Former Town boss Roy Keane says he is hugely disappointed to be leaving Portman Road. The Irishman was told that his time with the Blues was at an end yesterday via a phone call from club owner and chairman Marcus Evans.

Keane released a statement via the League Managers’ Association: “I’m hugely disappointed to be leaving Portman Road. Results haven’t been as good as I’d have hoped so far this season and when results aren’t good the manager gets the sack, that’s the game.

“However, I have a genuine belief that we were making progress and that the players have what it takes to turn this season around. We were preparing well for our visit to Chelsea on Sunday and then our Carling Cup semi with Arsenal. Getting to that semi proves what I know the team is capable of.

“I was also working hard to build the squad during the transfer window, looking at our options to attract new players to the club. I have loved my time at Ipswich, living locally to the club with my family, and have a massive respect for the club, its staff, the fans and the community and I wish them well.”

Richard Bevan, chief executive of the LMA added: “Roy is one of the most committed and dedicated managers in the game and without a doubt leaving Ipswich will be very disappointing for him.

“Roy’s departure though, typifies him, in his honest and forthright appraisal of his departure. This season’s run with the club in the Carling Cup is testament to his ability in getting the best out of his team in big games and it is disappointing that he has not been given the opportunity to lead out Ipswich in their first cup semi-final for thirty-odd years [sic].”

Photo: Action Images

AFCC added 12:25 - Jan 7 baring West Brom's reserves our run to the League Cup Semi Final consisted of Exeter, Crewe, Milwall & Northampton. hardly a giant killing cup run! Roy your commitment and effort will never be questioned and we do have a strong squad than 20 months ago so for that we thank you and wish you well. However tactically on the park we have been consistantly poor and despite all the new faces we are still lacking in critical areas. Your time has come and I wish you well but can we all please start supporting our team!

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BYRNE_16 added 12:25 - Jan 7 Evans and Clegg Out! Money Men Destroying our club! Good luck and all the best for the future keane! I Genuinely mean that! Not like other so-called fans!
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thechangingman added 12:27 - Jan 7 I am in the wrong job! I wish that I were in a profession where I could blow all my budget with nothing to show for it; ostracise all of my work colleagues; fall short of all my targets; consistently not deliver on my promises and just be a total, miserable failure and then not only get paid millions to do so but have folk thank me 'for trying' once I'd pretty much single-handedly destroyed any hope of my company doing well for the foreseeable future... Ahhh, the football manager's lot in life - it's really not that hard is it?

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dobbie73 added 12:27 - Jan 7 Shame it didn't work out. All the best Keano, wherever you end up. Now we move on. Together. United behind the new manager of Ipswich Town FC.
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Paulc added 12:29 - Jan 7 @ BluePlough - "Everyone wanted him to succeed" - This is simply not true. There have been a whole bunch of people who slated him from the off and even more jumped on that ship after only a few months. Sometimes the "fans" at this club are a disgrace and should be hanging their heads in shame today - All this talk of 'great club', 'Tradition' etc- when was it ever great or a tradition of ours to treat a manager in that way? It is probably time for RK to go and I hope he gets another club where things go a little better (he is still young in terms of management expereince). Who knows we could all look back on this day and reflect how we let the next "Fergie" slip away?

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pinablue added 12:29 - Jan 7 Good luck; Roy sorry it did not work out; now let us get behind the team and who ever is in charge.
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alfromcol added 12:29 - Jan 7 Howthecow If you had watched all the home games this year you may have noticed how inept some of RK's tactics and team selections were. I liked RK as a player and believed when he joined ITFC that we would be going places. Unfortunately that did not happen. Having spent a lot of money on players he then decided were not good enough and didn't select, he was back for more money to buy some more. Fortunately ME decided enough was enough. Glad he has gone and wish him the best of luck

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BlooooCD added 12:29 - Jan 7 We are now in a right mess at the club. Keano tried and failed simples! No one would expct him to have failed intentionally but the facts are what they are... The sacking was the right decision - I reservce judgement if sacking anyone over the phone is right?!?! Anyway looking forward - The next appointment will be pivotal! So much work to do! COYB's! Blooooooooooooooooooooo Army!!! Chelski here we come - The true Blue Army!

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pinablue added 12:30 - Jan 7 Good luck; Roy sorry it did not work out; now let us get behind the team and who ever is in charge.
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BlueVelvet added 12:33 - Jan 7 Clegg needs to look very closely at his own performance in all of this. He is only at the club because of his connections with the Olympics and this fits ME's game plan. Cleggs slow assessment of the siutation has probably cost the club several £m's in lost gate receipts as poor performances drive down ticket sales and season ticket renewals. Lets hope he gets some advice on manager selection. He was late starting the press conference this morning because he was faffing about looking for papers in the boot of his car (thats a fact). Shake it up ME and expect more from Cleggy!

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naa added 12:43 - Jan 7 howthecow: while I think Roy tried his best and, at times we did play ok and were unlucky (Swansaea and Forest come to mind) but I seriously believe we would have been relegated if Roy had stayed here any longer - so we just couldn't risk giving him more time. That's not to say we'll stay up now, of course. His record in the transfer market was very poor, so giving him more this January would have been foolish. His tactics were always confusing. His football style was often dull and defensive. Even when he tried a moe attacking approach he just didn't seem to know how to play it - ie. put big men up front but don't provide any width, so no crosses coming in for the big men. Baffling. He has been given far more time and patience than many managers would get. We had a terrible season last year and this season we are currently the worst team on curent form in the entire country I believe. 10 defeats in 14 isn't just relegation form, it's a laughing stock.

