Keane: I'd Love to Take Town Forward
Monday, 20th Dec 2010 09:10
Boss Roy Keane says he would love to be the man to take Town forward and make the massive changes he believes the club needs, but conceded that he doesn’t know whether he’ll be given the chance.
Keane said: “Of course I want to take this squad forward. The changes at the club have got to come from the owner and the chief executive and obviously I’d like to be in charge in terms of guiding that.
“There are massive challenges ahead. A lot of the players’ contracts are up, a lot of our young players, Gareth McAuley, David Norris and others. We’ve got loan players like Jack Colback, Gianni Zuiverloon and Jake Livermore.
“Last year we were dependent on loan players and we’re going back down that road. We’ve got to get the nucleus of a squad that we think can challenge for the top six. But that’s a big challenge.
“When I took the job we were on about two years, to me it’s definitely a bigger job than we all first thought.”
Last week Keane admitted that owner and chairman Marcus Evans would eventually have to make a decision on his future if the poor run continued and despite Saturday’s win says that still might happen: “I haven’t got a clue whether I’ll keep my job. I think the downside for me is that people keep talking about my job. My job is not important. I’ve been very lucky in football, I’ve got a good life.
“What I want is to be given a chance. I think I have been, but sometimes you ask for more of a chance. We need reinforcements, there have been players coming and going and that’s up to the owner. I can only control what I can do and that’s to win matches. It was a bit better [against Leicester] but let’s not forget, we were on the back of six defeats.
“January’s an important time, but January’s a long way away. We’re desperate for more players. We saw that on Saturday, we’ve one or two injuries. But whether I get that chance is up to the owner.”
Keane says Evans may feel he’s given him enough time: “The owner will probably say that he’s already given me a chance in my 20 months. What I would say is I need a bit more time, but I’m sure Sam Allardyce would have said that, Chris Hughton would have said that.
“Every manager says that, so you’ve got to be careful. There comes a time when you say ‘how much time do you need?’, but I still think a year and a half or two years at a club is not enough. But that’s my opinion.”
The former Ireland skipper says he is still to hold talks about a January budget but already has some targets in mind: “I’ve not had that conversation with the owner yet, but hopefully I will do over the next few weeks. You’re certainly better off going into these conversations on the back of one or two results. You don’t make plans to sit down with the owner when you’ve lost six or seven on the bounce.
“I’ve identified one or two players that I think would help us, but whether we get them or not and whether we can hang on to one or two of our own players remains to be seen.
“We’re talking about improving the squad, but we’ve got stuff to deal with with players whose contracts are up, the speculation about Connor, the usual scenario that goes on at every club. But on top of keeping them, we need to add. So many players left the club in the summer that we’re short and we need more players.”
Meanwhile, one of this morning’s tabloids claims that Town players were sounded regarding Keane’s future by “senior officials” from the club last week with Alan Curbishley yet again said to be the current manager’s potential replacement.
