Boss Roy Keane once again bemoaned his side’s defending as the Blues lost 4-0 at home to Newcastle United. The Town manager felt his team conceded “unbelievably bad goals” as his team’s winless league run stretched to nine matches.

Keane said: "The game was dead and buried by half-time. We conceded some unbelievably bad goals and we just have to defend better.

"I don't know if Nolan has scored a hat-trick before but he won't get an easier chance to get one. He must have thought it was Christmas.”

The Blues boss says individual errors have been costing Town all season: "We started OK but the first goal was a bad goal to give away. The lad Nolan scored loads of goals from set pieces at Bolton, yet we let him have a free header.

"It was bad defending for the second goal as well and that knocked the confidence of the players and it was always going to be hard from that point, given the experience of the Newcastle players and their defensive record this season.

"If we are opened up with good play then fair enough, but we have been giving goals away from the start of the season and it's unacceptable."

Keane had no complaints about the boos which greeted the final whistle: "I'm not daft, a lot of supporters voiced their opinions at the end but that is fair enough. They pay their money and they are entitled to that. But we will keep going.

"We knew it was a big day for the fans and I thought they were outstanding today. It's very easy to support your team when you are winning every week but the vast majority of the fans stayed right behind the team to the end and hopefully they will see that we have young players out there that need their backing.

"We are short of confidence and we need them to keep behind the team and they did that.”

Keane says the various tributes to Sir Bobby Robson were not a distraction for his players: "It didn't affect the team, what affected them was conceding the second goal so quickly after the first.

"It should have been something to enjoy, there was a good energy in the stadium but we keep giving teams a helping hand.

"You have to cope with set pieces, it's basic stuff. There are no magic wands and confidence comes with results. The longer this run goes on then the harder it will get.

"We have our pride and it has been massively dented. It is hard to take, but we have the chance to start to put it right against Sheffield United on Tuesday.

"But if we give goals away like we did today, we will get beat on Tuesday. There is no doubt about that."

Newcastle caretaker-boss Chris Hughton felt his side put in a display which was a worthy tribute to Sir Bobby Robson: "This group of lads were all at the memorial for Sir Bobby on Monday and that was an emotional occasion.

"The players were delighted to attend and we all tried to put on a performance for Sir Bobby. It was a special result and a special performance.

"It's a wonderful feeling to go in at half-time with the cushion we had and it doesn't happen very often.

"It's a massive boost to go top. The most important thing is that we are fighting at the right end of the table.

"There are a lot of teams around us who are not dropping many points so to go top is testament to this group of lads."

Photo: Action Images

RomeoZondervan added 22:04 - Sep 26 I don't get too many matches. Can someone tell me what is going on please?
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blue added 22:12 - Sep 26 I hate to say but playoffs are far from what is expected and those who have faith in r k ,im not sure he is made for ipswich town as we know managers pick players but these are not gelling whatsoever,new manager january on the cards and evans pocket money required.WORSE ever match ive ever seen us play in 40 odd yrs.1 SHOTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT.
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Keaneish added 22:14 - Sep 26 Yep. Our defending is criminal, our team is disjointed with huge gulfs between the midfield and the forwards. We can't string more than four or five passes together and have no penetration going forward. On the plus side all can see what Keane is trying to do, but until we get a strong central defender we're not going to acheive anything, a solid platform to build from is a must. We need a Sol Campbell and we need him now. Also, wright has to come in at left back for Delaney, he's not up to it as we all rightly thought at the start of the season. Thought Tommy Smith did OK today in difficult circumstances as did Peters. Those two and Leadbitter can only take any kind of praise today. Shameful from the rest. Actually dreading our trip to Brammal Lane this week...

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SouperJim added 22:17 - Sep 26 Can't see us getting much on Tuesday. On the plus side, there are several winable fixtures coming up in October. Come on Keane, sort the defence out!
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warno added 22:23 - Sep 26 Best summed up as boys against men - oh and by the way who was the home side?
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Notts_tractor added 22:30 - Sep 26 Feel very annoyed that the club that treated Robson like sh*t is crowing about "putting on a performance for Sir Bobby". Our fans were right to point this out during the game.
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nthstd added 22:36 - Sep 26 This was a woeful performance. Keana talks and talks and there is no delivery.
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3wheeltractorboy added 22:39 - Sep 26 Sorry but until Keane goes we will continue to prop up the table!! The game tonight was an embarrassing memory to Sir Bobby. The defence needs a overhaul, the midfiled has no steel, and the forwards look lost as have no service. Keane has managed to dismantle a whole squad in just 3 months, we needed to add only a few more players to last seasons squad, but instead so many players are now out of favour. He has WASTED money on Delaney, Martin, Healy, and maybe Priskin, but time will tell on that one, as he needs a run in the team for me to make a judgement. All in all very unhappy with the way the club is run at present, but would love to be proved wrong, but cant see it at present.

