Roy Keane says he wants to add “one or two” attacking players to his squad during the January transfer window. The Blues boss says he has already identified some targets and would ideally like to get deals done sooner rather than later.

Town’s lack of goals has been Keane’s main concern throughout the season: “The teams which are going to do well in this league are the teams who are going to score goals. Every team in the Championship will concede goals, it’s that type of league. We still don’t score enough.

“Our attacking players don’t score enough goals. We do get the ball in the box quite a bit, we get a lot of chances but we’ve got to take them. We managed to take them the other night but we need to take them against Watford.

“I think we need players, I think I’ve said that a million times over the last few months. We need more strength in depth, probably need more experience. We probably need one or two more attacking players. That’s my wish-list for Christmas.”

Keane has “a good idea” whether he’ll get the players he wants and says he’d ideally like to start doing business quickly with other clubs already having offers accepted: “We don’t want to wait until the fourth week in January. That’s another four weeks of the Championship and that’s a lot of games.

“In an ideal world you’d like them as quick as you can, particularly if we can get two attacking players. You need them as quick as you can, but you have to agree fees.

“I think we could and should be doing that now, like Hull, who I think have had offers accepted over the last day or two, so things are in place. If you want to buy an attacking player, why wait until the last week in January when you’re writing off four weeks of the season?”

Keane, who plans to utilise both the permanent and loan markets, doesn’t want wholesale changes, believing he has a “decent group of players” but feels that the squad suffers when senior players are sidelined: “When we’ve had injuries we have struggled to cope, so we certainly need one or two players and hopefully we can do that.”

The Blues boss says he has spoken to chief executive Simon Clegg about his plans, discussions which will continue throughout the window: “The dreaded budget comes into it, it plays a major part in who we can get.

“We might get offers for some of our boys and that might release a few bob. Who knows? It’s all ifs and ands and it changes on a daily basis.

“These conversations might have to take more importance over the next few weeks, depending on whether the loan players are called back, whether we get offers for our own players and depending on whether we get any more injuries.”

The future of the five loan players will be decided in January with Keane hoping a few will stay: “There’s some we’d like to keep, but it’ll come down to the clubs and the players. But also I still think we need one or two permanent players, but we’ll see whether that happens.”

The Blues boss hinted that Sunderland’s Jack Colback would remain when asked if he wanted him to stay - “have a guess” — while Rory Fallon has impressed so far and could sign permanently from Plymouth. Celtic defender Darren O’Dea has said he is happy with life at Portman Road, although the Irish international is currently out of the team.

Reports in the Midlands have suggested West Brom full-back Gianni Zuiverloon is enjoying his spell at Portman Road and the club are keen to extend his spell, while Jake Livermore appears likely to return to Spurs having failed to make a significant impact.

Keane says Town will assess whether the likes of Lee Martin will be called back from their loan spells, although in all likelihood the midfielder will stay at Charlton, Pablo Couñago at Crystal Palace and Kevin Lisbie at Millwall.

The Blues manager expects a fair number of deals to take place in the Championship in January and tips Sven-Goran Eriksson to be the busiest boss: “I think Leicester will be doing lots of business in January and if you look at their bench the other night, that wasn’t bad anyway — Steve Howard and Matt Fryatt were there and Roman Bednar was injured. I should ring Sven and find out how he does it!”

Photo: Action Images

blueherts added 15:20 - Dec 24 David Beckham would love to do his old 'mate' a favour and do a turn on the right - get him in
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arc added 15:23 - Dec 24 There's that young winger at Spurs who may be available on loan. Townsend, I think. Might be worth a go.
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urbanblue added 15:33 - Dec 24 Hang on ,,,, Didn't i just read that Keane sent Townsend back because he wanted ' ......more defensive minded, senior players' !!!!!!!!!!
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noitan added 15:39 - Dec 24 Have the feeling we've been here before. RK has his targets and nothing being done about them, am afraid can't see much happening unless Me and Chief Exec pull their fingers out.
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htb added 15:41 - Dec 24 Unfortunately this all seems somewhat typical of the contadictions we regularly hear from Keane. We let Townsend go because he is too attacking. Then in the next post we are looking for attacking players! Townsend and Peter who both played well in one of our better performances against West Brom are discarded. Townsend followed that up with a good performance and a goal against Swansea is then dropped and sent back to his club, it must be baffling to them certainly is to me. I really wanted Keane to succeed but have become disillusioned by his inconsistency ofd selection and his seeming preference to playing negative football I.e playing four center backs / not appearing to want his full backs to cross the half way line. Does not seem to like wingers or flair players like Townsend. End result very boring football to watch, but in his case still not the ability to hardly ever keep a claen sheet. We seem to have the worst of both worlds. Reluctantly Keane out, I would like Curbishely witha place in the set up for Matt Holland.

