Boss Roy Keane says he believes his Town side are making progress, even people might think he is mad for saying it. The Blues sit in 12th in the table, two points from the play-offs, which is where the Town manager feels his side currently deserve to be.

Underfire Keane says he will continue to strive to take the club forward for as long as he’s still at Portman Road: “I didn’t come down to Ipswich and move my family to be popular, I came here to do a good job. I’ve got to the 30th June and until that day I will do my utmost to take this club forward.

“And despite what anyone else is thinking, I think we’re making progress. I know people have said I’m a bit mad before and they’ll think I’m even madder after that statement.

“We are going to lose football matches, absolutely. We’re disappointed over the last six weeks in which we’ve gone two goals down in matches and not given ourselves a chance.

“We have to get rid of that we know, but I still think we’re on course for a good season. Judge us on where we are at the end of the season.”

Keane believes that he is becoming a better boss: “I see a manager who is making progress, a manager that will make mistakes, like everyone else, and a manager who is learning.

“But given the right support and respect, I will do a good job, if it’s not at Ipswich it will be somewhere else, simple as that. I will be a successful manager, guaranteed."

The Blues boss says he's in the dark about what might happen beyond his current contract but is enjoying day-to-day life at the club: “I don’t know what the future holds but on a daily basis I come here with my staff and I’m delighted with them, we’re trying our best. We lost a lot of players over the summer, players I didn’t think we were going to be losing, senior players.

“We’re now working with a lot of young players, it probably helps from the club’s point of view that they’re on small wages, but we’re battling on with it and the players are doing well.

“We’re now missing Gareth McAuley and David Norris and we were without Grant Leadbitter last weekend, three of our most senior players. We’ve got four of our kids from the youth team last year on the pitch plus the loan players, who are learning their trade, and they’ve got to listen to a lot of nonsense [from the crowd].”

Keane, who says he’s not targeting any further loan signings at present, is in no doubt that he can be successful with Town: “Absolutely. That hasn’t changed after losing one or two games and showing inconsistency like lots of teams in the Championship.

“Look at the squad we have and the players we lost in the summer and this is where we’re at. Where we are in the table, 12th, is where I think we deserve to be. We’ve got a long way to go, I’ve said that before and even with our strongest team I think we’d do well to get in that top six.

“Take two or three of the senior boys out and we’re short. We see that with other teams, we see that with some of the bigger teams.

“People have got to understand where we’re at. At this moment we’re mid-table and I think that’s where we deserve to be. I don’t think we deserve to be higher or lower.

“We’re a victory away from the play-offs still. We’ve got a good week coming up, a very tough game at Hull and a tough game against Norwich. But they’re two good games for us, particularly away from home so we don’t have to listen to any nonsense.”

Keane feels the club’s lack of success going back before his tenure may also have some bearing on the current pressure from supporters: “Possibly so, but there’ll be other reasons, sometimes your face doesn’t fit and they want instant results and that’s not going to happen, particularly when a decision is made that we’re going to take a policy of working a lot more with our younger players.

“We’re playing players from last year’s youth team, which didn’t pull up any trees. It helps them to be surrounded by three or four senior players, which we didn’t have last weekend.

“Last weekend was a disappointment, there’s no getting away from it, to concede goals like that at home, and the same against Derby. I think those goals could have been prevented.

“What we have to do, despite the nonsense that’s been spoken about tactics in the last few weeks, we’ve got to get back to basics, to what we were at the start of the season. We were hard to beat and I think we’ve been too open the last few weeks.”

Despite the booing and criticism from the terraces, Keane believes the man who counts most, Marcus Evans, gets where the club is at the present time: “The owner does, I’m pretty much sure. He understands what’s going on with the younger players, with the injuries, with the players we’ve lost.”

Meanwhile, midfielder Carlos Edwards says the booing and particularly the cheering of Barnsley's players were "disrespectful" in a Radio Suffolk interview.

