Kieran McKenna has given measured backing to Thomas Tuchel’s appointment by England and spoken of “misconceptions” about the role of the FA’s national football centre, St George’s Park, in producing elite English managers.
Ipswich Town boss McKenna took his coaching badges at St George’s Park, graduating with Uefa’s Pro Licence – the highest possible coaching certificate – while he was Manchester United Under-18s manager in 2017.
The 38-year-old Northern Irishman, who is one of five British managers in the Premier League after winning successive promotions with Town, was an outsider to succeed Gareth Southgate in charge of the Three Lions but is likely to be a future candidate if his career trajectory continues.
BTS with Thomas Tuchel at @wembleystadium yesterday 📱👔 pic.twitter.com/0ybXRUFOCm
— England (@England) October 17, 2024
📰 Table Of Contents
Tuchel part of England ‘phase’
“It’s an understandable appointment,” McKenna said of German Tuchel’s unveiling on Wednesday. “You can see the phase that England are in.
“For me, St George’s Park is very good for so many things – for the development of the game and grassroots football. But for the higher-level coaches working at higher levels of the game, I’ve maybe spent two weeks there in the last decade.”
Critics of the decision to appoint Tuchel have said the FA should choose an English manager and questioned the value of St George’s Park, which opened in 2012 at a cost of £105 million, if it is not creating contenders for the country’s most high-profile position.
“Your development as a professional coach and a manager doesn’t come from coaching courses, to be honest,” said McKenna.
All eyes on Everton. 👀 pic.twitter.com/qC44cfUaxu
— IPSWICH TOWN (@IpswichTown) October 18, 2024
“I don’t think the FA or St George’s Park can be held accountable for that. Your development is in your day-to-day job and within the clubs.
“A lot of [coaches’] development probably comes through the academy systems. That’s where the large majority of my learning has taken place – not through coaching courses you attend.”
England: ‘Football culture’ an issue
“Probably more pertinent is some of the access to people from the amateur and grassroots game to coaching courses, in terms of affordability and availability,” added McKenna.
“I know lots of people who have had struggles with that. That is more of an issue but, for me, that is more about developing our football culture in the country, developing the base level of our culture and understanding of football.
“That isn’t necessarily going to translate into the next England manager. There is a misconception of what the responsibility of St George’s Park is.”
Fourth-bottom Ipswich will seek their first Premier League win of the season when they visit fifth-bottom Everton on Saturday (3pm BST).
