Town boss Roy Keane says young defender Tom Eastman has done “brilliantly” since he came into the first team and says he’s not looking to sign another right-back. Eastman, primarily a central defender, has been the Blues’ regular right full-back in recent weeks.

Keane said: “I don’t think right-back is a major problem for us. Tom Eastman’s done brilliant for us, [the Derby game] was his first defeat in the first team this season. He’s played eight games for us and that was the first loss.”

The Blues boss, who kept his players in their dressing room for just over an hour after Tuesday’s match, says the youngsters need the support of more senior players when they’re having difficult evenings: “He’s three months out of the youth team, he’s been brilliant for us and is going to have a great future ahead of him, but Tom, like other players, is entitled to an off-night.

“But when they have an off-night they need players to help them out, same with Connor Wickham. They’re two players just out of the youth team. If you think those two boys are going to get us out of the league, then you’re kidding yourselves.

“Tom Eastman’s done brilliantly, I’m delighted with Tom. Tom’s the least of my worries. We’ve also got other right-backs such as Jaime Peters and Troy Brown.”

Having ruled defender Gareth McAuley out of Saturday’s game with Barnsley straight after the Derby match Keane now says the Northern Irishman does have some chance of making it, albeit a slim one. He told the club site: "We had to take Gareth off with the injury and he is very doubtful for the weekend.

"He has been struggling for a week or two with an achilles problem and was touch and go for Tuesday night as it was.

"David Norris is unlikely to make it as well. As often happens with ankle injuries, if they don't settle down in a week they can become a problem."

Skipper Norris, who is the subject of a new billboard at Ipswich Station, picked up the ankle problem in the Millwall match. Grant Leadbitter is suspended from Saturday’s game having reached five bookings.

Photo: Action Images

StowTractorBoy added 13:18 - Nov 11 Surco - Rosenior is now plying his trade with Hull City.
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jbb added 13:20 - Nov 11 RK's comment about supporters wasnt very wise, but there are few managers in the game who would disagree with that sentiment, and there is plenty of evidence on this site to prove it. "You cant play a natural centre back at full back"- I dont think anyone would accuse Johnny Evans, Wes Brown, Mikael Silvestre, John O'Shea of being natural overlapping full backs. It is very common and wise to play a promising young centre back at full back. I expect the so call fans that are currently booing Eastman to be hiding their heads in shame in future when he is a key player in the first 11. I stated on here prior to first game of the season, that Peters was not up to it defensively, he proved that again on Tuesday night (second goal). If a Derry or a Savage was signed pre season, there would be the luxury of playing attacking full backs. The club is obviously being run on a very tight budget, and there are at least 6/7 stronger squads in the league. I agree with the management that the best way to get results within the constraints of the current squad and budget, is from the base of a solid defence. A defence of Fulop; Eastman, McAuley, Delaney, O'Dea provides one of the strongest defences in the division. As for those who say Colback is another square peg in a round hole, are you aware that most clubs (including Derby) play with an extra CM, and 1 up front. To match up you play 5 in midfield, or another option is to play 1 of a 4 wide (Edwards) with the LM tucked in when required to match up the oppostions 3 CM's, a role which Colback can fill. It is ironic that the biggest problem facing one of the stars of the future, Eastman, at the moment is his own "supporters". Also "supporters" want their clubs to do well, but somehow think that chopping and changing managment acheives this, why not sometimes give them the benefit of the doubt that they do actually know more and see more than us.

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PriskinsRightBoot added 13:25 - Nov 11 He is dump. Not going to make it in this game.
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Surco72 added 13:25 - Nov 11 Slow Tractor i couldnt see him coming back here anyway As for Roy quoting stats to back up his selection of playing Eastman out of position ,last season our best two players for win / appearance ratio were D Wright and Garvan so watch out Tom you wont be here soon !
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devontractorboy added 13:39 - Nov 11 jbb I agree with your comments about Eastman and anyone who boo's, in particular young players, should be ashamed of themselves. Eastman is simply doing the job that RK has tasked him to do, however we should where possible play players in their best position. The whole problem here is Keane himself, he loves the limelight and says things knowing they will make headlines & is a first class 'wind-up' merchant. I'm sure privately sometimes he has a good laugh at what he reads & that's fine. What isn't fine however is the way our football team is playing and some of the results, which are at best inconsistent. I just think if RK is a top manager he should shut up and lets his results do the talking. Sadly however I don't think he has the management skills, mindset or personality to get the best out of a limited squad. It's obviously made tougher by the now apparent lack of funds from ME, but even so we have become a 'hoofball' side no longer displaying the art of playing good attractive attacking football & some of that has also been caused by selling the wrong players, just because they have disagreed with or stood up to Keane. Keane will I'm sure be with us until the end of the season, I just hope & pray he'll do the decent thing, having failed in his 'any idiot can get a team promoted' objective. The next managerial appointment will be vital to the team! None of us like to see ITFC as they are currently & I sense the tide is turning against Keane & people are voting with their feet having to watch boring football!!

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ITFCKeano added 13:43 - Nov 11 Well said JBB. Some people on here love to have a rant, quite understandably to blow off steam, but often blinkeredly pick and chose what details they want to illustrate their points rather than in honest context. Useful balanced comments are always welcome rather than some of the juvenile comments that keep being posted. Sometimes seems more like a school playground than a supporters forum on here.

