Thirteen years of Marcus Evans led to one mistake after another and it highlighted – or perhaps lowlighted, his obvious lack of knowledge about the game we love.
The difference now is that we have owners who not only love their football but also want to make things happen! There is a collective responsibility here to see this club move forward and they will leave no stone unturned in their quest to find it. I was shocked when they dismissed Paul Cook but I can see the reasoning behind it.
They want supporters to be onside and not disenfranchised, and the building blocks are now in place to see Ipswich Town move up the football pyramid at long last. Optimism is back in fashion at Portman Road, and the appointment of a virtual unknown outside of football circles itself, speaks volumes for the ambition and business acumen of the Three Lions. Here are my ten good reasons to think our new owners have got it right.
- McKenna has been highly regarded – not by fans especially, but by management teams throughout Europe for many years.
- The Red Devils were very reluctant to see him go.
- Having retired at 22, McKenna has spent the last 13 years studying coaching techniques and tactical formations and has a head start on most managers.
- At just 35, he is even younger than Sir Bobby Robson who became Ipswich manager one month before his 36th birthday. (McKenna will be 36 incidentally on the 14th of May.)
- Although he is a rookie at a managerial level, the calm way he deals with the press suggests he is totally focused on the job at hand. Supporters know where they stand with him at the mic.
- He has worked alongside some of the best managers in European football and never looked out of place.
- He is an outstanding tactician and this is why so many leading head coaches were happy to have him on board.
- Other clubs have not had time to work out his strategies and he is not set in his ways. This presents a real nightmare for our opponents because they have little to go on.
- Former players he has coached at the top level of English football speak very highly of him, and he will get the best out of our squad and realise its true potential.
- He has something to prove to everyone – not least himself, and his commitment to the cause has been evident from day one.
I will leave the last few words to the man himself.” All the experiences I’ve had in my career up until this point have prepared me well for it. I don’t think there’s anything that I’m doing in the job now that is very different than what I’ve done throughout my whole career in terms of working with players, trying to improve players. Coming in every morning, coming in early, working really hard.”
