Exclusive: Sky Sports pundit drops claim on Kieran McKenna's Ipswich Town future | OneFootball

Don Goodman believes that Kieran Mckenna's future should be clear

Kieran McKenna is preparing for his fifth season in charge of Ipswich Town.

The 39-year-old guided the Tractor Boys through their mesmeric rise from League One to the Premier League but now faces the challenging task of Championship promotion once more.

Football Insider claimed that Brentford were preparing to make McKenna their new boss following Thomas Frank’s departure. However that never materialised, with set-piece coach Keith Andrews now set to take over at the Gtech Community Stadium.

This means that as things stand, the Northern Irishman will remain in his current post as Ipswich Town manager for next season.

Speaking exclusively to Football League World, Sky Sports pundit and former EFL striker, Don Goodman, believes that remaining at Portman Road would be McKenna’s best bet this summer.

Kieran McKenna told to remain at Ipswich Town this summer

“I look at Kieran McKenna and I look at his development as a head coach at Ipswich Town,” stated Goodman. “Year after year, he built a team that came from League One into the Premier League where they were always going to find it difficult.

“I'm not sure they got their transfer policy or their recruitment right to be honest, how much of a part Kieran had to play in that I don't know. So, then I asked myself, where could he go that's better than Ipswich?

“He’s been linked with Brentford but other than that you're looking at possibilities. Whereas at Ipswich you feel that they will be at the top end of the Championship and maybe that would be the best place for him, unless he gets an opportunity at a team like Brentford.

“It very much depends on what avenue Brentford go down and whether or not he is at the top of their list, but I do think Ipswich will still be a good project for him.

“He'll be supported, backed and I like his chances of getting back to the Premier League with Ipswich.”

Staying at Portman Road may be McKenna’s best bet this summer

With Brentford set to appoint Andrews as their new boss, top-flight management next season no longer seems a realistic prospect for McKenna.

With no vacant positions likely to come up in the Premier League, remaining in his current post now seems like the best chance the Northern Irishman has of managing a competitive side next term.

Ipswich should challenge at the sharp end of the Championship and with McKenna’s experience of recent EFL promotion, it wouldn’t be unrealistic to see the Tractor Boys return to the top-flight immediately.

Therefore, in an environment he knows well and with a whole summer of planning, McKenna may be better off staying at Portman Road in the foreseeable future.