The managerial merry-go-round does not appear to be finished spinning this summer, as Ipswich Town now face the prospect of losing Kieran McKenna to Brentford.
With Ange Postecoglou’s sacking at Tottenham Hotspur, the dominoes appear to be falling in favour of Thomas Frank taking over in N17.
That leaves a space at Brentford, and Kieran McKenna is touted as the top target to take on the job with the Bees, thus leaving Ipswich Town searching for a new manager.
As one of the relegated sides entering the Championship for 2025/26, Ipswich would be strong favourites to go back up, but losing their manager would be a huge blow, obviously.
Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images
Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images
Who could replace Kieran McKenna if he leaves Ipswich Town?
Michael Carrick
One of the biggest names to become available recently is Michael Carrick, who lost his job at Middlesbrough last week having failed to get the team into the play-offs in 2024/25.
Despite that setback, Carrick is still one of the brightest young coaches in the game and he’s very similar in style to McKenna. Both managers employ a 4-2-3-1 system, so if Ipswich are looking to keep the ship steady, Carrick could be their man.
Sean Dyche
Having been out of work since January, Sean Dyche’s name has been put forward for a lot of the Championship roles that have been and gone lately. It’s thought Dyche is keen on the Leicester job, but that is still not available.
The Ipswich job would present Dyche with a similar status in taking over one of the parachute payment clubs, but would come without the stress of impending points deductions that Leicester may suffer.
The only problem is that Dyche would bring a more rigid 4-4-2 shape to Ipswich. That may not be a bad thing, per se, but it would mean some adjustment for the players at the club.
Francesco Farioli
Another man who has been linked with a few jobs of late, including that Leicester City position, is Francesco Farioli. He’s previously been mentioned as a target for Sunderland, so a move to England is certainly something that could be of interest to the 36-year-old.
Farioli left Ajax last month having failed to secure the Eredivisie title, missing out by one point to PSV. If he were to take over at Ipswich, he would bring a more attacking 4-3-3 formation and a wealth of experience across Europe.
Steven Gerrard
Steven Gerrard seemed nailed on for a Rangers return not so long ago, but Russell Martin ended up bagging that job. That leaves Gerrard still seeking a new job, and we know he is keen to come back to England if possible.
Like McKenna, Gerrard is partial to a 4-2-3-1 structure and demands hard work and attacking intent from his players. While a lot of neutrals like to focus on Gerrard’s shortcomings at Aston Villa, it’s worth remembering he achieved great things with Rangers up in Scotland.
Richie Wellens
There is one man who is still in a job who would be an ideal fit for Ipswich Town: Richie Wellens. He knows the club well, having spent time on loan at Portman Road as a player, and has shown he is a more than capable manager with his work at Leyton Orient.
Again, his playing style aligns with what Ipswich are already doing, he has good connections within the game that could help him secure useful loan deals and transfers, and he’s an excellent man-manager who could help pick the Ipswich squad up after their relegation.
Photo by Visionhaus/Getty Images
Photo by Visionhaus/Getty Images
Losing Kieran McKenna would be a disaster for Ipswich Town
We recently asked neutrals to predict which relegated club would get promoted in 2025/26, and Ipswich Town were the overwhelming winners. A large part of the reason for that was the stability the club could carry through to next season with McKenna in charge.
Take that away, and the club could well crumble, as could their promotion hopes. It’s one thing keeping the core group of players together — minus Liam Delap, of course — but McKenna is the glue that holds it all together.
Obviously, any of the names above could help maintain that balance and continue the project fairly seamlessly, but there’s no doubt losing McKenna would be a massive blow for the Tractor Boys.