainly hope so.

[Bluemike]

I hope so too Andy because what I've been being told lately is that contracts mean nothing, when I mentioned he was under contract that's what was said.

[ITFC2024]

Great news! I think he’s made the right decision for himself, his family and of course us. We can finally relax and look forward to the season ahead now!

[Charnwood]

I hope so too Andy because what I've been being told lately is that contracts mean nothing, when I mentioned he was under contract that's what was said.

That’s not strictly correct Mike. Contracts can of course be broken which is correct but it comes at a cost and I suspect if any other club wants to take McKenna away from ITFC it will cost them £10m or thereabouts to do so. Of course they also need McKenna to want to go to them.

[mendipblue]

It was never in doubt. He was never going to leave..The guy has morals and is leading a massive rebuild project at Town..It was only the media that was saying he was going and we all know the media has its own agenda.. Well done KMck and well done Mark Ashton

[hallamblue]

I hope so too Andy because what I've been being told lately is that contracts mean nothing, when I mentioned he was under contract that's what was said.

That’s not strictly correct Mike. Contracts can of course be broken which is correct but it comes at a cost and I suspect if any other club wants to take McKenna away from ITFC it will cost them £10m or thereabouts to do so. Of course they also need McKenna to want to go to them.

And I think that is the critical safeguard in the new contract . Obviously without knowing the nuts n bolts of it, the little clauses that have been written in will protect both the Club and McKenna but the outlay to prize McKenna away from us will probably be so high now that it’ll rule out most of the small to middling PL clubs. In essence making it a top 6-8 PL club that would be capable of prizing him away - and that’ll be Utd ( his choice all day long ).

[shabba]

If I understand correctly it works both ways in that if a club wants to sack a manager they must continue to pay their contract, i.e it would cost us £20m to sack KM today, 15m this time next year etc.

I believe if a sacked manager takes a new job then the old club can stop paying them.

Im sure we have only just finished paying Lambert!

I think a club can buy out another managers contract, but have to pay it up in full. I *think* this is how it works, its different to players.
Some contracts will have release clauses though, and I suspect sometimes when you read 'left by mutual consent' it means an settlement figure has been agreed, probably somewhere in the middle.

Random but I believe players get loyality bonuses in their contracts, spread over the term and paid at the start of each season, I *think* if they hand in a transfer request it means they forefit the remaning of such a bonus.

[marko69]

It was never in doubt. He was never going to leave..The guy has morals and is leading a massive rebuild project at Town..It was only the media that was saying he was going and we all know the media has its own agenda.. Well done KMck and well done Mark Ashton

Word.

I 85% knew it myself......., but the Brighton stuff got hold and drew me in by the scruff of the neck......., but yep......, common sense says, L1 to Champ, Champ to EPL ----->> you don't just leave after that.

[Charnwood]

If I understand correctly it works both ways in that if a club wants to sack a manager they must continue to pay their contract, i.e it would cost us £20m to sack KM today, 15m this time next year etc.

I believe if a sacked manager takes a new job then the old club can stop paying them.

Im sure we have only just finished paying Lambert!

I think a club can buy out another managers contract, but have to pay it up in full. I *think* this is how it works, its different to players.
Some contracts will have release clauses though, and I suspect sometimes when you read 'left by mutual consent' it means an settlement figure has been agreed, probably somewhere in the middle.

Random but I believe players get loyality bonuses in their contracts, spread over the term and paid at the start of each season, I *think* if they hand in a transfer request it means they forefit the remaning of such a bonus.

That’s pretty much how it works Shabba.

[Blue Wilf]

It was never in doubt. He was never going to leave..The guy has morals and is leading a massive rebuild project at Town..It was only the media that was saying he was going and we all know the media has its own agenda.. Well done KMck and well done Mark Ashton

Word.

I 85% knew it myself......., but the Brighton stuff got hold and drew me in by the scruff of the neck......., but yep......, common sense says, L1 to Champ, Champ to EPL ----->> you don't just leave after that.

Well I have to say that I certainly felt that was the case from the start. However... having read some stuff (including KM's interview), I am now not so sure. Look - I am delighted he is staying and to a degree the 'moral' argument stacks up but the more I read, the more there is no smoke without fire and he had seriously considered going - something I find a bit distasteful after 2 seasons, total backing and a guaranteed improved contract (that bit was always going to happen). So - I will keep my powder dry on this one and as long as he gives us one more season, I am happy but to think that (at present), he was never going anywhere is a leap of faith I wanted to take but I think was probably wrong. If he had a better offer, he was always in fact, going to go (my view). That leaves me with a bit of a bad taste over the whole affair and has tainted his relationship with us for me. It may all change, we do great in the PL and as a result, he stays and gets a statue (I hope), but right now, it does not feel 100% convincing to me. All the contract means is someone taking him will need to pay more. If we are doing well and Man U come in 3 or 6 months after their next useful idiot fails, he will go, I have no doubt. So... good manager - yes, right for us and happy to have him - yes, but messiah (where he was for me 2 weeks ago) - not for me... he has a bit of redemption to do for me to get back to that stage.

