Keane: We Adapted Better to the Conditions
Saturday, 18th Dec 2010 21:25

Blues boss Roy Keane felt his team settled into the snowy conditions better than Leicester after Town’s 3-0 victory over Sven-Goran Eriksson’s Foxes. Eriksson was less than impressed that the match went ahead in conditions he believed were more suited to skiing.

Keane said: “We looked at the conditions and I don’t think it was going to be a night for too many touches on the ball.

“Rory was a good asset to us, obviously you can understand why Leicester brought Howard on after 20 minutes.

“We played to our strengths and adapted to the conditions and scored three good goals. There was good honesty amongst the players, which was particularly reflected in the third goal with Shane not giving up and chasing a lost cause and we got the reward.”

The Town manager says that although the conditions will be what’s most discussed, his team went out there and did the business: “Everyone’s going to be talking about the conditions, when we were taken off and whether it should have been played. The game was played, we adapted better, we scored three goals and we move on.

“The referee was under lots of pressure, as you’d expect, particularly from Leicester. Once the game started, I don’t think there was an issue with the safety of the players, and we were passing it OK.

“But when you’re taken off after about 58 minutes you’re always concerned and it would have been typical if it was called off. It wouldn’t have surprised me, the way things are going.”

Keane had praise for groundsman Alan Ferguson: “The groundstaff did very well, Fergie and all the lads.”

As for his own position, the 39-year-old Irishman says he isn’t getting carried away after just one victory: “I’m glad we won the game but the pressure’s still on. It’s one result.”

Sven-Goran Eriksson felt the conditions didn’t suit his Leicester team’s approach: “We were not good on the snow, that’s for sure. It’s difficult for the referee when he starts a game and after 30 minutes we are 3-0 down.

“If the result was 0-0 when he took the 10-minute break, he would have said ‘no more game’, but at 3-0 for them, it’s very difficult for him. There was a lot of pressure on him.

“I can’t really say [I’m disappointed with my players], we conceded some goals easily. But in the second half, what shall I do? It’s not our way to play football to nick it long to Stevie Howard and try to win second balls. We’re not that good at that. We want to play football. We are not good on snow.”

The Swede says the match, which was shown on TV throughout the world, was a poor advert for football: "If you look wider on it, who wants to see a football game like that? If I'm sitting in Australia in a bar, I switch off for sure.

“If I'm sitting in Sweden, I've never seen football in snow because I go skiing in snow, not playing football.”

Photo: Action Images

Please report offensive, libellous or inappropriate posts by using the links provided.

Page:
1
2
3

dirtydingusmagee added 13:22 - Dec 19 bobble ,surely you must know someone who could smother you with a pillow while you sleep.
0

TractorRoyNo1 added 14:01 - Dec 19

Yes we all KNOW 1 swallow doesn't make a summer, but 1 win certainly cheered me up!

Well done to the groundstaff, management and particularly the players for giving it a real good go - and most importantly thanks to the ref for having the bottle to not give into Sven's boys and calling it off.
The only reason the game started was pressure from SkyTV otherwise both managers would have told the ref not to have bothereed and called it off at lunchtime, but as Sven said once we were 3-up it had to continue unless the players were in real danger - and obviously they were not.

Hopefully, it has also once and for all killed the silly comments by "2+2=5's" on this site that the players don't want to play for Keane, excellent effort all round, and I am sure Scotland benefitted from a big 'un playing up front to take the weight off him.

Falon is certainly no world beater, but for the next few weeks will be good cover / support for Whickham, and probably Priskin (unless he is sold!) will cover for Scotland.

VILJOEN67 added 15:10 - Dec 19

That was good fun. We were just much quicker to the ball and the conditions suited our style. Madness dancing, snowman theme tune, Leicester players doing bambi impressions.Rory Fallen doing Alan Lee impreessions. Cultured opposition manager decends into whingeing A bit of knife edge when the ref took the players off. Good atmosphere, Great effort by the groundstaff to get the game on. It was delightful to see the snow swirling around the floodlights, it was very very pretty as were the three great goals. Can it snow every week please.

BlueJewells added 16:04 - Dec 19 Good return from 6 consecutive defeats!
0

These_arent_the_days added 16:05 - Dec 19 So,we can only play when there's three inches of snow. Just heard the Siberian national team need a new manager - RK please clear off & take it
0

Guthrum added 16:19 - Dec 19

We simply wanted it more.

