Kieran McKenna criticism from Man Utd players speaks volumes about Ruben Amorim issues

Kieran McKenna's departure from Manchester United was littered with controversy, with the squad showing no faith in the coach's abilities due to inexperience - and Rubem Amorim may have work to do to earn the side's respect

Ruben Amorim has a big job on his hands at Manchester United if Kieran McKenna's experiences are anything to go off.

After a 12-year youth career with Enniskillen Town, Ballinamallard United and Spurs, 38-year-old McKenna stepped into the world of coaching, taking the reins of Tottenham's U18s side between 2015 and 2016. He then made the move to United to take up a role as the club's U18s manager, helping guide the club to the Premier League Northern Division title in his second season.

He found himself promoted to the first-team's coaching set-up ahead of the 2018/19 Premier League season, working alongside at the time manager Jose Mourinho. He stuck with his position when the Portuguese mastermind was replaced by Ole Gunnar Solksjaer and Ralf Rangnick, before parting ways with Old Trafford in December 2021 to take up a managerial role with Ipswich Town, who were in League One.

It has since been reported that McKenna's departure from United came at a time of unrest, with The Telegraph claiming that there were rebukes from players on how his coaching sessions were more suited to academy level than for senior football. The Athletic, meanwhile, suggested that several senior players wanted to be led by more experienced coaches than what McKenna could offer.

It is also reported that McKenna's approach was described as uninspiring "schoolmastery", showing little respect from those who slammed his methods. It seems as though McKenna's critics within the United camp were wrong, however, with the manager leading Ipswich to successive promotions up to the Premier League across the 2022/23 and 2023/24 seasons – the Tractor Boys finishing second in the league on both accounts.

United players will have their chance to reacquaint themselves with McKenna on Sunday, with Ipswich playing host to the Red Devils at Portman Road in the 4.30pm kick off. Ipswich will be eager to get some points on the board after a sub-par start to the season which has seen them claim just one win from their opening 11 fixtures – albeit an impressive 2-1 victory away at Spurs prior to the international break.

New United boss Amorim has his work cut out for him at Old Trafford and will need the respect of his players as he makes his managerial bow for the Red Devils this weekend after being appointed as Erik ten Hag's successor earlier this month. Dutchman Ten Hag left United in a sorry state of affairs before being given the boot. United are sat in 13th and have already recorded four Premier League losses from 11 games this term – and none of the defeats came in Ruud van Nistelrooy's two league games in charge as interim boss.

No manager of United has managed to replicate the club's glory years under Sir Alex Ferguson since he retired in 2013 with 13 Premier League titles, five FA Cups, four league cups, and two Champions Leagues to his name. David Moyes mustered a lacklustre seventh-place finish in the 2013/14 season, Louis van Gaal could only make fourth the following year, Mourinho's best shot came in the form of a second-place finish in the 2017/18 season, while Solskjaer could only push for the same finish in 2020/21.

Meanwhile, Ten Hag's association with the club came to an end after a little over two years, finding a third-place finish in his maiden season, before a Premier League record-low eighth-place spot when the 2023/24 campaign came to a close.

A handy midfielder during his playing days, Amorim made the move to management in 2018 when he took over Casa Pia. A move to Sporting Braga followed a year later, winning the Taca da Liga in 2019/20 before Sporting CP acquired his services. Amorim arrives at United after four successful years with Sporting, in which, he won two Primeira Liga titles, two Taca da Ligas, and a Supertaça Cândido de Oliveira.

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