I don’t think I have seen such an inept defensive performance by Ipswich Town for some time. We looked spineless, nervous and disorganised at the back, which culminated in Norwich’s highest scoring Old Farm victory.

Norwich played well, I’m not taking anything from their win. They pressed us and knew we would make errors at the back, the amount of opportunities they had was shocking. I suspected we could lose this game, but never in the manner I had witnessed on Sunday.

Yes we did have injuries, but any good manager should have players capable of filling in. Keane has spent £10 million on transfers during his time at the club and he was left with a decent squad. It looked like the decision to let David Wright go has bitten Keane on the arm.

The lack of passion was disgraceful. Only David Norris had played an “Old Farm Derby” match before, and I could tell he knew the importance of the game, but it seemed the other players were scared of the game’s meaning. I don’t know what Keane had told the players before the game, but our defence looked scared and rattled whenever Norwich pressed forwards.

It was embarrassing to see Darren O’Dea and Damien Delaney’s “defensive” performances. I have never seen a worse Ipswich performance than O’Dea’s for some time. He was completely at fault for the opening goal and was caught out of position too many times. When he was moved to centre-back, his marking was so relaxed that Norwich often had two free men when playing set pieces.

It is easy to blame the referee for Delaney’s red card, or maybe even Grant Holt’s exaggerated falling, but Norwich would have beaten us even if we had eleven men. Personally I thought Delaney’s challenge was a booking, the full-backs looked likely to cover and there was minimal contact. It changed the game, but Keane and the team couldn’t adapt.

For Gianni Zuiverloon’s debut, I thought he was our best defender, which is almost a compliment, because he put in some good tackles and when he came off we struggled even more at the back. However, his distribution was poor, like most of the team actually.

In midfield we looked unimaginative, one-dimensional and lacked creative spark going forwards. The relentless long-balls to Tamas Priskin lacked common sense, especially when it was just him up front. It was four vs one for most of the time at the back.

I don’t know what happened to Carlos Edwards and Jack Colback in that game. Edwards was rarely threatening and his crossing was below average. His performance waned as the match wore on and I was really disappointed in him. But Jack Colback was just as bad, he looks a shadow of his former self this season and he didn’t see much of the ball.

When Scotland came off to be replaced I was expecting Shane O’Connor or Jack Livermore, maybe even Luciano Civelli to replace him. But not Colin Healy, a poor substitution that represents Keane’s bad judgement. Some of those players don’t look like they want to play for our club, as some Norwich fans have pointed out, it is starting to look reminiscent of Glenn Roeder’s management in Norwich’s relegation season.

I am also disappointed with a minority of our supporters who felt the need to rip up seats and fight one another. Whilst I understand the result and performance will have upset many, this type of behaviour does not do our club any favours. We have a good reputation in football and it’s people like those who tarnish it.

Personally, I find Roy Keane has to shoulder most of the blame for that performance. The poor tactics, bland and predictable playing style coupled with the surprising lack of passion and the poor substitutions have just done it for me. Never have I felt so distraught and humiliated watching my club in the company of others. I was intent on giving Keane time but I have never seen Ipswich struggle so badly. If Keane stays, I fear it will be successive under-achieving seasons.

whippet added 12:54 - Nov 29 This is an excellent blog. Said how it was.
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lunatic38 added 13:02 - Nov 29 Well written blog and i could not write on this subject with out lowering the tone and swearing so again i commend this blog and agree with a lot of what has been written but this is just based on the Norwich game and i think the mentality is going to get worse from management as time ticks on (the Fallon signing is just a taster) i cant wait to see the squad and team selection for WBA, whats the odds Priskin is dropped and made out to be the bad guy here and Scotland is played at right back with Edwards up front with Fallon , Norris at centre back with a brown tongue probably ripped off by keanes b.m cheeks and Wickham in goal? Sorry to take the p.ss but this is ITFC now the laughing stock of football, my friend is an Orient fan and even he could not believe what he see sunday which spurred him on to ask "what was the odds in the bookies for a 4-1 win to the yellow bellies?" Evans and Keane are betting men mmmm.. i wonder? it has got to be something like that because surely with the subs and positioning sunday keane is doing this on purpose?

