Ajax should consider Ipswich Town manager Kieran McKenna this summer while looking for a new long-term manager.
That’s according to journalist Henk Spaan, who appears to have bought into the notion of the Ipswich Town boss after reading about him this week.
McKenna is gaining recognition in the English game for his remarkable performance with Ipswich, who are presently top of the Championship standings, two points ahead of Leicester in third.
The Northern Ireland manager has led the Tractor Boys to quick success since his arrival in December 2021, when the club was still in League One.
They finished 11th in his first season in charge before being promoted back to the Championship the following season, and he has led them to the top of the table in their first year back with an exciting, aggressive style of play.
He has already been linked with a move to England, where numerous clubs have expressed an interest in speaking with him as they hunt for managers this season.
And it appears that his work is being noticed outside of England, as Spaan believes he should be on the radar at Ajax as well.
“This week I read about a trainer that no one knows, the one from Ipswich Town,” he went on to say.
“Kieran McKenna, 37, worked as a trainer and scout for Tottenham Hotspur, Leicester City, and Manchester United’s academies.
“He is an outstanding trainer who has already helped Ipswich achieve a far greater collective transfer value than anticipated. He worked as an assistant at Manchester United under Solskjaer, Mourinho, Carrick, and Rangnick before taking over as head coach at Ipswich Town. He got promoted from the second to the first division and is still vying for a promotion to the Premier League.
“He plays attacking football and isn’t too worried about conceding goals. This season, he won twice (4-3). This quote screams Ajax: ‘Few teams deliver the ball so fast from the goalie to the vanguard, while the opponent seeks for shadows.’
“A lot of film analysis is done during the week, and McKenna is concerned with the players’ individual improvement. He plays with wings and a number 10.
“In terms of average points won per match in the Championship and Premier League, he ranks third after Guardiola and Arteta, but ahead of Klopp, Emery, and Ten Hag. As a footballer, he only made it to Tottenham Hotspur’s second team.
Leave a Reply