Ipswich Town are now looking for a “special” manager after Kieran McKenna resigned on Wednesday.
McKenna explains the decision to resign as Ipswich manager
Despite having another campaign in the Premier League to look forward to, McKenna has decided to call time on his five-year spell as Ipswich manager, to spend more time with his family.
Explaining his decision, the two-time Championship winner said: “When you have the connections we have built at this club, there is no good time to say goodbye.
“However, having secured our second promotion to the Premier League last season, on another memorable final day at our stadium, and after much thought over the last few weeks, I feel that this is the right time for me to step aside. I do so with great pride in the incredible progress we have made and I have great hope and optimism for the future of this club.
“After giving so much to the role over the last five seasons, I am now looking forward to taking a break from management and devoting some time to my family, who have been with me at every step of my career so far.”
After taking the Tractor Boys from League One to the Premier League, McKenna will be fondly remembered at Portman Road, and chairman Mark Ashton is now tasked with finding a suitable replacement.
The manager of Strasbourg, Gary O'Neil, has emerged as a new candidate for this position, but he is not the only one to choose from, there is also a former manager of the Premier League in the frame.
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Ipswich are looking for a “special” heir to McKenna
According to journalist Ben Jacobs at X, Liam Rosenior is “another name that is being enjoyed” by Ipswich officials, with the former Chelsea manager available after being sacked by the Blues in April.
The English player played only 23 games in charge of this West London team, and lost his job following five Premier League defeats, in which his team did not score a single goal.
Under Rosenior, Chelsea were knocked out of the Champions League at the round of 16, while eventual winners Paris Saint-Germain won 8-2 on aggregate.
However, the 41-year-old, who prefers to use a 4-2-3-1 formation, has found success in his other roles, guiding RC Strasbourg to the Europa Conference League qualification.
|
Liam Rosenior's managerial record |
Games |
Points per game |
|
Chelsea |
23 |
1.52 |
|
RC Strasbourg |
63 |
1.75 |
|
Hull City |
78 |
1.40 |
|
Derby County |
12 |
1.92 |
European football expert Andy Brassell has weighed in on the former Strasbourg manager, saying: “What we have seen since Rosenior has been in Strasbourg is that he is not just a smart guy, engaging in front of the cameras.
“He is a special coach and developer of players. And we saw that with Diego Moreira, who was at Chelsea, who really changed under Rosenior.”
That said, with Rosenior yet to find success in the Premier League, he could be a dangerous pick for Ipswich.
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