Neil Warnock has called on Ipswich Town to give full support to manager Kieran McKenna, who has declined offers from other Premier League clubs.
The Blues boss, Kieran McKenna, was linked to Brighton, Chelsea, and Manchester United after leading Ipswich Town to back-to-back promotions. Despite the interest, he chose to sign a new four-year deal at Portman Road.
Neil Warnock, known for achieving eight promotions during his extensive managerial career, was in Ipswich last night for his ‘Are You With Me?’ tour at the Ipswich Regent. Earlier that day, he appeared on the talkSPORT breakfast show with former Town star Alan Brazil to discuss Ipswich Town.
“It’s a fantastic achievement. I know, because I’ve done it myself!” said Warnock. “When I was at Notts County, I went up two divisions on the trot to the top, and they all came to see me. I went down to Chelsea, and I could have gotten the Chelsea job. The players and chairman all said, ‘Please gaffer, don’t go, please stay.’ I stayed in the end… then six months later, I got the sack!
“So there’s a moral to that story, isn’t there? You have got to stick with Kieran now. It’s hard when you have been winning nearly every game for two years and then lose three or four on the trot. He’s going to learn more about himself and about the boardroom as well.”
Warnock also revealed he persuaded Town skipper Sam Morsy to drop down from the Championship and join Ipswich in League One back in 2021.
“I had Samy Morsy when I was manager at Middlesbrough,” said the 75-year-old. “I loved him as a manager, but certain people at Middlesbrough didn’t and they wanted him gone.
“Ipswich asked about signing him, and Samy said, ‘I don’t want to go, gaffer.’ I said, ‘I don’t want you to go, but you know what they’re like up here.’ I told him Ipswich is a great club and that he’d like that part of the country. In the end, he said, ‘Alright, I’ll go and talk to them.’
“When Ipswich got promoted, I texted him my congratulations, and he came back to me straight away. He always does.
“Samy’s a manager’s dream. He’s always an eight out of 10. He’s never the star man – a nine or 10 out of 10 – but he’ll never be a four or a five either.
“One quick story about Sam from when I was at Middlesbrough. In one game, he got booked – he’s like that, he’s rash, his head goes – and it was right in front of the dugouts. I shouted over to him, ‘I might have to substitute you now,’ and he replied, ‘Gaffer, no, I’m okay.’ I said, ‘Another booking and you’re off.’ He goes, ‘No, no, gaffer, trust me.’ Two minutes later, red card! But what a great lad he is.”