By accepting a place at University this year, I realised that my days of being a regular season ticket holder were numbered. I decided to go to every single game, home and away, before my course started, have an Ipswich Town binge so to speak.

So when Uni started in the first week of October, I was probably expecting more than the zero wins.

Had Jim Magilton still been in charge, it is probably fair to say that he would have got the boot by now.

But is getting rid of Keane now a sensible option?

In my opinion, the answer is simple - no, not yet.

Keane came in towards the end of last season, got two really good wins, and had the whole summer to create his own squad. Has the team he has built really that bad? Leadbitter, Rosenior and Edwards are all players who have played Premier League football. Tamas Priskin netted 16 goals for Watford last season. More recently, signing loan keeper Begovic has seemingly halted the large amount of goals we were conceding. Man for man, we are a better side than last season.

Getting rid of the manager now and replacing him, the new man at the helm would want to be promised funds for the January transfer window, so he too can mould together his own squad. Since Evans has been here, with Magic and Keano as managers, it is reported that they have shelled out around £28 million for players, their wages and loanees, a gargantuan total for a Championship side. Whether Evans would be willing to cough up further funds in January is another matter.

We are certainly not good enough not to go down, but recent performances have deserved more points than we have. How many times have we come away from Portman Road this season saying we have been awful and completely outplayed? I can only think of Palace and Newcastle, and the rest we should have had more from the games. The signs of the first win are most definitely there, and much like Keane, there is no reason to panic. Wouldn't you be more worried if we were being outplayed every week and not creating chances?

And the question of who would replace Keane is another matter. Out of who is realistically available who would want to come to a side bottom of the Championship? Most Ipswich fan's first choice to take over from Magilton would have been Alan Curbishley, but he has said on numerous occasions that he only wants to return to Premier League management. Sven was always optimistic. Terry Butcher failed at the likes of Brentford, Bryan Robson has no track record of success at this level, and the list goes on. Steve Coppell and Paul Jewell would be two excellent candidates - but even they struggled towards the end of their respective spells at Reading and Derby.

Many times on the TWTD Message Board this season, people have argued 'if we hadn't of sold Rhodes' or 'if we gave Jim another season'. The fact is, there is no point discussing the fact. They are gone. They are in the past and it is a completely pointless and irrelevant argument. In my eyes, Magilton had lost the dressing room and a large amount of supporters at games. He is an ITFC legend, and always will be, but many of his decisions in his final season and a half were baffling to say the least. He simply was not the man for us, but good luck to him at QPR. While Jordan Rhodes is scoring goals for fun in League One, it is no Championship. I remember a certain Sam Parkin who scored goals consistently in League One....

At the end of the day, Keane has signed a two-year deal, and I think he will be here for those two years. We are certainly not good enough not to go down, but recent performances have deserved more points than we have. How many times have we come away from Portman Road this season saying we have been awful and completely outplayed? I can only think of Palace and Newcastle, and the rest we could have had more from the games. Keane is here whether we like it or not, and for the time being we may as well support him and the boys through this sticky patch.

ChambersM added 19:01 - Oct 26 Is Sacking Keano a Sensible Option? -Yes He hasn't won us a game in 14!
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JammyDodgerrr added 19:11 - Oct 26 Great blog. Sacking Keane would not be ideal at the moment and it would cost us loads in compensation.
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naa added 19:23 - Oct 26 I agree with the sentiments (though I currently can't see how Keane will be here for the whole of 2 years - but if he does then that will mean that we did OK, so I hope so. But just to correct you, Bryan Robson (who I really don't want here by the way) has got promotion at least twice, if not three times as manager. That's more than Keane has managed.
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HighSeasBlue added 19:29 - Oct 26 If Town was a jigsaw then we would be missing one or two pieces, Beckford from Leeds or maybe, assuming he does not get sent down, Marlon King. It is a credit to the board and the fans that we have not become fickle. The Newcastle approach is all well in good but managers need time, keep chopping and changing then we end up going back to square one. I think Keane will stay and once we get a win then I think "hope" we will get two or three on the swing. Good to Stead getting a goal! Roll on Wedenesday and the Scum reserves at PR!!

