Boss Roy Keane felt the Blues were again made to pay for their failure to take their chances as his side slid to their sixth successive league defeat at Preston. Iain Hume’s second half strike gave the Lilywhites a 1-0 victory at Deepdale.

Keane said: “The first half was fine, no problem, but the game is 90-odd minutes long. We had good possession, we got into threatening positions, particularly in the first half and at the start of the second, but we don’t seem to be capable of scoring many goals, and that puts you under pressure constantly."

The Blues manager felt his side gifted the opposition another poor goal: “Repeating myself once again, we gave a soft goal away. It’s not as if teams are opening us up. After that we huffed and puffed without having that quality in the final third to get us back in the game.

“The second half performance was a bit disjointed. Once they’d got the goal they had something to hold on to, but we always expect more from the players, whether that’s in terms of creating that chance, that bit of quality, when in shooting positions hitting the target.

“But that’s been going on for a few months now, even last year. We don’t score many goals. Whether we play one up front or two up front, we don’t seem to have that little bit of quality in the box. And that’s the hardest part of football.”

Keane says there is no issue with his players’ application: “There’s no problem with the commitment and effort and possession, but you’ve got to score goals, and we don’t score enough of them.

“That’s nine defeats in 11 now and at any level in any league, in any country that is not good enough.”

The Irishman, showing signs of the return of the beard he sported during his latter days at Sunderland, still feels he can turn things around at Town but conceded that whether he will be able to is ultimately not up to him: “That’s out of my hands, don’t ask me questions I’ve got no control over.”

Preston manager Darren Ferguson, whose father Sir Alex was in the crowd, was pleased with the three points despite a poor beginning to the game: “We started really slowly, we couldn’t keep the ball well enough and they penned us in a little bit. It was a slow start and a nervy start.

“But we got a spell at the end of the first half of about 10 minutes where we got a lot of corners on the bounce and in the second half it was far, far better.

“I had to have a bit of a go at them at half-time, but they responded. We played really, really well in the first 20 minutes of the second half and that alone was enough to win us the game.”

As for Keane's current predicament, Ferguson said: “I don’t have to worry about Roy, he’s a very, very strong character. I’m sure he’ll be fine.”

Photo: Action Images

BrettenhamBlue added 05:15 - Dec 13 On another note entirely, Keane's team selection has been truly bizarre recently. He seems to not pick all the players anybody else would automatically pick,-and i have no idea why. While we don't play our best players we will continue to lose matches. How can Priskin/Townsend not be first choice?? Fallons performances have been 1/10 at most (and I fear I am being kind)

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whippet added 05:21 - Dec 13 Low wages. Thats the answer to that one. Fallon might do ok in League 1 next year too (has experience of this league/knows defenders-weaknesses etc) ernie- don't understand you friend. All the loyal Keane supporters have turned and everybody basically wants him out.His stats say it all. At any other club he would be long gone with good reason. viljoen- don't think Keane wants creative players. likes gritty players who get stuck in. Counago/Garvan/Civelli etc don't fit the bill. other teams will continue to humiliate us while we believe this. moomoosereni,- pretty much said everything i wanted to say- good post. KEANE OUT!!!!

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whippet added 05:25 - Dec 13 I will play for you Roy. I'm low wage and just require my bus ticket to the ground. i have a better finish than what we have, and can score goals
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bobble added 06:14 - Dec 13 kevin keegan has been mentioned on the radio again
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whippet added 06:43 - Dec 13 Kevin Keegan would be great. Can't wait to hear that Keane is gone, major champagne celebration!
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GiveusaWave added 07:09 - Dec 13 Thought Keane would be gone by now after his "reported" interview for Sky News (what did he say?) We were truly pitiful against Preston and were lucky with the 1-0,its good that we were not slammed 4 or 5-0 as this may aid us in our battle against relegation (I'm afraid we all need to start keeping a careful eye on goal difference-this league is VERY close this season...). Fallon has been a huge disappointment. His play suggests a conference striker not a Championship/League One Player. He is dispossessed far too easily and is let down constantly by poor ball control. He lacks pace, skill, finish or ability in the air and is certainly not a target man. Keane must have seen something he liked though or he wouldn't be here (maybe he is a natural leader or something?) Could he be played in a different role perhaps? (certainly doesn't suit the striker role). Sorry, but I feel Jon Stead was much better, and funnily enough since his departure our season has fell apart.... Surely bringing Pablo or Lisbie back from loan would be a much better option? They offer much more goal threat...(I never really rated either-but compared to Fallon they are a different class...)

