Loan James McAtee - he needs guaranteed game time to regain his confidence. Sell Dan Ndoye as he hasn't shown progress over the season but is suited to European leagues and will probably have an excellent World Cup. Paul: I'd keep Bakwa, who after a tough first season has shown glimpses of his potential.
Later today, the 2026 FIFA World Cup will get underway. There are two matches on Thursday’s docket: Host team Mexico gets things started against South Africa, while a little later South Korea will square off with Czechia. And in short order, the other 44 teams will join the fray. Here, we are keeping track on […]
Manager caught lightning in a bottle with three promotions in four seasons but his need for a break to prioritise a young family is refreshing When the tears have dried, the adage will ring true for Ipswich and Kieran McKenna. They will smile because it happened and reflect that, despite the hurt, sometimes it is best to part while the love still burns.Perhaps they will also marvel at the unlikely magic football occasionally sprinkles. It is an industry in which people and places are thrown together, coming and going, sticking or not. When McKenna arrived in Suffolk four and a half years ago he could have been another hired gun; instead he transformed a community’s relationship with its club and left a legacy that should span generations. Continue reading...
Given he recently distanced himself from a managerial role until the new season gets under way, I was surprised to see Thomas Frank installed as one of the early favourites for the vacant job at Ipswich. Prior to his difficult spell at Tottenham, the Dane did wonders at Brentford, and he knows how to get out of the Championship and STAY in the Premier League, which is something Kieran McKenna hasn't achieved yet in his career. Liam Rosenior was always going to be linked and I think he would be a sound appointment as well, despite it not working out for him at Chelsea.
Former Ipswich midfielder Massimo Luongo believes Kieran McKenna has left "a massive legacy" at the club and town because of all he achieved in his near five-year stay. Luongo has known McKenna since he was in the youth set-up at Tottenham and then played under him at Ipswich Town during one of the most successful periods in the club's history. "First and foremost, he was obsessed with football," Luongo recalls of his time working with McKenna.
Former Ipswich Town striker Alex Mathie told BBC Radio Suffolk he is "a bit surprised" by Kieran McKenna's resignation and reasoning. Ex-midfielder Alan Judge is not surprised though by McKenna's decision to have a break from football management. "Funnily enough, I came across Kieran a few weeks ago in town and I spoke to him a little and he just said how much the season had taken out of him," Judge said speaking to BBC Radio Suffolk.
Kieran McKenna's time in charge of Ipswich Town has been nothing short of incredible. Just four full seasons in charge have brought with them three promotions and a first taste of Premier League football at Portman Road in more than 20 years. What's more, the football seen during those first two promotion-winning campaigns was the best at Ipswich Town in a generation, with a group of players who thrived under the Northern Irishman's lead.