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UEFA81 added 22:46 - Sep 26 Keanish said "all can see what Keane is trying to do". Yep, we sure can. He is trying to destroy my beloved football club and covering up this fact with silly excuses. The man is clueless and is not worthy of being associated with such a great club like ITFC. Tonight I am ashamed. embarrassed and truly gutted. I hate to think what the result at Bramall Lane will be!
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fugs added 23:00 - Sep 26 That was BAD. Newcastle overpowered the Town easily - they were not even trying. Yes, Newcastle are top of the league, but the worrying thing is that we can't even be sure of a point mid week against lesser opposition. I get the feeling that we are still dumbstruck about having someone like Keane as manager. The trouble is, the more games that go by without the win, the greater the serious risk of relegation. I don't think that it is too premature to talk like this. Yes, Robson had a similar bad start at the club - so shall we cling to this parallel without admitting that the RK idea has been a bad, expensive mistake? I agree with blue in that I get the feeling that RK is not right for this club. Get Joe R back - while there is (January) money to spend.....!!

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Keaneish added 23:04 - Sep 26 If Bruce and McCauley are both out on Tuesday who the front door is playing at centre back!? Smith and Balkestein? Dare i say Delaney..!!? I have found one miniscule positive to cling on to. After Tuesday we will have played all teams likely to finish in the top 6. Any solace for anyone!? After the defeat at coventry i was quite optimistic based on the performance. After today i don't want to go into work Monday!

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TractorBoy added 23:16 - Sep 26 First 20-30 mins were OK considering we were up against Newcastle but to go 3-0 down within 5mins is embarrassing. The defence is shoddy and I did'nt see any passion as a team. I feel for Jon Walters as he tries and tries but is living of scraps- as is Priskin, who I feel can be good for us. Was actually impressed with Trotter...until we opened the floodgates, then everybody gave up. If we are'nt in the top half by 2010 then Keane should go! UTT!!!

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Doctor_Albran added 23:24 - Sep 26 while we've had a terrible start to the season and were abject tonight (after the first goal) why is it always the manager who gets the blame? I thought we looked quite solid tonight until the first goal, but after that the team crumbled and it was game over within 4 1/2 minutes, tell me a manager who could avoid that? Its clear that the players have no confidence and the only thing that wil change that is winning a game (no matter how it comes), its got nothing to do with the manager. As soon as they conceded you could see Wrighty's body language was here we go again (check the TV replays). I still have confidence that we will turn it around and the sooner we get that first 3 points we can get this rubbish start out of the way and get some confidence into this team. Have faith, it will happen!! As a plus point (could there be one?), despite how poor we were tonight after we conceded, we were still 5 times better than we were against West Brom which is the worst footballing display I've ever seen! Town to win 3-1 on Tuesday

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UEFA81 added 23:28 - Sep 26 Keane: Unbelievably bad goals. Shouldn't that read 'Keane: Unbelieveably bad manager'? Just a thought like.
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alex12345 added 00:13 - Sep 27 Today was about the legend of Sir Bobby Robson and let's face it Newcastle are still a top quality side with players who back this up in the shape of kevin nolan and alan smith and the 2 rock solid center halfs,, I believe we can get a draw at Sheffield utd and win at Barnsley and this will kick start the season,, however we do need to get in on loan a quality center back and a quality striker to partner priskin and put Walters out wide where he plays best as I believe given a few games priskin can be a real asset. Today I thought the sir bobby robson stand were right with there song of "we didn't sack bobby robson". We need to give keano the time and he'll get it right, remember he said we will be promoter in TWO seasons so this season is building the team,,, however my last point of something which confused me, against a physical side like Newcastle who like to dominate the midfield why did we start two youngsters (trotter and colback) against a pairing of smith and Nolan, this is a bad decision I believe of which keane will rectify these decisions as the season progresses, also start jaime peters at left back in place of delany COYB

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PhoenixArizonaFan added 00:19 - Sep 27 I really don't know what to think about this. All I can say is thank god I am on the west coast of the US in Phoenix and no bar was open and I had to watch it at home on Setanta. I would have been embarrassed to have been sitting there with a Town shirt on. I don't want to be a doomsayer as it is only 9 games in. But seriously... It's like we have no defence at all. I'm finding little to be optimistic about these days. I won't be screaming Keane out until the end of the season. He has 37 games to sort it out as far as I am concerned. I wasn't expecting a single season miracle, but I also wasn't expecting this either.

