 Saturday, 20th Feb 2010 08:48 Ben Thatcher’s time with Town looks set to come to an end next week with Roy Keane revealing that an announcement on the left-back’s future is due in the next few days. The Blues are likely to be settling the final few months of the former Wales international’s contract. Thatcher, who joined Town from Charlton on a free transfer in the summer of 2008, signing a two-year deal, hasn’t played at all under Roy Keane’s management with the Blues boss unhappy that the ex-Manchester City and Millwall man, who lives in the London area, wasn’t prepared to move nearer to Ipswich. Keane says there will be news on Thatcher soon: “I think you’ll know over the next one or two days regarding the Ben situation. The Blues boss refused to comment directly on whether he had fallen out with the 34-year-old, but outlined the standards he expects from members of his squad: “Obviously I’ve got my ideas what a player should be about, in terms of the way he trains, the way be behaves, his timekeeping, the way the players speak to my staff and the way players treat people in the canteen. All that comes into my mindset when I’m trying to pick a team. “It’s not just what you do on the pitch, it’s how you handle yourself and that’s goes for every player at the football club. “When I mention this stuff people always throw names, whether it’s Ben or one or two other players I’ve let go, but it’s not just them, it’s my general mentality when I’m working with players; try and treat people with a bit of respect when you come in.” Keane says players are aware of what he demands from them: “Everyone knows that you’ve got to be in time for training. If players don’t show that respect to their manager and their team-mates, it’s very hard to get into my team. I have to have principles. “That doesn’t mean to say I won’t change my mindset on certain players. A few months ago people were saying ‘What’s happened to Owen Garvan?’. Owen just needed to work a bit harder and Owen’s done that. I’m not shying away from changing my mind.” Keane feels it’s very important for him to keep to these principles: “There’s certain stuff I would stick to even if it were to cost me my job. I have to do what I think is right. “I might look back in a year or two and think otherwise, but at the time the decisions I’m making I feel are the right ones. They aren’t working out at the moment, but my gut feeling is that they are the right ones. “Whether, going back to the summer, it’s letting certain players go like young Jordan, Lisbie or Steady more recently, they’ll either work out or they won’t. And if they don’t work out, there’s only one man who pays for that, not the player but me.”
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