| McKenna - an acknowledgement 15:42 - May 2 with 1682 views | Paul |
I’ll hold my hands up - there were points this season where I seriously doubted where things were heading.
There were spells where performances dipped, results weren’t going our way, and you start to wonder if we’d run out of steam at the worst possible time. You look at the table, see the pressure building, and it’s hard not to think we might have fallen just short. I definitely had my moments of frustration!
But fair play - massive fair play - to Kieran McKenna and this Ipswich Town side.
What they’ve done this season is nothing short of outstanding.
To keep things together when the pressure was really on, to steady the ship when results wobbled, and then to deliver when it truly mattered — that says everything about the mentality in that squad and the coaching behind it. There’s a resilience there that we’ve not always seen, especially early in the season and I think it's easy to underestimate the impact of the changes last summer.
McKenna deserves huge credit. Tactically, he’s done the job, even when I and others query the lack of Plan B sometimes, but more importantly he’s built a team that believes - even when supporters like me were starting to lose a bit of faith. That’s not easy to do over a long Championship season and they came good at the end. Those last ten minutes at Southampton and the first ten minutes today were simply brilliant.
End of the day, promotion is what matters — and they’ve earned it.
I’ll happily admit I had doubts… but I’m absolutely delighted to have been proven wrong.
Promotion and the comprehensive double over the budgies - what a season! |  | | |  |
| McKenna - an acknowledgement on 15:43 - May 2 with 1648 views | gtsb1966 |
I'll second that |  | | |
| McKenna - an acknowledgement on 15:56 - May 2 with 1571 views | Blue_In_Boston |
My sentiments exactly. At times I had my doubts, but he has got us over the line and that's all that is important today.
Now the hard work begins, and hopefully we have learnt lessons from two years ago and can consolidate. A tough ask, but Sunderland and Leeds have shown its not impossible. |  | | |
| McKenna - an acknowledgement on 15:57 - May 2 with 1550 views | Ftnfwest |
Doubting him is the one thing I’d never got as far as. Just the thought of someone else being our manager prevented that! Will happen one day of course but I’ll cross that bridge then.. |  | | |
| McKenna - an acknowledgement on 16:03 - May 2 with 1483 views | Ryorry |
Exactly the same for me.
Would like to say thanks to our owners too, not just for KM’s appointment, but for the new pitch, other ground improvements etc 👍 |  |
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| McKenna - an acknowledgement on 16:04 - May 2 with 1472 views | TheMoralMajority |
I, honestly, never doubted him. He had enough credit in the bank, and enough contributing factors for the early season slump.
I would hope, though, that those who were calling for a change in manager (or who were perhaps wavering a little), will find a little more patience the next time things invariably don't go our way for a while.
He would be an incredibly hard man to replace, and I wouldn't want to force that issue any earlier than we have to. |  |
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| McKenna - an acknowledgement on 16:06 - May 2 with 1464 views | Swoody |
In his interview at the end he said how hard it had been this season with issues behind the scenes but when asked did not want to elaborate on what the challenges were. Makes you wonder if there were issues amongst some of the squad and back-room staff. | | | |
| McKenna - an acknowledgement on 16:07 - May 2 with 1444 views | TheMoralMajority |
| McKenna - an acknowledgement on 16:06 - May 2 by Swoody |
In his interview at the end he said how hard it had been this season with issues behind the scenes but when asked did not want to elaborate on what the challenges were. Makes you wonder if there were issues amongst some of the squad and back-room staff. |
Nah, I just think it was a more in depth conversation than he wanted to go into on the sidelines having just clinched promotion. | |
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| McKenna - an acknowledgement on 16:12 - May 2 with 1412 views | homer_123 |
| McKenna - an acknowledgement on 16:06 - May 2 by Swoody |
In his interview at the end he said how hard it had been this season with issues behind the scenes but when asked did not want to elaborate on what the challenges were. Makes you wonder if there were issues amongst some of the squad and back-room staff. |
Sammy S and the 'other thing we don't talk about' are two obvious situations that spring to mind. And I think there is some or has been tension around recruitment as well. |  |
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| McKenna - an acknowledgement on 16:18 - May 2 with 1367 views | Ryorry |
| McKenna - an acknowledgement on 16:12 - May 2 by homer_123 |
Sammy S and the 'other thing we don't talk about' are two obvious situations that spring to mind. And I think there is some or has been tension around recruitment as well. |
Locking horns with Ashton wouldn't surprise me. | |
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| McKenna - an acknowledgement on 16:34 - May 2 with 1298 views | LeoMuff |
| McKenna - an acknowledgement on 16:07 - May 2 by TheMoralMajority |
Nah, I just think it was a more in depth conversation than he wanted to go into on the sidelines having just clinched promotion. |
There was definitely something left unsaid there, felt like he wanted to say something but chose not to, was interesting I thought.
Maybe it was Ashton stuff or something else, but definitely alluded to something behind the scenes |  |
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| McKenna - an acknowledgement on 16:40 - May 2 with 1278 views | ClareBlue |
| McKenna - an acknowledgement on 16:06 - May 2 by Swoody |
In his interview at the end he said how hard it had been this season with issues behind the scenes but when asked did not want to elaborate on what the challenges were. Makes you wonder if there were issues amongst some of the squad and back-room staff. |
Agree. That interview came across more as someone vindicated than someone overjoyed by the outcome. I would say he is on his way. Not many managers do more than 5 years in the modern game. There is no doubt he was just what we needed at the right time and if he does go then good luck to him. He's not proven in the Premiership so if he is offered a job then it will be at some risk for the club offering, but his career trajectory with our without us, will be of interest. He brought some well needed intelligence skill and class to the role when it was needed by our club and we rewarded him well for it. | | | |
| McKenna - an acknowledgement on 16:46 - May 2 with 1214 views | heavyweight |
| McKenna - an acknowledgement on 16:34 - May 2 by LeoMuff |
There was definitely something left unsaid there, felt like he wanted to say something but chose not to, was interesting I thought.
