Boss Roy Keane says Town have been handed a tough start to the season, particularly with trips to Middlesbrough and Exeter in the Carling Cup in the opening week. The Blues 2010/11 npower Championship fixtures were announced this morning.

Keane told the club site: "It's going to be a busy first week with plenty of travelling. On paper it's a tough start. Middlesbrough had a disappointing season last year, like ourselves, but their manager [Gordon Strachan] will have his first pre-season and sometimes it takes a club a year to adapt to being in the Championship.

"I expect them to be among the pre-season favourites for promotion, just as Burnley will be. They budgeted well in the Premier League and I don't think they have sold too many players.

"They will probably be able to invest in their squad as well, so they will be among the fancied teams.

"We have also got Crystal Palace early on and they beat us twice last year, so it looks a tough start for us, but we have certainly got to begin better than we did last year."

Boro boss Strachan expects half the division to be chasing the promotion places: "Ipswich will want to go up, like ourselves, as will Leicester and Sheffield United, who we also play early on.

"But there'll be about 12 teams saying the same things and believing they can win promotion."

Meanwhile, the Teessiders are reported to be the favourites to land Charlton midfielder Nicky Bailey, who is also believed to be interesting Town and Norwich City.

Celtic are also claimed to be chasing the former Southend man with his price now claimed to be somewhere around £1.5 million, double the price previously reported.

Elsewhere, central defender Gareth McAuley has helped launch a new £725,000 multi-sports arena in Larne back home in Northern Ireland.

Former boss George Burley has been confirmed as the new manager of Crystal Palace with Dougie Freedman as his assistant.

Photo: Action Images

ipswichdj added 16:17 - Jun 17 if exeter is tough in his eyes we are buggered!
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homer_123 added 16:19 - Jun 17 Well Roy, if you had gained promotion last year, as you said you would like to do then at least a tough start to the season would be in the Premiership. Stop blubbing - you've got to play all the teams anyway.
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joeippy01 added 16:34 - Jun 17 grow up keane your speaking negative already, get him out asap he is ruining our football club :@
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Bluetone added 16:45 - Jun 17 If its going to be tough it is time you got off your rear and started to earn your corn. Better still just GO.
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southernblue added 16:46 - Jun 17 Nice to see such positive comments about our manager! I wonder how many people hope we get off to a bad start just so Keane gets sacked? Quite a few it would appear.
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OnlyOneSirBobby added 16:49 - Jun 17 firstly, ipswichdj, he is referring to the amount of travelling we have to do early on. exeter is the furtherest we could have gone in that draw, and boro is furtherest league game away as for the other comments about him talking negative already...hes only saying what we fans are saying. on paper it is a tough start, which is exactly what roy has said, whilst i respect people are entitled to their opinions on him, sometimes its pretty pathetic!! and when you're having a go at him for saying what he thinks and what we're all thinking, then thats pathetic

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OnlyOneSirBobby added 16:51 - Jun 17 southernblue, i fear you may be spot on there....quite pathetic
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Suffolk_n_Good added 17:18 - Jun 17 Agreed Southernblue & OnlyOneSirBobby, some of these comments are pathetic....
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chislehurstblue added 17:20 - Jun 17 We need to understand that almost everybody on this board wants Keane to fail. I have never heard such a bunch of negative people in my life, some of you must lead really boring negative, unpleasant lives to always be so unhappy. I fear whatever Keane does will not win people over. If he signed Messi and we won the Champions league in 3 years time some people would still be unhappy with Keane. We have been crying out for a decent striker (ie not Pablo who most seem to love) and we look to sign Chopra and people are moaning about him already and he has not even signed!!! Unbelieveable. I knows its about opinions, but some need to be slightly more positive about things. It could be a lot worse.

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samassiabou added 17:20 - Jun 17 Yeah keep the negative comments to a minimum, the season doesnt even start for another 2 months! Keane will get us into the top 6 next/this season, im sure of that. Keep the faith and get behind the team for a change! C.O.Y.B!!!!!!
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Luke8644 added 17:29 - Jun 17 this is pafetic! you absolute tarts are saying to keane that he is being "negative", but only this morning you lot were saying its going to be tough, but just because keane has said something, everyone joins the band wagon and disrespects him, this is not ipswich fans, this is just absolute fannies, that hate keane and want the team to fail because of keane, you sicken me, we have 3 tough teams in burnley, middlesborough and pompey in august and they were all in the prem at least 2 seasons ago, and 2 are away, you lot are sad, but those of you who are positive, nice too see we do actually have true fans! COYB!