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tractorboybig added 19:31 - Oct 26 Sacking keen is probaly as sensible as giving him the job.
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UEFA81 added 19:38 - Oct 26 Sacking Keane would be the most sensible decision ITFC have made in their entire history. IN KEANE WE BUST.
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ksw added 19:44 - Oct 26 Kean must not be sacked it cost a lot more in the long term. plus the next manager would have the same team plus no money. so give him time look we gave bobby robson time man utd gave sir alex time look what they done so get behind roy keane or piss off up the A140 ur not a true blue
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pickles110564 added 19:47 - Oct 26 naa, How many clubs has Keano managed? Oh just the two. It does not matter how many of you non-supporting idiots want Keano sacked because ME would not waste his time reading whingers posts on a forum. If you actually went and watched a game you would see that the footings have been dug and the concrete has just started to be poured. You would not then be slagging Keano off and would join the other 20,000 fans getting behind him and the team. In Keano we trust. COYB

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Keaneish added 19:47 - Oct 26 Whoever wants Keane sacked now is a muppet. Whoever can't spell Keane is an even bigger muppet. I'd rather be bottom of the league not having one in 14 and have Keane as manager and the squad we have now and some of the football we're starting to play, than 7th in the league under Magilton. And before anyone mentions it, Magilton's hardly the force behind QPR at the moment now is he?

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Mark added 19:49 - Oct 26 I think it is important to give a manager enough time to make an objective decision about whether he is right for a club. He should be judged on results, performances, signings and player sales, and we have to judge how well he organises and motivates the team. Results: Only 16 games have been played, but we have not won ANY of those matches. Peformances: Range from very poor to average at home, aside from Watford which was a good display. I haven't seen them away. Signings: Leadbitter looks good, but he should for £3m. Edwards also expensive at £1m for a player his age. Begovic and Rosenior decent loans. Brown, Delaney, Healy, Martin, Priskin hardly play and appear terrible signings. We clearly lack a dominant centre back and a quality striker. Player sales: Rhodes a big mistake, others I don't mind going. However, it seems Keane also tried to sell Counago, and had/has told McAuley and Garvan they can go. Organisation: The team looks disorganised and disjointed, with multiple changes every match. Motivation: Maybe Keane tried too hard, as the players look scared. Saying some will never play again, dropping players so often, saying others can leave...it can't be good for morale. In conclusion, Keane's management could not have been any worse and if we let it go on it could result in our relegation. I really wanted it to work, but for me the time has come to make a change. There are lots of good options out there. The question is whether Marcus Evans will fund the pay-off of Keane, appointment of a new manager and a new transfer kitty. If he does, it's good for us, the fans.

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UEFA81 added 19:55 - Oct 26 I can't understand all this blind fanatacism for Roy Keane. Why is he so wonderful to some people? I don't think deliberately going out to ruin a players career and livelihood hardly makes good foundations for earning the respect of anybody. And to say you would rather be bottom than seventh is astounding. I love my club and will defend it to the hilt, and if I see a cuckoo in the nest then I will continue to express my concerns and opinions about having him removed until it actaully transpires.

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suffolk_punch added 20:05 - Oct 26 uefa81 AGREED
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PutYaBootsOnKeano added 20:15 - Oct 26 Pickles: on the nose old chap. There are some extraordinarily myopic commentators on here. '14 games without a win, woe be me'. Get a grip. Aside from some awfully grim luck, we would be mid table presently. There are still about 90 points up for grabs this season, and anyone can beat anyone in this league. There's no talk of sacking Keane anywhere except tabloid press and amongst fast food cultured fans. Uefa 81. I sympathise with your disdain to an extent, my brother is equally suspicious as to Keane's chivalry. But this is sport. We didn't hire a manager to come and sing us to sleep. We hired a manager who has links in to game to the highest echelon, can bring in players of the quality alluded to in this blog, and fundamentally, have the perspicacity that was so missing with Jim. Results are not on our side at this moment in time. But they'll come good, probably after a couple of signings in January. Enjoy the season, enjoy watching the seeds blossom, and enjoy the fight we're in. I will for sure. Next season will be another matter altogether.. Exciting times, with exactly the right man at the top.