Maybe it was Ashton stuff or something else, but definitely alluded to something behind the scenes |
I think Hutchinson, Morsy and to an extent Broadhead leaving were unexpected problems, along with Ogbenes injury | | | |
| McKenna - an acknowledgement on 20:14 - May 2 with 1012 views | lazyblue |
I don’t know why you even had doubts , trust the process . He did his job even if some of you didn’t rate him . | | | |
| McKenna - an acknowledgement on 07:50 - May 3 with 809 views | Blue_Heath |
100% with you on that post, I could have written something very similar. | |
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| McKenna - an acknowledgement on 08:04 - May 3 with 725 views | NBVJohn |
| McKenna - an acknowledgement on 15:57 - May 2 by Ftnfwest |
Doubting him is the one thing I’d never got as far as. Just the thought of someone else being our manager prevented that! Will happen one day of course but I’ll cross that bridge then.. |
I agree.
At no point did it ever feel like the swashbuckling season of two years ago though, and I accept that my memory of that season is probably distorted due to it being so unexpected.
This season has been a grind with some brilliance in flashes, and some really ordinary performances. After the wins at Coventry and Norwich I thought that we’d move up a gear and secure second or even first place by some margin but it never seemed to happen.
Whatever, the job is done, this time with the weight of expectation. Perhaps that’s the difference. | | | |
| McKenna - an acknowledgement on 08:27 - May 3 with 635 views | Kieran_Knows |
| McKenna - an acknowledgement on 16:34 - May 2 by LeoMuff |
There was definitely something left unsaid there, felt like he wanted to say something but chose not to, was interesting I thought.
Maybe it was Ashton stuff or something else, but definitely alluded to something behind the scenes |
It had nothing to do with Ashton ffs. He’s said it so many times this season, we/he never expected the turnaround of players last summer. |  |
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| McKenna - an acknowledgement on 08:36 - May 3 with 580 views | BloomBlue |
Too many entitled Town fans wrote him off, without understanding the circumstances.
Now is all about celebrating, but it just proves us fans who identified the negativity of those fans as 'entitled' were 100% correct. |  | | |
| McKenna - an acknowledgement on 10:17 - May 3 with 429 views | djgooder |
| McKenna - an acknowledgement on 16:06 - May 2 by Swoody |
In his interview at the end he said how hard it had been this season with issues behind the scenes but when asked did not want to elaborate on what the challenges were. Makes you wonder if there were issues amongst some of the squad and back-room staff. |
Think there might be quite an issue with SS. Can’t remember all the rumors at the time but it is notable how well mcateer has done since he left.
And irrespective of peoples individual political views the garage scenario was massive distraction. To have been successful with potential dressing room unrest and off field antics KM has done brilliantly. |  | | |
| McKenna - an acknowledgement on 10:19 - May 3 with 421 views | djgooder |
| McKenna - an acknowledgement on 16:40 - May 2 by ClareBlue |
Agree. That interview came across more as someone vindicated than someone overjoyed by the outcome. I would say he is on his way. Not many managers do more than 5 years in the modern game. There is no doubt he was just what we needed at the right time and if he does go then good luck to him. He's not proven in the Premiership so if he is offered a job then it will be at some risk for the club offering, but his career trajectory with our without us, will be of interest. He brought some well needed intelligence skill and class to the role when it was needed by our club and we rewarded him well for it. |
I fear you might be right. I hope not but wouldn’t be surprised. With MA it is likely an ego issue. | | | |
| McKenna - an acknowledgement on 10:23 - May 3 with 403 views | djgooder |
| McKenna - an acknowledgement on 08:04 - May 3 by NBVJohn |
I agree.
At no point did it ever feel like the swashbuckling season of two years ago though, and I accept that my memory of that season is probably distorted due to it being so unexpected.
This season has been a grind with some brilliance in flashes, and some really ordinary performances. After the wins at Coventry and Norwich I thought that we’d move up a gear and secure second or even first place by some margin but it never seemed to happen.
Whatever, the job is done, this time with the weight of expectation. Perhaps that’s the difference. |
I think you have it right. Expectations last time vs expectations this time were different. But a team that was torn apart two summers in a row and still get promoted after a dreadful PL season is awesome.
Obviously we can’t keep completely rebuilding. Hopefully we stay up, but if we don’t the changes need to become less and less each season so we eventually have a settled team with just a few additions. [Post edited 3 May 11:10]
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| McKenna - an acknowledgement on 10:32 - May 3 with 359 views | LeoMuff |
| McKenna - an acknowledgement on 10:17 - May 3 by djgooder |
Think there might be quite an issue with SS. Can’t remember all the rumors at the time but it is notable how well mcateer has done since he left.
And irrespective of peoples individual political views the garage scenario was massive distraction. To have been successful with potential dressing room unrest and off field antics KM has done brilliantly. |
Interesting on Macateer his form definitely improved since SS went and I think some of the rumours related to a situation there | |
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