Forgetting all that now and looking ahead and hoping it all goes swimmingly well! COYB's!

[hallamblue]

And so Town’s global profile grows lol

https://thewest.com.au/sport/soccer/mck ... c-14855347

[hallamblue]

Blue Wilf… it was interesting to note (and I did), Mckenna’s words yesterday following his new 4 yr contract signing….. he only said he’s “looking forward to next season”…. He’s just been given a massively lucrative FOUR year deal, so why not refer to continuing the work over coming SEASONS?

Some might feel I’m nit picking but my involuntary response to his comment was,” oh, so you’re not committing yourself beyond one more year then”!

He wants the Utd job,

[Mauswara]

You could also interpret it as Keiran being Keiran and always focusing on the next task in hand.

[hallamblue]

Good article : Stuart Watson today.

Following an intense fortnight of speculation about his future, Kieran McKenna has signed a new four-year contract at Ipswich Town. Stuart Watson gives his thoughts...

Finally, the talking can stop.

The panicked debate online, at social gatherings and work places as anxious fans tried to make sense of a maelstrom of often contradictory noise.

The private discussions, in boardrooms, down mobile phones and in family homes, that led to the above too.

The reality is that only a handful of people know the true story from start to finish. The full details may never be known. There are some things we can safely assume though.

East Anglian Daily Times: Kieran McKenna was the subject of intense speculation about his future after leading Town to the Premier League
Kieran McKenna was the subject of intense speculation about his future after leading Town to the Premier League (Image: PA Images)

One; Kieran McKenna was a wanted man. Of course he was. The scale of what he’s achieved in his first two full seasons as a senior manager - 194 points and two automatic promotions, playing an entertaining brand of football without doing anything wild in the transfer market – is still scarcely believable.

Two; Kieran McKenna explored/assessed his options. Of course he did. This is a career he's given everything to. It’s a brutal industry. When you’re hot, you’re hot. His dream job was potentially available. You’d do the same.

Three; Ipswich Town Football Club did everything they could to keep him. Thankfully, it was enough. Big ambitions remain aligned. This exciting journey together continues.

What an unedifying soap opera it’s been. ‘Manchester United ponder McKenna move’, ‘Brighton make McKenna top target’, ‘Chelsea eye up McKenna’, ‘Brighton push to seal McKenna deal’, ‘Chelsea contact Ipswich’, ‘McKenna offered quadruple your money contract by Ipswich’, ‘McKenna likely to reject new deal’, ‘Manchester United make contact with McKenna’, ‘Chelsea look away from McKenna’, ‘United to undertake season review after winning FA Cup’, ‘McKenna expected to sign new long-term contract at Ipswich’. Welcome back to the big time.

Was I surprised by the level of noise? Perhaps naively, yes, because I thought Kieran would be a man keen to let his body of work and outstanding personal reputation do all the talking. Could he have reined in those stirring the pot a little? Possibly. Maybe that's impossible to stop once the wheels start turning though.

East Anglian Daily Times: Mark Ashton and Kieran McKenna have proved a tremendous team so far
Mark Ashton and Kieran McKenna have proved a tremendous team so far (Image: Ipswich Town/Matchday Images)

We live in a world where people demand micro updates and instant gratification. When it comes to no news, minutes feel like hours, hours feel like days and days feel like weeks. Did things constantly swing one way and then another, largely following the pattern of events set out? Were some stories leaked from agenda-driven sources to drive the narrative and test public opinion? Did some, under pressure to be in the know, gamble on repeating the mood music and give extra credence to gossip? It was probably a mixture of all of the above. Not getting sucked into all that was difficult.

Does this go down as a Mark Ashton masterclass or McKenna representation masterclass? Probably a bit of both.

Initially it seemed unlucky that so many top jobs were vacant/potentially vacant at the same time, but that may have actually worked in Ipswich’s favour. If Man United – a club that has a special draw for McKenna - hadn’t been potentially in the mix, then would McKenna have gone to Brighton sooner? If Man United had lost the FA Cup Final then might he have ended up there?

With Vincent Kompany being on the verge of going from Burnley to Bayern, did that make McKenna think it’s not necessarily now or never? That move is evidence that you can have a difficult season of results as manager of a newly-promoted club, get relegated and still be considered for big jobs.

There are lot of ifs, buts and maybes doing some heavy lifting in there though.

East Anglian Daily Times: McKenna remains Town boss - and that's huge for the club
McKenna remains Town boss - and that's huge for the club (Image: ITFC)

Ultimately, the how and why we got to this point doesn't really matter. The main thing is that Ipswich have held onto one of the most impressive young coaches in the game and one of the most important people in their organisation. For the second summer in a row, the biggest signing of the summer has been made before the transfer window has opened.

Squad morale will be through the roof when potentially it could have been seriously dented. And the way this has been told - ‘Ipswich keep hold of Man United target’ - may just turn the heads of transfer targets who might previously have been slightly reticent to join a relegation favourite.

