McKenna - on his future at Ipswich Town.

[Bluemike]

Marko, watching his interview had me feeling exactly how I'd been feeling prior to him signing the contract, dubious! Wilf clearly feels the same and I'm glad its not just me.

Go and read a lot of the views coming out of Brighton, for them to say they were pretty certain they had their man suggests to me things had been said to them for them to feel anything like that, somethings gone awry at the eleventh hour, then to read he'd been in talks with Manchester United, a club he loves adds fuel to the fire he wanted away, if anyone thinks he wouldn't have accepted a job there they are foolish, it's only that they have a manager atm that he is still here. Even with Chelsea, it was them that cooled on KM, not the other way round.

I watched KM yesterday and for me he looked uncomfortable, edgy, sullen and sheepish, no question about it, Ashton has gone Three shades lighter grey in days due no doubt to the incredible fight he's had to keep his man. Kieran even said about a short career and what's right for his family etc and while I get all that cobblers I am convinced he owed it to us to commit to at least one more season without all this uncertainty being an issue, that's just me and how I work, I mean 5 million a year, he needed to talk to his family about that lol.

At the end of the day we still have him and that is fabulous and the best thing for the club and all concerned, I will be as behind him as ever and singing his name just the same, the guy is brilliant, I just wish the circumstances were different as to how we arrived at where we are at. At least we now know Kieran has a plan B or even C as we appear to be just that. COYB'S

[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!

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

Isn’t that speculation though, Wilf? The wording “his clear desire” isn’t in the best interests of the man, buddy.
He may have had NO DESIRE but was confronted with lucrative stuff ——->> he then waited for Mashton to sort it out with a contract to match. Maybe his “desire” was for Ipswich to sort it out.







(Or Ten Hag to be sacked!)

[marko69]

Marko, watching his interview had me feeling exactly how I'd been feeling prior to him signing the contract, dubious! Wilf clearly feels the same and I'm glad its not just me.

Go and read a lot of the views coming out of Brighton, for them to say they were pretty certain they had their man suggests to me things had been said to them for them to feel anything like that, somethings gone awry at the eleventh hour, then to read he'd been in talks with Manchester United, a club he loves adds fuel to the fire he wanted away, if anyone thinks he wouldn't have accepted a job there they are foolish, it's only that they have a manager atm that he is still here. Even with Chelsea, it was them that cooled on KM, not the other way round.

I watched KM yesterday and for me he looked uncomfortable, edgy, sullen and sheepish, no question about it, Ashton has gone Three shades lighter grey in days due no doubt to the incredible fight he's had to keep his man. Kieran even said about a short career and what's right for his family etc and while I get all that cobblers I am convinced he owed it to us to commit to at least one more season without all this uncertainty being an issue, that's just me and how I work, I mean 5 million a year, he needed to talk to his family about that lol.

At the end of the day we still have him and that is fabulous and the best thing for the club and all concerned, I will be as behind him as ever and singing his name just the same, the guy is brilliant, I just wish the circumstances were different as to how we arrived at where we are at. At least we now know Kieran has a plan B or even C as we appear to be just that. COYB'S

I get all that…….. i just firmly and unequivocally (and other big words) believe that the media circus had both Ipswich & Brighton fans running rings around themselves with copious amounts of BS. There were truths in there, but got to believe Mark Ashton had a handle on it.
I did not like the guy at all when he was appointed……. But he is a proper leader of business.

[Bluemike]

I may have it all completely wrong, you can't live in a perfect world where Football is concerned and maybe that's what I was expecting. As you say the press etc certainly do nothing to help, guttersnipe doesn't come close.

Now get some bloody good signings down !!!! I see Joe Rodon is available this morning, good place to start.

[hallamblue]

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!

Ha ha …. No problem with that. But I’ll state right here and now, I think this time next year he will leave this club. I can’t change that likely event , so I’m giving myself permission not to get stressed about it because this Club is bigger than him and we will find a very good replacement. But I’m like BW / Mike on this situation, he was clearly prepared to walk. He’s been persuaded to stay (largely through an absolute monster of a nee contract for a young new manager), so there’s also an element of it IS about money too and not just “ I want to manage in the PL”.

Subtly I note, that line has changed to “ I want to manage at the very highest level”,
(Champions League, and therefore by definition one of the “big 4”. Hrs a very articulate man and a deep thinker. He knows his stick is very high and frankly had many suitors now. That will grow, and we will lose him. The question is when. I think given what he said ( did say), that’ll be in a year. It is what it is. There is no loyalty in this game. And as for “ a managers career being short”. That’s a load of BS. A managers JOB might be short, not their CAREER.

[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

Isn’t that speculation though, Wilf? The wording “his clear desire” isn’t in the best interests of the man, buddy.
He may have had NO DESIRE but was confronted with lucrative stuff ——->> he then waited for Mashton to sort it out with a contract to match. Maybe his “desire” was for Ipswich to sort it out.







(Or Ten Hag to be sacked!)

