Keane: Players May Sit on Contracts
Tuesday, 27th Apr 2010 09:48

Boss Roy Keane concedes that it might not be easy to move on all the current players he sees as surplus to requirements. Keane has identified a number of squad members that he feels won’t be in his plans next season with four or five new signings already in his sights.

Keane said: “There are players that we have at the club that might have to move on, simple as that.

“Whether clubs come in for them is another issue, but whatever happens I’ve got four or five players that we need at the club next year. Whether I’ve seven or eight I’d like to move on or 15, that’s irrelevant, these four or five players are massively important to us if we want to take the club forward next year.”

Keane will meet with the club’s 11 out-of-contract players this week to tell them whether they are being kept on, with one of this morning’s newspapers reporting that keeper Richard Wright will be amongst those released, a move which wouldn't be a surprise with Brian Murphy establishing himself as Town's number one and the former England man likely to be on big wages.

The Blues boss will also be looking to find new clubs for some of those whose deals stretch beyond the summer. Kevin Lisbie, Jon Stead, Pablo Couñago, Alan Quinn, Lee Martin, Owen Garvan, Alex Bruce, Colin Healy and Tamás Priskin are all contracted until at least 2011 but are either currently out of the first team or on loan.

Keane says some of those that he would like to depart may decide to stay despite not being involved in the first team: “One or two might say ‘listen, I’ve got a year left, I’ve got two years and I’m going to sit tight’.

“We’re not here to force any player out of the football club, but we might have to say to them ‘we’ve had enquires, if you want to move on, we certainly won’t stand in your way because you mightn’t be part of the plans’.

“But, as I say, we’re not here to force anyone out of the football club, they’re under contract and we’ve got to be prepared to honour that.”

At least one new striker is clearly amongst Keane’s priorities with Jon Walters currently topping this season's scoring charts with just eight goals. But the Town manager says finances could prevent him from signing the really top level Championship frontmen: “We haven’t got anybody in the group that is showing that they can get 15, never mind 20.

“[Someone capable of scoring] 20 goals might be out of our reach in terms of the type of strikers we’re after, whether you’re looking at a player who isn’t in his first team in the Premiership or someone who is doing well in the Championship.

”If you look at the players who have done well in the Championship, the Chopras, I think Chopra was about £4 million. We have to be realistic and, obviously, the bigger the fee, the bigger the wages. There’s lots to go into it.

“We have to be careful who we target over the next few months. We have to be realistic who we think we can get, who we fancy coming to Ipswich, in terms of the fee and the wages. It’s going to be difficult, no doubt.”

Cardiff's Michael Chopra and Scunthorpe's Gary Hooper have already been linked with summer moves to the Blues.

Photo: Action Images

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rubberblood added 10:19 - Apr 27 Robert Lewandowski
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italiano added 10:23 - Apr 27 The fact that Keane actually mentions Chopra's name tends suggests we might not be interested in him. I have high hopes of this Hooper chap being our new Marcus Stewart.
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byebyesheepshanks added 10:26 - Apr 27 It's a shame he's got a contract until 2011
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Billy_Whizz added 10:39 - Apr 27 Not as many real 1st team players out of contract as you'd imagine - so RK will have work on his hands to get rid of those players listed above that he doesn't want to keep!
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jas0999 added 10:43 - Apr 27

No real loss if R. Wright leaves. Not required anymore sadly and on to much money to warrant a new deal.

Kevin Lisbie, Jon Stead, Pablo CouÃ±ago, Alan Quinn, Lee Martin, Owen Garvan, Alex Bruce, Colin Healy and Tamás Priskin - with the exception of Garvan, I wouldn't mind if all of these players leave - despite being a Counago fan - he simply doesn't score enough. Howwever, I would imagine he's one of the players who would stay to see out his contract. You can't blame him really - the person to blame is Jim for extending his contract (on big money no doubt) for a further 3 years.

SouperJim added 11:01 - Apr 27 From the list of players, I'd not be looking to move on Stead who is every bit as good as D Murphy, or Garvan who is our only really creative midfield player. If we could bring in a decent play-maker then Garvan would be largely surplus as he is lacking in other areas, but right now it would be short sighted to move him on.
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DanTheMan added 11:05 - Apr 27 There is no way in hell we would get Lewandowski.
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yorkshireblue added 11:09 - Apr 27

Robert Lewandowski??? You sir, have been playing too much football manager. He was linked with a £5million move to Blackburn yesterday.

