Kieran McKenna has been linked with moves away from the club in which he has made his name, Ipswich Town.
The Northern Irishman has signed a new long-term deal with the Tractor Boys, which will see him reportedly become one of the top 10 highest paid managers in the Premier League, a seriously impressive feat for somebody who only became a first team manager in December of 2021.
However, to those who have followed Mckenna's career with a keen eye, this astronomical rise in which he has taken Ipswich from the third tier to the first tier, only just stopping for a tea break in the Championship, is no surprise.
The Early Years
Kieran McKenna has taken a slightly obscure route to the top flight, as comparative to most football managers in the modern era, his playing career was virtually non-existent.
At 16 years old, McKenna left Northern Ireland to join the youth academy of Tottenham Hotspur, after having a promising career back home.
Unfortunately for McKenna, he would see his dream of being a professional footballer cut short at 22 years old, a persistent hip injury keeping him from reaching any potential he had in his earlier years, but this was just the beginning of the rise of the man who came to be.
McKenna would turn to coaching in order to maintain the footballing aspect to his life, while also committing himself to studies as he would take sports science at Loughborough University.
He earned his first role in the behind the curtain work of football at the same Spurs academy he had to retire from, originally becoming an analyst before being given the opportunity to take charge of a very talented U'18s group, which included players like Ryan Mason, Andros Townsend and a certain striker named Harry Kane.
Mckenna's talents and ability would be soon noticed by English giants Manchester United, as they would employ him in 2016 to become there U'18s head coach, before then manager Jose Mourinho would promote him to join the first team backroom staff at Carrington.
He would continue to work in the first team environment at United after Mourinho left his post, being a prominent part of the backroom team under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's tenure as manager, and was also in the dugout on regular occasion under Ralph Ragnick.
It was clear that McKenna had the respect of many high ranking figures throughout his time at both Spurs and Manchester United, however, to the public eye he was not yet well known.
Making His Name
In December of 2021, Kieran McKenna took a huge step in his career, proving to be the biggest move in his career.
McKenna came into an Ipswich side who had invested heavily into promotion out of League One, key players like Sam Morsy were brought into the side with a very big budget relative to the division being spent on the playing squad.
Paul Cook would make his way out of Ipswich in the winter of the 21/22 season, and McKenna would step into the limelight, becoming one of England's youngest managers aged just 35, taking over a side who were sat in 11th in the third tier.
The impact was immediate, with Ipswich winning seven out of McKenna's first 10 games in charge, keeping seven clean sheets along the way, unfortunately the task at hand was too much for the Blues as they would miss out on the play-off places, though there was evidently much to look forward to.
In his first full season in charge, Kieran McKenna successfully delivered automatic promotion at Portman Road, finishing second on a ridiculous tally of 98 points, with just four losses in their 46 game league campaign, one thing was also clear in Suffolk, Ipswich were going to be a force in the Championship.
Proving His Worth
Ipswich came into the Championship season with expectations to comfortably stay in the division, with McKenna beginning to really get his grips on Ipswich and dictating games with possession and control, while also having elements of fast paced attacking football.
Expectations on the East Coast were simply blown away, with McKenna guiding his side to a second successive promotion, a second ninety plus points campaign, and beat former Premier League sides Leeds United and Southampton to promotion, despite a clear disparity in budget.
Key players began to be established throughout the season, with attacking left wing back Leif Davis accruing 20 goals and assists throughout the league campaign, and an evident and well thought out style of play dominating the division, more on that later.
Ipswich captured the hearts of neutrals last season, with an uphill battle on paper with a young coach proving himself week by week, in search of back to back promotions, being a storyline which many supporters throughout the EFL dream of their club to be the headline of one day, although a stressful few weeks would follow the Tractor Boy's promotion.
Links Away and Style of Play
In the weeks that would follow the 23/24 season, McKenna has been heavily linked away from Ipswich.
With Chelsea firing head coach Mauricio Pochettino, Brighton boss Roberto De Zerbi calling it quits and Manchester United's decision on Erik Ten Hag yet to be made, McKenna became a very enticing proposition for all three clubs to speak to.
These clubs were not only jumping on the idea of McKenna achieving back to back promotions with a squad who on paper had odds stacked against them, they were looking at a coach who has a very well coached style of play, and a tactician who could make the step up, here is why they are correct.
Kieran McKenna's style of play is about control and about knowing when to break through the thirds. He employs a back four who when in possession will change into a three, with the right-back coming centrally and previously mentioned Leif Davis pushing on to attack the flank.
A double pivot will always be used in the Town midfield, they will look to break the ball through for a more advanced midfielder, typically Connor Chaplin who will have the option of either a right winger, Leif Davis on the left flank, or an inside left forward who will invert to support the attacking midfielder.
A strong powerful forward is implemented in a McKenna system, with the player being tasked with holding the ball up for the other forwards to be brought into the game.
His tactics show why he has been linked particularly to the Manchester United job. He is familiar with the surroundings at Carrington to begin with, however strictly on a squad basis he would be working with a right full-back who is athletic and defensively capable to play in a back three in Aaron Wan-Bissaka and attacking wing back in Luke Shaw.
He would be blessed with the talent of Kobbie Mainoo to make up a double-pivot, as well as the mercurial talent of Bruno Fernandes in a number 10 role, and the left inside forward role of Omari Hutchinson could be mirrored perfectly in the image of returning Jadon Sancho.
Rasmus Hojlund would also work within McKenna's system and tactically he would be the perfect fit for the Manchester United job, and explains why he has become one of the most talked about managers in England at the start of this summer.
However, McKenna has signed a new long-term deal at Portman Road, and neutral fans will be hoping that the loyalty displayed will reward him with staying in the Premier League this time next year.
There are no doubts amongst many that he will land a top job when he is ready for it, and the footballing world will look forward to the day that Kieran Mckenna, is a household name.