It may be media stuff Marko but again, no smoke without fire. I also read an article yesterday saying there was always a plan to leave after last season regardless of promotion. How true that is who knows but he certainly has looked sheepish in recent days and his comments about seeing what else is out there backs that up. Regardless - if a better offer came along, he was listening and considering it. I get that and its fine to an extent but I cannot square that with him being the messiah who was never going to leave us. I hoped that was the case bug I am convinced now that it never was! Still, like we all say - so glad its done (for now) and I too will be cheering him from the rafters! However, make no mistake... the first time he gets a better offer and we are not doing so well, he will be off... I say that now but if we do really well then that may change. Lets hope so!

[hallamblue]

One more season…….

[ITFC2024]

I understand the conjecture on Kieran’s true commitment to the club. I commented on that earlier, but I genuinely believe he’s the right man for us now, regardless of what has transpired. I also acknowledge how we might feel if we’re not doing so well. If we’re bottom of the league in December with no
wins and a record breaking negative GA, I may welcome interest for McKenna’s services from other clubs. It’s all relative.

[Bluemike]

Just to put it on record, he is DEFINITELY the best man for the job, that's not my issue.

[marko69]

True story regarding looking “sheepish” ……

….. finished a heating system in Morningside , Edinburgh back just after Covid, customer was away in Majorca. I inspected the job on completion for myself. Checked boiler pressures etc.

We handed keys to a painter / decorator.
He proceeded to decide that one particular floorboard squeaked too much so he screwed it. Through a pipe. That leaked slowly to the flat below over the week.

Client arrived back to chaos from the neighbour.

Me and my sheepish face had to go face the music. Completely innocent. To this day, I KNOW that guy didn’t believe our story. “It was the painter!!”

Mckenna: “IT WAS THE MEDIA!”



Ok, no more……. I cant be licking his ring-piece all season long. Massive season ahead …….

EPL reporter: “You’re looking a tad sheepish Kieron?”
KMcK: “Well, , Woolfenden might not be the EPL guy i thought he was going to be!”

[Bluemike]

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.

Finally just got to read this and it's a brilliant piece which probably sums it up perfectly. The only bit I find wrong is "this is a career he's given everything to" I mean, come on, Two seasons as a manager and thanks to us for giving him the chance.

Anyhow I'm bored of it now, we all move on together and look forward to a cracking season, but first the excitement of new signings etc. Gonna be a busy Summer.

[Bluemike]

True story regarding looking “sheepish” ……

….. finished a heating system in Morningside , Edinburgh back just after Covid, customer was away in Majorca. I inspected the job on completion for myself. Checked boiler pressures etc.

We handed keys to a painter / decorator.
He proceeded to decide that one particular floorboard squeaked too much so he screwed it. Through a pipe. That leaked slowly to the flat below over the week.

Client arrived back to chaos from the neighbour.

Me and my sheepish face had to go face the music. Completely innocent. To this day, I KNOW that guy didn’t believe our story. “It was the painter!!”

Mckenna: “IT WAS THE MEDIA!”



Ok, no more……. I cant be licking his ring-piece all season long. Massive season ahead …….

EPL reporter: “You’re looking a tad sheepish Kieron?”
KMcK: “Well, , Woolfenden might not be the EPL guy i thought he was going to be!”

[arana peligrosa]

Unlikely McKenna will see out another whole four years here. I'd expect him to leave in or before half that time, there's little to no chance the name will remain in position for an extra 48 months at Portman Road, it just doesn't appear feasible, add to that it won't be.

So much depends on our first season back at EPL level and where we finish, prove ourselves in cup competition with it etc. Either it's a success and McKenna rises in stature or it's a possible failure and we end up far lower mid-league or just avoiding a relegation. You can add the same pattern or logic to the second season thereafter.

By then, either someone bigger than us comes in and makes their move and the manager is finally away, or McKenna decides he can do no more with us and reached his zenith by taking the club to successive promotions and chooses a further career elsewhere. You'd have to pretty naive to expect the same name to actually honor a full extra four year commitment here. It's great news he's staying on but for the time stated or put forward ? Somehow view it unlikely.

[hallamblue]

I’ve resigned myself to us losing him after another season. If we hang on to PL status we might hang onto him for a further season, just. So for me, I’ll enjoy his tenure here now, and hope we can start to get established in the PL. This club is bigger than Kieran McKenna and an undoubted very good replacement will be brought in when he leaves.But the club must use him whilst he’s here, to bring in decent players who will want to come here whilst he’s here. This is all part of the continual re building pr9cess that the Club will continue to do, and this will happen no matter who is at the club. The biggest downside to McKenna leaving is the upheaval to the back room staff that will go with him. But Ashton I recall, made comments about the Club setting up an infrastructure that was aimed at reducing this upheaval when manage4s up and leave. The managers we would target would fit with our footballing identity.

We’re in good hands now ( owners, Ashton).

[Charnwood]

I think if Town can survive a couple of seasons in the Premier League and keep in the right side of the FFP rules McKenna will continue on the journey he’s started with Gamechanger.

Eddie Howe guided Bournemouth to a 16th place finish in their first season in the Premier League and managed to build on that over the next four seasons. I see no reason why McKenna can’t achieve the same with Gamechangers backing and ambition. Of course it won’t be easy but it may not be impossible especially with the help of a few clubs receiving points reductions.

Eddie Howe and Bournemouth are the modern day manager and club that McKenna and Ipswich Town most resemble which should give us all hope.