36-year-old Northern Irish football coach Kieran McKenna is causing a splash in the world of the English Football League (EFL) right now
In his first managerial role, McKenna has taken Ipswich Town to the brink of automatic promotion in League One. In fact, with the finish line of the season firmly in sight, the Tractor Boys are one of the favorites to win the League One title. The Suffolk side are priced at 11/10 to lift the League One trophy with Virgin Bet. Although this platform is a relatively new entrant to the sports betting market, oddschecker recently disclosed in an article that it is powered by the state-of-the-art Gamesys Group, which ensures competitive odds and user experiences for EFL punters.
McKenna was hand-picked by the Ipswich Town CEO, Mark Ashton, after the Blues dispensed with the services of former boss, Paul Cook. Ipswich, under new, ambitious American ownership, have bold plans to get back into the EFL Championship and push for the top flight.
McKenna has worked his way up the coaching ranks at one of the biggest clubs in the world to earn his first senior managerial role. Having spent time as the Under 18s manager at Tottenham Hotspur, McKenna was head-hunted by Manchester United to assume the same role at Old Trafford. McKenna, a boyhood United fan, jumped at the chance in 2016.
Over the next five years, McKenna’s coaching nous and attention to detail saw him eventually promoted to the role of assistant manager to former United boss, Jose Mourinho. McKenna remained assistant manager for two years, working closely with United’s senior stars under Mourinho, and latterly Ralf Rangnick, before joining Ipswich.
Did McKenna have a successful playing career?
Unfortunately not. McKenna, having been spotted by Spurs’ scouts playing for Ballinamallard United in his native Northern Ireland, worked his way through the youth team ranks at Tottenham. He had impressed for Northern Ireland’s Under 19 and Under 21 sides and was starting to train with Tottenham’s senior squad.
Troublesome hip injuries proved McKenna’s undoing. After two serious hip operations, McKenna was forced to retire from playing at the age of only 22.
What happened next?
Following his untimely retirement, McKenna opted to become a student of the game. He studied for an undergraduate degree in Sports Science at Loughborough University, during which time he also helped coach the university men’s team. McKenna also enjoyed spells of youth coaching with Tottenham, Nottingham Forest and Leicester City as part of his course.
Upon his graduation, McKenna secured an immediate position as the Head of Academy Performance Analysis with Tottenham. Liverpool attempted to lure him to their academy setup, but the Northern Irishman opted to remain loyal to the club that gave him his first coaching gig after retirement.
He was eventually promoted to Under 18s manager and steered the team to the semi-finals of the FA Youth Cup in 2015. Twelve months later, he was poached by Manchester United and the rest is history.
McKenna’s managerial style
McKenna is a largely unassuming character, but he is a very considered and methodical coach. Everything he says in pre and post-match conversations makes sense and demonstrates a comprehensive understanding of his team and their respective opponents. While some managers will sugar coat things, McKenna is very straight-talking and avoids the use of cliches that are so often deemed trite by supporters.
From a purely playing perspective, McKenna has usually opted for a 3-4-2-1 or 4-2-3-1 system during his time at Ipswich. His system usually revolves around a selfless, hard-working center forward that can harry and press from the front, providing a platform for the team’s two number tens to come onto the ball and shine.
The system also relies heavily on a double pivot in midfield, with the team’s captain Sam Morsy providing stable protection for the defense, as well as a link for the team’s creative forces. Dynamic full backs are also par for the course in a McKenna team, as the number tens are generally inverted, with the full backs helping to provide the width.
On the whole, McKenna’s style of football has been a breath of fresh air in League One. His teams show great energy and stamina, along with a healthy dose of technicality. Ipswich are one of the league’s best both in and out of position and that should stand them in good stead for their promotion run-in. Should they fail to go up, the vultures from the Championship may be circling for McKenna in 2023/24.