Ipswich Town: Kieran McKenna tipped to pip Man City, Arsenal, Aston Villa rivals to top award | OneFootball

Don Goodman believes that Ipswich Town boss Kieran McKenna deserves to win the prestigious Manager of the Year award for the work he has done at Portman Road this season.

Ipswich Town’s rise continues under Kieran McKenna

The Northern Irishman was appointed as Tractor Boys chief in December 2021, in what was his first managerial role, having previously worked as a coach at Man Utd.

However, he adapted to life as the main man with ease, as he started to make his mark in League One with Ipswich.

During his first full season, the Suffolk outfit would seal a return to the Championship, and, incredibly, they have made it back-to-back promotions this season.

Despite coming up against clubs with significantly more resources, such as Leeds United and Southampton, they managed to fend off their rivals to finish second, which guaranteed a return to the Premier League.

If that wasn’t enough, they also did it by reaching 96 points, which is a significant total at this level, with Ipswich holding their nerve when it mattered towards the end of the campaign as Leeds stuttered.

Don Goodman backs Kieran McKenna for managerial award

Given the work he has done, it was no surprise to see that McKenna was named as the Championship Manager of the Year last month at the awards night in London.

But, there is another award up for grabs, with the LMA Manager of the Year set to be named later this month, which will take into account the managers from all divisions.

So, McKenna is likely to be up against some real elite managers, with whoever wins the Premier League out of Mikel Arteta or Pep Guardiola sure to be in the mix, whilst Unai Emery deserves a mention following the outstanding work he has done with Aston Villa, as they look set to qualify for the Champions League.

Yet, speaking to FLW, via OLBG, Goodman explained that McKenna’s achievements this season surpass anyone in English football, so he feels he should be recognised for that.

“I said that Kieran McKenna deserves to win the Manager of the Year award, including the likes of Pep Guardiola, Mikel Arteta and Unai Emery because what they've done is nothing short of remarkable. Southampton last did it in 2012 and I think, with respect, it's a lot harder to do it now with the calibre of the 3 relegated clubs and the financial resources. There is more praise.”

Kieran McKenna continues to enhance his reputation

It’s hard to disagree with Goodman here, and you only have to look at the fact that no club has recorded successive promotions to the Premier League in over a decade to see how hard it is.

Crucially, as he points out, this was one of the most competitive Championship seasons ever, so to hit 96 points with a squad that largely came from League One is tremendous.

McKenna’s work at Portman Road has already put him on the radar of other clubs, but he will no doubt be continuing his journey with Ipswich now they are in the Premier League, and it will be intriguing to see if he can perform more miracles against the best on the planet.