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Keane: I\'ve Learned a Lot About My Players - Ipswich Town News

Boss Roy Keane said he had learnt a lot about his side after Tuesday’s 3-1 home defeat to Crystal Palace. The Town manager admitted his team have a long way to go if they are to be Championship contenders this season.

Keane said: "I learned a great deal about my side and I know we've got a big challenge ahead, but then again I already knew that.

"When you concede three at home you're always going to make life difficult for yourselves. It could have been more but then we could have scored more than one.

"In defence of the players, I take full responsibility. There were new players out there, young players and a new partnership up front.

"I know as well as anyone that sometimes these things don't happen straight away in football. It takes time to click.

"There are genuine reasons why we haven't hit the ground running and it would be very tempting to make excuses.

"In glimpses we looked dangerous, but we expect better and the players demand better of each other.

"There have been a lot of expectation around the place, particularly in the summer, and it's been a reality check for us all.

"The players are aware that there is a lot of hard work in front of them and that applies to all of us. We are under no illusions and we have to take our medicine again today and move on. But hopefully there is not too much medicine to come.

"We had our chances and Owen and Jon Stead contributed to that in the second half, but we conceded three goals and two of them were bad goals to concede.

"We didn't really get going early in the second half and we were still recovering from the first goal when they scored the second, so it was always going to be hard to get something out of the game after that.

"We expressed ourselves better in the last half hour and we have to do that when we go to West Brom at the weekend."

Palace boss Neil Warnock was delighted to get the win after the misfortunes of Saturday's defeat to Bristol City: "It was nice to get the disappointment and injustice of the weekend out of the way - not just by winning but playing as we did.

"We showed a great attitude, were solid at the back and inventive in midfield. I couldn't ask for more, especially at such a difficult place as Ipswich.

"It's been a weird feeling since Saturday. When you should win a game and an unfortunate thing like that happens you can't get over it.

"But you have to put things in perspective and we only lost a game of football."

Warnock was particularly happy with former Blue Darren Ambrose, who scored two and created one: "I've always liked Darren and offered £1 million for him when he was at Ipswich.

"He's drawn the short straw in the last couple of years but he was the first person who came to speak to me in the summer.

"I said he could be influential for me and score goals and he plays with a smile on his face.

"He's not worried about making a mistake because he knows he's not going to get a rollicking from me."

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