The Tractor Boys, together with Plymouth Argyle, earned automatic promotion to the second division in the 2022–2023 season, capping their four-year stint in League One.
Since then, the Portman Road team has returned to life in the second division with remarkable ease.
With 17 league games played so far this season, Ipswich has accumulated 39 points, good for second place in the Championship table and seven points ahead of the play-off spots.
In light of this, you could understand if some club supporters began to fantasize about the prospect of earning the team’s long-awaited return to the Premier League through a second straight promotion.
That will, of course, bring with it worries about adoring looks directed at some of their important foreign assets, not the least of which is manager Kieran McKenna.
Who has been credited with an interest in Kieran McKenna?
Given that he led Ipswich back to the Championship the previous season and set them up for another promotion challenge this season despite many of their opponents having more resources and experience than him, it makes sense that he would draw interest.
In fact, journalist Alan Nixon revealed back in October that McKenna was being considered by Crystal Palace as a possible replacement in the Selhurst Park dugout.
The Eagles may need to look for a new manager in the summer because veteran head coach Roy Hodgson’s contract with the team expires at the end of the current one.
Given that the 37-year-old may find it enticing to join a reputable top-flight team like Palace, people who are of the Ipswich persuasion may find those ties to McKenna concerning.
Should the Tractor Boys lose the former Manchester United boss, it would be a huge blow given how he has been able to turn around the club’s fortunes since taking over at Portman Road in December 2021, when the team was 12th in the League One table.
For this reason, it appears that the most recent information regarding Crystal Palace’s managerial plans will come as a huge relief to Ipswich Town supporters.
What could the latest Crystal Palace manager links mean for Ipswich and McKenna?
TalkSport has reported that Palace is reportedly considering making a move for Steve Cooper, should he decide to quit his current position with Nottingham Forest, the Eagles’ top-flight opponents.
If that were to occur, Ipswich would undoubtedly benefit from it since it would give the Selhurst Park team a backup plan for managing McKenna’s first team operations.
Since Cooper spent time with Forest, whom he successfully managed to retain in the Premier League after 23 Football League seasons, he does, in fact, possess a greater amount of first-team managerial experience.
Given that Cooper’s longtime admirer, Palace owner Steve Parish, is also rumored to be a fan of the Welshman, it appears that Cooper would be a better choice for the Eagles in McKenna’s eyes.
If that’s the case, then nobody around Portman Road is going to be upset about it, as they appear to be in the best position under McKenna to finally get to play Premier League football after a protracted wait.
In light of all of that, it appears that these connections between Palace and Cooper will help allay some of the remaining worries about Portman Road in the future, at a time when there are many reasons for Ipswich to be optimistic.
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