Photo: Action Images

Surco72 added 16:01 - Nov 19 Legend ...who are the most successful teams in the country over last 6 years Man Utd & Chelsea ..one has stuck with their manager one has had 5 different managers so length of time at a club is irrevelevnt its about whether the dynamics work . Warnock has been at QPR less than a year but has gelled the best side and will take them up this season .Lambert has been at Norwich less than Keane at Ipswich but his side looks more like a team with more ideas and better football than ours ,Why ? Like i said the whole of last season I would love it for Keane to be a success because it would mean Ipswich are doing well ,but i just cannot see any evidence of any progression in any departments ,no player is becoming a better player under Keane . And if anyone thinks the team being poor is down to the fans then they are not in the real world in the same way when teams are winning its the manager and the players that take the plaudits not the supporters

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legoman added 16:21 - Nov 19 If a policy has been agreed to become a youth development club for what ever reason then fair enough. Thats a tough job to be asked to undertake in this league. So good luck Keano and the lads! If this declaration of youth had been more widely publicised I think there would have been far less impatience (except from the very silly) and a much lower expectancy level.
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Garv added 16:36 - Nov 19 God I hope Roy keane decides to read this website tonite and read this post - F**K OFF. “I didn't come down to Ipswich and move my family to be popular, I came here to do a good job." Tells you all you want to know doesn't it? This man is using ipswich town as a stepping stone in his career, he does not give a flying f**k about the club, or the people in the area. Another quote for you: “But given the right support and respect, I will do a good job, if it's not at Ipswich it will be somewhere else, simple as that. I will be a successful manager, guaranteed." Other than the fact he has a very inflated opinion of himself which is very far from the reality he clearly sees himself managing a big team one day, ferguson like (which I think is highly unlikely) again he is using our club as a stepping stone and that is not the quite of person I would say ANYONE wants in charge of our club. I am in utter disbelief that still some fans defend him and back him, but more so that Mr Evans hasn't had the balls to do anything about it. If you ask me all three of the people at the top of the club are completely clueless and I don't think it would harm us one bit if they all left their posts, bar Evans with his cash, although that doesn't seem to be doing us that well when we seem to be made to strip our team down to the bare bones at the start of the season. Or is this keane being stubborn again: "we don't need a right back". Fed up to be honest, the whole thing is a flaming farce. I havnt even mentioned "we are making progress". ABSOLUTELY UNBELIEVABLE.

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EatonBlue added 16:36 - Nov 19 Now let's see Roy, when Magilton was sacked we were 9th and 18 months on we are 12th. Progress?
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legoman added 16:40 - Nov 19 Gary, are you frothing at the mouth?
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HadleighBlueBoy added 16:59 - Nov 19 First and foremost I want to see good, entertaining football at PR. I've not seen that under Keane or it has to be said Magilton. If we lose we lose but its the manner of the defeat which is important. Last Saturday was dreadful and there is no other word for it. Some fans reaction by cheering Barnsley when they passed the ball on the deck, accurately and quickly has been criticised. I agree its unusual to do it but how else are Town fans to protest at what they see? Ipswich used to do what Barnsley did but not any longer. Loving the club does not equate to accepting everything that it does. I want to register my dismay at what I see on the pitch and if Keane, Clegg or Evans dont like it - tough!!

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poggie added 17:04 - Nov 19 Sorry, but I can't bear the sight or sound of this man any longer! I use the mute button as soon as i see his miserable face on sky sports, and have started to skip through most of his nasty diatribes on here. He just makes me so angry!! I keep expecting (well, hoping anyway) to find that he's been booted out!! Hope it happens soon, as he has no respect for anyone at the club, including us, the long-suffering fans!! And most of us have no respect for him either! Shut the door on your way out, Roy.

