The Ole Gunnar Solskjaer era at Manchester United may have ended without a single piece of silverware, but history may still look back rather fondly on the Norwegian’s spell at the helm.
Yes, the Red Devils fell short in the FA Cup, the League Cup and in the Europa League final. But they also finished second behind Man City in the Premier League table – an improvement on what Louis van Gaal and Erik ten Hag managed – as well as playing the most exciting, most free-scoring football of the post-Sir Alex Ferguson era.
And while Solskjaer may not have returned to the dugout since leaving his beloved Manchester United in 2021 – albeit the Old Trafford icon has not been short of offers (The Overlap) – two of his old assistant coaches have enjoyed their fair share of success since going solo.
Michael Carrick dragged Middlesbrough out of a relegation battle and into the play-offs after taking over at the Riverside. Kieran McKenna, meanwhile, awoke the sleeping giants of Ipswich Town from their slumber, The Tractor Boys cruising through League One and the Championship to go from the third tier to the first in the blink of an eye.
Manchester United are big admirers of Kieran McKenna
According to Sky Sports, Man United held talks with McKenna ahead of Saturday’s FA Cup triumph regarding a potential return to Old Trafford. And while the United job can wait for now – McKenna is expected to sign a new contract with Ipswich – Mike Phelan believes there is no limit to what a man he knows well from Carrington can go onto achieve in the dugout.
“Kieran can be anything he wants to be,” Phelan, who worked as an assistant both to Sir Alex Ferguson and Solskjaer, tells talkSPORT (30 May, 11am). “He’s got a great work ethic, attention to detail, he’s probably a coach who uses all the technology out there.
“He works well with a group of people and he can lead. He showed signs of that at Man United. He is very forthright with his ideas.”
Staying at Ipswich Town for now
Labelled a ‘genius’ by Ipswich defender Harry Clarke and boasting a wealth of coaching experience despite only recently turning 38, the biggest test may yet be awaiting McKenna.
Taking Ipswich to the Premier League is one thing, but can he keep them there with a core of players more accustomed to League One than the big stage?
Following a truly incredible run in East Anglia, you’d be a brave man to bet against Kieran McKenna.
“It is remarkable what he has achieved so quickly at Ipswich,” adds Phelan. “(Earning promotion twice in a row) is remarkable after such a short period of time.
“He has done his time at a lower level, he knows the academy, he knows the kids. And he has shifted into the senior game and he’s done it very well.”
Man United are expected to come to a conclusion on Ten Hag’s own future in the coming days. It remains to be seen whether that FA Cup triumph can offset the disappointment of a dreadful league campaign in Ineos’ eyes.