Manchester United are reportedly considering Ipswich Town boss Kieran McKenna as a possible successor to Eric ten Haag.
France’s Foot Mercato reported on Friday (Aug. 15) that “The threat of dismissal surrounding Van Gaal has prompted United to launch a search for a new manager for next season. McKenna’s name keeps coming up. The first concrete contacts have already been made between his representatives and United.”
United got off to a shaky start under Van Gaal last season. Many questioned his lack of big league experience, but he soon began to wear his signature tactical colors. The team recovered to win the English Football League Cup (EFL), finish third in the league, and qualify for the UEFA Champions League (UCL).
This season, however, was the worst. Despite spending heavily during the transfer window to bolster their squad, they finished bottom of their group in the Champions League, failing to reach the round of 16, and were eliminated early in the EFL Cup, losing to Newcastle United in the fourth round. In the FA Cup, they reached the final, but will likely face a tough test against Manchester City. In the league, they sit in eighth place with 54 points and are far from guaranteed a spot in Europe.
Eric ten Haag’s position is in limbo. The arrival of new owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe has signaled a major overhaul. He’s shaking things up at the top and is taking a 스포츠토토 more direct approach to player recruitment, and it’s looking increasingly likely that van Gaal’s future will be up in the air at the end of the season. A number of names have already been mentioned as possible candidates for the job, including Gareth Southgate, Thomas Tuchel, and Hubeng Amorim.
McKenna has also been thrown into the mix. McKenna is no stranger to coaching at United. He started coaching with Tottenham’s youth teams in 2015, leading the U-18s to the semifinals of the FA Youth Cup. McKenna was scouted by United, who took the reins of the U-18s. In 2017-18, he won the English U-18 Northern Region Premier League title and was promoted to the senior team, where he assisted former managers Jose Mourinho and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.
He was appointed head coach of Ipswich during the 2021-22 season. At the time, Ipswich were struggling after being relegated to the English League One (third tier). The club had been struggling in mid-table after finishing last in the Championship in the 2018-19 season. McKenna’s arrival turned the team around. They quickly climbed to second place and returned to the Championship for the first time in three years. This season, they finished second in the league again, securing promotion for the second consecutive season and returning Ipswich to the Premier League for the first time in 22 years. McKenna was also named Championship Manager of the Year for the 2023-24 season.