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brainbox added 20:16 - Oct 26 Sack Keane - we should have done it weeks ago - it not like he's just arrived - he had 2 games last season to view the squad as was then, and delivered 2 excellent results - however, since then he has shown his inability to bring in quality players, viz Delaney, Priskin, Healy, whilst we have shipped out some promising talent, eg Rhodes, Harding, Clarke and now we see a team which is shapeless and demotivated and bottom of the league - Watching QPR on the box the other day I question my own judgement of not supporting Jim towards the end of last season, but he has built a very impressive side of late - I would like to see an experienced manager like Curbishley come in and deliver a team which plays passing football in the image of former Ipswich teams so we can at least look forward to games with desire rather than the current expected shame

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wiggymcbigalow added 20:31 - Oct 26 How anyone can say they would rather be bottom of the league with Keane as manager than 7th with Magilton is simply stupid, or not an Ipswich Town fan. Also, anyone who says that people who think Keane should be sacked is not an Ipswich town fan is very silly too. What utter b@#%$&ks. Id assume most of the people on here are members of the 20,000 at Portman Road cheering the team on. Just because we care about what is happening to our club and see that we can't keep saying "It'll be ok if we win the next 3" doesn't mean we boo and yell at players. I'm supporting town whatever happens, I'd just rather not support them in league 1, which, as things stand, looks very likely. Please people, get past the fact that Keane was a great player look what is happening to our club.

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Dolly2.0 added 20:53 - Oct 26 Keanish, you rather be bottom with no wins than 7th?!?!? You are bonkers in the nut,
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Nevadablue added 20:57 - Oct 26 "At the end of the day, Keane has signed a two-year deal, and I think he will be here for those two years." - But what division will we be playing in by then?
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Lightningboy added 21:06 - Oct 26 Keanish..you'd rather be bottom with Keane than 7th with Magilton??!...thanks for highlighting to the rest of the board what a complete and utter turnip you are. I'm amazed you managed to find the ON switch on your PC.
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Keaneish added 21:50 - Oct 26 Uefa81, Suffolk Punch and Dolly_Verbiage...yes i would, without a doubt, and i'll stand by that statement and we can chat on here again when we start flying up the league table very soon. You'd rather watch those dull encounters under Magilton with players playing without passion and pride and in unfamiliar positions? Not me. Maybe i can see a bigger picture here, maybe i'm wrong, but i've got a lot of optimism in the squad that's assembled and if those of you can't see what he's building i'm amazed. I know a lot of you will point to the obvious, 'but we haven't won, we haven't won', boo hoo. No doubt in my mind we'll beat Derby Saturday after watching them against QPR on telly. That will give us 1 defeat in 6 and a platform to build on going into Reading away. Stand strong, you'll see...

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claphamblue added 21:56 - Oct 26 Jim wouldn't of been sacked by now. because he wouldn't of been bottom. we probably can't afford to sack Keane and pay someone else too. doesn't matter though. we won't lose again this year.
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moomoosereni added 21:58 - Oct 26 I agree we can't sack Keane right now. We are a club built on strong traditions, and we do not make big decisions lightly, nor do we give a manager less then 20 matches in charge. However, I can't say I have agreed with everthing Keane has done. Certainly transfer wise, I thought we were slow off the mark and missed out on a few players that could have done well on low cash. Jackson and Lambert in League One, wouldn't cost the world and I feel would not struggle at a championship level. And despite us debating on here numerous times, I still think we shouldn't have sold Rhodes. Yes its happened and there's nothing we can do about it etc but I think we missed a trick there. He's already got some big clubs sniffing around him. Watch this space.

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Greektractor added 22:29 - Oct 26 Not sure i agree with the term, "good enough to go down" lol, but other than that a very positive blog and an enjoyable read. Well done prozach
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leagueonescum added 22:40 - Oct 26 Keane has the ability to transform our season and we have the ability to support him.
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ipswich61 added 22:47 - Oct 26 keane took over sunderland had money to spend got them top of the championship,keane took over ipswich,had money to spend got them bottom of the championship, SACK HIM NOW
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leagueonescum added 23:05 - Oct 26 Ipswich 61: enlighten me, how would you do things differently if you took over tomorrow?
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