Kieran McKenna is reportedly a leading candidate to take over from Erik ten Hag at Manchester United if the Dutch manager is sacked. Sky Sports reported that McKenna’s representative met with the club’s new CEO and Technical Director at Old Trafford last week to discuss the possibility of him becoming United’s next manager.

McKenna’s successful tenure at Ipswich Town has caught the attention of Manchester United supporters. During his time as manager of the Portman Road club, which lasted just over two years, McKenna guided them to promotion twice, earning them a spot in the Premier League for the 2024/25 season.

Sky Sports also disclosed that McKenna is on a shortlist of potential replacements for Ten Hag, alongside Mauricio Pochettino, Thomas Tuchel, and Thomas Frank.

There are indications that regardless of the outcome of the FA Cup final, Ten Hag may not continue as the manager of Manchester United next season.

Prior to the final, the hashtag “TenHagIn” surprisingly trended on Twitter with nearly 13,000 related posts. However, some United fans are advocating for the club to give the current manager more time to rebuild the team.

“Trust the process,” remarked one commenter. “Mikel Arteta also needed nearly 2 years to prove himself at Arsenal, I believe in Ten Hag,” shared another fan.

For now, Manchester United fans are hoping that Ten Hag and the entire team can focus on the FA Cup final against Manchester City on May 25th. United’s 8th-place finish in the Premier League this season means they do not qualify for European competition. Therefore, winning the FA Cup represents their final opportunity to secure a place in the Europa League.