Ipswich Town’s relegation to the Championship appears to be all but confirmed, with the team 15 points adrift of safety and just five games remaining. Despite the bleak outlook, manager Kieran McKenna has been labelled the “best man” to lead the team back to the top tier. This is according to former Liverpool and England defender Jamie Carragher, who shared his thoughts on Sky Sports.
McKenna, who has been at the helm of Ipswich Town for two seasons, has had a remarkable impact on the team. He led the club to back-to-back promotions in his first two seasons in charge and recently signed a new four-year deal, committing to stay on for the 2025/26 season.
In contrast, the other two newly-promoted clubs, Southampton and Leicester, have experienced a much more turbulent season. Southampton have sacked two managers, Russell Martin and Ivan Juric, and currently have Simon Rusk in caretaker charge. Leicester, on the other hand, have struggled since replacing Steve Cooper with Ruud van Nistelrooy last November.
“I think almost every manager in that situation (having brought a team up) is the best man to bring them up (again) because they’ve got that experience of the Championship,” said Carragher, as reported by the East Anglian Daily Times. “Don’t forget, they (Ipswich) jumped a lot quicker than what most teams do. They had double promotions and it was a great job that he did.”
Carragher also highlighted the instability at Southampton, saying: “Look at Southampton, they’ve changed managers twice this season. Russell Martin… Ok, their results were poor at the start of the season, but you shouldn’t be changing because you’re thinking about staying up. No, because you know you’ve got no chance of staying up. This is the guy who brought you up, he knows the Championship better than anyone.”
The former Liverpool defender concluded: “I think with the situation Ipswich find themselves in there’s no-one better than that manager to bring them back.” As the East Anglian Daily Times reported, Carragher’s comments suggest that McKenna is the ideal candidate to lead Ipswich Town back to the Premier League, should they suffer relegation.
McKenna’s credentials are certainly impressive, having led Ipswich Town to a remarkable turnaround in fortunes. Despite the current challenges facing the team, it is clear that McKenna has earned the respect of his peers and the fans. As the season draws to a close, it will be interesting to see how Ipswich Town perform under McKenna’s leadership and whether they can mount a successful bid for promotion back to the top tier.
According to the East Anglian Daily Times, Carragher’s endorsement of McKenna is a significant vote of confidence in the manager’s abilities. As the team prepares for what appears to be an inevitable relegation, McKenna’s experience and expertise will be crucial in helping Ipswich Town navigate the challenges of the Championship.
