[Albion] Kieran McKenna

[dippy2449]

I Trust the TB and PBOBE process. I cannot see that Kieran McKenna is the only name on "The List"
They must have a best - least worst outcome and GP will, I think. sit somewhere in the middle.
Personally I think he will come back as interim/pre-season manager, probably do a good job, then when/if the team is successful (by whatever scale that is), the majority of supporters will be happy and it will be difficult for the dissenting voices to be heard.

I am as impatient as the majority on here and the media speculation does not help. Trust the ambition of TB and PBOBE and wait, I doubt we will be disappointed.

 

[Gully Forever]

I posted this in the wrong thread but it's also relevant here!.
I wonder if Paul Barber and Kieran Mckenna's time together at Vancouver may have some influence in this deal.

 

[POP_TONEZ]

Loved De Zerbi wish Bloom wasn't so f***ing stubborn to be honest, hate Potter and don't like McKenna. We need another Roberto!

 

[A1X]

I don’t care whether he’s a good fit or not, it feels very wrong to be even involved in this to me and if we end up taking McKenna off Ipswich so soon after their huge moment of glory we’ll just be yet another Billy Big Bollocks Premier League club

I’d have been livid if (e.g.) West Ham had taken Hughton off us in summer 2017, and this would be no different.

 

[armchairclubber]

I posted this in the wrong thread but it's also relevant here!.
I wonder if Paul Barber and Kieran Mckenna's time together at Vancouver may have some influence in this deal.

Think it counts for a lot, Barber influenced him to go there and reckon there's a trusting relationship between them.
Not given up on this yet.
There'll obviously be other targets but I do think The Lizard and PB have pushed a huge amount of chips forward.
It would be a huge coup from under Chelseas noses.

 

[Hiheidi]

Hopefully this Chelsea account is on the right track... Wonder if we'd make Hutchinson a target to get McKenna over the line. We already have Sarmiento and his alleged target goalkeeper - Rushworth.

 

[The Rivet]

Loved De Zerbi wish Bloom wasn't so f***ing stubborn to be honest, hate Potter and don't like McKenna. We need another Roberto!

Stubborn? In what way? It is Tony Blooms acumen and hold of the purse strings that have us where we are. You must be young and didn't see us versus Hereford!

 

[Commander]

Loved De Zerbi wish Bloom wasn't so f***ing stubborn to be honest, hate Potter and don't like McKenna. We need another Roberto!

It is not stubborn to stick with a sustainable model that has been proven to work wonders. It’s sensible, rational decision-making, and the opposite of people like Todd Boehly. Long may it continue.

 

[trueblue]

When it moved, over the last few years, towards a focus on youth and progressive outlook both in terms of players and managers. See...
Arteta
Potter to Chelsea
Chelsea's transfer strategy
O'Neil
Iraola and Bournemouth's transfer strategy
Etc
Etc

It's not about experience or reputation anymore. It's about data and disruption.

In terms of experience and reputations, it's still a fair jump to McKenna for any Premier League club:

Arteta had years of experience playing in the PL, assistant to the world's best manager and working at one of Europe's top clubs.
Potter had us in a European position.
O'Neil a slight outlier but had managed in the PL, done well and Wolves were a bit desperate because of the timing .
Iraola played hundreds of games at the the highest level in Spain, got Rayo Vallecano promoted and - playing good football - exceeded expectations by leading them to mid-table in La Liga.

 

[Hugo Rune]

Tony goes All IN when he knows he has an unbeatable hand and the pot is worth winning.

De Zerbi wasn't released so we could ensure we got McKenna.
A Happy De Zerbi - was our preferred best option.
It's clear that if De Zerbi isn't happy, the results are pretty sketchy.
So we've moved on. We have a list and we will work through it quickly to make sure we get a good manager in time for pre-season.
That will be essential.

Our first choice position last summer, was move Mac Allister on and get another season from Caicedo.
When Caicedo, threw his strop, we made the best of the situation.
We have been crowing about the money we made all season, when the reality is, with Caicedo and Billy as our pivot, we could well be looking at another season in Europe and maybe a cup final along the way.