The whole club: Groundstaff working like Trojans to put the match on and keep it going in a blizzard, players prepared to get down and play whatever the conditions and seize the opportunities, fans willing the game to continue. Rather than relying on the match being called off for bad weather. The Ref held his nerve, it wasn't and Town reaped the reward of their grim determination (perhaps reflecting that of the Manager?).

Now it is vital that this becomes the spark for further successes in the coming games to mount a revival in Ipswich's League position. It must not be wasted!

Lightningboy added 16:34 - Dec 19 We won - in a blizzard!...much needed 3 points but for God's sake don't get carried away..how can you judge a performance in conditions like that?!...as far as i'm concerned Keane,the snow has saved your neck for another week.
0

petermorris added 18:47 - Dec 19

Stand by for a shake up.
We enter bottom of table scrap situation. Denied upset on training ground. Ipswich in crisis. Manager goes on gardening leave (and has a watches 'a good film', and has a shave, and tells us not to worry because he 'has a really good life'). Townsend sent packing, Priskin criticised openly in the press and dropped from squad, still no sign of no good Luca, Wickham suddenly fit for Sky telly. We win a game of snowhoofball. What next?

gmanrom added 18:47 - Dec 19

I think what everyone needs to look into regarding this match is not the pitch, or the style of the play, but look at the players and how much they wanted to put in a performance, usually when a manager gets the sack its usually because they have lost the dressing room, ok this is a results orientated business but think u have to look at the bigger and imo i think a good scouting network needs to be set up as we have signed some good players but none are class really, but this does lie with the manager and if he does not sort this area then he needs to go.

dirtydingusmagee added 19:36 - Dec 19 snow hasnt saved him Lightening ,the teams performance probably has,for time being, Petermorris ''SNOWHOOFBALL'' , take it you are refering to Liecester.
0

petermorris added 19:57 - Dec 19 Yeeees, Snow-hoofball. Roy and the boys HAVE been busy after all. Lets hope it snows again on Boxing Day. Does anyone know where Luke Hyam has gone? Is he still up in Deepdale?
0

bluelady added 20:12 - Dec 19 Peter he has been injured just returning to training
0

bluelady added 20:12 - Dec 19 Peter he has been injured just returning to training
0

bobble added 20:50 - Dec 19 when snowman keane melts next game will he frozen out ?
0

WarkyWonderLand added 21:31 - Dec 19

I thought that all the players put in a real shift and looked a totally different side in the first half compared to all our recent home games. Fact was we looked more up for it from the start than Leicester did.

If we came out of the blocks like that every week and all the players put in that effort then as paying customers we could no argue with that. O'Connor has something about him and always enjoy him playing. Sorry to see about Townsend and Priskin must be wondering what more he must do (other than score) although I don't believe that he would have enjoyed those conditions. If RK stays then I can see Priskin going I am sad to say.

I am going to be realistic and not pessimistic. This is one win which we badly needed but this is the same group of players and manger who gave us 9 defeats in 11 and woeful football and tactics. Keane said it himself in the Evening Star that he doesn't think that the squad is good enough. Hold on, this is the squad he has put together and spent circa £10M in 18 months. That doesn't change and the fact of no progress in 18 months doesn't change.

As we saw when Magilton was sacked, it was a done deal and Keane was brought in after Magilton won at home. Who knows what ME has up his sleeve and yesterdays result may have been irrelevant for RK. Look what happended to Allardyce.

Does ME trust RK with more money knowing he has 6 months left on his contract? If he does then that could signal Keane being here beyond the end of his contract and ME knows what alot of fans think of RK and won't come back to Portman Road whilst here is still here.

Or does he think RK can't be trusted with more money, won't extend his contract and knows that at the moment there are some decent managers available and now needs to build for the future.

As someone has already said there could be some surprises. One win won't change peoples views and may not have changed ME.

StavangerBlue added 22:34 - Dec 19 Sat and watched the game here in Norway. Went to the local sports bar and was the only person watchin the game! Talk about a personalized service. Enjoyed it although I was sure the Leicester keeper handled the ball at one point outside the area (nobody could tell and neither could he). Will be at the Doncaster game so come on Town!
0