The only negative is that McKenna’s bumper new contract – £6m a year according to The Times – eats into the spending limits allowed under the Premier League’s strict Profit and Sustainability Rules.

Still, he deserves it. This is a man who’s improved the value of the squad tenfold. Without him, Ipswich wouldn’t be tapping into the mega riches of the Premier League. No-one in the squad will be arguing that ‘the boss’ shouldn’t be the highest earner.

East Anglian Daily Times: Kieran McKenna will lead Town into the Premier League
Kieran McKenna will lead Town into the Premier League (Image: PA Images)

How will the last fortnight affect McKenna’s reputation? If u-turns have been made along the way – again, that’s a big ‘if’ - does that put a black mark against his name inside the game? Maybe. It’s a small world. People talk. And has the way this has unfolded left a slightly sour taste in some Ipswich fans’ mouths? Again, maybe. That won’t last long though.

I imagine everyone in and out of the game will move on from this saga pretty quickly. The first time we hear those familiar calm and measured words come out of McKenna’s mouth, memories of magic moments will come flooding back and thoughts will excitedly turn to chapters yet to be written.

Togetherness, consistency and momentum. That’s what’s got Ipswich Town to this point. That, crucially, is what Ipswich Town still have.

[hallamblue]

You could also interpret it as Keiran being Keiran and always focusing on the next task in hand.

Yip, you could certainly. But it was my instant gut response to those words, not me concluding this from analysing or reflecting on what he said. I suppose it’s a case of not what he said, but what he didn’t say! Time will tell won’t it. I hope he gives us another couple of season though.

[Bluemike]

It was never in doubt. He was never going to leave..The guy has morals and is leading a massive rebuild project at Town..It was only the media that was saying he was going and we all know the media has its own agenda.. Well done KMck and well done Mark Ashton

Word.

I 85% knew it myself......., but the Brighton stuff got hold and drew me in by the scruff of the neck......., but yep......, common sense says, L1 to Champ, Champ to EPL ----->> you don't just leave after that.

Well I have to say that I certainly felt that was the case from the start. However... having read some stuff (including KM's interview), I am now not so sure. Look - I am delighted he is staying and to a degree the 'moral' argument stacks up but the more I read, the more there is no smoke without fire and he had seriously considered going - something I find a bit distasteful after 2 seasons, total backing and a guaranteed improved contract (that bit was always going to happen). So - I will keep my powder dry on this one and as long as he gives us one more season, I am happy but to think that (at present), he was never going anywhere is a leap of faith I wanted to take but I think was probably wrong. If he had a better offer, he was always in fact, going to go (my view). That leaves me with a bit of a bad taste over the whole affair and has tainted his relationship with us for me. It may all change, we do great in the PL and as a result, he stays and gets a statue (I hope), but right now, it does not feel 100% convincing to me. All the contract means is someone taking him will need to pay more. If we are doing well and Man U come in 3 or 6 months after their next useful idiot fails, he will go, I have no doubt. So... good manager - yes, right for us and happy to have him - yes, but messiah (where he was for me 2 weeks ago) - not for me... he has a bit of redemption to do for me to get back to that stage.

Forgetting all that now and looking ahead and hoping it all goes swimmingly well! COYB's!

Absolutely bang on and sums up exactly how I feel too.

[Mauswara]

I like Stuart Watson's headline:

Unedifying soap opera is finally over

[marko69]

Well. Jaysus fkn H Messiah Christ.

I certainly hope & that he’s not hounded out at the first sign of struggle.

Quite shocked at a few comments.

To put into a different and “never going to happen” context from a personal point of view………, If Nick Montgomery had won the SPL with Hibs, and he was then under speculation for a new contract to another bigger club……. I think i’d find it difficult to have any negative thoughts towards the guy. I dunno, just me maybe.

To take essentially a shyte Evans & Lambert piece of crap team from L1 to the EPL in 24 months is unreal. If the offers didnt happen, then there’d be something wrong!
Happy he chose to carry on the project @ ITFC.

And Hallam, yes……., him only saying next season and not the years ahead IS nitpicking!

[Mauswara]

To take essentially a shyte Evans & Lambert piece of crap team from L1 to the EPL in 24 months is unreal.

one that had been demolished

[Blue Wilf]

Well. Jaysus fkn H Messiah Christ.

I certainly hope & that he’s not hounded out at the first sign of struggle.

Quite shocked at a few comments.

To put into a different and “never going to happen” context from a personal point of view………, If Nick Montgomery had won the SPL with Hibs, and he was then under speculation for a new contract to another bigger club……. I think i’d find it difficult to have any negative thoughts towards the guy. I dunno, just me maybe.

To take essentially a shyte Evans & Lambert piece of crap team from L1 to the EPL in 24 months is unreal. If the offers didnt happen, then there’d be something wrong!
Happy he chose to carry on the project @ ITFC.

And Hallam, yes……., him only saying next season and not the years ahead IS nitpicking!

Never said that the achievement wasn't amazing Marko and the messiah status was nailed on... just that his clear desire to move so fast has tainted it for me - thats all. He is not quite the saint I hoped he was it seems