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Keane Looking for Two More Strikers
Keane Looking for Two More Strikers
Monday, 3rd Aug 2009 08:46

Boss Roy Keane has confirmed that he is looking to add two strikers to his squad before the transfer window ends on August 31st. The Blues' boss was spotted at Watford on Saturday, with Hornets' frontman Tamás Priskin understood to be the reason for his trip.

Keane told the club site: In terms of numbers we are covered defensively and we are OK in midfield.

"I'd like to add to our attacking positions, though. We've got some good young prospects, lads like Connor and Reggie, Lee Martin can play off the front, Jon Walters can do a job there and obviously Jon Stead.

"Hopefully, Pablo will be back in the group soon when he gets over the injury, but maybe we need another one or two strikers in. There is a lot of work to be done though before that happens, trust me."

Keane, however, suggests that one move may not be too far from being completed: "There is the possibility something can be done in the next 24 hours."

That man may not necessarily be a striker though, with Keane saying that a midfielder is also on his radar: "I might be close to signing another midfielder in the next few days."

While no midfielders have been strongly linked in recent weeks, Celta Vigo youngster Joselu is another striker understood to be on the Town manager's wish-list. The 19-year-old is likely to command a fee of around €2 million (£1.7 million).

Meanwhile, Keane says the fee Town will receive for striker Jordan Rhodes from Huddersfield will reflect the 19-year-old's success with the Terriers.

Rhodes joined Huddersfield last week for a fee which will ultimately be worth £850,000 with the larger part of that cash up front.

Keane says the bid was too good to snub for a player who was most likely to be a regular sub rather than a starter this season: "The offer that came in was acceptable. I'm under no illusion that, unfortunately, I have to let one or two players go to bring in one or two of my own players.

"I have already paid out to bring in Lee Martin and Damien Delaney and the club spent decent money last year, so you can't hold on to everybody.

"As much as I think Jordan has a good chance, that will be reflected in the fee and what will come in for him over the next few years.

"It was certainly a difficult decision without a shadow of a doubt, but that is part of my job."

Chief executive Simon Clegg says the Blues will continue to consider bids if they are made: "We need to look at offers when they come in and when we get realistic offers even for good players then on occasions we are going to have to let those players go.

"I have made it clear that I intend to run this club on very tight financial reins, although this was a football decision. Roy and I work very closely on all of these matters."

Elsewhere, former Blues boss Jim Magilton says his squad at QPR is better than the one he left at Portman Road: "There is more quality here without any shadow of a doubt. There’s more quality all over the park and more experience too.

"The application and attitude of the players has been first class from the moment I arrived.

"We're now hoping to get off to a good start and build from there. I feel we're ready for next week now - the players have set the standard."


Photo: Action Images



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FabianMalyon added 09:00 - Aug 3
Quick tip Roy.. Don't sell all your current strikers unless you have replacements lined up. Especially if the ones you're selling are top young prospects..

I'm keeping the faith but am a bit concerned by the 'quality' of players we seem to be attracting and the apparent abandonment of our youth scheme..

Would never happen with Wilnis as Manager..
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Dogsy40 added 09:02 - Aug 3
Need 2 more strikers!! I hear there is a huge talent at Huddersfield, I believe his name is Jordan Rhodes!!!! I would have preferred to keep and up and coming striker on the books than pay 1 million for priskin (I think Priskin is a good player but it seems like we are taking 2 steps backwards then 1 forward). But I'm sure Keano knows what he is doing.

Oh and Magilton, what a great club stalwart but he speaks more crap than a car saleman.
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tractorintheloft added 09:03 - Aug 3
JM has just admitted his failures as a manager at Town if 12m spent can't eclipse QPR.
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Big_Foot_Blue added 09:03 - Aug 3
This sounds very promising! Keane has had his plan and stuck to it. First he sorted out the defence with Delainey, then he tried to sort out midfield with Martin and Healy and now he's looking for the forwards.

This has somewhat reassured me but at the least it ensures we have some excitement towards the end of the transfer window.

Wont Jim look a little bit thick if Ipswich finish above QPR now! :P
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kiwiblue added 09:15 - Aug 3
its all about to start with a new season and a new team with exciting new players under a new manager. heard it all before, bulls**t baffles brains but lets hope this time the bulls**t works. lets get behind them come on town. oh and a new fan site which is not a bullsh*t one its a good one so a good start well done you guys
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BlueMagic added 09:31 - Aug 3
Suprised no-one has mentioned the fact that he didn't mention Lisbie in that list of strikers. Somethings telling me that Lisbie is so far down the pecking order these days that even Lambe would get a starting oppurtunity over him. I reckon his days are numbered.

