Boss Roy Keane says the patience of the Town support was one of the reasons he chose to take the job at Portman Road in the first place. Despite last week’s critical comments regarding a lack of backing for his younger players and supporters calling on him to “sort it out” at Watford and Forest, the Blues manager says the fans have been “very good” since he first came to the club in April last year.

Keane said: “The supporters have been fine since I walked through the doors. They’ve been very good, particularly last year when they were unbelievably patient, but that’s one of the reasons I took the job. I knew I would probably get the benefit of the doubt when other fans maybe would have turned.

“It is up to me to sort it out, that’s why I enjoy being a manager. I have great faith in the players, I’ve got good staff and we’re looking forward to the Northampton game, but I also know that if you’re not winning games it creates pressure and frustration.

“The supporters are no doubt feeling that, particularly at home. I thought they got right behind the team at Forest and travelled in good numbers and they’ll be coming here expecting a good performance and we’ll do our best to try and make them happy.”

Keane has no issue with fans giving their views: “Supporters are entitled to their opinions, nobody has a problem with that, our supporters have been fine.

“My message to supporters was to get behind the younger players in certain situations in games where we might give the ball cheaply, we might be under pressure or where we might concede a goal.”

Asked whether he’s “best pals” with fans in the wake of last week’s comments, Keane says he can understand their current dissatisfaction: “I don’t know if I was ever their best pal. The fans no doubt are frustrated at the moment. I live in the real world and when you‘re losing football matches it creates tension and frustration, which we all have.

“But the message to supporters is to get behind the team, particularly the younger players, and we’ll be OK.”

Photo: Action Images

sonian_blue added 15:00 - Oct 26 Keano
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PartyDaz added 15:06 - Oct 26 COYB! All you doom-mongers - where were you during our winning start? Nowhere to be seen. Now we've lost three on the trot you're out in force. Trying getting behind the team. We had a winning start, we can start winning again. There's not many teams who go a season without having a "blip" - with a bit of luck, this is ours, then its onwards and upwards. Up the town! Keano Keano Keano.

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BlooooCD added 15:17 - Oct 26 I definately class myself as a ficcle fan!!! And I hate it.... I get so frustrated with the whole bloody thing - One minute I'm at wembley for the play off's, then I'm in a relegation battle and then I'm just mediocre! Oh what bliss being a town fan - And I wouldn't change any of it.... ha ha! Good god though, I did watch Cradiff win last night - what a difference! Hey Ho! Bloooo Army! Please let us get a convincing win tonight - 4-1 town! COYB's!

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whoppit added 15:30 - Oct 26 Unfortunately we are stuck with Keano until Marcus finally loses patience !!!! Most of our fans are just "nicey nicey" and the majority are happy and content to just have a big name in charge irrespective of how badly we do on the field. I am starting to believe that if we end up in the relegation zone, a lot of fans (Keanish etc) would still slobber over Keane for some baffling reason. The only passion I see these days from our fans is when we play the Scum. Actually, he used to describe the Sunderland fans as "passionate". He describes ours as "nice". Isn't that nice?

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cphtractor added 15:54 - Oct 26 COYB!!
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ChambersM added 15:55 - Oct 26 It's not just losing football matches keano its the manner in which we do it = your fault.
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Doctor_Albran added 15:59 - Oct 26 Whoppit if we are stuck with Keane until Marcus loses patience, who's patience has to be lost for you to go? There is a wide gap between those who are blind keane followers and you and the anti brigade - that gap is filled with the 'nice' fans who want to see Ipswich do well (irrespective of manager) and don't have an (childish) agenda either way when it comes to the manager.

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Keaneish added 16:02 - Oct 26 Sssh Whoppit, you're making yourself look silly now. Read my posts and re-read them thoroughly before you comment. I think i have stated that while i'm a big fan of Keane's and i want him to do well and us to succeed under him i'm also as frustrated as some and am demanding results improve in the next run of 5 or 6 games we have. So before you start throwing your adjectives about me around read my posts...or is it you with the blinkered view. As for passionate fans only being out against the scum i've seen plenty of passion on the road this season. And Chambers, who apart from QPR have outplayed us this season!? Yes we need more attacking impetus agreed, but now i think its you being a little melodramatic. Were you two both on the Burley and Magilton out bandwagon as well? 2-nil for me tonight.

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Karlosfandangal added 16:03 - Oct 26 Ifeel the side is better than last year. My only fear is that we have a lot of players out of contart and a manager who is out of contract at the end of the season. we could lose are manager and half the team (included loans) then we have to start all over again.
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flyingdutchman added 16:06 - Oct 26 good news then
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whoppit added 16:17 - Oct 26 Okay Keanish - home games have been pretty quiet this year. Right or wrong? I cannot comment on the away games except Forest but you could hear a pin drop in our section. Right or wrong? Will the atmosphere at the Scum home game be 100% louder than say Millwall at home? Truth is that Keano has given us crap boring football and maybe you can streak at the next game to wake a few of our dozing fans up. No wonder Keane describes us as very good !!! Most of us couldn't get excited about Christmas !!! Anyway, once Keano scrapes through tonight and loses most of his upcoming games, the pro/anti Keano arguments will cease. All it takes is a P45 Marcus !!!

