2 hours ago, dansubrosa said:

In my opinion it doesn’t take much to find an upgrade over Poch. I’m going to stick my neck out and say McKenna is an upgrade over him.

Then Top 4 and Europa League trophy bare minimum. If McKenna is this alleged brilliant tactician, I expect nothing less. 

Fact of the matter is, whether we liked Poch or not we were on an upward trajectory next season. It was the less risk. We'd likely leap frog Spurs and Villa and there are massive question marks over Liverpool. He had the players backing and things finally started to look like they were coming together. 

I don't know anything about McKenna, but my expectations for next season haven't changed in the slightest. 

Just now, Sconnie Blue said:

Then Top 4 and Europa League trophy bare minimum. If McKenna is this alleged brilliant tactician, I expect nothing less. 

Fact of the matter is, whether we liked Poch or not we were on an upward trajectory next season. It was the less risk. We'd likely leap frog Spurs and Villa and there are massive question marks over Liverpool. He had the players backing and things finally started to look like they were coming together. 

I don't know anything about McKenna, but my expectations for next season haven't changed in the slightest. 

I agree with what you're saying, but also have a feeling that once Enzo was fit then Poch would have reverted to Gallagher at 10 and our form would have slumped again. Assuming Gallagher wasn't sold of course.

1 minute ago, Gordon Bennett said:

I agree with what you're saying, but also have a feeling that once Enzo was fit then Poch would have reverted to Gallagher at 10 and our form would have slumped again. Assuming Gallagher wasn't sold of course.

Who knows. Maybe you're right. Poch is a dinosaur tactics wise but his saving grace was that he finally figured it out. And this midfield overload concept was built on in preseason. God knows why he abandoned it but at least he came back to it. 

 

14 minutes ago, Sconnie Blue said:

Then Top 4 and Europa League trophy bare minimum. If McKenna is this alleged brilliant tactician, I expect nothing less. 

Fact of the matter is, whether we liked Poch or not we were on an upward trajectory next season. It was the less risk. We'd likely leap frog Spurs and Villa and there are massive question marks over Liverpool. He had the players backing and things finally started to look like they were coming together. 

I don't know anything about McKenna, but my expectations for next season haven't changed in the slightest. 

Don't know about you but I can't wait for our top 4 and our cup win next season.

 

NEW: Brighton & Hove Albion are confident of beating Chelsea to a deal for Kieran McKenna.

Brighton are expected to make a formal approach for the manager and are willing to pay a reported £6 million in compensation to Ipswich Town

https://t.co/Iz96doqx1O

The race for McKenna is hotting up. The Twatterati claim Brighton are in pole position to get him but that he's also preferring Man Utd...! Lol, these c**ts are as clueless as the rest of us 😂

44 minutes ago, ducavis said:

I have a sneaky feeling we are going to end up with RDZ. The link to McKenna & Marseca is a smokescreen to get Brighton to appoint a new manager.

It’s amazing that out all of the clubs who need a new manager aren’t talking to him…apparently. I think McKenna etc is all a smokescreen for RDZ. It makes complete sense and fits in with our Brighton obsession 

Half expecting Eghbali to set a new record for a compensation pay out for whoever we end up with ... he won't be abe to help himself if it ends up as a bidding war LOL

 

The next manager has to incorporate these aspects into his football ethos and philosophy this is what myself and my friends discussed over a flagon of real ale last night.  I'm aware '' soccer'' experts like @Sconnie Blue will poo poo these as unimaginative and perhaps slightly industrial for today's soccer.

We know this is exactly what the man and woman in the street talk about when discussing soccer so we've come up with this and even added bullet points not because of pomposity but we want to emphasise (spelt with an s not a zee) our football I'm sorry soccer knowledge and we didn't copy and paste this off Twitter (X). The final sentence is something that I used for my slacks (pants to our American friends ) at a recent stay at Premier Inn. 

• Deep build-up to draw the opposition • Goalkeeper acting as a third centre-back in possession • Rotations between striker and ten • Wide rotations • Narrow high press.

                                              Thank You The Reverend R. Sleeker.

                           

Edited May 23, 20242 yr by bluehaze

14 minutes ago, JM7 said:

It’s amazing that out all of the clubs who need a new manager aren’t talking to him…apparently. I think McKenna etc is all a smokescreen for RDZ. It makes complete sense and fits in with our Brighton obsession 

Could well be to get Brighton to hurry up in their appointment of McKenna, or more likely some sort of weird plan we made with Bloom when secretly paying RDZ release clause.

Makes Brighton look good to beat Chelsea to their "top manager target".

2 hours ago, Remodez said:

If we wanted to outscore opponents we should have kept Poch. 

We won less than half our games, why didn't he decide to outscore the opponent in the other 20 games?

Please let it be McKenna not De Zerbi. The bloke is up his own arse.

13 minutes ago, Ukraine Bolt said:

We won less than half our games, why didn't he decide to outscore the opponent in the other 20 games?

Cause he's not the one finishing the chances is he. We created as many chances as City and Pool. 

8 minutes ago, dansubrosa said:

Please let it be McKenna not De Zerbi. The bloke is up his own arse.

Not that I want De Zerbi here, are you not worried about McKenna's management stint being only 24 months? No European experience and no top flight experience?

I swear we are likely one more project manager failure away from folding. Cobham can't save our arses every season. 

Just now, Remodez said:

Cause he's not the one finishing the chances is he. We created as many chances as City and Pool. 

Liverpool created 15 more big chances than us, City created 10 more big chances than us. 

We were closer to Brentford than either of those.

1 minute ago, Ukraine Bolt said:

Liverpool created 15 more big chances than us, City created 10 more big chances than us. 

