I saw my first game at Portman Road in 1957, Plymouth Argyle in Division Three South. Since then we've had two brilliant managers, Ramsey and Robson, some good ones, McGarry, Lyall, Burley, Royle, some indifferent ones, Ferguson, Duncan, Magilton and one awful one, Milburn. I feel now that Keane joins the last section for the following reasons.

1. To be a manager in any industry you will work with people you don't like, it's a fact of life. The good manager accepts that if those people do a good job, use them. Keane is incapable of this, he has no greys, only black and white. Hence he cannot see the good points in David Wright, Ben Thatcher, Owen Garvan, Jon Stead and Pablo Counago, all players who should make the squad most weeks.

2. Tactics and Style: Keane was a runner/tackler/motivator, luckily for him he was surrounded by skilful players. He obviously cannot see this and only picks players in his image. So we have a midfield of Walters, Norris, Leadbitter and Colback- all similar with no guile and hence the side lacks balance. Our perceptive players , Garvan & Counago are now so demotivated by Keane as to be almost worthless. He blames the front runners for lack of goals but where's the service.

3. Motivation: I thought Keane would be good at this, but it is obvious that as the game goes on our players are constantly looking over their shoulders with fear and tense up to such a degree that they stop playing in the last 20 minutes in case they make a mistake. I imagine the dressing room after the game resembles the corridoor outside the headmaster's study with us boys waiting for the cane.

4. Ability to Pick a Player: A lot's been said on the TWTD Message Board about his signings and it is evident that what he sees in a player is a mystery to most of us. That coupled with his snap judgements will cost us dear in the future.

Watching Jordan Rhodes in youth games it was obvious he had the goal poacher instinct that few players possess. OK he didn't always do the other bits but he reminds me of a Greaves/Cottee type. He surely should have only gone on loan, not be sold. Wickham does not have the same qualities and is more of a Stead than a Lineker.

What worries me is not that we will be playing Plymouth in League One next year as I expect, but that Marcus Evans will see that owning an unsuccessful club is a good way to lose a fortune and loses interest and tries to sell, what then? Too awful to contemplate.

In my view we should get rid of Keane tomorrow and get in an experienced short-term manager Coppell/Royle/Warnock who would keep us up. However as Marcus Evans and Simon Clegg know little about football and as they probably don't want to admit their mistakes, I doubt it will happen. Ah well, back to 1957.

vesuviusblue added 17:20 - Feb 19 Great blog, well argued.
0

thechangingman added 17:50 - Feb 19 Its good to hear a balanced and well-reasoned response to this issue - nicely written too. I am afraid that I have to agree with you in every single regard, but like you I doubt whether Keane will be removed any time soon. It takes courage and integrity to hold up your hands and admit, "We were wrong, it was a mistake - the wrong man at the wrong time..." This kind of frank approach is not one adopted by ANYONE in public life or office nowadays and so, instead, we'll have to grind out this already seemingly never-ending season before we can even consider getting anyone else in. Coppell? Dream appointment! For sentimental reasons and for lack of closure first time around I'd still entertain the idea of a Burley return though... In the meantime, let the turgid 'efforts', lame excuses and dwindling returns continue unabated...

0

ipswich1992 added 19:58 - Feb 19 Coppell would be a great shout not just short term but he could take us far and he is a typical Ipswich town manager.
0

reusersfreekicks added 20:01 - Feb 19 Spot on, though during our recent improved patch would Keane have been rated so lowly?
0

