Ipswich are on the verge of appointing Kieran McKenna, the Manchester United first-team coach, as their manager and he could be installed in time for their match with Sunderland on Saturday.
The League One club have been looking to replace Paul Cook since his sacking on December 4th and have settled on the highly rated McKenna, a 35-year-old from Enniskillen who was a member of United’s coaching staff under José Mourinho and Ole Gunnar Solskjær. He was kept on to work alongside Ralf Rangnick after Solskjær’s departure but will decamp to Portman Road after being offered the chance to take a first managerial role.
McKenna will be the first appointment made by Ipswich’s owner, Gamechanger 20, which took over in April and put sizeable resources into assembling a squad that was expected to win promotion from League One. It has not worked out that way and they sit 12th, also losing to the League Two side Barrow in an FA Cup second-round replay on Wednesday night. McKenna’s first task will be to bridge a nine-point gap to the play-offs although he will be viewed as a longer-term recruit, potentially occupying a position more akin to head coach.
McKenna, under-18 coach at Tottenham before joining United in a similar role five years ago and quickly ascending to the first-team setup, is likely to be assisted by another current coach from Old Trafford, Martyn Pert. – Guardian