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dirtydingusmagee added 16:40 - Oct 26 I take Keanes point about backing the youngsters, but when watching a game ,you are living each kick of the ball, probably talking to yourself, hopefully cheering, in the moment, when passes go astray or chances go begging,its a natural reaction to groan or shout out something.What can you do ? sit in silence [you are wrong] clap ,cheer, [and seem to be taking the piss,] We ALL want the team to do well ,its just one of those things . The weather has turned crap,its cold and wet, the fish & chips will set me up,really wanting to see a good display from the team tonight,dont want to be on here in morning at an inquest ! COYB

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Keaneish added 16:43 - Oct 26 Since when have we had an electric atmosphere at PR!? That died when they A - put seats in and B - Put a second tier in. Like it or not and i certainly don't, we don't have vociferous fans and the ones we do have are all scattered about on the bottom of the North Stand or around the ground. Of course the Norwich game will be loud, it's our biggest game of the season. I'd like to think we'd all be up for the Millwall game in the same way we were against Leeds. By the way, i'm on the same train as the Millwall boys on the way up...wish me luck!! PS: I haven't been excited about Christmas since i received Optimus Prime Whoppit!! Lets pick up this debate before the Norwich game of whether Keane should keep or lose his job getting repetitive now.

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Surco72 added 16:45 - Oct 26 Karlosfandangal.. i think that may be the plan from Mr Evans as perhaps he has lost faith in Roy ? Hopefully Keano can get us back on track and Evans may back him again in January ,if not the situation and the season could drift for a fresh start and new faces during the summer good or bad and no compensation paid out
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whoppit added 16:51 - Oct 26 Keanish, my only response is lie low if you are anywhere near Millwall fans. Second only to Cardiff for the hooligan element. Sometimes I need to remember that we are all Town fans at the end of the day. We will be both still here long after Keane and other managers have come and gone.
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Keaneish added 17:10 - Oct 26 I hear on the grapevine Ishmael Miller will be going out on loan from West Brom. Any takers on that front? He fits the bill for me. Power, Pace, height although...*ahem*, not the world's best scoring rate but he is young. And Whoppit, i know only too well. I was at the game when Millwall were relegated at PR some 14 or 15 years ago. Anyone on here remember that day!? Not one for the faint hearted!

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TownBlue1984 added 17:19 - Oct 26 Positive comments by Keano. Can't believe we're only 13 games into a new season and the boring comments about getting rid of Keane have surfaced again from the town prawn sandwidge brigade led by idiots like whoppit. Before the Coventry game we're had only lost to one of the best teams in the league, now after a tough week against two decent teams in Watford and Forest the idiots have returned. Town are a proper club and stick by their managers, so at least judge him by December and not 13 games into a new season. Tuck into your prawn sandwidges and get behind the team instead of this constant moaning.

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whoppit added 17:25 - Oct 26 Townblue1984 - I was going to respond to your post but I am too busy laughing on how you spelt "sandwidges". Thanks for the laugh !!!
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brogansnose added 17:32 - Oct 26 I'm not a keane outer or inner for that matter but his comments last week were at best unguarded and this smacks of back tracking.
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Johnny_Boy added 18:24 - Oct 26 BEEP BEEP BEEP! KEANE REVERSING.....KEANE REVERSING!
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blrmy added 18:46 - Oct 26 Bit of commercial reality... To end Keane's contract would cost Evans a lot of money, more than I suspect he is willing to spend (ie. The value of his remaining time in salary plus compensation). To sack him requires evidence of gross misconduct. Losing games is not against the terms of his contract (I would assume). Therefore Keane will either see out his contract til the end of the season, or choose to walk away and tear up his contract. To simply say "get rid of Keane" is commercially naive and a waste of your time posting it....

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jabberjackson added 19:08 - Oct 26 loving the keanish whoppit love-in - you 2 were made for eachother and as for blrmy my view is that he will have signed another contract by the end of February, and by April we will all be thanking our lucky stars that most of us including ME (and me) had a bit of patience Scotland scotland scotland scotland, born is the king of Portman Road
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nkotb_sect5 added 19:45 - Oct 26 ... a 'king legend. Scream if you wanna go faster. Keano
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nkotb_sect5 added 19:48 - Oct 26 ... a 'king legend. Scream if you wanna go faster. Keano
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Bluroo added 09:02 - Oct 27 Given what Keanes predecessors achieved I do wonder where some fans get the idea from that changing the manager is the answer to it all.
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