Hooper seems the more realistic target, I haven't seen much of him but he certainly seems to know where the net his goal ratio. But since their survival is assured they may look to sell him to some of the Prem/SPL teams linked rather than a divisional rival.

byebyesheepshanks added 11:21 - Apr 27 We need someone like Keiron Dyer & 1 good season of total class at this level. It's what Portsmouth did when they got Paul Merson for a year. He couldn't run but he ran the show on the pitch. A massive success. Keiron may not be the best example, but a solid, ex England 32+
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moomoosereni added 11:21 - Apr 27 Austin from swindon, Jackson from gillingham, roberts from blackburn, and dependant on what mccarthys plans in the summer are, maybe ebanks Blake from wolves could be realistic. Granted some of those players aren't proven goalscorers at championship level, still worth a punt if you ask me.
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newburyblue added 11:45 - Apr 27

We've got such a ridiculously large squad, we need to get rid of quite a few players and i'm not sure how easy he's going to find that as potentially there is a lot to shift (R.Wright, Lisbie, Balkenstein, C.Healy, Quinn, Upson, Trotter, Bruce, Pablo, Stead, Priskin?, Martin?, Garvan?).
And let's hope these 4/5 players he's after will be a bit better than his previous signings! Half have been flops! Only really Leadbitter and B.Murphy from the permanent signings have been any good. Delaney he got lucky with, signed him as a left back and he was awful and has tried him at centre half and its worked. C.Healy, Martin, Edwards, Priskin and Brown his other signings...

Bluetone added 12:02 - Apr 27 Anyone considered using Pablo CouÃ±ago as an attacking midfielder and playmaker?
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ChambersM added 12:12 - Apr 27 too lightweight for a midfielder i think.....can always use him behind the front two though
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Mark added 12:13 - Apr 27

Do we really need five new players? Perhaps if we just brought two or three then we would be able to afford the striker we need? Keane said that at £4M someone like Chopra is unaffordable, but according to press reports we paid that sum for Leadbitter and Edwards, and put together the fees of Martin and Priskin and it isn't far behind. If we go into next season still without a quality goalscorer my confidence of promotion won't be high.

newburyblue added 12:18 - Apr 27

To have Pablo as a attacking midfielder you'd have to change the whole formation of the side and either have 3 central midfielders behind him or him at the top of a diamond formation, either way you are limiting the width of the side. I think if Keane was even slightly entertaining that idea then he would have tried it in the last couple of games or minimum in the reserves. If Pablo is still at PR next season it will be because he doesn't want to leave and he will very rarely get a run out... shame, but maybe for the greater good.

newburyblue added 12:25 - Apr 27

I agree with Mark... do we need 5 players?!? I think 3, a new left side and a top striker to parner Wickham.
GK - B.Murphy (A.Lee-Barrett)
RB - D.Wright (J.Peters)
LB - *New Player (S.O'Connor)
CB - G.McAuley (T.Eastman)
CB - D.Delaney (T.Smith)
RM - J.Walters (C.Edwards - can't see Keane getting rid of him)
CM - D.Norris (O.Garvan - personally think we should keep him)
CM - G.Leadbitter (L.Martin - again think Keane will persist)
LM - *New Player (L.Civelli)
CF - C.Wickham (T.Priskin/J.Stead - sell one, keep one)
CF - *New Player

sonian_blue added 12:30 - Apr 27 Lets be honest here, apart from Wickham and O'connor who I believe are oustanding prospects, would any body on here turn down a genuine offer for ANY other member of our squad? I know I wouldnt. We have no stars.
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ThatMuhrenCross added 12:46 - Apr 27 Sign Jake Speight from Mansfield for 25k... he'll get you goals. Lee Hughes from Notts County - £750k... he'll get you goals.
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enfieldblue added 12:46 - Apr 27 what about that kid from huddersfield jordan something ?
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Steve_ITFC_Sweden added 12:49 - Apr 27

newburyblue: I think you're on the right lines. Rather than spreading our resources over 5 new players, I'd rather spend the bulk of any money we might have on a quality CF and quality left-winger if we could get them to come. We can always bring on the yoofs as back-up. Of course, some of the RK's projected incomers may not command a fee - but you still have to pay them.

Tractorog added 13:00 - Apr 27 Who'd sign for a manager with 1 year left on his contract?
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pottyblue added 13:25 - Apr 27 just want three players with left feet
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Help added 13:32 - Apr 27

keenotheenforcer

Just because stead has taken out a pension does not indicate he is staying. It means he is self employed and earns enough money to buy a personal pension, unlike the rest of us who settle for company pensions generally.

It is rumours like yours that are uninformed, uninteresting and unrequired.

Bluetone

What you suggest is just what a certain young man at Crystal palace has been playing, behind the forward(s) and scoring a few goals this year I think.

Personally if the list is to be believed, and it is all just speculation, we need width, either with the players we have, or whom we bring in. We need to play the football on the floor, neither of which we have done this season.

Finally, how many of RK signings are on the out list. I just hope that RK's judgement is better this close season then last. And for once can we get players in sooner then a couple of days before the season starts, so we dont have this gelling in period. No deadline day last minute signings please.