KIERAN McKENNA loves his old pal Ole Gunnar Solskjaer watching Ipswich — because they always win in front of him.
The Tractor Boys could do with the Manchester United legend’s good-luck charm after losing back-to-back EFL games for the first time since McKenna took over almost four years ago.
Defeats against Middlesbrough and Charlton ended his proud record — having taken the club from League One to the Prem in consecutive seasons.
Solskjaer, who McKenna coached under at Old Trafford, is now an honorary fan.
The Norwegian was there for a Prem win at Wolves last year and victories over Sheffield United and bitter rivals Norwich this season at Portman Road.
As McKenna prepares to host West Brom at lunchtime today, he told SunSport: “It’s been great to have him here.
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“He’s been supporting us over the last few years and been at a few games.
“But while out of work, after a busy eight months in Turkey managing Besiktas, he’s back in England and keen to get out watching football.
“He’s always followed our group and our team. He has a special affinity for watching us.
“It’s great to catch up with him. We’ve never lost when he’s watched us — so when he tells me he’s coming I’m happy to hear that! Plus he’s a good friend.”
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McKenna — who was named SkyBet Championship manager of the month for September — spent almost three years working with Solskjaer.
And he learned a lot about how to conduct himself, which helps not only for the ups of promotion but the downs of relegation too — and this recent blip.
The Northern Irish chief, 39, said: “There were some amazing successes.
The 2-1 win at PSG was special, even for a club like Manchester United.
“But broadly speaking, my greatest memory from working with Ole was how level he managed to stay with his staff and players.
“There’s not many bigger pressure cookers than managing United — especially when you’re so front-facing as a big name in the history of that club.
“Whether we were on good runs or not, he was consistent in how he came in and treated everyone.
“He always kept a positive attitude and supported the players and staff.
“And that’s something I took a lot from and am sticking to myself in the difficult moments as well as the good.
“It was that consistency of mood, attitude and communication that was a massive strength.”
One player he worked with at United was Ashley Young and despite reaching 40 — older than McKenna — the boss snapped him up in the summer. Already he has made seven appearances.
McKenna revealed: “Ashley has fantastic genetics, had good luck with injuries and managed to keep his weight down.
“He is in a great condition physically, certainly for the age he is, and brought loads to the building.
“He’s an outstanding trainer and voice, pushes and leads the other players.
“Even at 40, he wants to get better and learn. He brings so much to a competitive environment.
“Also he’s young at heart so he has the capability of mixing with the senior players while still having a joke with the 18 and 19-year-olds in the dressing room.
“He brings a lot of experience that can help the staff but at the same time he is a good footballer, which he has shown in the minutes he has played.
“If we’re to be successful this season, he’ll play a big part.”
Plus McKenna learned a lot from his season in the Prem — which he concedes Ipswich were not ready for after such a rapid climb from League One.
Although they were able to compete in large parts of games, the Tractor Boys gaffer admits the individual quality and physicality in the division was ultimately why they were relegated.
But he believes the club are becoming better equipped to deal with those challenges — with far more backroom staff, a sound recruitment model and their training facilities being upgraded.
He added: “There were certain things that were impossible for us to put in place in such a short space of time.
“But if we can be successful on the pitch this season or in the near future, we’ll be in a far better position.
“That jump we made to the Premier League was probably a bigger one than almost any other club had previously made.
“But we must deal with this season — and the gap in the Championship between the top and bottom clubs is probably the smallest it’s ever been.”
A young player who McKenna hopes to turn into a consistent Premier League performer is 23-year-old winger Jaden Philogene, signed in January from Aston Villa.
This is the fourth Championship-level club he has played for, having had loans at Cardiff and Stoke as well as a season with Hull.
McKenna explained: “We look to develop players. If you look at England, 75 per cent of the squad have played in the Championship.
“He’s 23 now and has had so many experiences. He’s played in the Champions League for Aston Villa, played in the Premier League — and experienced relegation too.
“We believe he’s at the best club to develop. He’s got some great tools to do so.
“If he continues working hard on his body and mentality, then we think he will have an important season in terms of his development towards his potential, which is to be a good Premier League player.”
Chilean midfielder Marcelino Nunez raised eyebrows by crossing the East Anglian divide and angering Norwich fans in the summer.
However, McKenna says the context of his move has been lost on these shores.
He insisted: “Marcelino grew up in Chile and his dream was to play in the Premier League.
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“You have to think what it means to him, his family, the town where he’s from, everyone he’s ever come across who’s helped him get to this point.
“A player in that position will do whatever it takes to achieve their goal. He believed we gave him a better chance to step towards that.”
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