Man Utd have ‘concrete interest’ in Champ manager as Ten Hag successor with Ratcliffe, INEOS ‘impressed’

Joe Williams 02 Apr 2024 1:59 PM

Kieran McKenna has been linked with the Man Utd job.

Man Utd see Ipswich Town boss Kieran McKenna as a possible successor to Erik ten Hag if they choose to sack the Dutchman, according to reports.

The Red Devils had a brilliant first season under Ten Hag with the Dutchman guiding the club to an FA Cup final, Carabao Cup silverware and a top-four finish in the Premier League.

Will Erik ten Hag be Man Utd boss next season?

However, this season hasn’t gone to plan with Man Utd knocked out of Europe by finishing bottom of their Champions League group, while Ten Hag’s six-placed side have struggled for consistency in the Premier League.

And there have been rumours that Ten Hag could face the sack at the end of the campaign if the Man Utd boss doesn’t improve results and performances before the summer.

A report from James Ducker in the Daily Telegraph on Monday insisted that their poor performance in their 1-1 draw against Brentford has ‘gone down badly in Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s camp’.

Ducker wrote in his article:

‘The performance in the 2-1 defeat at home to Fulham five weeks ago had been dimly received by Ineos and the word was this latest anaemic no-show against Brentford had again gone down badly in Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s camp. Even if Ten Hag is granted a stay of execution by United’s new kingpin and remains in charge come the start of next season, what is abundantly clear is that this sort of football is unsustainable in the longer-term.’

And now Football Insider claim that Man Utd ‘are big admirers of Ipswich Town boss Kieran McKenna and he is emerging as strong contender to be their next manager’.

Ipswich beat Southampton 3-2 on Monday in a dramatic last-gasp win to send the Tractor Boys back to the top of the Championship table with six matches to play.

That means Ipswich are now on course for back-to-back promotions after McKenna guided them to second place in League One last term.

And now Man Utd co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe and INEOS ‘have been hugely impressed with his transformation of the Championship club and have a “concrete” interest in his services’.

McKenna is ‘seen as a manager with strong Man United credentials following his time as assistant to Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and in the club’s academy as a coach’ and a ‘future Man United manager’ by some at the club.

Dion Dublin: Man Utd ‘have got a long way to go to get back to where they should be’

After watching Man Utd allow over 30 shots on their goal at Brenford over the weekend, former Premier League star Dion Dublin reckons the Red Devils will finish in sixth place, where they currently reside in the table.

Dublin said on Sky Sports: “As it stands right now, I don’t think that’s too far off what it should finish.

“I think United earned the right to be where they are, and Spurs and Villa have been better this season. They’ve been better teams and played better football.

“United have got a long way to go to get back to where they should be – and where they think they should be – challenging in that top four.

“And the players as well, they’ve got to look at themselves and say listen, we’ve got to do better lads as well. We’ve got to play better football, we’ve got to create chances, got to show more energy.

“There’s a lot of talent at Manchester United, a lot of talent. It needs to be applied.”

Manchester United Erik Ten Hag