Boss Roy Keane has warned some of his reserves side that they risk not just being released by the Blues but dropping out of professional football altogether if they repeat performances like Tuesday’s 2-1 defeat to Luton having been ahead at half-time. Town’s reserves are now bottom of the seven-team Totesport.com Football Combination East Division.
Keane said: "It was a very disappointing result and they’re on a bad run now. A lot of these boys who played in the reserves on Tuesday, their contracts are up in the summer and they’ll have a reality check over the next few months.”
The Blues boss says that for some of them it’s beyond just a case of having work to do to win themselves new contracts with Town: "I would say more than that if they want to be footballers, not just at this club, at any level. A lot of young boys and one or two senior players who played, their contracts are up.
"The reserves haven’t come on. We rewarded six or seven scholars last year when we gave them the deals and told them that they were now in the big league and wouldn’t be getting arms wrapped around them by academy coaches Sammy Morgan and Gerard Nash and have people like that baby-sitting them. They’re in the real world now and they’ve got to earn a living.
"Jack Ainsley’s gone out on loan to Histon and he’s had a reality check. It’ll be good for them, an interesting few months for them.”
Keane says it’s not so much about a lack of endeavour: "Their effort is fine, but you’ve got to win football matches, you’ve got to do the basics right. When you get in a winning position you’ve got to see the game through. They’ll have a reality check over the next few months.”
Asked about Argentinian midfielder Luciano Civelli, a member of Tuesday’s reserves side, Keane said: "Luca? He needs to do more.”
Meanwhile, Saturday's U18 and U16 games at Southampton have been postponed due to the poor weather.