Well, nobody saw this one coming. Kieran McKenna has resigned as Ipswich Town manager, with the club set to make their long-awaited return to the Premier League. The timing is, to put it mildly, a bit of a gut punch for everyone connected with the Suffolk club.
McKenna has been nothing short of outstanding at Portman Road. He took Ipswich from League One and guided them up through the Championship and into the top flight in back-to-back promotions. That kind of back-to-back progress is genuinely rare, and he deserves enormous credit for it. The man built something special there, and the fans absolutely loved him for it.
So why walk away now, right before the big show? According to reports, McKenna has made the decision to step down for personal and family reasons. And honestly, good on him for being honest about that. Football is a brutal industry that chews people up, and if a man decides his family comes first, that is a decision that deserves nothing but respect. Not everything in life is about the next contract or the next big club.
There had been links to Manchester United, naturally, given his background at Old Trafford as part of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's coaching staff. As a United fan, this writer will admit there was a flicker of hope he might end up back there one day. But that is very much a conversation for another time.
For Ipswich, this is a proper headache. They are about to face the Premier League for the first time in over two decades, and they are now searching for a new manager with the season practically knocking on the door. Whoever comes in will be inheriting a well-organised squad with good foundations, but settling into a new job at that level with zero runway is seriously tough.
Ipswich fans have every right to feel frustrated, even if they understand McKenna's reasons. They will back whoever comes in, no doubt, but replacing someone of his quality and connection to the club is not going to be easy.
Let me know your thoughts.