As Erik ten Hag’s time at Manchester United looks as though it may be at an end, it seems the club are looking at potential replacements, with sources stating that they have already met with former under-18s coach, Kieran McKenna.
The Ipswich Town boss – who was recently voted the LMA’s Manager of the Year after getting Ipswich Town back into the Premier League for the first time in 22 years – has suddenly become one of the most in-demand names in the country, being linked with Brighton, Chelsea and now Man United.
According to Sky Sports, United have already met with McKenna following his successful promotion campaign in the Championship (just his second year as a senior men’s coach), with representatives now making it apparent that he is on the list of candidates to succeed ten Hag if he departs.
Reports go on to claim that the likes of outgoing Bayern Munich boss Thomas Tuchel, Brentford coach Thomas Frank and recently sacked Chelsea manager Mauricio Pochettino have all been named on United’s most immediate shortlist, but several other names have been floating around in recent weeks.
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Other names linked with the job have included former German national coach Hansi Flick, Sporting Lisbon coach, Ruben Amorim, and even Gareth Southgate at times – though the England boss was quick to rubbish the rumours ahead of Euro 2024 as “disrespectful”.
Speaking of paper talk before big games, it’s fair to say that the links with McKenna and talks around ten Hag come at a fairly awkward time for the club, with United taking on recently re-crowned Premier League champions Man City in just the second-ever Manchester derby FA Cup final this weekend.
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He was careful to be coy in an interview with Sky earlier this week, where he insisted the speculation is inevitable but that his focus is on “the future ahead” and looking back at what his side has achieved over the past two seasons, but the latest on ten Hag’s rumoured status at the club could change things.
"There's always going to be speculation" 🖋
Kieran McKenna addresses rumours surrounding a potential move to either Brighton or Chelsea 🤔 pic.twitter.com/OGPFU5Zema
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) May 22, 2024
With McKenna securing back-to-back promotions with Ipswich, lifting them out of League One and now into the English top flight within just two seasons at the club, it’s clear that he’s gone on to become an adept coach in the short time since he left United.
Having been praised heavily for his work amongst the youth ranks and going on to become a key assistant during the best days of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s rollercoaster reign, it was long thought that McKenna was largely underrated – and that evaluation is now looking more convincing than ever.
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All that being said, this is all overlooking the assumption that the 38-year-old Irishman is the frontrunner and if he even feels he is ready to take the job, or that the likes of Chelsea won’t tempt him with a more convincing and immediate offer given that they are currently without a coach full-stop.
Let’s just say that if reports are to be believed, whether anything goes ahead between him and his former employers could very well come down to whether Wembley is lit up red or blue tomorrow evening – unless they haven’t been decided already, that is.
Manchester United are declining to comment on whether or not a decision has been made regarding Erik ten Hag’s future.
Manchester Storm’s ‘own and loan’ scheme returns for 2026/27
Danny Jones
Manchester Storm have relaunched their much-loved ‘own and loan’ programme once again ahead of the 2026/27 season.
Having gone from a cult favourite option for die-hards to an increasingly popular choice among their growing number of supporters, it’s a great way for fans to get their hands on what could go on to be priceless collectables.
Set up over a decade and a half ago, the initiative has gone on to be replicated by multiple clubs in the Elite Ice Hockey League, across the country, and indeed beyond.
For anyone unclear on what exactly this scheme means for them, here’s all you need to know.
The own and loan sponsorship is essentially an opportunity not only to support the club and your favourite player, but to essentially reserve a valuable piece of match-worn memorabilia.
Put simply, fans can buy a squad member’s jersey and then loan it back to them for the season.
The shirt – be it home, away, created for cup tournaments or a special limited-edition sweater (of which MCR Storm have designed many over the years) – will then be worn throughout the course of the campaign before being given back to the owner, i.e. you.
Not just simply buying the shirt, but helping back the team’s talent, it’s one of the most direct ways people can contribute to the club.
The Greater Manchester side pioneered the push for this initiative here in the UK in the early 2010s, and with the local side now set to return to the AO Arena, where their journey began way back in 1995, you can expect plenty to mark the comeback with a special sponsored jersey.
Anyone who purchases an away strip will have their name featured throughout home games for the duration of the season – not a bad gift or way to secure a potential future collectors’ item.
You can see every player available to sponsor and find out all the information you need right HERE.
For regular matchgoers at the ‘Storm Shelter’, we’re sure it’ll be bittersweet to say goodbye to Planet Ice Altrincham, but just how excited are you about heading home to the AO Arena later this year?
Featured Images — Manchester Storm (publicity picture)/The Manc Group
Sport
League One set for an all-Greater Manchester playoff final as Bolton book trip to Wembley
Danny Jones
It’s official: we’re all set for a fully Greater Manchester League One playoff final as Bolton Wanderers are the latest to secure a return to Wembley against Stockport County.
The resurgent old Lancashire club clinched their spot in the knockout conclusion of the third division with a single strike in the second leg of the semis, and it wasn’t a bad finish, either.
Beating Bradford City 2-0 on aggregate, Bolton will now play familiar regional rivals Stockport, with Wanderers set to clash with County in a decisive derby once again.
Bolton‘s instinctive volley from Chelsea youth product and former Hull City man, Xavier Simons, resulted in some very satisfying limbs at Valley Parade.
The home fans did have plenty to cheer on the night, with efforts from Metcalfe, Power and Wright all either hitting the woodwork or being deflected just past it.
They thought they were level in the tie at one point after Kayden Jackson put the ball in the back of the net, but it was ultimately ruled out.
Agonising stuff for the Bradford supporters to burst into bedlam before the flag was raised for offside.
Many supporters will argue that the key moment came somewhat against the run of play, but The Trotters won’t care one bit as they book another trip down to the capital.
You can watch the rest of the highlights, including those scenes in the away end, down below.
Speaking even before the game, head coach Steven Schumacher told Sky Sports: “It’s a club we believe is bigger than this division, but this division is not easy to get out of.
“The expectation and the demand to get to the Championship is there, and once you’re in the building and you feel the mood when you win games, when you lose games, you can sense that this is a club that is desperate to get out and get to the next level.
“When you look at the size of both Bolton and Bradford and how well they are supported, both clubs are probably too big to be in League One. But that’s where both clubs find themselves, and one of us has got to find our way out of it if we can.”
You’d dare say he can practically smell promotion via the playoffs now; the local side has come quite a way since the lows of administration in 2019 and the bottom tier of the EFL – not without some heartbreaks in previous playoff finals – but could he be the one to get them back where they belong?
In case you missed the action from the other game, you can see more HERE, and to hear Schumacher’s thoughts after the decisive result, look no further…
Danny Jones -
24th May 2024 
