This article is part of Football League World’s ‘Terrace Talk‘ series, which provides personal opinions from our FLW Fan Pundits regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more…
Kieran McKenna’s back-to-back promotions with Ipswich Town have put him firmly in the conversation for a number of top-flight vacancies in recent weeks, leading to speculation over who could be in line to replace him if he does go.
The departures of Roberto De Zerbi and Mauricio Pochettino from Brighton & Hove Albion and Chelsea respectively have led to McKenna’s name rising to the top of likely replacements to take over.
One of the names mentioned as a potential successor to McKenna at Portman Road is Luton Town’s Rob Edwards, who has just been relegated back to the Championship with the Hatters.
FLW’s Ipswich Fan Pundit, Henry, has had his say over the fresh links…
Having experienced such a high over the past two seasons with McKenna at the helm, Henry believes that anyone coming in to replace McKenna before the start of next season would be tough to take.
He said: “Rob Edwards coming to Ipswich if McKenna goes, I’m not sure if I can 100 per cent see it.
“It’s difficult because I don’t really want to be thinking of another manager managing us at the moment.
“Rob Edwards gave Luton a chance with minimal budget and a playing squad with very little Premiership experience until they signed the likes of (Ross) Barkley.
“I think it’s a free-for-all in terms of who’s likely to come in if McKenna does go.
“You’ve got Rosenior there as well, who people were raving about at the end of last year but, like I said, I think anyone other than McKenna managing Ipswich for the first game of the season, I’ll be very, very disappointed.”
Henry’s stance is clear, and he’s unlikely to be the only Ipswich fan to follow that sentiment.
Edwards, having given Luton a fighting chance in the Premier League against all the odds, has done enough to prove he’d be worthy of the appointment if McKenna went, but it would feel like a story cut short before reaching a natural conclusion for fans like Henry.
The likes of heavyweights in Chelsea, or a club with an incredible behind-the-scenes setup like Brighton, would be difficult offers for McKenna to turn down if they came his way, but that might be his best bet.
Managers like Graham Potter, who moved between the two linked clubs, have proven that just because things have gone well at one club doesn’t mean you can lift and transport that fortune to a new job.
With Ipswich achieving promotion alongside two of the three relegated teams from last season, Leicester City and one of Southampton or Leeds United – a trio of clubs that are already Premier League teams in all but official status – the Tractor Boys will be firm underdogs heading into next season
Based on that, a failure to keep Ipswich in the top flight will do little damage to his current reputation, as Vincent Kompany’s recent link to Bayern Munich has shown, but keeping them in the Premier League against the odds would send industry opinions of him through the roof. Offers of a similar calibre, with a year’s top-flight experience under his belt, would still come his way.
Next season at Portman Road for McKenna is a win-win, and he’s earned the right for that to be the case. He must take that opportunity with both hands and avoid rushing into a new job based on the size of the club tempting him away.
If McKenna does depart, as Fan Pundit Henry said, Edwards did give Luton a fighting chance and there is merit to his appointment, but it shouldn’t be allowed to get to that point. The Ipswich boss should remain in post and see out the incredible journey he has taken Ipswich on. Time to reassess will still be available to him 12 months down the line.