yorkshire added 21:02 - Feb 19 What a load of rubbish "To be a manager in any industry you will work with people you don't like, it's a fact of life. The good manager accepts that if those people do a good job, use them." Ferguson has been known to drum out players that he doesnt get on with - as does Mourinho, Wenger & Moyles How can you make such a sweeping statement about the foloowing players "Hence he cannot see the good points in David Wright, Ben Thatcher, Owen Garvan, Jon Stead " David Wright has been in and out of the team beacuse we have signed a better player in Rosenior - Keane has never said anything in the press about not liking him Ben Thatcher is and never was the sort of player that any Ipswich fan has wanted to see in the shirt - he was torn apart by Routledge last season and to be fair Keane asked the players to move closer and he didnt Garvan is back in the team and clearly in Keanes plans - he wasnt playing well at the start of the season hence Keane left him out of the team Stead - we've signed better players on loan - makes sense to get him off the books He obviously cannot see this and only picks players in his image. So we have a midfield of Walters, Norris, Leadbitter and Colback So signing Martin, Edwards, Priskin & Murphy - all skillful players - not sure its completly Keanes fault that the majority of them have not performed consistantly Garvan & Counago are now so demotivated by Keane as to be almost worthless. What proof have you got that Garvan is demotivated ? He has played well imho since coming back into the team - surely this is down to Keanes management of him ? Ability to Pick a Player: A lot's been said on the TWTD Message Board about his signings and it is evident that what he sees in a player is a mystery to most of us. That coupled with his snap judgements will cost us dear in the future. This sentance is the biggest load of rubbish of them all - everyone was impressed with the signings of Leadbitter, Edwards, Martin and Rosenior. To be fair the ones that were more a mystery - Colback and Delaney have actually worked out better Evans isnt going anywhere - his investment will be worth less in League One - and there will be nothing he can do about it - if he tries to sell then he'll lose money and we'll have another owner - so what ? Im sorry but this artical is written by someone who should know better - you have to have seen some of the rubbish played under Ferguson, Duncan and McGiven and also seen the likes of Lyall, Burley and Robson take well over a season to get a squad ready ?

0

RRanger added 12:06 - Feb 20 Again I agree with you Yorkshire. Well said.
0

SouperJim added 12:41 - Feb 20 Point 1 is highly questionable, Thatcher is the only player from your list of 5 where that arguement carries any weight. I agree with point 2 and it's an interesting view on perhaps why all of our strikers have been so ineffective this term. There may be an element of truth in point 3, but I think it's just the way things have gone, late goals and poor second half performances become self-perpetuating as the opposition know your form and respond accordingly. Point 4 is Keane's biggest failing. Attitude and commitment are important qualities in a player, but they are not the be all and end all. I'd happily have a team full of Bellamys if it won us the league. What use is a "good pro" if he has all the ability of Colin Healy?

0

rml123 added 13:13 - Feb 20 I stopped reading when you classed Royle above Magilton. In 2005 Royle left us in our worst position for 40 years with an extremely weak squad, Magilton took over and started wheeling and dealing to generate money instead of moaning that he had none and got us into a mid-season play-off position to make us an investable club.
0

ipswich1992 added 14:27 - Feb 21 rml123 joe royle kept us affloat and had to sell players to do this. We were in administration what could the bloke do. He done very very well to keep us in the championship. When magilton came in things were looking up we could spend a bit of money again all be it not masses but in his first season it was just a case of a mid table finish i think we finished 15th if my memory is correct. Oh yea and royle got us into the playoffs 2 years in a row 2nd year we should have gone up automatically and he had no money to spend then and brought in free agents like kuqi.

0

DrJeckyll added 16:56 - Feb 21 a very negative outlook this blog
0

PaulMariner added 14:07 - Feb 24 Bang on, well said.
0

Vic added 16:28 - Feb 24 All sounds very good and reasonable, and deserves to be read as it's written by someone who must be one of the older members of this forum. BUT: in my opinion this doesn't cover the fact that it's not really true or accurate. Where is the proof regarding RK demotivating players any more than Magilton, Burley or even Sir Bobby? Every manager has some players that don't get on with them. Tactics - you might be right, but the last 20 games suggest that maybe he's not been too far out with them. Ability to pick a player - well better not compare him with Sir Alex then, who's had more than his fair share of expensive flops - Veron, Forlan anyone? Overall a good post, but just not accurate!

0

fifeblue added 22:11 - Feb 24 I agree with Yorkshire. The blog is hopelessly biased and inaccurate. And to top that, it is terribly defeatist. Ipswich will NOT be relegated this season. The whole blog reads as a tirade of abuse against Roy Keane. He may not have been the most popular choice of manager when he was appointed (neither was Royle and he nearly got us promoted TWICE) but I believe that he is growing as a manager and as a person as manager of Ipswich, much as Bobby Robson did. Keep the faith. Roy Keane is going to become a success at Ipswich because our club makes good managers. The future is bright: the future is blue and white.

0

Vexorg added 22:37 - Feb 24 My sentiments exactly - I just lack the words to express them (and am a bit lazy). Watching the second half at P'boro was pretty depressing once Garvan was taken off and we surrendered trying to play football in favour of midfield huff-and-puff or the defensive hoofs. For the purist P'boro well deserved the win as they never stopped trying to play football. The whole game at Hillsborough was played in this vein. Fortunately Wednesday were by far the worst side I have seen this year.

