Because of his efforts at Portman Road this season, Don Goodman feels that Kieran McKenna, the manager of Ipswich Town, should be awarded the esteemed Manager of the Year title.
Kieran McKenna has continued to propel Ipswich Town’s growth. After serving as a coach at Manchester United, the Northern Irishman was named Tractor Boys chief in December 2021. This was his first management position. But as he began to establish himself with Ipswich in League One, he easily adjusted to life as the main man. The Suffolk team would secure a return to the Championship in his first full season, and they have astonishingly made it back-to-back promotions this year.
They faced teams with far greater resources, like Southampton and Leeds United, but they held off their competitors to take second place, securing a return to the Premier League. Not only did they manage to score 96 points, a noteworthy amount at this level, but they also managed to keep their composure when it mattered most toward the conclusion of the season, while Leeds faltered.
It was hardly surprising that McKenna won Championship Manager of the Year at the London awards ceremony last month, considering the hard work he has put in. However, there is still another prize up for grabs: the LMA Manager of the Year, which will be determined later this month and will consider managers from every division, will be named. McKenna will therefore likely face some truly elite managers, including Pep Guardiola and Mikel Arteta, the winners of the Premier League, who will undoubtedly be in the running. Unai Emery, on the other hand, deserves recognition for the fantastic work he has done with Aston Villa, who are expected to qualify for the Champions League.
However, in an interview with FLW, Goodman stated that McKenna should be given credit for his season’s accomplishments because they are greater than those of any other English football player. “I stated that Kieran McKenna, along with Pep Guardiola, Mikel Arteta, and Unai Emery, should be the recipient of the Manager of the Year award because of their outstanding achievements. Southampton last accomplished this in 2012, and with all due respect, I believe it is far more difficult to do so now given the caliber of the three demoted teams and their financial resources. More accolades are given.
Goodman makes a compelling argument, and the difficulty of his argument is demonstrated by the fact that no club has successfully promoted to the Premier League in more than ten years.To score 96 points with a team that mostly consisted of League One players is amazing because, as he notes, this was one of the most competitive Championship seasons ever. Because of his work at Portman Road, McKenna has already caught the attention of other teams. However, now that the Islanders are in the Premier League, he will undoubtedly continue his trip there, and it will be interesting to watch if he can pull off any more miracles against the world’s best.