Manager Roy Keane was pleased with his side’s character and desire during the 2-1 opening day defeat at Coventry City. The Blues boss said he was taking a lot of positives from the match despite the loss.

Keane said: “I had no qualms really about the character and desire to get back in the game and even when we were 2-0 down. I felt that if we kept our heads and kept probing away, and we got back into the game at 2-1.

“In the second half we pretty much dominated. Obviously we left a few gaps at the back, as you’d expect, but there were a lot of positives”

Keane was unhappy with Coventry’s goals and thought his team need to be more clinical: "We gave two very poor goals away and lacked sharpness in the final third, but that will come in the coming weeks and months.

"The first goal came from a goalkick and the starting position of everyone was very poor.

"And the second one, Clinton has headed it at knee height. If you're a defender and he heads it that low you take his head off, it's as simple as that.

"I'll be down tonight, but the day my appetite isn't affected by defeat I'll be out of the game. I am trying to learn from my experiences at Sunderland and not get too downhearted but I will not get home, put my feet up and have a whistle.

"But I've been like that since I was eight or nine-years-old. The beauty of it is that we have a game on Tuesday night so that can cheer me up.

"There will always be disappointments in football but I will be OK - don't worry about me.

"This will put a dampener on my birthday [on Monday] for sure but Roy Keane's birthday is not, and should not be, important in the grand scheme of things."

Keane says he was looking for someone to pop up with a goal towards the end: "I will constantly be asking my players who the man is to get a goal in the last five minutes. They didn't answer that today but they will have to learn how to soon.

“We’ll have to reflect on the defeat over the next few days, but I try and look at the positives. I’m disappointed with the goals we conceded, of course I am, but we’ll look to bounce back on Tuesday and we’ve another big league game next Saturday.

“I’ve no problem with the players, we’ve just got to stop giving away the silly goals.”

Keane says midfielder David Norris, who was replaced in the second half after colliding with Jon Stead, will undergo a scan early this week: "We'll know more on Monday. We're hoping it's not ligaments.

"He may have opened up his knee or is could be a dead leg. We're not sure yet, but it looks like he will be struggling for the Carling Cup game at Shrewsbury on Tuesday."

Town are already without Tamás Priskin and Gareth McAuley, who are away on international duty in midweek, while Keane has already said he plans to make changes.

Coventry manager Chris Coleman hopes the result can instil some positivity at the Ricoh Arena: "Throughout pre-season there has been a lot of negativity around us.

"We've lost two very good young players which the club never wanted to do but if Manchester United can lose their best player then Coventry City certainly can.

"All the talk before the game was about Ipswich and Roy Keane and where they will finish, but I prefer that.

"We won't come up against a stronger side and we were flustered at set-plays, but we got through it and no one went missing in my side.

"I'm sure Roy will go back home and kick his cat because he hates losing but that's a feather in our cap."

Photo: Action Images

dirtydingusmagee added 19:32 - Aug 9 yep !
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Tractor_Ceej added 19:49 - Aug 9 I agree with most of the comments here. Very impressed with Keane's post match comments. Like most people, I am very positive in spite of the defeat, other than the two defensive mistakes we controlled the game. Delaney seems to be getting a lot of criticism, I would agree based on his first half performance where he didn't seem to want the ball to be anywhere near him. However, he grew in the second half and improved greatly as his confidence increased. If we can perform like this for the rest of the season and cut out silly mistakes, we will be in the mix come May!

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patboy added 20:10 - Aug 9 watched game on tv apart from the two goals we were totally dominant, any other day we would of won that say 4-2 very optamistic for the season ahead.....come on town!!!!!
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PhatCookie added 20:33 - Aug 9 i think you have all covered it in your reports, the same lino gave a free kick for a trip by the ball who didnt give the foul on Martin, how can that be???? Thought we were vfm today, should have got at least a point, dont blame right for the 1st goal, he had no choice, was a class finish, as was walters when he hit the back of the onion bag In Keane We Trust
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MarkITFC added 20:48 - Aug 9 we need to sign Danny Shittu ! none of the goals would had gone in if he was playing, he would had headerd that out no problem ! Bolton are listening to any offers so why not spend 1.7 mill or watever it will streghten the defence by a mile !! Also i think it would be good if we signed Van jor of hasslink (spelling is compleatly wrong i think ) also abv Geovani then we would have a team worthy of winning the league . We need to win out next 3 games on the trott !