And I see Jim's being is usual "I am better than life" persona.
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Cr0wman added 09:41 - Aug 3
BlueMagic... really good point about Lisbie.. well spotted, that has cheered me up no end :)
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parkinshair added 09:59 - Aug 3
I noticed Keane did'nt mention Lisbie in he's role call of strikers! I seem to remember Billy Sharp who has been transfer listed by Shefeild being a handy player a couple of years ago, surely he could do a job! Good old Jim, who else would say the squad you inherrit at a new club is better than the one YOU built at the old. HA HA! Never mind QPR will have to put up with the old "I thought we passed the ball very well at times" and "We just lacked that little bit of quality" lines week in week out at post match interveiws.
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barmyarmy added 10:13 - Aug 3
just because keane says that he wants two more strickers dosent mean that town will get two more. the quality of players we need to attract to gain promotion will not come to a second rate championship team. we need to have a good season and hopefully we can fall just behind the big teams e.g. newcastle. then next year town will be a more attractive prospect. DONT EXPECT TOO MUCH TOO SOON!
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steve01777 added 10:17 - Aug 3
FOR JIM MAGILTON TO COME OUT AND SAY THAT IS A BIT OF A JOKE IS HE HAVING A GIRAFFE LETS SEE AT THE END OF THE SEASON WHO IS THE BETTER SIDE ANOTHER STUPID STATEMENT FROM AN AVERAGE MANAGER WHO SEEMS TO EXCEL IN MAKING BAD DECISIONS COME ON JIM STOP KIDDING YOURSELF YOU ARE NOT MAKING THINGS ANY BETTER AND QPR IS GONNA BE AN EVEN HIGHER HURDLE TO TRY AND GET OVER I DONT THINK THE BOARD THERE WILL BE AS FORGIVING AS YOU HAVE KNOWN B4 ROLL ON THE WEEKEND FOR THE START OF THIS NEW SEASON CANT BLOODY WAIT UP THE TOWN
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Pajak added 10:26 - Aug 3
Talking about Lisbie,Did any one see the 2009/10 squad in the evening star last week,Lisbie was not even in the Picture.
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BlueBoots added 10:43 - Aug 3
LOTS of interesting points in the article...

1) RK is looking to add "1 or 2 strikers" - As we seem set to play 4-3-3 / 4-5-1 this seaon, I think 1 central striker might be enough (competition / cover for Stead / Wickham). 2 strikers would probably limit Wickham's opportunities to develop as part of the First Team squad.

2) I recall reading somewhere that Lisbie mentioned he'd rented "an apartment" in Ipswich? As RK didn't even mention him among his strikers, I'm guessing that didn't involve relocating his family to show his long term commitment to the club, so that might be it for him... (BTW, wasn't Thatcher the other player that didn't live near enough to the training ground for RK's liking?)

3) I seem to be in the minority that was happy to see RK sell JR. Just short of £1m (and from one of RK's comments - "that will be reflected in the fee and what will come in for him over the next few years" - it looks like we've got a sell-on clause) for a player that hasn't started a game for Ipswich, was destined to play a subs role this season, is unproven above League 2 level, and may or may not make the grade at CCC level, is IMHO a good deal and good management. Great to see that RK is not throwing Marcus Evans's money around the way JM did last season - the sales of JR, Shumi and Danny Haynes will pretty much pay for Lee Martin & Delaney, so his transfer budget to bring in a quality striker should be nice and healthy! ;^D

4) As for Jim Magilton saying his squad at QPR is better than the current Ipswich squad, I've now lost any respect I had left for the man. He had 3 years, £12m and an excellent youth academy to build his squad; if it wasn't up to scratch, who would be to blame...?
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saturday_superhouse added 11:22 - Aug 3
Interesting that Keane doesn't seem to include Lisbie when talking about striking options, on his way aswell maybe?
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Johnny_Boy added 11:47 - Aug 3
Keane Looking for Two More Strikers..........or possibly a midfielder.

Scatter gun approach. I like it.
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Blue_Showboat added 11:56 - Aug 3
I can see at least one of the two strikers coming in on loan, which wouldnt be such a bad thing. It seems we have been struggling to attract players, so if we can call in some good loans and put ourselves near the top by Christmas and the Jan transfer window I'd imagine players might be more likely to make the move with the chance of promotion to the Prem.

As for Jordan Rhodes, personally I would have liked to see him here for one more year and fight for a place in the team, especially with 7 subs this year he would have been more likely to get his chances, and I think given time him and Wickham would have complemented each other well!! However, it would seem that Keane rates Wickham (and rightly so), so if he does get in two more strikers Rhodes would have at best be 5th choice striker, and for the money offered it wasnt a bad deal, and was probably the best move for Rhodes, so good luck to him.

