Although Kieran McKenna’s being connected to other positions worries former England midfielder Carlton Palmer, he also feels McKenna and Ipswich Town are devoted to one another.
This comes after German publication Bild said that Stuttgart of the Bundesliga is considering hiring the Ipswich manager to succeed departing manager Sebastian Hoeneß.
Hoeneß has received a great deal of praise this season for leading the German team, who are now in third position in the Bundesliga, to competitive play.
The 41-year-old’s contract is set to expire in the summer of 2027, but he has been connected to a potential departure since Bayern Munich is thinking about using him to replace Thomas Tuchel after the player departs at the end of the current campaign.
Due to this, McKenna has been added on Stuttgart’s management shortlist. It is said that McKenna’s work at Ipswich impressed Fabian Wohlgemuth, the director of football at Stuttgart.
McKenna has previously been connected to a transfer away from Portman Road; the Ipswich manager was once admired by Crystal Palace.
Carlton Palmer believes Kieran McKenna and Ipswich Town are committed to each other
Here at Football League World, we asked former Sheffield Wednesday midfielder Carlton Palmer for his thoughts on Ipswich Town manager Kieran McKenna catching the eye of Bundesliga side Stuttgart and whether this is a concern, or will he wait for a Premier League job.
Palmer told FLW: “Kieran McKenna, again his name has been linked with Stuttgart and, of course, his name is going to be linked all over the place, as his win ratio as manager is quite phenomenal since he, took over at Ipswich.
“I mean, they had a disappointing result the other day, which was their first defeat in six. They were going great guns, five wins, and they are still only a point of automatic and if you are looking at Leicester City, who we thought were flying away with the league, they are only four points ahead of Ipswich.
“Thus, even though we believed it was impossible for Leicester to lose the league, they had three losses before they just bounced back with a win and a tie. Ipswich plays Sheffield Wednesday on Saturday, so you would think they would win. However, considering how well Ipswich is playing, they still have a chance to advance automatically or through the play-offs.
Naturally, Kieran McKenna will be connected to positions both domestically and abroad, including in the Premier League.
“It is a worry, but as I’ve said before, I think Kieran’s committed to Ipswich Town. I think Ipswich Town are committed to Kieran. They have backed him in the transfer market and, as I’ve said before, I still firmly believe that Leeds United, Ipswich and Leicester have been the three better sides in the Championship this season, just followed by Southampton, and I think those three will get promoted to the Premier League.
“So, again, Kieran will be managing in the Premier League next season, so given the fact he has been backed, I think he will keep doing what he is doing until, if you are going to move, you want to move to a job that is going to be a good job that fits for you in the Premier League.”
Ipswich Town’s league position
Ipswich Town’s 2023–24 Championship season has been a huge success, regardless of how the season turns out.
After winning promotion from League One the previous season, the Tractor Boys immediately entered the second division and plan to do it again.
With nine games remaining in the Championship, Ipswich, Leeds United, Southampton, and Leicester City are all still aiming for a top-two finish.
Ipswich is currently back in third place with 78 points, one point behind Leeds in second and four behind leaders Leicester following their defeat to Cardiff City last time out.
Although Southampton still has a game in hand, the Tractor Boys lead the Saints by five points in fourth place. This Saturday, Ipswich will return to action when they host Sheffield Wednesday at Portman Road.
Kieran McKenna will stay at Ipswich if they secure promotion
Naturally, Ipswich will be concerned that Kieran McKenna is being linked to an increasing number of positions.
However, the former Manchester United coach is still very early in his managerial career, and he will feel that because Ipswich took a chance on him a few years ago, he still owes them a lot.
However, McKenna will continue to draw attention as long as Ipswich succeeds, and eventually, he probably will depart the team. However, McKenna will stay at Portman Road if the Tractor Boys get promoted to the Premier League because he wants to lead this team to success and support them in their inaugural campaign.
