Keane: Healy Enquiries But Hartlepool Loan Not Done Deal
Saturday, 19th Dec 2009 08:31

Boss Roy Keane has dismissed claims that midfielder Colin Healy is close to sealing a New Year loan move to Hartlepool United, but says he has received interest from a number of clubs regarding the former Cork City man. The Town manager says he has identified the players he wants to target in January and has started speaking to managers about them.

Keane says he’s yet to speak to Healy, who has rarely featured since signing in the summer, about his immediate future: ”I’ve not spoken to Colin yet, but there have been one or two phone calls regarding him.

“He played a reserve game during the week and was probably the best player on the park.

“Colin’s a good player, he came into the team when we were struggling and we’ll definitely look at that in the next few weeks.”

Healy is one of a number of squad members impressing in training and in the reserves who Keane feels need first team football: “I’ve lots of players and I want to be fair to them and there are lads in the background who are training extremely well, very, very good players, and they need some games.

”We’ve had enquiries for some of our players and I’d expect something to happen. I’d be very surprised if it didn’t, because if anyone looked at our players, especially those who haven’t been getting a game recently, they deserve to be playing in the Championship or another league, so we’ll see what happens.

“The bottom line is that they are footballers and they need to play. I think my squad is probably too big at the moment and that is a slight concern.”

Keane confirmed that he has already identified his transfer window targets but refused to elaborate too much further: “We’ll look at things in January in terms of one or two coming in and maybe one or two going and we want to have a better second half of the season than we have the first.”

The Town manager says he has started tentative talks with other bosses: “One or phone calls, that’s about it. That’s what happens, I make a few calls, I receive a few calls, have a few chats with different managers. I suppose there are a few little games going on, as you’d expect.”

One of Friday’s tabloids linked Town with a £2.5 million move for Derby striker Rob Hulse, but Rams boss Nigel Clough says he is yet to talk to any other club about any of his squad: "I've not spoken to any other manager about our players, which is how we like it.

"I expect one or two calls in January and there have already been one or two reports in the papers which seem to be pretty wide of the mark."

Before January gets under way, Keane says he will address whether to keep Stern John and Jack Colback, who are on loan from Crystal Palace and Sunderland respectively, and Arran Lee-Barrett, whose contract is up in January: “We’ll certainly have to look at that over the next week. Stern’s done fairly well for us and has been unlucky not to score one or two. He scored against Peterborough but obviously that was disallowed.

“Jack’s a very good player and I spoke to Steve Bruce about him yesterday and we’re hopeful we can do deals because the boys have done well.

“Obviously we’ve got Arran’s contract coming up in January, so we have got things to look at and I’ll do that after the Scunthorpe match because that’s the priority.”

Lee-Barrett looks set to be offered terms to take him to the end of the season, having impressed Keane since he has been at Portman Road.

Meanwhile, American trialist Devann Yao, who has been offered terms by the Blues, could be set for trials at other clubs. At least two other sides are interested in taking a look at the 19-year-old, who is still at Playford Road at present.

Town are currently negotiating compensation with some of the clubs Yao was with as a youth player. The New Yorker spent three years with French side Metz, six months each with Italian sides Livorno and Pisa and a brief spell in Scotland with St Mirren.

Photo: Action Images

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yarmoblue added 09:08 - Dec 19 keep colback and lee barrett
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biffo added 09:35 - Dec 19 mark bosnich is availible pretty handy keeper still
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Mungo added 11:24 - Dec 19

Might as well let Healy go. Can't see him getting into the team right now, and this is unlikely to change much with Norris coming back from injury. A lower risk signing that hasn't worked out.

Bosnich - Why? Lee-Barrett looks solid enough and only one more game until Murphy is eligible.

A forward should be the priority in January, particularly if John goes back to Palace

BlueJoe added 12:58 - Dec 19 please keep colback ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! !
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jas0999 added 13:22 - Dec 19

I would have thought the likes of Trotter and Healy will go out on loan, and I dare say Keane will be looking to cash in on Lisbie and offload Thatcher (if at all possible). I wouldn't be surprised if we also try to sell Priskin?

As for the loanees / out of contract players - I wouldn't keep John. Colback would be a decent signing and ALB has probably done enough to be kept on until the end of the season, although I suspect Murphy will be No. 1 next year, with Wright being released in the Summer.

