BBC Report: Ipswich fan pundit gives reasons for Kieran McKenna amid interest from Crystal Palace…
McKenna reportedly has a £4 million release clause, which could see other outfits try their luck for the Tractor Boys head coach
The Suffolk outfit have been in fine fettle since they were promoted back to the second tier, firing in 25 goals already – no other club in the division has outscored them.
And it is all thanks to the coaching abilities of Kieran McKenna, who has certainly transformed the club’s fortunes since his arrival nearly two years ago.
When arriving at Portman Road in December 2021, McKenna signed a three-and-a-half year deal with Ipswich, perhaps showing the faith that the board had in him already to turn things around.
And after leading Town to promotion back to the Championship earlier this year, McKenna was rewarded for his efforts with a brand new deal, which will last until the summer of 2027.
Ipswich though made sure to cover their tracks as in that deal, there is a £4 million release clause for the Northern Irishman’s services, as revealed by The Sun over a week ago, who also claimed that McKenna is earning around £25,000 a week as well as bonuses.
It remains to be seen if any club will make their move, although Crystal Palace are believed to have McKenna on their shortlist as a long-term Roy Hodgson replacement.
FLW’s Tractor Boys fan pundit Henry is optimistic about the club’s chances of keeping hold of McKenna until at least the end of the season, and is only worried about a select few jobs becoming open in the top flight of English football.
“I think he is probably the hottest property in the country,” Henry said when speaking to Football League World.
“He looks like the best young British manager coming through at the moment – there’s a couple on par with him like (Liam) Rosenior, who looks fairly decent, (Steven) Schumacher at Plymouth and a couple of others, but I think this season will be an interesting one.
“He obviously signed his new contract in the summer just gone, which is probably Ipswich’s best signing, and it doesn’t look or sound like he wants to move up quite yet, and I think what he’s doing with Ipswich and the progression he’s seeing within the squad, within the club, sort of matches where he’s at right now.
“If we move off this trajectory then I guess that could probably see someone coming in with a big offer, but right now I don’t really see many better opportunities where he can really get a full grip what he wants to do, and how he wants to do it.
“And with the resources and relationships he’s built, I don’t really think there’s a better opportunity right now than what he’s got, unless of course a fairly big manager like a De Zerbi leaves Brighton and they come looking, because that would look like a great opportunity.
“But aside from that, lower Premier League doesn’t look that appealing, because that’s more of a results industry, you don’t get time to build and he’d be back in the Championship before he knows it, so I think what he has right now is great.
“Of course as an Ipswich fan, I’m fairly biased, but I don’t think he leaves before the end of the season, and I’d be very disappointed and gutted if he left in the summer, but I think we’ve got him until the end of the season.”
