x

Keane: Two Points Dropped - Ipswich Town News

Town boss Roy Keane was disappointed that his side didn’t turn their one-man advantage into a victory as they left Coventry City after a 1-1 draw. The Blues manager also says that Town might have to sign Jack Colback from Sunderland permanently in order to keep him at Portman Road and refused to comment on Swansea’s interest in Tamás Priskin.

Keane said: "We played some good stuff, particularly in the first half. We had good possession, good movement and I definitely feel it’s two points dropped.

"We could have been cleverer when we were up against 10 men, I don’t think we moved the ball quickly enough. In the attacking third, we took too many touches, were too predictable, but having said that we had the best chance of the game through Jack Colback.

"We as a team don’t take these chances, so there should be no surprise there. We don’t score enough goals and we haven’t since I’ve been at the club.

"You have to be clever with your play in and around the box. One or two of our players didn’t take responsibility, we were passing sideways and backwards when you’ve got to be braver. I didn’t think we were brave enough today.”

Keane felt that Marlon King deserved to be sent off if he went in with two feet, but believed his side found it harder against 10 men: "If people think that helped us, it certainly didn’t, sometimes it just galvanises the home team and the supporters.

"We would have been happy playing against 11 because we played against 11 in the first half and we were the most dangerous team.”

Keane also revealed that Jack Colback, whose loan spell ends this month, was the player he was talking about on Thursday who has told him he might not fancy another spell out on loan.

The Blues boss says that as yet no new loan deal has been agreed and believes Town might have to sign the 21-year-old on a permanent basis: "We’ve not had any confirmation yet from Sunderland and a lot can happen in the next couple of weeks.

"Sometimes a player wants something a bit more permanent, what’s the benefit for Jack staying on loan at Ipswich? Some players want a bit of certainty.”

Keane says Colback’s desire for a more secure future could mean he moves elsewhere: "If we can’t agree with Sunderland, we mightn’t have any money to spend on Jack, he might be going to another club permanently.”

Striker Tamás Priskin is understood to be a target of Swansea City but Keane didn’t want to drawn on the Hungarian's future: "I’d rather not have that conversation today. Lots of stuff comes out of football clubs.”

Coventry boss Aidy Boothroyd had no complaints about Marlon King’s red card and has no plans to appeal: "I think it was a typical striker’s tackle, I think it was over-exuberance.

"It’s nothing malicious, he’s got off his feet to win the ball and when you take two feet off the floor, it’s a sending off, and that’s what he’s done.”

Boothroyd felt referee Russell Booth was right to wave away his side’s penalty appeal late on as the video evidence showed that Gareth McAuley won the ball from Lukas Jutkiewicz, but thought his team were unlucky when James McPake netted with a linesman’s flag having gone up very early for an offside.

The ex-Watford and Colchester manager said: "The goal from the freekick we scored was a goal and it was a mistake, but I’ve got the computer there to have a look at and the referee and linesmen don’t have that.”

Boothroyd felt that in the circumstances, it was a good point: "I think we can look back at the end of the season and say that today is a good result for us because they are a good side.”

What to read next:

McKenna: An Inevitable Decision
Town boss Kieran McKenna says it was an ‘inevitable decision’ for referee Stephen Martin to abandon the Blues’ match at Blackburn Rovers and expects to return to Ewood Park to restage the contest.
U21s Beat Chelsea to Hit Top of Table
Town’s U21s hit the top of Premier League 2 following a 4-2 away victory over previous leaders Chelsea at Kingsmeadow this afternoon.
Blackburn Rovers 1-0 Ipswich Town - Match Abandoned
Town look set to face a return trip to Blackburn Rovers later in the season after this afternoon’s game was abandoned after 80 minutes due to a waterlogged pitch with the home side 1-0 up and with the Blues down to 10 men. Jacob Greaves was shown a straight red card four minutes after the break for hauling down Yuki Ohashi, then Rovers skipper Todd Cantwell netted a penalty on 59, but the heavy rain had made the game increasingly farcical the longer it progressed and in the 80th minute referee Stephen Martin took the players off and then 25 minutes later abandoned it entirely.
Blackburn Rovers 0-0 Ipswich Town - Half-Time
The Blues’ game at Blackburn Rovers remains 0-0 at half-time at a very rainy Ewood Park.
Blackburn Rovers v Ipswich Town - Chatroom Open
Join us in the chatroom to discuss the game as it unfolds with hundreds of other Town fans.
Town Unchanged at Blackburn
Town have named an unchanged side for this afternoon’s game against Blackburn Rovers at Ewood Park.
Blackburn Rovers v Ipswich Town - Predictions
Have you predicted the Blackburn score yet? Eighty three per cent of TWTD members are predicting a Town win this afternoon, 14 per cent a draw and three per cent a home win. The most commonly predicted result is a 2-1 win to Town with Hirst the first scorer but what do you think?
Town Win LMA Performance of the Week Award
Town won the League Managers Association’s Everest Men’s Performance of the Week Award for the 5-0 thrashing of Sheffield United last Friday.
[Podcast] Blue Monday - New Podcast Now Online
A new podcast from the Blue Monday team is now available.
Ismael: A Good Challenge to Test Ourselves Against One of the Championship's Top Sides
Blackburn Rovers boss Valerien Ismael says his team’s next step is to record their first home win of the season when the Blues, who he views as one of the top sides in the Championship, visit Ewood Park on Saturday.