Boss Roy Keane says he is hopeful that chairman and owner Marcus Evans will continue to back him despite the Blues’ disappointing season. The Town manager admits that his side will have to pick up a few wins in the next few weeks to ensure his longer term ambitions with the club.

Keane said: “We hope so, but as much as you’ve got to look at the bigger picture, you’ve got to live in the day as well and try and get a few results under our belts. We need to look at players for next season, look at the characters that we possibly need.

“I’ve had 10 or 11 months at the club now, I’ve got a feel for the fabric of the club, what I think it lacks and what it needs. Unfortunately it’s taken a lot of setbacks to get there.”

The Blues boss says other owners might not have shown so much patience with him: “I’ve been very fortunate, very lucky. I’ve seen managers under a lot more pressure than me even with better results. I think Gareth Southgate was about fourth when he lost his job [at Middlesbrough].

“I suppose I’m new to the club and sometimes you don’t get that benefit of the doubt when you’ve been at a club two or three years. When you’re first at a club you get that, and rightly so as you’re sussing out your players, still learning about the club, and I learned a lot about the club on Tuesday night.”

Keane says he’s going to stop answering media questions about issues away from Town for the remaining weeks of the season: “Sky in particular come down here and always focus on what’s going on at other football clubs. I think for the next eight games I’m just focus on what’s going on at my own club, because that’s the priority for me.

“Whatever’s going on at other football clubs, I’ve got enough of my own troubles. I’m a football manager learning my trade and I’m not doing a good enough job at Ipswich and I need to focus on that. I need to focus on my job.”

Keane was speaking prior to the news that former Town skipper and coach Tony Mowbray had left his job as manager of Celtic, a position the Blues boss has been linked with due to his reported friendship with Bhoys director Dermot Desmond. However, the Blues boss, who played for the Glasgow giants in the final days of his career, has shown little sign on of wanting to move on from Portman Road.

Photo: Action Images

superblueflude added 09:04 - Mar 26 Do you think possibly, Keane does actually read fans comments on here and other Forums? I mean we keep saying concentrate no the club and suddenly, he's saying no more sky interviews on other matters? Just a thought?
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blueblood66 added 09:06 - Mar 26 I have to say it's about time Roy. I am fed with seeing other issues being discussed on Sky Sports News
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superblueflude added 09:08 - Mar 26 Definately, and it always looks bad on our club to - Keane -Ipswich town manager mocks irish world cup team etc etc
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roytheboy added 09:11 - Mar 26 Roy Keane will, I am absolutely sure, become one of Football's great Managers in a few seasons, I just hope for all of our sakes that he will still be with Ipswich, he is still learning that part of the trade, he is a good decent man, genuine, honest and passionate for OUR CLUB, he has a great history in the game and I regard him as a Footballing professional, he did not achieve what he has achieved by not working hard at it, he is currently working hard at trying to improve the situation at ITFC, maybe more emphasis should be made on the individual performances from the players and the current coaching staff, than continually putting the Manager down, I've seen it too many times, it actually can destroy the very club that we all support, or at least claim to.

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devontractorboy added 09:15 - Mar 26 I just wish he'd go, I'm fed up with hearing about HIM, what HE thinks and the fact we're now known as "Roy Keanes Ipswich". The bloke's a joke, perhaps they'd like him at Celtic....but then when they see what a mess he's made of things down here perhaps not?
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bedsitfc added 09:24 - Mar 26 roytheboy - i echo your comments
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Marcus added 09:30 - Mar 26 This does come across as a shape up for get lost warning from Evans. As much as I'd love to see Keane get things right I'm not convinced that he'll be able to do it at Ipswich - partly because his start has been so poor that there's a good chance he wont get a second season and partly because he's a mismatch for the club. I do believe Keane knows what he's doing and can see what's wrong but at the same time he's struggling to get the right players to fill the gaps and there are few signs that this will change. His demolition of Magilton's squad and replacing them with a mixture of talented youngsters, cast offs and mercenaries has moved Ipswich from being a mid-table team to being a... ummm... struggling mid-table team. Apart from a few good performances most of the points gained have been drab draws and unremarkable wins. Maybe Keane will be the next Alex Ferguson or Brian Clough but Ipswich has always done best with modest managers and not headline makers. I know it's a Nu-Ipswich (sic) but perhaps it's too 'nu' to work. If Keane does go then let's find someone who isn't a teacup/punches type and find someone who can get things working, get the EXISTING players performing better and not make any dramatic/drastic change.

