Town boss Kieran McKenna says his full focus and full commitment is on the Blues, despite bookies listing him as the odds-on favourite to take over at Premier League Crystal Palace.

The Eagles still have Roy Hodgson in charge but their recent form -they’ve won two in 13 in the league - has led to continuing speculation that a change will be made with McKenna 6-4 on to succeed the former England boss with one bookmaker.

Palace are known to have a long-standing interest in McKenna but when asked whether Town fans should be concerned by the current conjecture, the Northern Irishman said they shouldn’t.

“No, my full focus, full commitment is with Ipswich and the season that we’re having and the next game ahead, so that’s where all my energy is and all my commitment is,” he said

“I don’t pay any attention to it, to be honest. It’s not the first time in the last couple of years. If you’re doing well, it’s going to be there and there are going to be links.

“And football can work the other way pretty quickly as well. I’ll just focus on the day-to-day work here.

“As I’ve said before, I’m very proud and honoured to manage this football club and I’m enjoying doing so and will continue to do the best I can.”

Meanwhile McKenna says he's not given the plans to introduce sin bins via blue cards too much thought.

“We don't get consulted on it,” he said. “But of the things that I'm focused on at the moment, that would be really low on my list so I haven't given it a whole lot of thought.

“Every year they try and bring new initiatives in to help the game, some of them work and help and some of them don't work. It's not one I've got a strong opinion on at the moment.”

Photo: TWTD

IpswichT62OldBoy added 14:37 - Feb 9 He is going no where for at least another season. Why would he? Its not always about money, especially as he is clearly going to earn a lot in a glittering future
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Steve_ITFC_Sweden added 14:47 - Feb 9 I'm not worried in the short to medium term. I think K McK is a man of integrity and he will want to see what he can accomplish with us first, before perhaps moving on in the future. And Palace would hardly be an upward move, despite their PL status (for the time being).
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NorthLondonBlue2 added 14:49 - Feb 9 I really can’t see the appeal of moving to Crystal Palace. They have an injury crisis and are staring relegation in the face. Sure, McKenna may wish to consider his options at the end of this season, and he’ll have plenty of choice and clarity of where we’ll be playing to weigh in the balance. But to abandon ship now, with the job half-done and a career defining double-promotion in his sights, I just can’t see it.

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statto72 added 14:54 - Feb 9 No disrespect to Crystal Palace but going there is not a big enough step up to lure him away.
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dyersdream added 15:07 - Feb 9 Ipswich are a bigger club than palarse
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TimmyH added 15:22 - Feb 9 He'll be here for the rest of this season I'm pretty certain but what happens in the Summer if we don't get promoted is another thing, with poor sides in the Premiership like Sheffield, Burnley, Forest, Everton and Luton (who look the pluckiest) I doubt Palace will get relegated this term.
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Bazza8564 added 15:26 - Feb 9 Km is a smart an honest man, he wouldn't have asked for, and signed, a four year deal in the summer if he didn't want to stay here and see if he could achieve something special with us. And as I keep on saying whenever this comes up, he is 37 years old with a very long career ahead of him IF he makes the right choices and is patient. We've seen Lampard, Gerrard and Rooney all jump at a top job too soon, and now their careers are all but finished. Kieran has far more intelligence than to fall into that trap.

