Exclusive: Don Goodman drops Ipswich Town, Kieran McKenna claim involving "dangerous" PL side | OneFootball

With Keith Andrews having been appointed at Brentford, we asked Sky Sports pundit Don Goodman what he thinks of Ipswich's chances next season.

The Ipswich manager Kieran McKenna had been linked with the vacant head coaching position at Brentford, but that position has now been filled by Keith Andrews.

Ipswich Town have had a slightly uncertain summer so far, with rumours suggesting that highly-rated coach Kieran McKenna could be tempted elsewhere.

McKenna had been linked with the vacant managerial position at Brentford, but that position has now been taken by Keith Andrews, which should lead to a greater degree of stability at Portman Road as they prepare for a return to the Championship following relegation from the Premier League.

Don Goodman believes 2025-26 could be "another brilliant season" for Ipswich

Speaking exclusively to Football League World, Sky Sports pundit Don Goodman has said that Ipswich supporters worried that McKenna will leave the club can probably lower their guard a little.

"I think the Brentford job was the really dangerous one that Ipswich fans needed to worry about. Obviously, Keith Andrews has got it now, so Ipswich fans can probably breathe easy that Kieran McKenna will remain."

Goodman believes that there is plenty of reason to believe that McKenna's decision to stay at Portman Road could be the best for both the manager and the club's supporters, he said: "I think it's an excellent opportunity for him to go again. Knowing the Championship as he does, I think they have, without question, one of the strongest squads in the Championship and I would be expecting them to be challenging for automatic promotion once again."

With Andrews having been appointed at Brentford, Goodman cannot see anyone else who would be a better fit for McKenna than his current club: "It's hard to see which other clubs that would be better than Ipswich Town that would be in for Kieran McKenna at this stage. I've said it in the past; I think he's at the best place and I think he'll be absolutely motivated to make it another brilliant season in the Championship for Ipswich."

Brentford had considered a move for McKenna, but ended up looking elsewhere

Ipswich were pre-season favourites for relegation from the Premier League at the start of 2024-25 following their two successive promotions from League One.

They finished the season in 19th place, 16 points adrift of 17th-placed Tottenham Hotspur. But this didn't prevent conjecture that McKenna might want to move away from Portman Road at the end of the season.

The Brentford job was considered a potentially good fit for McKenna, but it was reported by the Independent in June that "Brentford had considered a move for Kieran McKenna after Ipswich’s relegation from the Premier League but they believe the 39-year-old has bigger aspirations within the Premier League", and they have now settled on Keith Andrews, their former set-piece coach, who'd applied for the vacant position at Mk Dons just a couple of months earlier.

The Brentford job was the last remaining vacant position of this nature in the Premier League, and the Bees having filled it relieves the pressure for Ipswich fans, as McKenna can now get on with the job of preparing his team to challenge for a quick return to the top-flight.