Kieran McKenna ‘will run Man Utd’ and make Antony great

Carlo Garganese

• 7 Apr 2024 08:30 CDT
• 3 min read

Former Ipswich Town star Darren Ambrose has backed Kieran McKenna to be a huge success at Manchester United if he gets the job, remarking that he makes players 40 per cent better than they are.

United are reported to be preparing a shock move for Ipswich Town manager McKenna.

McKenna has established himself as arguably the most admired young manager in the lower divisions, and he has also been linked to succeeding Jurgen Klopp at Liverpool in recent days.

He guided Ipswich to promotion from League One last season and - despite having virtually the same squad this season - they are currently second in the Championship, on course to seal back-to-back promotions.

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What did Ambrose say?

“He’s young, he’s got ambitions. There is 12, 13 players in the Ipswich first-team who are taking their coaching badges now because they want to coach like Kieran McKenna,” Ambrose told talkSPORT.

“He has his methods and he’s sticking by them. It worked in League One and it’s working in the Championship. And I have no doubts it will work in the Premier League if they get there.”

McKenna has been hailed for turning average players into brilliant performers at Ipswich, something that could be huge at Man Utd given the struggles of much-maligned players like Antony and Harry Maguire.

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“I am gutted I didn’t get the chance to play for a manager like Kieran McKenna. I think he’d have made me 20, 30, 40 per cent better. He’s done that with all of his players,” Ambrose added.

“I have no doubt he would be able to go to Man United today and run that football club. He will be a success wherever he goes.”

McKenna was part of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s coaching team at Manchester United and TeamTalk report that the Red Devils now want to bring him back to Old Trafford as the main man in the dugout.

If United were to appoint McKenna it would still come as a huge shock given the other bigger names in line for the job such as Roberto De Zerbi and Gareth Southgate.

Current Man Utd manager Erik ten Hag is widely expected to be sacked at the end of the season by new part-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe after a disastrous 2023-24 campaign.