The welcome drinks had barely been topped up at the League Managers’ Association awards when news broke that Mauricio Pochettino and Chelsea had ended their relationship. One of the delegations present braced itself immediately for what would come next. Ipswich Town know they have English football’s hottest property in Kieran McKenna and the interest from Stamford Bridge, which has bubbled away for several weeks, would now crash into the wider consciousness.
Hours later McKenna was named the country’s outstanding manager of this season and it speaks volumes that, since 2000, only three others have won that accolade for their work outside the Premier League. McKenna will manage in the top flight from August onwards but, with the merry-go-round gearing up for overdrive before 2023-24 has breathed its last, doubts continue to swirl over around where it might be.