Jim "sour grapes" Magilton back to his best chatting crap as well, obviously he is hardly likely to say Ipswich are better, but he had enough money and time to put together the squad he wanted, which he did so really he is admitting the poor job he did here, but I just dont understand why he needed to make the comparison to Ipswich at all, just makes him sound a bit bitter, which is a shame because he was a good servant to the club and the comment is sure to get a few town fans backs up!!!
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cthomas17 added 11:57 - Aug 3
Magiltons comments are funny considering he spent a lot of money on that squad. Would love RK to go all out to bring Gio back seems surplus to requirements at Spurs.
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devontractorboy added 12:09 - Aug 3
Magilton if you were such a great manager how come you left such an inferior squad behind after spending £12M??????????
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BranthamBlue added 13:29 - Aug 3
Would like to see RK bring in a striker with a bit of pace isn't beckford on the transfer list at leeds?
As for jm comment on the squad that is better at qpr thats probaly because he never signed any of them and just because you have a better squad it dosen't make you a better manager.
We'll see at the end of the season with us pushing for promotion and jim probaly been sacked with qpr in a mid table position.
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blue89 added 13:37 - Aug 3
1 loan and 1 pemanent!
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ryan_tractorboy added 14:03 - Aug 3
Forget what Magilton says it irrelevant, we do need a striker or two. I would love us to get Billy Sharp and/or Jermaine Beckford, both been on/are on Transfer List.

As for us being a Second Rate Championship Team, who are we second rate to...
What Sheffeild United....Watford.....Preston....haha.
The Bookies place us as favourites behind the three Relegated Teams, thats gotta mean something. I think Keane has Identifyed we have a Strong Squad already with a Few Positions that need strengthening, we lacked any leadership under Magilton. Keane is the Man to get the best out of these players and wont put up with what happened last season.

We can Attract players of Sufficent Calibre who do you want Wayne Rooney? Where do you think some of the best players have come from, the lower leagues. Where do you think Ipswich has got most of our Good Players from, Walters being a Recent one. Marcus Stewart, he came from huddelesfield. Just because we have money dosent mean we should waste it, Fringemen from Premier Teams are not worth it as
1 They Want too much Money
2 If they were good enough, they wouldnt be Fringemen.
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WickedBlue added 14:07 - Aug 3
Keane is the manager its his team, so who he sells or who he buys is down to him not me or you...support him.
As for JM what do you expect him to say? My team is crap compared to the team I left at PR? Get real morons! JM is gone I wish him all the best and think he is going to do extremely well I only hope it isn't going to bite us though.
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ryan_tractorboy added 14:10 - Aug 3
well said WickedBlue.
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StavangerBlue added 14:17 - Aug 3
It goes to show that even with MEs money we cannot attract quality players when basement Premier teams can offer more lucrative contracts. RK has done the JM thing of ringing his buddies (nearly every player from the Cork area) to see if they'll come on board but that to a degree has failed. The sale of Rhodes to Hudders' is something I did not want to see. I hoped he'd be given an opportunity by RK to show his stuff. I hope RK is correct in letting him go.

It says a lot when Man Utd won the FA Youth Cup it shaped their team for nearly a decade to come. Ipswich won it back in the 70s and it gave us the likes of John Wark. We won it recently but JM never seemed to give any of the players a real chance.

Ipswich need to look at the Ajax system and possibly bring in some young talent. Yes by all means push for the Premier but cast an eye to the future. Bring in the youngsters now and get them playing in the Reserves and Academy as a team, then start bringing them through. I'd rather see Town loose 0-1 with a team with an average age less than 24 and finish 15th than see us finish 9th again with an aging team.

I have faith but when the likes of Hull, Stoke and Portsmouth can attract better and proven players it worries me. These are teams we've been traditionally better than. It breaks my heart to see where Town are. Thank heavens JM didn't plough us into Division One!

Regarding his comment...well after some of the performances last year where we displayed all the tactical awareness of a chicken with it's head cut off, I will be surprised if QPR will be successful under his direction. Maybe the revolving door on the Managers office has not yet quite stop at Loftus Road!?
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townturkey added 14:18 - Aug 3
Hopefully this will appease those questioning the Rhodes sale. While sad to him go he would not have been first choice so hopefully Keane is bringing some proven quality in.
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StavangerBlue added 14:22 - Aug 3
I do not get the feeling RK has any strikers lined up. Everyone seems to assume that he sold Rhodes because he's got a hot prospect lined up. I personally feel he's still looking for "that" striker but maybe with Rhodes gone he can offer a more lucrative contract?
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