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BrettenhamBlue added 15:43 - Dec 24 Oh dear. Sounds like a player he has wanted for a while. Jack Midson? He's available now in January transfer window....
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stinkiusminkius added 16:15 - Dec 24 Dear god - is he really going to be allowed to blow some more money in thR January transfer window???!!!! And if he does find any exciting attacking players, hd won't play them anyway, based on previous form. Help us.
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sirburley added 16:19 - Dec 24 Geo Dos santos!Get him,he scared the crap out of defenders when he was here.I might be wrong but im sure he would be keen to get some first team action with us.The most exciting player ive seen at PR in years.
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Back_The_Boss added 16:34 - Dec 24 Indeed, we simply don't score enough goals, getting some more attacking players would be good news. However, why let go of Townsend when he is an "attacking player?"
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itfc1981 added 17:11 - Dec 24 kingkeano get your Town colours on the the cup!
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Mark added 17:47 - Dec 24 My head is spinning and I haven't drank much!! I read earlier than Keane is looking for one or two players, one or two experienced defensive players. Now he is looking for one or two attacking players! So is that one or two or three or four? He wants "massive change" but "doesn't want wholesale changes". We need more "strength in depth" but we have to reduce the numbers. What is going on at ITFC?!

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RetroBlue added 18:37 - Dec 24 Sounds to me , like a very loud and clear message aimed at Clegg to get his finger out and secure the players Roy has identified !
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rayman_10 added 19:12 - Dec 24 Please just buy a right footed decent centre half as cover for mcauley (shittu?) and a decent striker (McLean would of been good but he's heading to hull, Charlie Austin maybe?) and if we could find anyone decent that wants to come here then great, but please get rid off the likes of Quinn, ainsley, Healy, Martin (permanent, unless he sets the world alight at charlton) Pablo Lisbie McLaughlin and, I'm going to get hated for this, but SOME of our younger players eg, Dunbar, griffiths etc, who aren't pushing for a first team place and get QUALITY players. I agree with keane that we need some experience, hopefully that will cut out the stupid goals we concede. Anyway christmas list over, onwards and upwards! Merry Xmas

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Len_Brennan added 19:19 - Dec 24 Do not give this man any money to spend. The contradictions, the excuses, the falling out with players (both confirmed and denied), the negative tactics, the disrespect for supporters, the constant inability to refrain from commenting on things he should leave well enough alone, the ridiculous explanations for dropping performing players from the team (and even the squad), the never acknowledging that he's gotten it wrong & needs help/an experienced head and most importantly the way he has no idea what his best week in/week out team is while relying on loan players after 20 months in the job. It's enough to drive me to drink, which is handy enough on a Christmas Eve, but becomes a major problem over the course of a football season Santa Evans, please give me and the majority of Town fans the Christmas present we want. Keane OUT.

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bluearmy4life added 21:02 - Dec 24 First things first, I think Keane & co should just concentrate on doing well over xmas first before targeting new players. If we pick up 9 or 10 points then we should invest in new players and give Keane the backing but until then lets take one game at a time. COYB Merry xmas all town fans!
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bobble added 21:44 - Dec 24 surely attacking players would be wasted here under keane
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cornishblu added 22:16 - Dec 24 spot on sirburley....get dos santos and he'll really lift the season, think keano will hold back though as it was super Jim that spotted that one first...RK wouldnt want to admit a mistake in not pursuing earlier!!!!! COYB
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h32 added 22:38 - Dec 24 Mark - doesn't it prove the point that everyone's head is so scrambled by all this. We are definitely past the point of all reasoning with this man. ...................please god save our club, and let the necessary happen real soon.
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fifeblue added 23:30 - Dec 24 Keane, Dos Santos, and Woodgate. They are all screaming out for a game. At our level they'd be great.
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rolly added 00:35 - Dec 25 I heard adiarre, if that is how you spell it, anyone else here that??
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BrettenhamBlue added 02:26 - Dec 25 We won't get Dos Santos- totally different player to what Keane wants. Jack Midson is still my guess. I guessed fallon (look through previous posts) and I was right. Guessed Scotland too. Midson is coming to Town (a defensive minded striker-gets back well but terrible in front of goal)
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Drew added 18:03 - Dec 25 Adam Lallana from Southampton being one of them hopefully.
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BrandonsBlues added 21:03 - Dec 25 Urban Blue. I do believe RK has done it again. Contradicted himself. How unusual.
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BrandonsBlues added 21:07 - Dec 25 No, you have all misunderstood. RK cannot have Townsend in the transfer window so gets rid of him because we have to many loanees. Now he can get another one or two attacking players on permanent, which is what we want, and still leaves space for other loanees to come in later.
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