We launch our series on the newly promoted Premier League clubs with this profile of Ipswich Town and their manager, Kieran McKenna.
The in-demand coach has led the Tractor Boys to back-to-back promotions and, in 2023/24, was named the Championship’s manager of the season.
In this article, we will assess McKenna’s management style, preferred tactics and openness with the press, as well as looking at areas of his squad he might strengthen in.
To provide a fan’s view, we’ve got insight from Ivan Fisher, aka FPL Reuser on X.
More specific pieces on Ipswich’s players, separated into attacking options and defensive assets, will follow.
The stats in this piece are taken from WhoScored.
WHAT TACTICS DO IPSWICH PLAY UNDER MCKENNA?
McKenna exclusively used a 4-2-3-1 formation in the Championship last season.
However, it sometimes looks like a 3-2-5 in possession, with left-back Leif Davis (£4.5m) pushing much further forward than his counterpart on the other flank, who is often asked to tuck in and form a three-man defence.
The left-winger then drifts inside to support the striker, with a no 10 positioned slightly to the right.
This creates a ‘box midfield’, with captain Sam Morsy (£5.0m) and Massimo Luongo (£4.5m), aged 32 and 31 respectively, playing crucial roles at the base.
Tactically, Ipswich are very positive and push plenty of bodies forward, but will the Premier League influence McKenna’s approach?
“At face value, McKenna has consistently employed a 4-2-3-1 formation, with three “10s” behind a strong, mobile forward whose primary role is to disrupt the defence and bring others into the attack.
“In transition, Leif Davis at left-back frequently provides attacking width on the left, joining the forwards to almost form part of an attacking five, with the back four morphing into a back three in his absence. For this reason, the left attacking midfielder is often tucked inside to accommodate Davis’ runs, cut-backs and crosses, whilst the right attacking midfielder tends to stay wider.
“By consistently employing this flexible formation with a mix of short and direct passing, a framework for in-game problem-solving is created. As a result, ‘McKennaball’ has a clear identity – and yet is very hard to predict and counter in real-time.” – FPL Reuser
WHAT STYLE OF FOOTBALL DOES MCKENNA FAVOUR?
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2 months, 2 days agoWhy are drafts suddenly becoming super heavy in defense?
The BP changes are detrimental to defenders, plus the fact that last year saw a record low number of clean sheets.
I'm closer to running a 4.5m only defense than I am to that. You need your money upfront imo. I can understand wanting TAA but with uncertainty over Liverpool's setup under Slot and the aforementioned BPS hits, I think you can find a better place to invest.
The difference between TAA and a 4.5m is 2.5m. That money allows an upgrade of a Gordon/Eze > Foden/Saka. That is a significant jump in quality and consistency.