"Kieran McKenna has made a spectacular success of his first managerial role at Ipswich Town. Appointed in December 2021 at the age of 35, the Northern Irishman might have been on the young side for a manager, but he had long been laying foundations for what he would implement at Portman Road.
Forced to retire at 22, McKenna was described by then-Tottenham coach Clive Allen as a determined and intelligent character destined to rise in coaching. McKenna studied sports science at Loughborough University and began his coaching career at Tottenham’s academy, later leading their Under-18s to an FA Youth Cup semi-final. He then spent two years with Manchester United’s Under-18s, winning the Premier League Northern Division title, and eventually assisted José Mourinho, Ole Gunnar Solskjær, and briefly Ralf Rangnick with United's senior team.
When McKenna took over at Ipswich, the club was near the League One relegation zone. Under his leadership, they only lost two of their last 17 games. In his first full season, Ipswich lost just four league games out of 46, winning promotion with 98 points. McKenna continued his success in the Championship, securing a second successive promotion ahead of teams like Leicester City, Leeds United, and Southampton.
McKenna's tactical expertise is a key factor in his success. Initially, he implemented a back three with a double pivot, later transitioning to a 4-2-3-1 formation. In the 2022/23 season, Ipswich had the most possession, most passes, and third-lowest long-ball count in the division, using a short-passing style that built through the thirds. The double pivot was crucial, adapting to support wing-backs and maintain possession.
In the final third, McKenna's team merged their formations, with the left-back advancing high and wide while the left winger moved inside. This created a temporary back three supported by the double pivot. The team's attacking play was characterized by crosses from the full-backs and dynamic movements from forwards, making Ipswich particularly threatening from cut-backs and set-pieces.
Without the ball, Ipswich employed a high-pressing strategy, with wingers pressing opposing full-backs and the team aiming to lock play on one side. The double pivot and number 10 played key roles in screening passes and applying pressure. In the Championship, Ipswich maintained high pressure while also organizing into compact blocks when needed, demonstrating McKenna's ability to adapt his tactics."
A lot of emphasis on the importance of the double pivot, lets see if our £220m pairing are up to the task.
Interesting that it says the LB would overlap with the winger inverting. Could work well for us with James/Gusto overlapping and Palmer inverting and Colwill LB forming a makeshift back 3.
. I’ll show myself out after that one 