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Back_The_Boss added 13:44 - Nov 11 Eastman will only benefit from this. If he does play every week it can only give the lad more confidence and experience.
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jojored added 13:49 - Nov 11 i reckon he has a future infront of him give him more chances
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Simplyblue1984 added 13:54 - Nov 11 When will people get a grip?? I mean lets not forget that Kean was told to trim the squad down so the likes of D Wright and Rosenoir went - was on or wanted too much money. We are therefore left with the younger lads to do a job. Now we all said that we need another striker so we got in Jason...we still need another striker so keane goes to ME and asks for more money and he is told no....therefore what chances are there of us getting in a RB?? ME does not want to put anymore money into the club until prob after xmas if and only if we are in or around the top six. To boo the young lads is crazy...what Keane is doing is trying to build up young toms confindance...can you not see that?? I agree we need a new RB but at the moment we have to make do as Keane knows that by xmas he will be out of a job if we are not in the top six so to blame Keane totally is silly.

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dirtydingusmagee added 14:04 - Nov 11 i was not at Tuesday nights game as i stated previously in another thread crOman, so i did not hear anything,i always watch from Brittania stand anyway.If you say people were booing him ,then they were wrong.I think Keane expects too much from them, for various reasons.
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sonian_blue added 14:10 - Nov 11 First bit of sense on here today JJB. Cant believe some of the trash spouted by the morons on here. Keano was right about (some of )our 'fans'. Funny really how all we have heard the last couple of seasons is how the Ipswich way of bringing youngsters through the academy seems to have been abandoned. Then soon as we do they get crucified for mistakes and get hounded out. Its as well that ME, obviously being of sound business sense is not as hasty and fickle as most on here and will give it time. If it doesnt work out come the end of the season Im sure we will change managers but until then lets support the team and particularly the young players who pull on the shirt. There was a time when we applauded the youth of our team but not anymore it seems.... How many on here would go to work for an employer (thats what us paying public effectively are) who kept booing our every move?

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jas0999 added 14:23 - Nov 11 I have to disagree. Right-back is a real issue. I like Peters, but he is certainly not a right-back. Eastman ditto. Brown ditto.
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jbb added 14:24 - Nov 11 Devontractorboy if you are going to persist in your aim to remove the management, you might at least get your facts right, so as be seen to have some basis for your views. RK never said "any idiot can get a team promoted from the championship", he said any manager can acheive midtable in the championship (and by the way he has already won the division as a manager).
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Clarkey82 added 14:49 - Nov 11 Why do all these so called supporters all think they are great managers and can run a club better than the current manager ? Grow up, it isnt going to happen like it does in your dreams every night or playing championship manager on the computer , Real supporters follow the club not slate the manager at every oppertunity. I think a better use of all the hot air your letting off could be used to make some noise at the games and cheer on the team you are supposed to love and follow.

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rolly added 15:18 - Nov 11 we realy do need a rb we shoulda got rosenior
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brian_a_mul added 16:18 - Nov 11 From what I remember, D Wright diddnt have the ambition to play at a higher level at this stage in his career. Keane wanted and still wants hungry players that can take this club to a higher level and compete. Maybe in todays fooballing climate home grown young players provide the most valuable source of hunger and ambition to do their best for their club. Dont forget that most of the young players from the academy are probably Blues supporters themselves! Rosenior diddnt really make a huge impact (bar one or two games) to justify his wage demands from what I gathered.

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GiveusanI added 16:37 - Nov 11 Very strange comments Mr Keane. It has been glaringly obvious that we lack a proper right back. Eastman should be given support to develop but not at the expense of a strong cohesive side.
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AwayDays added 17:03 - Nov 11 As much as i rate Reece, sorry Tom, as a defender he really worrys me when he gets on the ball at full back. I feel his distribution is extremely poor and his range of passing is limited. However, at the end of the day he is a centre half by trade and as a centre half the ability to pass is less required than a full back. I do unfortunatley feel we need a right back and need to bring shane o'connor in at left back and we are currently playing a back 4 of centre halves and have no width at all and no tendency to get forward. oh and Jon Walters is a T**T!

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Mark added 17:48 - Nov 11 Re. developing young players, of course I am in favour of that but I believe they should be developed in their proper positions otherwise it could damage them especially if fans (unfairly) get on their back. I think Keane deserves credit for fielding young players so often, although I would like to see more of Hyam and O'Connor who seem to have disappeared from the scene lately. Re. the financial situation forcing us to let Rosenior and Wright go and to play Eastman, I disagree. Take the last three players we signed on loan: O'Dea (centre back), Livermore (central midfielder) and Colback (central midfielder). Talented players maybe, but surely a right-back and a striker should have been our priority. Now Keane is saying that he doesn't even want a right-back because it isn't a major problem for us, so that is not about money.

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bluelady added 17:59 - Nov 11 Simply blue but he brought in three midfielders, surely its not too much to ask that one of them could have been a right back? I also really like darren o dea but again he is in a position we have plenty of cover for at cb
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bluelady added 18:14 - Nov 11 Have to say though never ever agree with booing least of all a talented young lad played out of position. I am very passionate about town and shout scream and sing every game!!!! But if I am paying all that money for a season ticket I want to see attacking football which the four cbs don't bring.
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h32 added 20:02 - Nov 11 Don't know about Keane having lost the plot - don't think he ever found it, or is ever likely to. I guess he's the only person in football who thinks it right to play players out of position - especially youngsters!!!
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h32 added 20:12 - Nov 11 Yes, enough is enough - go now Keane before you inflict any more damage on OUR once great club - obvious to all surely that he is clueless. His name is beginning to haunt me - I've kept patience with him and wanted him to succeed but his ridiculous comments,views and tactics get worse by the day.
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h32 added 20:18 - Nov 11 Clarkey82 - wake up and get real.
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truethurstonblue added 20:46 - Nov 11 Too arrogant for my liking. It stands out a mile that we need fullbacks...but then he has let those he has had go......
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