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Mungo added 00:30 - Sep 27 Nice to see some talent on the pitch. Shame she left after singing 'My Way!' I'm guessing we weren't able to talk any of the old boys out of retirement either! Seriously though, tonight's performance was feeble. Its bad enough to give one soft goal away a game but today our defending was absolutely shocking and inexcusable, and we offered precious little going forward. There is no getting away from it, we are now in a relegation battle - fact! We're looking like going into October without a win and may well be in or around the bottom 3 for the foreseeable future. Everyone makes mistakes but we are making too many. Balkestein and Smith are both young and learning, and right now this is not a good environment for them. Bruce, while he was on the pitch tonight, was something of a liability. Delaney is vying for Finidi's title of 'worst player ever!' Richard Wright could have done better today, but i suspect that his mistakes this season stem from a lack of faith in the back 4. Its time for the board to make some decisions. Back RK or sack him: Give him money to bring in 1 or 2 (or more) good defenders and someone who can score goals or sack him and bring in someone else to try and re-invigorate the squad. Charlton went on a long winless run last year and were down by Christmas. We aren't far off that! Time to hit the panic button and do whatever needs to be done to turn this season around and prevent disaster...

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im_marcacus added 01:13 - Sep 27 Newcastle are a premiership quality side and today was always going to be tough in our current form. First half an hour until the first goal we looked good, passing it about, looking threatening, I was impressed with the midfield and compared to the last game I managed to get to (Leicester) we were playing a world above, it's a shame we imploded after the first goal. Keano was pushed into playing 5 in midfield with, as expected, Butt Smith & Nolan breaking up & controlling everything, but we don't have the striker to play 1 up front. the teams got no confidence, but you can see it's coming. Just one result and things could change though, was impressed in the improvement in Trotter, Colback looked busy and up for it, and Leadbitter looks a quality purchase. A little more time and things could click well, we have a very young and generally inexperienced squad but remember Keano signed up for two years, and I would rather he built a new team quietly this season and push for promotion when ready next year, than see us fluke promotion and do a derby... Every fan needs to get behind the whole team, they're our lads and need our support, COYB!

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kerryblue added 02:52 - Sep 27 Play 4-4-2 with stead and pablo upfront,dickie in goal with rosenior rb and peters lb,bruce and mcauley in cb,walters,garvan,leadbitter& edwards mf and balance the team roy ,your tactics were b@lls wrong and stop dropping players as their getting peed off with you and obs aint afraid of you,it takes a man to admit hes wrong so get some spirit bk into the team or im afraid walking triggs will be your job .I really think you have 3 games left to do your job ,hope you do.

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kerryblue added 02:56 - Sep 27 If things dont get better I can see some B&B coming back to Town,Burley & Butcher but hope Roy proves me wrong hes more like Frank Spencer than Keano at the min.
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maimeetang added 03:56 - Sep 27 Bring Back Burley!!!!!!!!!!!
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jesus added 04:14 - Sep 27 frank spencer :)
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StowTractorBoy added 04:36 - Sep 27 Its frightening to read about the comparison with Charlton last season but this is all so similar. Once you get stuck into the bottom 3 it is very very difficult to get out of and I really do fear the worst now. The trouble is if you sack the Manager the new man will need more time to introduce his systems and get in his players. I cannot understand what our coaches do all week as our defending is woeful - why can't we keep a clean sheet for goodness sake. After next weekend we will have played 11 games and will be bottom of the league if we are not careful. With this bunch of defenders we will go down - ah well I counted 5 new grounds for me next season in Division 1. I don't suppose I can complain as I have never seen ITFC outside the top two divisions but this is now a real possibility.

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tractorgirls added 06:19 - Sep 27 some of the commens on here are laughable... someone said get joe royle back, last seasonhe took Oldham from a play-off position on an 8 game beaten streak and ended up mid-table..
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Trickster added 06:47 - Sep 27 This Is NOT an Ipswich town team, I didnt mind our maggy team but that was a town team this is not a team we want
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