Roy Keane says competition for places in his side is now more fierce than at any stage in his time at Portman Road. The Blues boss added Spurs midfielder Jake Livermore to his squad yesterday, adding to his options in central midfield.
Keane said: "We’ve got the strongest competition for places we’ve had since I’ve been at the club. In terms of most positions there are good battles, which is why I need another two players - to make sure that battle continues.
"Competition always gets the best out of good players, and that’s what we’ve got here at the moment.”
Keane is looking for 20-year-old Livermore to compete for a first team position with the likes of David Norris, Grant Leadbitter, Luke Hyam, Colin Healy and Jaime Peters: "He’ll be involved at the weekend and it’s good competition and I think we needed that extra cover in the centre. David Norris is on four bookings and we’ve got lots of games coming up. More competition is what we need.”
The Blues boss says he could keep the Spurs man beyond January: "I think the first part of the deal is a month [to November 13th] but it kicks into a deal until January. He’ll be here until January and we’ll review it then.”
Keane wants to add two more loanees, but says there’s some way to go before those deals are done: "I’ve identified a couple of players and we’ll keep making these phonecalls, as you do, and sometimes we get the thumbs-up.”
The Irishman was giving little away regarding their identities, including whether they are experienced players or youngsters like Livermore and Townsend: "They wouldn’t be old, but they’re not too young either!”
Keane believes Portman Road is a good place for Premier League managers to send their young stars to gain match experience: "I think we’re a good option for a lot of clubs, although I think other clubs in the Championship would also say that.
"But all the players who came on loan here last year did well and went back to their clubs better players.
"Football is a small world and people know that we train properly, we look after the players and that we’ve got a very good fitness coach in Antonio Gomez. Word gets around.”
The Blues boss is continuing to look to the loan market after owner Marcus Evans committed less cash for permanent signings than in previous years during the transfer window, something Keane says he can understand after last season’s poor showing: "If you win football matches you get the support of the owner, whoever it might be, and if you’re not doing well they maybe get a bit tentative. I think maybe that was the case in the summer.
"We brought in lots of players last year, it took them a while to settle in and sometimes people get reluctant to go and spend some more money, which I understand because it’s a tough business out there.”
Keane says the squad suffered no new injuries during Tuesday’s Carling Cup win at Millwall and that Shane O’Connor (hamstring) and Alan Quinn (groin) are the only players sidelined at present. O’Connor is expected to be back in training this week, but Quinn is a little further behind the young left-back.