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dagenhamtown added 15:55 - Nov 29 Great blog with 1 exception the new fullback was lets be honest poor feel slightly sorry 4 him as was 10 other players but he must improve on that preformance.Other tham that a true well put blog.
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grubbyoik added 16:00 - Nov 29 MARCUS EVANS IS FACELESS... KEANO IS CLUELESS.. CLEGG IS GUTTLESS .. THE IPSWICH FAMILY..
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Lightningboy added 18:04 - Nov 29 Spot on grubbyoik. These 3 individuals are fast becoming a laughing stock.
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ShropshireBluenago09 added 18:28 - Nov 29 to be fair Healy was one of our best attacking threats 2nd half!
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ShropshireBluenago09 added 18:28 - Nov 29 to be fair Healy was one of our best attacking threats 2nd half!
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zebra added 18:54 - Nov 29 At last! A well reasoned, sensible comment on the present situation. The first match I attended was a 6-0 drubbing of Torquay in 1956 - so I can claim a little bit of knowledge of our club and its history. And, yes, it is 'our' club. We don't have a god given right to be in the Premiership, winning every match and trophy going. But we do have a god given right to express our opinions and at the least to expect everyone involved in ITFC to do their utmost best. That is to strive to play decent, attractive, passionate football. The rot had begun to set in long before Evans, Clegg, Magilton and Keane started their rout of our club. It was when the 'sport' of football was replaced with the 'business' of football. We were a lovely, family run, and sporting little football club who have benefitted over the years from at least 2 excellent managers - tacticians, man managers, committed to the cause, passionate men and dare I say it 'gentlemen'. We never 'did' dirty football - either on or off the field. The Cobbold family ran the club as you would expect from such characteristics. What we have now is an unknown owner, a non-football background chief executive and a manager who I don't think would ever be described as a good man manager, tactician or gentleman. I can remember [see, I am that old] when you went to a match and knew what the team was going to be - bar the odd change due to injury or illness. When he brought Colin Healey on as substitute on Sunday I was fearing for my heart condition. Having senior moments these days, my first reaction was 'who??'. RK will still be at the club until his contract runs out. I know it isn't what any [most] of us want, but it is still the 'Ipswich way'. A contract is a contract. Both Mr John and Mr Patrick would go along with that I'm sure. What we need to do as fans is to carry on going to Portman Road, cheering our socks off and wait patiently for deliverance from this mess we're in.

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MacMan added 19:09 - Nov 29 Excellent summary. I can take losing if the players give everything: after all, if they get beaten by a better team then that's fair enough. What I can't accept, and will never accept, are players who don't try their absolute hardest and give their utmost for Ipswich Town. To wear the Ipswich Town shirt is an honour and they are representing a club with a proud history. It is not acceptable for players to see a game against Norwich as just another 3 points. If they really feel that then they have no place at our club and should take their mercenary attitude and look for a job elsewhere. We are not a big club but we have a real sense of who we are and how football should be played. This team lacks passion and flare and Ipswich fans want to see a team that attacks and looks to win games, not a team that grinds out dour results and looks at times as if they are scared of going anywhere near the opposition box. I never thought that Roy Keane would send out a team that didn't fight every single second, but that performance on Sunday was a total disgrace. If you're a player and you're reading this, I work in Norwich and my day was one long humiliation. What could I say to defend you? Nothing. And if that defeat didn't cause you to lose sleep and wonder over and over again how I could have done better then get your boots and leave, because you're not the player that Ipswich Town FC wants or needs.

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MacMan added 19:17 - Nov 29 Oh, and one other thing. Poor Matt Holland was in the commentary box at Carrow Road. As always he had the right attitude, arguing that it was games like Sunday's that made him want to put his boots on again. Having to sit there and watch a team that he once graced with such passion roll over and capitulate must have broken his heart.
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Back_The_Boss added 19:56 - Nov 29 Absolute joke of a performance. Fans deserve some money back for that dismal display. Keane it's time for you leave.
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Vexorg added 22:12 - Nov 29 Wrong to criticise Colback. He was doing fine in his attacking LM position until that spanner Delaney forced the reshuffle. Then he had to drop into a defence that held out well until late on when we committed men forward and got overwhelmed at the back by the superior manpower
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whippet added 09:32 - Nov 30 Where was Delaney playing exactly? He appeared to be switching with Guiverloon as a rb? If thats the case,is Guiverloon actually a rb?
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Karlosfandangal added 11:28 - Nov 30 Enjoyed the blog However i thought Healy did well and was one of our better players, he was not a nervey as most of the team. The point about Delaney only getting a yellow instead of a red, for me it was why was he a yard in front of Holt and why where the left and right backs sitting so deep to play him on side. Deleany is getting some stick, However last year the fans said how good he was and what a lost when he got injured. Maybe now we can see why O Dea is struggling to get in the Celtic side

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barnettractor added 13:21 - Nov 30 To move forward, I believe we would really benefit from a Director on the board, that really knows football. A football man that doesn't interfere with the coaching and playing side of the club, but is there to advise the board, ME and Clegg. Whilst ME is faceless, as fans we don't need an egotistical hands on owner, he has quietly gone about investing in (and dare I say) saving our club. Clegg, whilst not a football man, is obviously proficient as a corporate chief executive, able to run 'the business'. To me it seems that where we are falling down, is the boards inability to act decisively (and rationally) in the one side of the business that holds it all together - the product. The product the fans want to invest their time and money in, is ITFC - an entertaining footballing side, with pride in the badge, professional and sportsmanlike. To reiterate this point, the majority of the fans I know would rather see us playing entertaining and passionate ocassionally losing football, than win at all cost route one football. Unfortunatelty, the vast majority of fans don't want our team moulded in the shape of Roy Keane past. Furthemore, the vast majority of the fans, can look at 18 months of signings and loan deals, formations and tactics, and with very few exceptions quickly determine that they are 'just not Ipswich'. To me, it seems the board are unable or unwilling to see these things. A football man on the board (I don't like the phrase Director of Football - but you see where I'm going) could make things a hell of a lot clearer to the decision makers.

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Back_The_Boss added 08:03 - Dec 2 .........back to winning ways and suddenly Keane is alright!? Great win agasint the Baggies, COYB!
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