Kieran McKenna pitched for Nottingham Forest job already after Sean Dyche sack
Nottingham Forest are now on the hunt for their fourth permanent manager of the 2025-26 campaign after Sean Dyche was sacked on Thursday.
The dismissal comes after the Reds failed to pick up three points against bottom-side Wolves on Wednesday, as both sides played out a 0-0 draw at the City Ground.
Dyche was already under pressure going into the game at Forest, and with the East Midlands side just three points clear of the drop zone, Evangelos Marinakis had seen enough.
With Dyche now out of the door, all eyes turn to who the Reds will look to bring in to guide them to safety, with Kieran McKenna’s name already being mentioned.
Nottingham Forest Football Club can confirm that Sean Dyche has been relieved of his duties as head coach.
— Nottingham Forest (@NFFC) February 12, 2026
We would like to thank Sean and his staff for their efforts during their time at the Club and we wish them the best of luck for the future. We will be making no further… pic.twitter.com/q6LPADIsDw
Alan Brazil: Kieran McKenna in great position for Nottingham Forest job
McKenna has won plenty of plaudits for his work at Ipswich Town since he took over the club in 2021.
So far, he has guided the Tractor Boys out of League One and even brought them back to the Premier League for the 2024-25 campaign.
While this ended in relegation, Ipswich are in an excellent position to make an immediate return to the top-flight this season, as they sit third in the Championship.
As a result, McKenna has been linked to numerous jobs, including Man United in recent months, with the 39-year-old being seen as one of the most promising managers in England.
🎥 “A big, big effort from everyone.”
— Ipswich Town (@IpswichTown) May 4, 2024
Kieran McKenna on promotion to the Premier League. ⤵️ pic.twitter.com/IBDDu1ycQN
Now, after Dyche’s sacking, Alan Brazil on talkSPORT on 12 February has tipped McKenna to be in the running for the Forest job.
He said: “I think Kieran McKenna is in a great position for it. But is he sitting tight waiting for the [Manchester] United job?”
What is McKenna’s record in the Premier League?
The issue surrounding a potential McKenna appointment for Forest is just how poor Ipswich were in the Premier League last season.
The Tractor Boys went down with just 22 points, their lowest-ever total in the top-flight, with the East Anglian side only winning four matches.
McKenna’s 10.5 per cent win rate is also among the lowest in the Premier League, as Ipswich were relegated without a fight, as they finished 16 points from safety.
While he was never expected to keep Ipswich up, it was a disappointing campaign, and they should have certainly done better.
Therefore, questions will be asked if McKenna is capable of leading Forest to safety given his recent poor record in the English top-flight.