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Karlosfandangal added 15:32 - Feb 9 He is with a stable club and he will want to see how far he can take Town if Town don’t go up he will still be here He will leave when he don’t get the backing and can take town any further up the Prem
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SWBlue22 added 15:40 - Feb 9 We will be past palace within a couple of years so this move makes no sense and I’m sure McKenna knows that.
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Europablue added 16:07 - Feb 9 I imagine KM backs himself and the team he has already assembled. Going to a smaller club with poorer owners to start again from scratch isn't that appealing.
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Bert added 16:14 - Feb 9 No chance ! Who would swap Suffolk for South London ? Yes, money talks but so does family, life style and the chance to achieve something big this year. After that, who knows.
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Len_Brennan added 16:16 - Feb 9 I can't see KMcK going anywhere, when he is still on the brink of consecutive promotions, from League 1 to the Premier League, in his first 2 full seasons as a manager. On top of that, I'm sure he hasca genuine affection for the club & these players. However, he is a professional, who has had affection for other clubs previously, & the nature of the job is that you are likely to have to move around regularly, in order to follow your ambitions or pick up the pieces after a failure. Also, I don't get the comments on Palace above; they are now quite an established Premier League club, that have successfully implemented a model very similar to the one we're following. For a number of years now that have proactively identified top young talent, in key areas, at lower down clubs, & developed them into some of the most sought after players in the country, and beyond. Palace would be a good fit for KMcK, & if you don't see that, it's because you don't want to. He's not going to get one of the big six just yet, but after Brighton perhaps, it's hard to think of a more likely move for him IF Ipswich fail to go up this season. As I say, they are already established & well funded, already have a Premier League quality squad in place, & a probably £50m in additional transfer funds if they are to sell just one of their main assets. We have seen from the 3 sides that went up, that Championship squads are in no way ready to survive in the Premier League, & we'd be coming up with many who were League 1 level players just 12 months ago, if he was take us up & stay on. The biggest deal of the summer ahead for us, will be keeping our manager, even if we do go up.

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Ipswichbusiness added 16:24 - Feb 9 I was watching a YouTube video recently and a football finance expert pointed out that Leicester have their squad valued on their books at £400 million whilst Ipswich have spent £10 million. Look, KMC is like the rest of us. If he is offered promotion to a Prem Club with all its resources and a huge increase in wages then he will go; wouldn’t you? We will just have to get on with it and find a new manager (just like Brighton do).

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BlueWax added 16:34 - Feb 9 Let's do our part to keep him with us as long as possible, that includes refraining from booing...!!
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PortmanTerrorist added 16:36 - Feb 9 Nothing lasts forever, but we should enjoy these days under Kieran while we can. So when some idiots in the away end last week were getting annoyed with what we were doing on the pitch, then know that these things can factor. Keiran is no fool and if we have it in us to turn that quickly then maybe he would think another project is for him come the summer; can't see anything happening before or him leaving in the summer either if we get promoted...but he is no one's fool, so let's back him while we have him !

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MK1 added 16:51 - Feb 9 He is going to leave at some point, but hopefully not for a few seasons yet. I think he is comfortable here with the Gamechanger project. One day, just not anytime soon. (On my knees praying)
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Broadbent23 added 17:03 - Feb 9 Crystal palace is a club with no spine. It has a history of changing managers on a whim. KM would only look at Man Utd if the opportunity arose. We are on a path back to the promised land. He has the full backing of Game changer and MA. The future is bright in Suffolk.
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Burley4ever added 17:20 - Feb 9 Well he's not going to Liverpool or Palarse so let him get on with the job and if not this season then maybe next season. Anyway I still think he will end up at Man Utd as this is a step in the right direction to his ultimate goal.
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SickParrot added 19:06 - Feb 9 I agree with previous posters who believe that KM is a man of integrity who will want to honour his contract until the project he signed up for is complete. I can't see him leaving unless there is a change of ownership or he believes he has taken us as far as he can. Hopefully we will becan established Premier League club by then. When he does move on, I think it's unlikely that he would choose a club with an owner like Palace who will sack the manager after the first run of poor results.

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BeattiesBackPocket added 11:31 - Feb 10 Hoping it won’t happen as we are a bigger club bigger capacity and pack that capacity out and if we go up it’s a dead cert it won’t happen. However as much as I can’t see it happening before the end of the season should we not go up and palace wait till the summer it will depend on what support and financial backing he feels he may get to have another go next year. Rarely do the bookies get it wrong especially when that team or manager tops their respective odds. Don’t forget the bookies had us as joint second faves with Leeds and saints and Leicester dead certs and that’s come true most the season. If we don’t go up McKenna has a great bargaining tool to get backing and support from the owners but as we all know ffp is still the sticking point.

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