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IvorTheEngine added 21:17 - Aug 9 we should have won that game we need to get rid of that donkey of a captain he let 2 goals in yes there is a long way up 15 places!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 1 good point WALTERS "MAN OF THE MATCH"
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tazdac added 21:27 - Aug 9 Look on the bright side, we didn't lose 7-1 at home!!!!
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denhamblue added 21:28 - Aug 9 well,yes we did not play bad,especialy in second half,but all that said and done ,we still lost to a very average team,um dare i say it,were still average ourselves?
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StavangerBlue added 21:43 - Aug 9 After the tactical "headless chickens" plays of JM's Town last season I was encouraged by the teams performance today. OK two bad goals to give away but at times we dominated but we have to turn that domination into scoring opportunities. Peters was great (why didn't JM play him? Speed, aggression...), Martin showed a lot of good stuff, Walters looked a seasoned professional who'd be playing all summer. We obviously have a few noobs in the team and the system is still not the most natural for the players but I have now a lot of faith in the lads that in a few games time we'll be a test for anyone. I'd like to see Roy change Town from the "nice" team in football to a "strong, tough, no quarter given BUT sporting team". I like Roy's style and in particular his no nonsense approach. He even gets the PR stuff right after the game unlike JM. Positive times ahead!!

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jamie22 added 21:58 - Aug 9 I was pleased with the performance bar one or two players. Bruce is a decent defender, but is not a right back! However Pim seems very promising, McAuley had a great season last season, and everyone has a bad game. I am very disappointed to see that we have a new left back, yet I find myself saying I would rather have Thatcher! And people who were watching the game on Sky should agree with me, as I agreed with the commentator when he said that Wright had to come out, and I think it was purely down to great finishing. And like others was pleased with Walters Trotter and Peters! And glad to see Wickham still getting played, but was expecting it because of what Keane thinks of him, heard a few people saying they feel for Wickham because Priskin will stop him getting games, but I very much doubt it!! I am not disheartened..... now..... LETS SING OUR HEARTS OUT FOR THE BOYS on Saturday!!!!!!!!

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danknott added 22:08 - Aug 9 Welcome McAuley the new Bramble.........
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blueboy65 added 01:03 - Aug 10 Watched ghe game on sky, Yes agree lots of good points ,poor decisions made by ref and lino's but when it comes to it is McAley a captain and was he worth 2 million ? in my opinion NO, both goals both his fault when are we going to wise up to this bloke? he rubbish and not fit to where the colours drop him and replace him with some quality fast ROY PLEASE
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wark_on_water added 03:09 - Aug 10
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Pendejo added 07:53 - Aug 10 Hail Keano! "And the second one, Clinton has headed it at knee height. If you're a defender and he heads it that low you take his head off, it's as simple as that." It is as simple as that. But if this could be the only loss this season then hey ho! Oh and as long as we don't get done 7-1 at home on Saturday...! COYB!
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Bluroo added 09:10 - Aug 10 That was one of the best town performances for years. Such energy, effort, excellent from set pieces (we could have scored 5 from corners) and good slick play. The defeat is a setback and a wake up call for the defence, but overall we can be well confident with what lies ahead.
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dobbie73 added 09:38 - Aug 10 I think everyone has covered pretty much what I felt about the game - disappointed but not disheartened, and much improved quality and desire compared to last season. The passing, the relentless attacks, the high-quality corners, and the movement off the ball were all a joy to see. I was especially impressed with Peters and Walters - cheers to them, but jeers to the officials! Some ridiculous decisions, but sadly that is the ongoing problem outside of the Premiership. Probably a special mention to the Cov keeper Westwood, who I thought almost single-handedly (or double-leggedly, lol) kept them in a winning position until the final whistle. I saw enough to feel very confident about the season, and as a friend of mine told me yesterday ... there are games that we will play worse and win! Oh, and a second special mention to the Team of the Week and Player of the Week .... it has to be Colchester Utd and Kevin Lisbie, for their sound thrashing of the budgies!! Can't wait for Leicester on Saturday! I've missed my seat over the summer ....