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SouperJim added 17:04 - Nov 19 Keane is quite clearly taking the mick out of a section of Ipswich supporters here and it's obvious from reading these comments who you are. The bloke is a comedy genius, sells players and then later claims he "lost" them against his will. Says he can take criticism from the fans, yet when he gets it he hides behind the younger players and says we are "jeering" them rather than him. Says we are "making progress" yet admits we deserve to be mid table. Admits the fans have been very patient and he would have got less time elsewhere, yet dismisses any criticism from the terraces as "a load of nonsense". Took a 2 year contract when offered 3 years and put extra pressure on himself to deliver, now bemoans a desire for "instant success". If this is the kind of progress that ME thought his millions would buy, he clearly is a far worse businessman than we were led to believe! Of course some supporters will always gobble up any load of cobblers Keane comes out with, but those of us who have the wit to see that this club will be in a worse state when Keane goes than it was when he arrived love our club enough to stand up, speak out and try to force the owner into action, no matter how unpopular that behaviour might be with certain cretins with sand up their nose.

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SammyT added 17:06 - Nov 19 Us fans that are "clinging on to Keane" can see the effect all of this Keane in/out cr*p. Hes asked to be judged June 30th so lets be good supporters and back him and the team till "Judgement day". Jesus, what a bunch of impatient pr*cks we have following us (some anyway..)
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katemoss added 17:11 - Nov 19 The only games we manage to win are against 10 men or with a dodgy penalty. When was the last time we stuffed an 11 man side without help from the referee? Roy. we're all waiting for you to go, including yourself it seems.
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PSGBlue added 17:16 - Nov 19 Roy Keane and Town fans are going need marriage counciling before this all becomes very bitter! This latest outburst is nothing more than diversion tatics by Keane to try and lift the flack from his shoulders and stick it onto the fans. Cleverly he has managed make some of us fans believe we were booing the team last week and not Roy Keane, thus splitting the fans in two. Those of us who were there, know who boos and jeers were aimed at. Time for us fans to concentrate on the matter in hand, that's how bad the team is performing and who is to blame. Three people are to blame, Roy Keane for overseeing the team, Clegg for hiring Roy Keane and finally Marcus Evans for not having the guts to sack Keane. Message to Clegg/ME - when you do finally get rid of this idiot, get someone who knows a bit about football to choose our next manager, not yourselves. Message to Roy Keane - P1ss Off and don't come back!

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Cotton_eyed_joe added 17:23 - Nov 19 Sammy T - 'impatient pr*cks' lovely name calling. I beleive a lot of patience has been shown to Keane over the last season and this season. He has had the backing from supporters but enough is enough. The football is dire and he is just going to keep balming others for his own failings
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Mark added 17:28 - Nov 19 “And despite what anyone else is thinking, I think we're making progress. " I guess most people take an evidence-based approach: the results are not improving, the performances are getting worse...perhaps Roy would like to explain how we are making progress? "Judge us on where we are at the end of the season.” He said that last season too. The problem is that we need stability going forward based on confidence in the management. How can the owner back a manager in the January transfer window when he only has six months left of his contract and looks on his way out? What player would sign for us in that situation? “But given the right support and respect, I will do a good job, if it's not at Ipswich it will be somewhere else, simple as that. " I think he has had great support from the owner (who backed him with big money) and the fans (who stood by him during an awful season last year when relegation looked a real possibility). "I will be a successful manager, guaranteed." It's like listening to one of the candidates with a big ego on The Apprentice. Time to call him into the Boardroom!

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meekreech added 17:33 - Nov 19 With all the rubbish on here about changing the manager ( sack Keane etc. ) no manager sound of mind would entertain coming here !!! He would be able to see from the posts on here that his " honeymoon period " would , if he was lucky enough to win a game ( or lose one or two playing pretty football ) or two , last more than 4 weeks but as soon as he lost any more than 2 games the so called fans would be baying for blood ( current at PR ) ! The way football is going , and has been for several years , is that entertainment is being replaced with efficiency in getting results by any means ( take note of the amount of ref conning ) and if that means grinding out results that is what is happening . ITFC has always ( ? ) been known for playing attractive football but have also been known as a soft touch . The players are having to learn to play with more steel to achieve a better position in the current way of things and when you couple this with the owners wish to make the club more stable , finance wise , things are going to be different to what has gone before ( and we have not been so successful or financially stable for several years ) so we must give the owner the benefit of our support to see his longer term aims come to fruition ! I do not like seeing the style of football around in all leagues but until our young players have adapted to the rise in level they are making let us give them the support they need !