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Lightningboy added 12:45 - Jan 7 Dillusional to the last. Thanks for nothing Roy. Good riddance.
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PartyDaz added 12:47 - Jan 7 Not_so_Keane: All the players out of contract this summer, only been allowed to spend approx £2m in the last twelve months, the rest were loan signings, etc. All I'm saying is that the problems with this club at the moment go deeper than Roy Keane. He is not the root of all evil as some on here would make out. Don't get me wrong, he's made errors as I previously mentioned ( I think the money wasted on Martin will haunt him, but to be fair, he came with a good pedigree, just turned out to be a useless fkcwit ). In my humble opinion, Evans, Clegg, and Keane have made errors, but only Keane is out of a job. I realise that's how it is, just think that now he's gone people could show a bit of respect and dignity. We keep banging on about what ITFC is all about, family club, footballing side, tradition, bla bla bla, yet in actual fact a lot of "Town Fans" on here are actually spiteful, moronic, gloating dim-wits who are clearly happy that the bloke has lost his job. Each to their own I guess, but I do think ITFC have more than their fair share of idiot supports.

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BluePlough added 12:53 - Jan 7 Paulc - agree with you, ok, should have said all the real fans wanted him to succeed! The new manager when he is brought in should be given support and have the fans backing from the start. I for one was behind Keane 100% up until about a month or so ago. The results and football we have been playing is simply not acceptable. I also wish Keane the best although i think he will struggle to find a club as big as Ipswich to manager after failing so badly here.

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DietmarVanNostrilBoy added 13:03 - Jan 7 Bluroo, I must assume that you are one of our junior supporters & it is admirable that you try & get involved in an adult forom, well done. However longer standing fans no that under Keane's tenure we have played the worst football at Portman Road in living memory. Things will improve and hopefully daddy will keep taking you to matches.
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Mungo added 13:05 - Jan 7 Credit where credit is due, RK has 'amicably' stepped down when he could have dug in and made life difficult, so fair play to him for that. He always meant well and I think he had a good go at building a new team, but it just didn't work out for him and it is the right thing for all parties to move on. Best wishes for the future Mr Keane, and I look forward to seeing a resurgent ITFC this year...

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ElginCityBlue added 13:06 - Jan 7 "This season's run with the club in the Carling Cup is testament to his ability in getting the best out of his team in big games and it is disappointing that he has not been given the opportunity to lead out Ipswich in their first cup semi-final for thirty-odd years" What about the 2001 semi against Birmingham? Sack Richard Bevan as Chief Executive of the LMA if he can't even get his facts right!

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Steve_ITFC_Sweden added 13:07 - Jan 7 I had come to the conclusion that Keano was never going to make it happen for us, but his departure now leaves me with a strangely empty feeling. I only hope the new manager has time to pull things round. Keano was - himself, tried his best, and is no doubt gutted at not succeeding. I wish him well and hope he perhaps decides to stay in the region for a while. But now is the time for a new start. How about the stay-away fans making a statement of commitment next home game? COYB!

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TractorBeezer added 13:09 - Jan 7 He succeeded in getting a tougher dimension to the team but overall our style, tactics and team selection didn't work. Hopefully some good passing and penetrating wing play will return to Portman Road and our players will know where they stand. As for this replacement, the right choice will surely boost season ticket sales. I wish you well Keano in life and your future endeavours.Your parting statement was humble and a touch of class.

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Legend added 13:29 - Jan 7 Good luck Keano and all the best for the future.
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tractorboy2434 added 13:35 - Jan 7 Cannot believe that people on here are saying it is a sad day and that we should all feel sorry for how we have treated him, what a load of cobblers, should have been sacked long ago, not sorry or sad in the slightest, am very, very glas that the misery that is RK is gone, will celebrate with a large glass of red tonight, now lets hop we can appoint someone who knows what he is doing, and play football.

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62WasBest added 13:47 - Jan 7 Goodbye Roy! Think you were the wrong man for us and I hope Evans doesn't make a similar mistake again - but I am not holding my breath. I don't condemn the position he left us in. Playing football the way he saw it it was inevitable we'd fall down the table. Now can we get back to optimism (not blind optimism) and start to play football that is creative? Only 20 clubs can be in the Premiership, but all can try to play attractive football 99% of the time. There is no excuse. If you cannot get promoted at least entertain!

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bonanza added 14:01 - Jan 7 Good luck keano.
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dubblue added 14:48 - Jan 7 I am sorry it did not work out for Keane and wish him the best. Although I would have taken the McCarthy side in the great Siapan row I genuinely hoped he would be a success at town. I was prepared to give him the benefit of doubt last season it takes time to rebuild a side etc - although I wondered was a side that was only a few points off the playoffs in need of radical overhaul. This season despite a good start it was difficult to see what progress had been achieved.

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dubblue added 14:48 - Jan 7 I am sorry it did not work out for Keane and wish him the best. Although I would have taken the McCarthy side in the great Siapan row I genuinely hoped he would be a success at town. I was prepared to give him the benefit of doubt last season it takes time to rebuild a side etc - although I wondered was a side that was only a few points off the playoffs in need of radical overhaul. This season despite a good start it was difficult to see what progress had been achieved.

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