0

devontractorboy added 23:04 - Feb 24 I agree we are stuck with Keane & that Clegg & Evans won't want to be seen to be wrong. Therefore we have to put up with the pathetic rubbish he has given us this season. Buck stops with the manager, even he's admitted his shortcomings, pity he didn't do that when making his pre-season brags about getting promoted this year. Keane has made too many errors and had he been anywhere else he would have been sacked by now!!!!

0

8ashblue added 15:54 - Feb 25 the article is full of flaws. Firstly, Keane has only been in charge for 9 months. It therefore have been better if all the other managers had been assessed at the same stage of their employment. As to each point, 1) this isnt an industry its a sport and therefore is all about other factors and there are NO good points about Thatcher 2) Nothing wrong with current four as all skillful etc just lacking in goals 3) i think its one of RK's strong points but we'll see 4) only time will tell On current form we wont go down so time to reflect is at end of season, maybe then Evans will show his hand. As for other comments that magic was better that Rolye; just read teh stats! Joe was an excellent manager in very difficult times.

0

bennyblue added 06:35 - Feb 26 i allways said keane is no good and i have'nt seen anything this season to change my mind
0

Fatcatevans added 18:29 - Feb 28 So Keane as a player only got bu because he 'was lucky to be surrounded by skilfull players' What tortal tosh. He was the heartbeat of Man Utd. The first name on Fergusons teamsheet. By all means make your snide remarks about a management that is very much in its infancy but don't libel a tremendous player with such nonsense.
0

BYRNE_16 added 08:01 - Mar 3 Why do people continue to compare our current form to Likes of Ramsey and Robson, yes 2 of the greatest managers in English football History. But We are in 2010 and things have changed since then, Money, attitudes and ways of life, So has football. Its time for some town fans to wake up and stop living in the past. And why is Steve Coppell a Typical Ipswich manager? What is a Typical Ipswich Manager? There is no such thing as a Typical Ipswich Manager. Instead of writing tiresome blogs, Please get behind the boys and support them instead!

0

JohnTy added 12:07 - Mar 3 I saw my first game in 1956 - not that that gives me or anyone else any greater insight! Strikes me that had Robson had to cope with the internet he might not have survived the early period of his managership - certainly not when it got down to fistcuffs with players in the dressing room. Still early days for Keane in my view. He is building a team - more slowly than he and Evans anticipated I am sure - but that is probably the only way as well as the Ipswich way.

0

naaridge1coly7 added 09:18 - Mar 6 yorkshire you write the biggest load of c**P ive read in years,maybe you like keane should have stayed where you came from.
0

Bluetone added 10:32 - Mar 7 As someone who saw his first games when the likes of Mick Burns, Tommy Trenter, Ray Warnes and Ossie Parry where plying their trade I agree with most of your blog except I would not cast Jackie Milburn in quite such a bad light for one reason; it was under his tenure that the Ipswich youth policy was first established unlike the current manager who seems intent on wrecking it.

0

yorkshire added 12:54 - Mar 7 naaridge1coly7 added 09:18 - Mar 6 yorkshire you write the biggest load of c**P ive read in years,maybe you like keane should have stayed where you came from. Thanks for you well argued comments For a start I am Ipswich born and bred so to "go back to where I came from" would be my pleasure As for the biggest load of crap ever - what exactly do you disagree with ? I look forward to another well argued response ;-)

0

yorkshire added 12:57 - Mar 7 Bluetone added 10:32 - Mar 7 "I would not cast Jackie Milburn in quite such a bad light for one reason; it was under his tenure that the Ipswich youth policy was first established unlike the current manager who seems intent on wrecking it" I would love to know what your evidence for this point is - why on earth do you think that Keane is wrecking our current youth policy ? (I will expect at least some mention of Jordan Rhodes in your response but will presume that giving Upson another season and introducing O'Conner in recent games will not be mentioned)

0

Happy2bBlue added 17:12 - Mar 10 I would have thought you'd be old enough to know better! - shame Roy Keane is a man of intregrity and intelligence. If Marcus Evans wants what's best for Ipswich Town he'll stand by his man and he'll see the club will return to the Premiership.
0

Blogs 295 bloggers