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IpswichElvis added 17:56 - Jun 17 I think ME is too scared to sack Keane in case he gets his knee fixed !!! We will be lucky to be in the top 16 next year under Keano the witless.
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tractorboy93 added 18:32 - Jun 17 Tricky start. I hope we pick up some decent points, but if we don't Keane could find himself looking for a job quite early in the season.
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Bergholtblue added 18:53 - Jun 17 It is a tricky start, the run in is not easy and the bits in the middle are non too promising either. This is not going to be easy, thats why we need to be 100% behind the club. Thats the team, manager, coaching staff, administrators and any one else associated. Stop moaning and start supporting!
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Deanoipswich4ever added 20:16 - Jun 17 We may hav a quite a tough start but i think we will draw against middlebough and probz draw against burnley, we'll beat exter in the league cup 4 sure. :) also keep behind keane :)
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evansblue added 20:46 - Jun 17 its a tough league with no easy teams. Seeing the fixtures gets you excited and up for it though. I can not believe some of the anti keane stuff. Do us all a favour and stop going. I am sure we will cope without you. You have a choice
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naaridge1coly7 added 20:57 - Jun 17 just sack the no hoper,yet again no signings,no-one wants to come here with this muppet at the helm still.
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These_arent_the_days added 21:15 - Jun 17 Let's be positve for a change. Keane Out!
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shaunest1 added 22:03 - Jun 17 lets b honest, evry1 on here loves town, but keane isNOT the man to lead us forward, we shud not b worried bout middsborough, burnley etc, let them b wary o f us, but with no signings,keanes negative talk already,its not loooking good
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Vic added 22:13 - Jun 17 shaunest1 - I note that that is your first comment on here; I can only hope it's your last if thats the best you can do. Lots of travelling in that first couple of weeks, but getting some points on the board in those early matches will instill confidence at the start of the season and set up well for what we all hope (I think) will see us end up in the top 6 and, with a fair wind, in the top two.

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north_stand77 added 22:40 - Jun 17 It is clear that some 'contributers' to this site would rather critisise the Ipswich manager, at all available opportunities, than support Ipswich Town. Why?? The priority is to get behind EVERYBODY at the Club and that includes Roy Keane. Genuine supporters will realise that any negativity is passed on to the players. Therefore all this negativity can only be to the detriment of the Club. Open up your minds to the possibility that Ipswich and RK could do well this season, which is not going to be easy for any Championship Club. Keane outers are wasting there energy - its not their decision.

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Mungo added 22:45 - Jun 17 It's going to be a tough start to what is going to be a long and difficult season. The first 8 games or so include some difficult games and a lot of travelling, but it doesn't really get much easier throughout the rest of the season. Its going to be another tight competitive league. There is an opportunity here though. If the team can perform well during that difficult start and average say 1.5 points per game, that will provide a good platform to build on over the rest of the season.

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shaunest1 added 22:50 - Jun 17 Re Vic It may be my first post but i have a lifelong commitment to town and think my opinion is as valid as anyones, and i also think Ipswich Elvis talks alot of sense.
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Dolly2.0 added 23:00 - Jun 17 Never ceases to amaze me, all the pathetic impatient loonies on here. Keane has been in charge ONE season FFS. I imagine you're just a bunch of spoilt kids who get upset if you don't get what you want immediately. If not, gawd 'elp us
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brockleyblueboy added 03:53 - Jun 18 The anti keane stuff is getting beyond a joke. And the reason there is no signings is BECAUSE THE TRANSFER WINDOW DOESN'T OPEN TILL 1ST OF JULY. Get a grip. We had a stumble last season, but we have a decent squad and with the promising Connor Wickham and a couple more signings (Civelli's coming back) We will do alright. I know the old "we are all welcome to our opinion" but why throw negative coments out there? They serve no purpose. Keanes our manager and we have to stand by him. BTW Ipswich Elvis have you ever been to an ipswich game? You have no clue and your comments are that of retarded sloth. Grow up. Keane is damned if does and damned if he doesn't.

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