Kieran McKenna guides Ipswich Town back to 'promised land'

. It's been 22 years since Ipswich was last seen in the Premier League. But now, they have made a comeback.

Manchester United, Ipswich Town, and external sources described Kieran McKenna as immensely skilled and greatly esteemed when he departed from Old Trafford to take on the role of manager at Portman Road.

Many other coaches who have moved into senior club management for the first time have been described using similar words - however, only a small number of them have achieved the level of success that McKenna has achieved in such an impressive manner.

Following his departure as a first-team coach at Manchester United, he took on the role at Ipswich, who were sitting in 12th place in League One. He successfully led the team to two consecutive promotions, achieving over 90 points in each campaign and scoring 193 goals along the way.

At present, the individual who is 37 years of age is given an opportunity to evaluate himself along with the players. This is something that Mick Mills, the ex-captain of Ipswich, has referred to as "the promised land." This pertains to the Premier League and it is the first time since 2002 that they are getting a taste of it.

During the previous summer, Mills mentioned that if their team could enhance their squad by roughly 20%, they would be able to contend for a top-six spot in the Championship. This was because they had achieved promotion from the third tier by winning 28 out of 46 games and only suffering four losses.

However, thanks to the exceptional coaching skills of McKenna and the remarkable success of Town's recruitments, they have managed to stay within the top six throughout the season, with a majority of the season spent in the top two positions.

What's even more impressive is the fact that Ipswich reportedly spent only £4m on players from external clubs last summer. Meanwhile, their biggest competitors such as Leicester, Leeds, and Southampton were still receiving generous payments from the Premier League's parachute scheme.

The Leicester champions have added two English national players, Harry Winks and Conor Coady, to their team for a combined amount of £17.5 million. Meanwhile, Leeds, who came in third, have supposedly spent just a little bit more than the Leicester champions with their expenses on two players, Joel Piroe from Swansea, and Ethan Ampadu, who is an international Welsh player.

There are many renowned individuals on Ipswich's previous managers' roster, including Sir Alf Ramsey, who won the World Cup, Jackie Milburn, Bill McGarry, John Lyall, George Burley, and Mick McCarthy. Sir Bobby Robson is generally considered to be the best among them.

However, McKenna outdid everyone with a 57% winning percentage. Thus, it comes as no surprise that he was crowned Championship Manager of the Season last month.

'His Territory: The Training Ground'

The featured image has been sourced from Rex Features.

Kieran McKenna used to be a coach for the main team of Manchester United when Jose Mourinho and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer were the managers.

Mills stated to BBC Radio Suffolk that McKenna is a unique kind of manager compared to the ones he encountered during his upbringing, where there was usually a single person in charge of the entire club.

During the time I spent working with Bobby Robson, he would personally handpick the carpets for the boardroom, among other things. He was fully involved in all aspects of the job. But that's not the case nowadays.

It became apparent in a short span of time that McKenna's strength lies in the training area. He is dominant in the training area.

After a persistent hip injury at 22 years old, McKenna had to retire from playing and switched to coaching. He started with coaching Tottenham and Manchester United's under-18 teams before moving on to working with the senior team at Old Trafford under both Jose Mourinho and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.

On December 16, 2021, following a surprising FA Cup loss to Barrow, he took over for Paul Cook as Ipswich's 19th full-time manager.

When he took over as manager, his team drew 1-1 against Sunderland. At the end of the season, they only slightly improved their league ranking and came in 11th place.

The team from the town made a great start in the 2022-23 season. They were on track to be the champions of League One, but Plymouth had an even better season. Although Plymouth only managed to survive until the last day of the season, the team led by McKenna have continued to improve and become even stronger.

Key To Success: Attention To Detail

Image credit: Rex Features The image has been sourced from Rex Features.

Ipswich Town's most recent appearance in the Premier League was back in 2002.

McKenna might need to enhance the team beyond the 20% ratio advised by Mills during the previous summer to steer clear of the complications that Luton, Sheffield United, and Burnley faced after being promoted to the Premier League last season.

John Wark, a former midfielder from Ipswich, Liverpool, and Scotland, stated on BBC Radio Suffolk that changes are inevitable when entering the best league worldwide.

After acquiring a 40% share in the club for a sum of "up to £105m", the financial state of the town is likely to improve. The purchase was made by Bright Path Sports Partners, a private equity firm based in the United States.

Regardless of the presence of finances, McKenna has proved his capability to raise the performance levels of seasoned players who have previously underperformed in their careers. One instance is that of Conor Chaplin, an ex-Barnsley striker who has successfully scored 42 goals in the last two seasons.

McKenna is skilled at improving the abilities of young players, as evidenced by Leif Davis' impressive 18 assists this season while playing as a left wing-back.

When the striker named George Hirst was hurt and not able to play for a few weeks, the team decided to bring in Kieffer Moore on a loan in January. Kieffer, who plays for Wales, has scored seven goals since joining the team.

"McKenna is an exceptional manager, his focus on specific aspects is unparalleled," stated Moore about him.

You can observe it in every action he performs, from how he presents and conducts training sessions, to how he conducts his everyday activities- it's all done with the utmost excellence. Personally, I believe that the boss has the potential for an impressive career.

McKenna's Game Limits: How Far?

Many fans may worry that McKenna's triumph may attract Premier League teams with bigger funds to look towards Ipswich.

Many people will notice him, and that's correct. We desire him to remain with us," stated Mills.

The Ipswich chief executive, Mark Ashton and his team performed admirably when they scouted for him - I had no prior knowledge of him. I was curious when I learned that Kieran McKenna had secured the position at Portman Road and felt compelled to inquire 'Who is Kieran McKenna?'

It's not only related to Kieran; it also concerns the entire club. The club is significant and has numerous growth prospects. The ownership and the team behind the scenes are reliable, so I wish he stays here for an extended period.

In my opinion, he has the potential to reach the highest level of success. I strongly hold this belief. The fact that Manchester United has not yet chosen their next leader causes me great concern.

What is McKenna's position in the list of Ipswich managers?

Wark, who used to play alongside Mills during the successful period from the late 1970s to the early 1980s, mentioned the names of Sir Alf, Bobby, George Burley, and Kieran.

Legendary Analysis In The Making

Graeme McLoughlin, the sport editor for BBC Radio Suffolk, wrote a blog section recently.

I don't have the credentials to draw parallels between him and the greats like Robson, Ramsey, Burley, and others because I didn't witness their era. However, considering the remarkable changes he has brought to the club and the team's success, he has truly become a legendary figure.

This is not an overstatement. It is truth. They have evidence to support it, whether it's the two years in a row with over 90 points or the higher number of victories away from home this season than they've had in any other season in the top two leagues.

The team is performing exceptionally well and that's why fans and sports commentators are amazed and find it unreal. This level of success is unexpected, yet it's thrilling.

Don't underestimate where they should put their resources for the upcoming season. At the start of this season, some of us had doubts about certain players and if they were capable of performing at the next level. However, they have repeatedly shown that they have what it takes to succeed.