We were closer to Brentford than either of those.

To add to this, Cole Palmer is the only player to be in the top 25 players for chances created in the league. 

By his own admission Poch gave him the freedom. So Poch isn't the one creating the chances either @Remodez.

Am I the only one who's terrified of the idea of getting McKenna? Nothing against him personally cause I don't know him, bur surely the target for him would only be to avoid relegation. Anything else, like finishing top 4 or winning the Europa League would be unrealistic and unfair to McKenna himself.

2 minutes ago, yaz said:

Am I the only one who's terrified of the idea of getting McKenna? Nothing against him personally cause I don't know him, bur surely the target for him would only be to avoid relegation. Anything else, like finishing top 4 or winning the Europa League would be unrealistic and unfair to McKenna himself.

So then A, why get him?

And B, why get rid of Poch when we were likely heading towards a Top 4 finish next season? 

6 minutes ago, Ukraine Bolt said:

Liverpool created 15 more big chances than us, City created 10 more big chances than us. 

We were closer to Brentford than either of those.

So still around the same range as the top teams which I've said all along. Only difference is we missed more big chances in comparison to the amount created. 

7 minutes ago, Ukraine Bolt said:

To add to this, Cole Palmer is the only player to be in the top 25 players for chances created in the league. 

By his own admission Poch gave him the freedom. So Poch isn't the one creating the chances either @Remodez.

Yes, this is called a tactic. You give a player freedom and build the rest of the team to compensate/support. Jose did the same with Hazard. 

2 minutes ago, Sconnie Blue said:

So then A, why get him?

And B, why get rid of Poch when we were likely heading towards a Top 4 finish next season? 

That's exactly what I'm wondering too. It would be such a bizarre thing to do.

4 hours ago, Ukraine Bolt said:

"Kieran McKenna has made a spectacular success of his first managerial role at Ipswich Town. Appointed in December 2021 at the age of 35, the Northern Irishman might have been on the young side for a manager, but he had long been laying foundations for what he would implement at Portman Road.

Forced to retire at 22, McKenna was described by then-Tottenham coach Clive Allen as a determined and intelligent character destined to rise in coaching. McKenna studied sports science at Loughborough University and began his coaching career at Tottenham’s academy, later leading their Under-18s to an FA Youth Cup semi-final. He then spent two years with Manchester United’s Under-18s, winning the Premier League Northern Division title, and eventually assisted José Mourinho, Ole Gunnar Solskjær, and briefly Ralf Rangnick with United's senior team.

When McKenna took over at Ipswich, the club was near the League One relegation zone. Under his leadership, they only lost two of their last 17 games. In his first full season, Ipswich lost just four league games out of 46, winning promotion with 98 points. McKenna continued his success in the Championship, securing a second successive promotion ahead of teams like Leicester City, Leeds United, and Southampton.

McKenna's tactical expertise is a key factor in his success. Initially, he implemented a back three with a double pivot, later transitioning to a 4-2-3-1 formation. In the 2022/23 season, Ipswich had the most possession, most passes, and third-lowest long-ball count in the division, using a short-passing style that built through the thirds. The double pivot was crucial, adapting to support wing-backs and maintain possession.

In the final third, McKenna's team merged their formations, with the left-back advancing high and wide while the left winger moved inside. This created a temporary back three supported by the double pivot. The team's attacking play was characterized by crosses from the full-backs and dynamic movements from forwards, making Ipswich particularly threatening from cut-backs and set-pieces.

Without the ball, Ipswich employed a high-pressing strategy, with wingers pressing opposing full-backs and the team aiming to lock play on one side. The double pivot and number 10 played key roles in screening passes and applying pressure. In the Championship, Ipswich maintained high pressure while also organizing into compact blocks when needed, demonstrating McKenna's ability to adapt his tactics."

 

A lot of emphasis on the importance of the double pivot, lets see if our £220m pairing are up to the task.

Interesting that it says the LB would overlap with the winger inverting. Could work well for us with James/Gusto overlapping and Palmer inverting and Colwill LB forming a makeshift back 3. 

All sounds great but does remind me of similar posts a couple of years ago praising the rise to prominence and tactical master that is Graham Potter. What I would say now that we are in this predicament and given the options I'd rather gamble on a potential genius than go for some know also-ran.  

The pool of managers seems to be the worst in a long time.  Interesting to see how Arne Slot works out for Liverpool, he's not exactly courted across Europe, I'd probably say less exciting than McKenna.  I do wonder how Man City will go about replacing Pep, would it be the same seemingly random approach or will they have things perfectly planned out.

Anyway here's to joining the managerial merry-go-round once again, hopefully for the last time this year at least.

Edited May 23, 20242 yr by DarkMata

5 minutes ago, Remodez said:

So still around the same range as the top teams which I've said all along. Only difference is we missed more big chances in comparison to the amount created. 

Liverpool missed more big chances than us and league champions city missed the same amount as us. 

Are you making this up as you type?

Any one but Thomas Frank, Can't stand the guy.

I'm surprised so many want TT back, You must be forgetting we struggled to create and score goals during the latter part of his tenure. It was pure dross.

Whoever it is we're back to square one, It won't be a continuation from the end of last season.

19 minutes ago, Sconnie Blue said:

Not that I want De Zerbi here, are you not worried about McKenna's management stint being only 24 months? No European experience and no top flight experience?

I swear we are likely one more project manager failure away from folding. Cobham can't save our arses every season. 

I'm not pro McKenna but he's not a "project" manager. He joined Ipswich and made them great quickly. 

Just because a manager is young and inexperienced doesn't mean he needs 3 seasons and the exact right players to be successful.