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adamisablue added 10:55 - Aug 10 "if it wasnt for their 2 goals, we would have won 1-0" sir bob in heaven... although we lost by 2 well taken goals and some superb goalkeeping there is a lot we can take from this game. martin, although looking a bit lightweight showed awsome controll and vision and touch (awsome ball to play through walters) peters looked very good after his canada adventure, wright looked solid (nothing he could have done about both goals imo) wickham showed some good touches and pace and the whole team in genrel showed fight and desire, somthing we lacked last season. when we went 2 down, we where right back at them and got the goal we needed, just some brillient keeping denied us even 3 points. expecting bigger things to come coyb!

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MarkITFC added 10:56 - Aug 10 Did anyone eles think that Delanley looked stiff and wooden if u know what i mean , he didnt look as if he could attack at all, Id like to Wright in there really but. Looking forward to Saturday , we need to win this cant afford to draw or lose. COYB
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blueboy65 added 11:05 - Aug 10 Thought Delanley looked good better than Mcawful , he needs to be dropped ,How far is smith away from a return? give the captaincy to Bruce atleast he puts in more effort
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FenboyBlue added 11:16 - Aug 10 I haven't felt so positive & encouraged after a defeat for years. We've got a lot of players and a new formation to gel together - it was never going to be like watching Brazil first game of the season but the desire in the team in the second half had me convinced we were going to win 2-3 right up until about the 85th minute. So McAuley is to blame for the 2 goals - but, if like last season, he takes a while to get good post injury, we know once he gets in that groove he's solid game after game. Morrison probably won't score 2 more precise goals all season, but if he does maybe we should buy him. Brave decision from Roy playing both young 'uns Peters & Trotter in a 3 man midfield (& later joined by Garvan - youngest ever Town midfield?) but nobody hid, they just went for it. Thought Peters might be wasted by not being a wing man but he terrorised everywhere. It looked like we're working on our set pieces more too, Martin's corners on the whole a cut above. So positive....and we haven't really seen what Priskin, Colback & Wickham will add just yet but I can't wait.

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MarkITFC added 11:23 - Aug 10 Sol Campbell is a free agent .. how much his wages ?? haha
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tommyblue added 11:30 - Aug 10 roy keane, i blood love the bloke!!
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purdue_blue added 12:43 - Aug 10 Thought McAuley looked like a thorough donkey, but maybe this was due to a slow internet connection!!
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bluefishx added 13:00 - Aug 10 Overall am pleased, and felt that the luck eluded us somewhat (also felt we were a trifle lucky to win the final 2 games of last season so I guess there's a balancing out there). Never liked McCauley, as far as I'm concerned those mistakes are symtomatic of the type of player he is, and I don't expect him to improve consistently from this even if he managed to make less mistakes later or last season. Delaney looks incredibly slow to react, e.g when he had to clear the ball out of the goal mouth towards the end, his inertia was just frightening. I'll reserve full judgement for now though as he had pretty good desire to get involved and presumably has some crossing/passing ability or at least thinks he has. I liked Martin, decent corners, lots of chasing right til the end, including a long sprint to a ball heading for their keeper in the last few minutes. I think he will do well, excellent assist for the goal, too. I noticed Trotter more in the second half, and was really impressed, very tidy and strong, he inspired confidence in me, always a good sign. Peters looked decent in his new role, wasnt a fan of his til late last season when he seemed to suddenly be alot more affective (in his wingback role). Looking forward to seeing what Connor Wickham (Wanna Kickham?) can do this year, and I think the Snake will be a good signing too..

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markharris777 added 13:12 - Aug 10
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