ITFCALLTHEWAY added 15:13 - Dec 19 Keep Colback definatly Trotter should go no doubt about that Personally Id also like Prisken and Adam Lee Barret to stay Murphey would be a good signing wright'sa good keeper hasnt played well while on pitch
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BlueJoe added 16:28 - Dec 19 ITFCALLTHEWAY - his name is Arron Lee Barrett
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Dowson added 21:18 - Dec 19 loan healy we DONT need him ! and nothings wrong with him to play some regular footie and he will improve (touch wood) tbh why did we sign him?
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biffo added 02:36 - Dec 20 it would be great if hartlepool would take keane but i dont see it happening they are probably not that stupid
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PablosRightBoot added 11:11 - Dec 20

Healey can go. Strikes me that Keane only brought him in to help Cork out. If it helps and benefits Hartlepool then we may as well get rid of him because he is just wasting away in our reserves and is likely never to play for us again. Lee Barratt will get a deal til the summer because Keane likes having three keepers in the squad. Considering Bruce got rid of Leadbitter who was ahead of Colback in midfield, I would be very surprised if he rejected Colback staying on loan with us

tom_the_blue added 16:42 - Dec 20

I don't think Healy is a particualy bad signing. Ok, he hasn't played much, but he didn't cost much unlike Lee Martin who is truely a donkey.

And I wish people would stop saying he was signed 'to help Cork out'. We didn't need to as he was about to sign for hpool before we signed him along with another player.

And we should keep Colback, sign Begovis and a striker and get rid of Lee-Barret or use him as backup and sell Wright.

Coyb, Keeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeano

Skip73 added 19:11 - Dec 20 Loan out Martin, Priskin and sell Lisbie and Trotter if we can. Also I'd like to see us sign Grant Holt off the scum, 19 goals this season and it would definitely ruffle a few feathers up in Norfolk
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Skip73 added 19:14 - Dec 20 Tom, I don't think we'll be signing Begovic, did you see that save against Liverpool yesterday? he's on top form for Pompey, I think David James has his work cut out to get back in their side
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Castaldo added 20:58 - Dec 20 if i was keane, id sell trotter, martin, healy, thatcher, R. Wright, Lisbie. Buy, Begovic, Rosenoir, S.john, colback. Give priskin a chance, stop moanin at him he hasnt had a chance to shine, he's new to town, so give the boy a chance!
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emergencylime added 01:28 - Dec 21

I'm not convinced Hulse is a £2.5m striker, nor the striker we need right now.
How long have Watford got Cleverley on loan for? He's been knocking them in, maybe Keane can twist Fergie's arm?!
Healy would do well to go out on loan... Tempted to say Priskin would too, he seems to be slipping down the pecking order. A few starts at a loan club would help him get his edge back, unless Keane is trying the freeze-out on him (which worked wonders for Garvan and Delaney...)

BenITFCMAD added 08:16 - Dec 21 I think we should give Lee Barnard from Southend a look at. He's also been knocking them in and could be fairly cheap as Southend need all the money they can get at the moment. Another option could be Aaron Mclean he's handed in a transfer request and may want to join us.
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matt_the_blue added 08:19 - Dec 21

Castaldo - How long can people keep saying "He's new, give him a chance" etc? He's been here since August! Granted he's not had a great run in the side but look at it from Keane's point of view, if he's not putting the effort in on the pitch who are you going to play - someone who strolls back after every play towards goal or someone who's at least gonna work their socks off for 90 minutes?

brockleyblueboy added 08:29 - Dec 21

If there was any chance of getting Neil Alexander back that would be amazing. One of the best goalkeepers ever to grace the posts of Portman Road and I personally believe that if we had held onto him we would have made the playoffs.

I think it would be good to send some of these guys like trotter and Heally out on loan, just to get them playing and without any dis-respect to lower league clubs, they can put in some good performance and get the confidence up.

Also want to wish you guys and gals a very Merry Christmas and fintgers crossed for a play off push for 2010. Hey you nver know, we are only 18 points off of WBA, why not automatic promotion.

COYB

ITFC4EVER added 08:45 - Dec 21 blue joe- its Arran Lee Barratt. extend colbacks loan( bruce wont let him go coz hes young and good)buy john, wait till summer for liam.r coz hes out of contract then(i think),get a keeper on loan. ship out healy-loan, trotter-loan, martin-loan, cash in on lisbie.
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