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whippet added 07:13 - Dec 13 you say nothing new, most fans would rate Counago and Lisbie over Fallon anyday. Problem is only a new manager would recall them both from loan. need to spend some money on a forward in Jan or we will be down
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whippet added 07:19 - Dec 13 PSGBlue- agree with your post. Only a complete revamp can save us now and Keane out. Players are disillusioned and he has obviously lost the dressing room. Week in week out players must be confused about whether they are playing/not playing and what position they will be in. What a total mess at the moment.it is sad and deeply depressing. bobble-you have said it like it is from the very beginning. i used to think you were negative but i now realise you were speaking the truth from the very start. FORK

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bobble added 08:54 - Dec 13 is he gone yet ?
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dirtydingusmagee added 09:14 - Dec 13 just been down to taxi rank, no sign of him yet .
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bluelady added 09:52 - Dec 13 guentchev maybe Fallon is lined up as new manager??!!! personally i think he is here in prep for when we drop to league one..............Keegan would give evans that celebraty status he wants, but not for me im afraid.....Gareth Southgate, Keane stay all is forgiven!!!!! i am suprised he is still here today, did get up and expect a big anouncement, for me if he doesnt go this week (in time for a new manager to spend money in the transfer window) them im afraid we have to resign ourselves to the fact he will be here for the rest of the season........

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Ryorry added 13:23 - Dec 13 I knew most wanted him out and why; seeing it all stacked up together and so vehemently here is still something of a shock however - so I do hope ME and Clegg read all these 10 pages, I worry that they're somehow stuck in a blinkered rut of "it'll all come right in the end just as it did for SBR and SAF" ...um, no it won't, because RK isn't even in amateur leagues class in terms of his managerial ability, he doesn't have the BASICS for management of ANY kind - knowing how to encourage, support, motivate, discipline (only the ones who need it and in the right kind of way) his personnel, play them to their strengths; cultivate contacts; share the workload with trusted assistants - etc etc. VILJOEN67 and Whippet - great posts in particular, along with Mungo in earlier page. Only Christmas prezzie I want is KEANE OUT - pleeeeease Santa ...

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londontractorboy added 13:55 - Dec 13 Bemoans goals and signs Fallon!.....
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alfromcol added 14:40 - Dec 13 Stop worrying about Clegg and Evans, they know what's what. But sacking a manager has to be done in some sort of order. The new manager has to be lined up first and this may take a bit of time. If a few more games are lost the supporters will show their feelings at the games. Defeat by Leicester will see a strong vocal protest at the end of the game I can't see how the fans can hold back their frustration and disappointment any longer. Protesting supporters usually see off a non-performing manager I still strongly believe that this squad of players are very capable of finishing high in the league UNDER THE RIGHT MANAGER. RK never seems to play what looks like his strongest team.

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crowshornet9 added 15:14 - Dec 13 This is making Ipswich town a laughing stock of the championship, the club will not attract any decent players in January, and probably is the reason why we dont seem to be able to land any, at all the other transfer windows. I bumped into Jon Stead in Tesco in Stowmarket just before he left and he didnt want to go anywhere he was very happy to stay and fight for his position, how we could do with his work rate now, along with many of the others who have left. Surely enough is enough, just over 16000 watched a great cup match frozen to their seats, but this crowd should of been much, much bigger, if this is all about business to ME then surely he can see that his investment is going down the toilet, he needs big crowds back and a winning run to make his investment work. To watch the football at Portman Road is making me cringe, please please save this club.

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