Photo: Action Images
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johnson added 17:35 - Dec 20
blueherts: have you ever been to the training ground. I have and I've seen RK coaching, encouraging and interacting with the young players and "not a team player!" give us a break. I seem to remember Keane getting a yellow against Juve in the Champions League Semi in 1999 and when that meant he was going to miss the final did he do a Gazza and have a little sob for himself or did he drag ManU into the Champions League final when he practically beat Juve on his own? Sounds like a team player to me. |  | |
blueherts added 17:56 - Dec 20
Johnson - Yes is the answer and I speak to people connected to younger players . His man management skils are poor - not great quality for a Manager and I maintain he has a poor coaching set up - seriously if it were that good do you honestly believe we would be in the situation we are in now ??.. You think he is team player and that is fine , respect that , but I do not think he is a good Manager - end off |  | |
lunatic38 added 21:53 - Dec 20
Well i have posted very anti Keane statements for a while (very angry at times) but i think it is a fair reflection of what i have seen on the pitch from Roy,s team. For me i have seen some very inept tactical descisions including some very bizare team selections and substitutions (even commentators have hinted at confusion at what they have seen) and a lot of this has not been necessary. I think there have been many many mistakes and this ultimately will cost Roy his job, i am confident that even if Roy turns this around and starts winning he will probably be sacked by Evans and Clegg, causing anger at the time of his dismissal (and knowing Clegg someone like Southgate will be appointed). I have read some posts in previous articles that people are realising that Norris and Grant dont work together in the middle, i have always said the first point of a good team is to win the middle and the rest falls into place, when Hyam was playing we looked hard to beat not so fragile and i really think that if we had signed Derry, the season would look alot different now aside from Roys tinkering and descisions and that is the whole point. Roy has not had it all his own way regarding players signed (for whatever reasons) and maybe this has added to the poor team selections and subs but again this is my point, i would absolutely love for Roy Keane to suceed as i am an Ipswich fan, i would love to see us in the top 4 with other teams fearing us and with some quality football to look foward too every week. Football is a serious business now and serious money gets spent and when this is the case can you afford to have some one in charge who is gonna seem totally random and clueless at times? I have watched for nearly 20 months now and i have supported Roy, turning on the anti Keane brigade quite venomously at times. My conclusion is he is not the right man for this job, i have no confidence in his ability to sign the right players for the job that is needed, we have an unbalanced squad overloaded in some positions and nothing in other positions and he seems not to have the managerial know how in all departments to build a team on a limited budget, if you cannot sign a player then surely you would get some one else with the same characteristics on the pitch? no i have thought about this as logicaly as possible and i cannot think of one reason why this man should stay!!!! |  | |
Lightningboy added 22:13 - Dec 20
When Keane took over 20 months ago didn't he say that he didn't see the need for major changes,maybe 1 or 2 players?
How many have come and gone in that time?..must be around 30 odd?
This guy is just one contradiction after another..just makes it up as he goes along..if they gave him a coaching badge then they need to set themselves higher standards at the FA. |  | |
blueherts added 22:26 - Dec 20
Ligtningboy - Hit nail on the head - I think if we went through RKs comments over 20 months he will be one contradiction after another - It just worries me that smart businessman? as he is ME seems to take it in - or does he ?? Coz he aint foolin most of us lot !! | | |
WREXHAM_BLUE added 23:35 - Dec 20
ME needs to decide what he wants from this situation and if he wants us to improve, then we need investment in January. Money doesn't solve all ills obviously but we certainly don't want to be letting one go and bringing one in all the time. As some previous posters have said, I want Keane to succeed and hope he does as all I want is for ITFC to be successful (and entertaining!). Saturday showed more than anything that the players want to play for RK as it would have been very easy to put in a poor show in such conditions as excuses would have been ready made. COYB. | | |
legoman added 23:38 - Dec 20
Kean "just makes it up as he goes along". Sounds a bit like Naa, Bluehurts and lightningbouy. | | |
devontractorboy added 23:55 - Dec 20
For whom the bell tolls................it tolls for you Keaneo! |  | |
Back_The_Boss added 07:42 - Dec 21
How refreshing it is to know that our current manager wants us to do well! COYB! |  | |
bobble added 09:52 - Dec 21
what the hell is he talking about ?more time any more time extensions and we will be in the 4th this bloke is seriously out of his depth. his new squad has taken us backwards and rarely plays decent football and he reckons more time what a bloodyjoke ..................sack him and stop this extend bullish-t excuse after excuse period in out decline |  | |
naa added 10:56 - Dec 21
legoman: thanks for resorting to childish retorts. At least we know not to worry too much about what you write in the future. | | |
Ohiotractorboy added 14:36 - Dec 21
I was down on RK because it appeared the team had given up and weren't playing for him anymore. Then during the snowstorm, it was obvious who was playing and who wasn't. Give RK till the end of the year and see where we are. We are, what, 7 points out of 6th and 7 points from relegated aren't we? As long as the effort continues to improve on the pitch, lets see what happens. |  | |
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