https://theathletic.com/3024463/2021/12/20/carrick-mckenna-pert-manchester-unite
This bit is notable, but whole article worth a read:
McKenna was highly rated by Jose Mourinho and successor Solskjaer and made a strong early impression on Rangnick but he’s going to Ipswich – a big club with potential in the third tier, a league they were many people’s favourites to win both last season and this, in part because they have the division’s highest wage bill after they were taken over by an American pensions fund. Yet they finished ninth in May and are 11th after Saturday’s 1-1 draw with Sunderland, which drew a crowd of 29,005 – Portman Road’s biggest for almost seven years.
He may be highly thought of as a coach but McKenna’s also only 35 and has yet to manage a professional men’s team and all that entails – media dealings for one. But at United, he was more than capable of delivering strong and hard coaching and development messages. He drove technological advances, the methods and processes too. Many players will miss him and felt he was unfairly criticised as results worsened under Solskjaer.
Martyn Pert, who has gone with McKenna to Ipswich, is a linguist and was also the direct contact for some of the United players out on loan. He told them what their situation was back at their parent club. Another of his roles was to maximise training for the players who weren’t getting game time.
A lot of United fans won’t give too much thought to this – they were part of a regime that came up short – but it’s not straightforward. You now have coaches taking training who have yet to win the players’ trust, people they’ve never heard of. Players can be negative forces – more so if they’re left out of teams. |  |
By continuing to use the site, you agree to our use of cookies and to abide by our Terms and Conditions.