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AFCC added 17:38 - Nov 19 We are 2 points off the play offs and with our best cup run for years, is it pretty? no, but if it gets us promoted would we care? Keane said 2 years so let give him that and back the team 100% until the end of the season. And you lot that switched you allegiance last Saturday can piss off to Oakwell tomorrow!
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ip5w1ch added 17:45 - Nov 19 I think Keane has got it spot on. He is trying to reason with and to rouse the supporters. We do need more support at home there is definitely too much negativity when a pass is misplaced. We are playing with a lot of young men in the team and they need more support. There is a tendancy to have rose tinted specs on when looking back to Sir Bobby, Burley etc. There was plenty of dissent amongst fans at different times when they were in charge. And please stop dissecting every comment Keane makes its fairly obvious that he doesnt always engage his brain when he speaks but at least he says what he thinks. Cut the man some slack. I think its telling in this interview when he says 'a decision is made that we're going to take a policy of working a lot more with our younger players' Lets face it anyone who thinks we should be promoted this year is in need of phyciatric assessment. If we are to be promoted we need to build a new team and thats going to take a minimum of 3 years. Rome wasn't built in a day

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legoman added 17:47 - Nov 19 AFCC. The clubs policy has changed. Promotion is no longer expected short term. A new era has begun using a core of youth. Probably more a 5 year plan now. Makes it easier for me to enjoy footy again now.
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alfromcol added 18:02 - Nov 19 RK could do himself a favour if he said less and put himself in front of the media less often, at least until he gets a few more wins under his belt. Verbally taking on the supporters in the way he has serves no purpose and achieves nothing, except more anger from some quarters. He says too much and then we all pick over the contradictions etc etc. Perhaps a period of quiet reflection from him would be timely. At least until we have played Hull, Naaaarwich, WBA and Swansea. If ITFC have a Media/Public Affairs Manager he should be advising RK on his public utterances. Where is Shane O'Connor?

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Ryorry added 18:06 - Nov 19 meekreech - don't think I've ever read such a load of rubbish about us as fans being somehow "short-term-ist-" with your supposed knock on effect being ITFC unable to attract a new manager. Where were you last season - Mars?
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Mark added 18:12 - Nov 19 You can listen to the press conference here: www.greenun24.co.uk/ipswich-town/listen_roy_keane_attacks_town_fans_over_barnsley_boos_1_731373 It's like a very ill-tempered exchange with a bloke in a pub who won't listen to reason!
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whoppit added 18:13 - Nov 19 Brian Clough once said "Say nothing. Win something and THEN talk your head off. Keane must be mixed up as he talks his head off and accomplishes nothing. But Keane is not fit to lace Cloughie's boots as a player, never mind a manager as we are all too aware of !!!!
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jas0999 added 18:24 - Nov 19 Reality: 3 points from 4th place. Far better than last year.
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Garv added 18:24 - Nov 19 Id listen to that if I could mark
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Cotton_eyed_joe added 18:29 - Nov 19 Reality Number 2: 3 points from 4th BUT only 7 points from bottom 3...so much better isn't it. Not a bit, we are still no further foward this year to last, it's just it's a really crap league this year which makes our false position look ok.
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jayessess added 19:45 - Nov 19 "better off than last season". Who was manager last season? Better off than Magilton's last season as manager? The one he rightly paid for with the sack? I think most Town fans would be ok with mid-table, if we were attempting to play attacking, passing football, and picking players in their actual position
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