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

generalpublic added 05:58 - Jun 18 we are positive keane is not the man to take us up.sounds like hes not convinced of his management skills himself
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depressed added 08:00 - Jun 18 All this negative posting by some is having an effect....It's putting me and no doubt many others from even coming on this web site. Constant whingeing about RK... who town are being linked with... M.E...and so on does my head in . Get out, enjoy the sun, take a holiday but please, do us a favour and leave your P.Cs switched off.( At least untill Aug )
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callmeted added 08:13 - Jun 18 now heres an idea for atmosphere. Why dont the whole of our 'infamous' North stand all get together and try and generate the atmosphere by all singing together. For the record i have done my time both home and away in the North stand and afar and now sit and watch with my family in the West Stand ( shows how old I am and its only natural to give way to the younger element). I see a group of lads called section 6 singing their arses off all game and no one joining in from the centre of the North Stand. I happened to chance on a contingent from the centre section in the pub before a game and asked them why they dont join in and was told " we dont like them"!! Come on . They are trying their hardest to generate an atmosphere. Because of seating and no one giving up their seats ( and i know, why should they) the section 6 are stuck up in the corner so no one else can here them. In the days of standing there was a natural migartion for the younger to take the middle and getting the singing going. Surely for the good of the club then pride, if thats what it is, can be swallowed and all get behind the team. If not then section 6 a suggestion, break up where you are take the unallocated seats behind the North Stand goal. Maybe then we could also have fresher chants than the obvious ones match in match out For me, as an observer, these lads should have won an award last season for their sheer persistence alone. Just an observation from someone who really wants to be 20 again!"!

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callmeted added 08:17 - Jun 18 if this is out of context for this forum its because it should have been in the vuvuzela discussion!! oh well
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Vic added 08:23 - Jun 18 Window opened after last day of the season apparently brockley blue. seems to be a lot of confusion on this, but Phil has confirmed that it's open. However, as many players contracts run until the end of June that's when the Bosmans and frees are likely to be available to sign.
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adampasty added 08:49 - Jun 18 bl**dy hell people! grow up! Keane is the manager... and he come out and been honest... that is a tough start but that will look even better wen we are in the top 6 in the first 10games! keane is the man to take this club forward... if you dont like it dont watch it... i wont miss you and im sure the rest if us FANS wont either!
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pitseablue added 09:36 - Jun 18 Well said adampasty.....What ever Keane says, some on here will have a go at. Support your team and manager or go!
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Gonefishing added 09:48 - Jun 18 If the hopeless quiet boys in the middle of the NS move out for a new generation and Keane leaves then going to PR may be worth the cost again. Otherwise I'm taking the advice of the "true" supporters and leaving well alone. I think we'll have 2 points by mid-september.
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joeippy01 added 09:55 - Jun 18 how can we be positive when we have NOTHING TO BE POSITIVE ABOUT,
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joeippy01 added 10:01 - Jun 18 IF WE DONT GET KEANE OUT BEFORE THE START OF THE SEASON THEN WE HAVE NO CHANCE OF STAYING UP!
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DrJeckyll added 10:11 - Jun 18 they say that those with nothing to say shout the loudest :-) ^
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DrJeckyll added 10:17 - Jun 18 I used to be embarassed by some of the retards that write on here, until i took a look at some other clubs fan sites and saw that they have their own share of idiots as well, in fact i'm starting to wonder if it's the same people logging on to all the websites to spread their 'darkness' and try and bring the rest of us down to share in their miserable existence
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DrJeckyll added 10:19 - Jun 18 p.s. how can anyone take an elvis impersonator seriously :-)
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bluearmy4life added 10:48 - Jun 18 A lot of town fans faith in keane has gone due to are poor season and performances week in week out. At the moment there is nothing to get excited about apart from the promising connor wickham thats it. If we can start signing players NOW im sure everyone will be excited and feeling optimistic about next season. To be honest if keane does'nt sign anybody before the start of next season his job will be hanging by a thread.

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corshamblue added 11:01 - Jun 18 I'm sure half the comments on here come from Norwich Fans! For crying out loud, if you've nothing positive or supportive to say then bugger off . . . I've had it with Keano Out, and hurling abuse at the players. Look at McAuley, Player of the Year buy some margin and not given the time of day on here for the first 3 months, he carried a Thigh injury that was played down and struggled to find form with both the South & North Stands greeting him with stupid remarks for most of the Summer ... Ipswich Fans? I doubt it.

