Getty urges United to re‑hire Kieran McKenna if Carrick falls
Manchester United are under mounting pressure after back‑to‑back defeats to Manchester City and Brighton, and talk‑sport pundit Alan Brazil has urged the Red Devils to consider former assistant Kieran McKenna should Michael Carrick be sacked. The club’s recent 3‑2 loss to the Seagulls on Wednesday night saw United surrender a two‑goal lead for the first time at home in fifty years, intensifying speculation about Carrick’s future.
Recent setbacks fuel the debate
United’s exit from the Carabao Cup on Wednesday followed a Manchester derby defeat, and a further loss away to Fulham on Saturday added to the criticism of Carrick’s tenure. The Red Devils boss, appointed permanently in May after a two‑year caretaker spell, has already endured three defeats in all competitions this season, with only one win from the opening four Premier League matches.
McKenna’s credentials and current status
Kieran McKenna spent five years at United after joining as a scout in 2016, later managing the Under‑18s before becoming José Mourinho’s assistant. He subsequently worked under Ole Gunnar Solskjær, Michael Carrick and Ralf Rangnick before leaving in 2021 to manage Ipswich Town, where he achieved three promotions, including two to the Premier League, over four‑and‑a‑half years.
McKenna left Portman Road in June to take a break from football and is currently without a club. He had held talks with Fulham, but the Cottagers appointed Álvaro Arbeloa instead.
Alan Brazil, a former United forward, highlighted McKenna on Friday’s Breakfast show, saying: “I think Kieran McKenna. People seem to forget about Kieran. He will come back into football, he’s very, very bright and started at Man United.” When asked if McKenna is the answer, Brazil added: “I don’t know what the answer is to Man United.”
Carrick, the former England midfielder, was placed in caretaker charge in January after the sacking of Rúben Amorim. He guided United to twelve wins from the remaining seventeen matches, securing a third‑place finish and Champions League qualification, before earning a permanent two‑year contract in May.
With United’s recent form and the looming question of Carrick’s future, the club faces a pivotal decision. Should they re‑appoint McKenna, as Getty and Brazil suggest, or look elsewhere to steady the Red Devils?