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i8canarys added 09:33 - Mar 26 Mowbray & Venus are available - lets have people with passion for our club
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beerhelps added 09:36 - Mar 26 Careful Roy, Marcus might not like it... All that Roy 'rent-a-quote' publicity for brand ME on Sky Sports News must be good for business. Any good contracts from Ireland lately? Don't forget the big picture!
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itfc1981 added 09:54 - Mar 26 we bloody do need to focus, really cant see what games we can win, look at each game on there own, and you would say we are in deep poop
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dirtydingusmagee added 10:06 - Mar 26 we have mentioned before about possibility of Keane, Evans , players looking in on here.....roytheboy are you REALLY roytheboy ?
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ChambersM added 10:09 - Mar 26 keane you're an embaressment! Shut your mouth and how about sorting out the way your team is playing and not worrying if the opposition manager will join you for a pint of guinness after the game. TW*T.
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naa added 10:10 - Mar 26 roytheboy: I think that's also Keane's biggest problem though. He is clearly trying hard to succeed, but he's trying too hard. He's over-thinking everything all the time, hence hte constant squad rotation, the ins and outs in the transfer market the putting of square pegs in round holes for certain games where he thinks we need a different type of person to combat a particular player. Sometimes, especially in this division, it's best to just put players who are comfortable in their position in the right place. Then get the squad working to a pattern of play they are comfortable with and move on from there. If he stopped trying so hard it might all come together, as sometimes this season it's seemed as though it's almost there. And then we turn sh1t again...

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PaulMariner added 10:13 - Mar 26 I hope he doesn't
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FenboyBlue added 10:26 - Mar 26 Shame about the press conferences. He only seems to have one a week and if he wants to say a few soundbites about non-Ipswich matters then fine, it's not like it's a whole day lost. But good to see he's showing desire not to let the season peter out. Would be good to see us either grinding out points in a difficult to beat way or starting to play more attractive football.

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ChambersM added 10:30 - Mar 26 my comment was meant for the mariner story lol
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Colin_Viljoen added 10:31 - Mar 26 I agree with naa.....lets develope a pattern of play with the right person in the right position & stop worrying about the opposition, let them worry about us!
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Blueknight85 added 10:38 - Mar 26 having a go at the fans...paul mariner... and "hoping" for the owners backing sounds like hes trying to get sacked by getting the fans on his back...
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newburyblue added 10:42 - Mar 26 I wonder what would happen it Celtic did approach us for Keane as their new manager... we'd get compensation for a manager thats not delivered - we could then bring in out of work (with no compensation to be paid) 'Ipswich men' Mowbray and Venus who know how to get out of this division playing 'the Ipswich way'... I'd love Keane to succeed here - but then everytime i think he's turned a corner we throw in a Peterborough, Watford or Plymouth result!

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brogan added 10:43 - Mar 26 There's little doubt that if Celtic come in for him, ME will let him go given his record in the transfer market. RK hasn't worked out at Ipswich but he might be a better fit for a high profile club like Celtic. We may need a different type of manager like Curbishley or even Mowbray. It's a case of horses for courses.
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BurleyForever added 10:44 - Mar 26 Maybe he wants to go to Celtic????
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dirtydingusmagee added 10:48 - Mar 26 naa i agree with your comments on the rotation of players, it seems he feels he has to do it because the big clubs [ie top Prem] do it, We havnt the players to do it ,and as you say we would be better off with a regular team, so they gel,changing things around all time has contributed to the bad season i think .
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JayITFC added 11:04 - Mar 26 Glad he's gonna stop talking about things that don't concern ITFC on Sky, was getting silly.
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sonian_blue added 11:09 - Mar 26 Roytheboy will do for me. Players have been letting this club down. Ship em out Roy and get some in that want it. Most clearly didnt on Tuesday night.
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sonian_blue added 11:12 - Mar 26 Can we please have a story on here without some fool mentioning Curbishly?
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