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Monkey_Blue added 11:09 - Jun 18 Problem is all most of keanes signings were furthest from the player of the year... POTY, Captain, top goal scorer all here before he arived. The problem is that the things keane has done are directly responsible for our season being so bad. I am not a fan of sacking managers without giving them a chance, but keane is clearly not a good manager and had to spend 40m to keep sunderland in the prem by the skin of their teeth(three points off the bottom and 3rd worst goals for). Left having spent another 30m with the club in the bottom 3. Is it any wonder fans feel his presence is the cause of the problems not the solution. The problems he has to solve didn't exist before he got here

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rockstar1981 added 11:35 - Jun 18 Luke8644 - great post, there are some whinging fairies who come on here saying that they support Town but just look for any excuse to slag off Keane. It's quite simple get behind the team AND Keane right from the start of the season or if not p*ss off to Carrow 'Scummer' Road where you are probably from anyway
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Monkey_Blue added 12:54 - Jun 18 rockstar1981 you are an idiot if you think supporting the club means suspending reality. If fans dont believe keane is the right man to lead the club how dare you suggest they should go elsewhere. You are clearly of the opinion that being a fan involves having no opinion and not being passionate about the club and where it goes. Right or wrong, this is a forum where opinions are needed. You don't have a clue what a real fan is...and |I speak as someone who has had many seasons home and away and supported the club for 32 years. What those who want keane out are saying is him being here hurts their club, its no different to wanting a government out or do you suggest no matter what the results of policies and no matter what you believe in you dont criticise the government? Grow up and enjoy the differences of opinion

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joeippy01 added 14:25 - Jun 18 great point monkey man, i cant see how if keane stays we will stay up, i want us the be pushing for the playoffs if not automatic but with keane thats just impossible, more chance of winning the lotto, i wudnt be surprised if attendences got even worse next season and dropped below the 15,000 mark. well makes no difference though as theres never any noise anyway. KEANE IS RUINING IPSWICH AND I HATE IT.

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rockstar1981 added 14:53 - Jun 18 lol @ monkey_blue "You don't have a clue what a real fan is" no I have only been a season ticket holder for the past 9 years and been to a large majority of away games. Hope you have put your dummy back in by now, what I was pointing out was blatantly the obvious in that there are muppets on here who sit around all day at home/work waiting for one little sentence that RK comes out with that they don't like/agree with and start the anti-Keane rants. If you have supported the club for 32 years then all the best to you, surely you should know then better than most that "a real fan" as you would put it supports the club (including manager) through thick and thin?

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stinkiusminkius added 15:32 - Jun 18 You know what, you can actually be a REAL fan AND support the team, but also be concerned about the manager and what he's doing to the club. At games I cheer the team and never boo anyone, BUT I also think that keane is doing more harm than good for the club, and this being a forum for sharing opinions and having debates about ITFC is where I can write. All the pro keaners who don't believe other opinions should be allowed should retrieve their toys into their prams.

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north_stand77 added 16:18 - Jun 18 bluearmy4life - I am interested to know where you have heard/read that Roy Keanes job is hanging by a thread? I have read ITFC official website, studied quotes from Simon Clegg and have never found any qoute from Marcus Evens stating that that is the case. Do you think you might have made that bit up??
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Monkey_Blue added 16:21 - Jun 18 What rockstar says is that we should all come on here and say "three cheers for mr keane". I support the team, I love the club, which is why keanes prese3nce worries me. If we go 14 games without a win Rockstar will still be on here telling us we shouldn't criticise the manager otherwise we aren't real fans. In all the years I have supported town keane is only the second manager i have hoped got the sack, royle being the other. I agree some do stray in their posts regarding wanting keane out, but just as many type nonsense in his defence...which rockstar your are very close to doing yourself. The facts dont support keane, and only blind loyalty would lead yoiu to say his appointment has been anything other than a negative

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bluearmy4life added 18:27 - Jun 18 North stand_ 77- I should of wrote could be hanging by a thread! But i hope we do sign some players 2 or three additions could hopefully give us the big boost we need!
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north_stand77 added 22:10 - Jun 18 bluearmy - dont disagree with that at all re; signings. Need a couple of players IMO, a midfielder with flair and a player to compliment Connor when he plays to bring out the best in him, preferably an experienced striker. We need to get excited and its still possible Keane can make that happen. Its a shame not all supporters can put their negative views aside for the sake of the players. It wont cost them anything and with the fans uniting and acting as the 12th man, it might even result in us all being happy ultimately.

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