As a fan group we do like to over estimate just how good everything is behind the scenes.
We are an exceptionally well run club, but that certainly doesn't mean we always get our first choice outcome in all things.
Very far from it.

But we are unlikely to make a terrible appointment.

Nailed

 

[um bongo molongo]

I Trust the TB and PBOBE process. I cannot see that Kieran McKenna is the only name on "The List"
They must have a best - least worst outcome and GP will, I think. sit somewhere in the middle.
Personally I think he will come back as interim/pre-season manager, probably do a good job, then when/if the team is successful (by whatever scale that is), the majority of supporters will be happy and it will be difficult for the dissenting voices to be heard.

I am as impatient as the majority on here and the media speculation does not help. Trust the ambition of TB and PBOBE and wait, I doubt we will be disappointed.

He’s definitely not the only name on the list. In the same way Colwill wasn’t the only name on the list for left sided CB. But the fact we ended up with Igor suggests the quality can deteriorate quite fast as you are forced to move down the list…

I’m not saying there’s much we can do about that by the way. If the bigger boys steal your tuck shop money there’s not much you can do…

 

[The Fits]

McKenna was Manchester United's assistant manager for three years under OGS.
He's got decent Premier League experience.

 

[um bongo molongo]

In terms of experience and reputations, it's still a fair jump to McKenna for any Premier League club:

Arteta had years of experience playing in the PL, assistant to the world's best manager and working at one of Europe's top clubs.
Potter had us in a European position.
O'Neil a slight outlier but had managed in the PL, done well and Wolves were a bit desperate because of the timing .
Iraola played hundreds of games at the the highest level in Spain, got Rayo Vallecano promoted and - playing good football - exceeded expectations by leading them to mid-table in La Liga.

McKenna has 6 years working for Man U as a coach, which arguably is more useful than playing experience…

 

[GrizzlingGammon]

What's Fibrizio posting about this... Nothing. No one is leaking anything to him

 

[A1X]

What's Fibrizio posting about this... Nothing. No one is leaking anything to him

Something all football people should try

 

[Hugo Rune]

What's Fibrizio posting about this... Nothing. No one is leaking anything to him

Yup.

Stick with Crook.

 

[trueblue]

McKenna has 6 years working for Man U as a coach, which arguably is more useful than playing experience…

I know. Personally still don't think that compares with the experience of the others, bar O'Neil.

 

[Justice]

Sounds like it’s going to be KM at the wheel. That should shut up that twat if an Ipswich fan who was on earlier.

 

[BrickTamland]

Sounds like it’s going to be KM at the wheel. That should shut up that twat if an Ipswich fan who was on earlier.

Does it?

 

[Pavilionaire]

I see Potter is clear favourite now with the bookmakers.

I've revisited the stats on his season with Chelsea and that 4-1 drubbing he took at The Amex stands out like a sore thumb. Prior to that he'd won his first 4, unbeaten in 6, but after that just 2 wins in 12. He was also very unlucky to draw Man City in the 3rd round of both domestic cups.

Indeed, it was a miracle he reached the Q/F of the Champions League but never had the opportunity to take on Real Madrid as they pulled the plug on him a week before the 1st leg.

Chelsea made 22 new signings and spent £574million in 2022/23. I get Chelsea had previously been under a transfer embargo but even so - what chance did he have?

The fact it took Poch 2/3rds of a season for his team to gel puts Potter's tenure into perspective, especially given a lot of those players were in their second season so more settled AND Poch had Cole Palmer.

Therefore, I can see why his stock is still high and so if you look at it objectively then he and McKenna are streets ahead of all the other candidates.

Bottom line - if he and Bloom can get over the past and communicate that to the fans then we might have one hell of a motivated manager. Right now what I want is a McKenna that wants to be at the Albion, not a half-arsed McKenna who'd rather be at Man Utd or Chelsea, but I'd be easily converted if Bloom and Potter were properly up for joining forces again.