Boss Roy Keane admits that Town have a long, long way to go but saw encouraging signs in the 1-1 home draw with Nottingham Forest. The Blues have a number of injury concerns ahead of Saturday’s trip to Doncaster, in addition to Gareth McAuley’s suspension.

Keane said: “We’ve been saying all along that we’ve got a long, long way to go, we’ve got new players to the club.

“As the manager of the football club I’ll defend my players and I thought tonight they were outstanding. They gave a good effort, but we were a bit short.

“I think in the second half if we’d have got the second goal we’d have gone on to win the game. Forest are a decent team and they caused us one or two problems, as you’d expect, but the players put in a good effort tonight.

“We picked up two or three injuries and Gareth will now be suspended, so we’re being tested. Nobody said it was going to be easy and that’s the case, but we’ll be OK.”

Keane says the injuries prevented him making a late substitution up front: "We wanted to freshen it up and make changes up front - Jon Walters and Jon Stead worked hard - but we couldn't do that because of injuries.

“Carlos felt his hamstring and then Liam Rosenior was struggling with a badly swollen eye. We were ready to bring Pablo on but had to change it and finished the game with Jaime Peters at right-back and Lee Martin in the middle.

"Forest have got attacking options, Dele Adebola and Earnshaw are experienced players and they freshened them up, but the injuries certainly meant we were limited in what we could do.

"The game probably sums up where we are at the moment. I'm not sure how we contrived to end up with Gareth bringing down Adebola at the end and it was very close to being a penalty. We had good possession but ended up on the edge of our own box.

"There were some encouraging signs at times but we are still short and, looking to Saturday, one or two of our injured players have to be doubtful just when we think we are moving forward."

Overall, Keane says he is enjoying his time at Portman Road, despite the early season results: “ I’m very lucky. I enjoy working with the players, I enjoy working at Ipswich. It’s a tough job but I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else.

“I thought the fans were again very, very good, they appreciate where we are at the moment. Yes, we’re a bit short, but we’ll keep going and we’ll keep battling away.”

Keane says the Blues will not be adding any loan players before Saturday’s trip to Doncaster. Forest boss Billy Davies felt his side deserved the point: "It was a good draw and we're undefeated in our last seven away matches, including two very difficult ones against Sheffield Wednesday on Saturday and now Ipswich Town.

"In the first half we were very one-paced, slow and sluggish. We deserved exactly what we got.

"But in the second there was only going to be one winner and we were unfortunate not to take all three points.

"The one thing that pleases me most about this group is their character. It's not easy when you concede a goal inside 45 seconds at a place like Ipswich.

"Roy Keane will get it right here because of the quality he's brought in and that's why I was so delighted with the draw.

"It was a difficult game but great credit to us, because we showed real character."

Photo: Action Images

tommyblue added 23:42 - Sep 15 good times round the corner
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dazzer66 added 23:43 - Sep 15 along way to go......your right there mr beane
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Greektractor added 23:45 - Sep 15 did anyone else see bruce throwing up just before the 2nd half started? He look a bit shady after that
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blue added 23:46 - Sep 15
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Markie31 added 23:48 - Sep 15 Bring Pablo on, Move Walters to the wing...simples!
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blue added 23:50 - Sep 15 OUT WITH YOU KEENE!!!worse ever start for 40 yrs,promises,promises and what we get NOWT!you now also have our new record for last 40 yrs, CAP that,your a gonner soooooooooon!
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blue added 23:52 - Sep 15 Ipswich 6 0 2 1 2 4 0 0 3 2 7 -7 2
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UEFA81 added 00:01 - Sep 16 Keane's comments: Yawn, how boring. Goodbye and good riddance.
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Gozzo_89 added 00:08 - Sep 16 Sorry but 8 games into the season and "we are still a bit short" isnt that what pre season and transfer window is for?? ok fair enough give keano time but from what i saw tonight it doesnt look like gtting any better anytime soon! 8 games - 8 diff teams, and i dont think we will get a better chance to pick up 3 points all season?!?! and Gareth McAuley is probably the wworst defender we have had in years and after that embarrasing mistake shouldnt put on a town shirt again!! Gonna be a long season but lets hope we turn it around!

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La_Paz added 00:12 - Sep 16 The first half was encouraging, but once Edwards, Quinner and then Rosenior went off we struggled, and hardly completed a pass second half. All the new boys looked good-Leadbitter is class whilst Edwards and Rosenior will cause trouble for many teams down that side. Quinn also had a decent game, and Delaney looked a different player from the shambles against Palace, comfortable on the ball and strong in the challenge. For me though Martin lacks any end product, whilst Stead showed little all night. The least said about McAuley the better, although it's probably a good thing he is suspended now. We will see worse teams than Forest at PR this year. Come On You Blues.

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horseplay added 00:26 - Sep 16 worst start for 40 years but i do believe the manager then was a certain mr Robson so maybe people should just stay calm & get behind the team
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OnlyOneSirBobby added 00:44 - Sep 16 firstly....bruce always throws up, thought that was common knowledge by now!?! secondly, blue, why are you putting up the stats that were before this game!? whats your point? thirdly gozzo, what are you on about wont get a better chance to get three points all year!?!? and remind me when the transfer window closed....oh yeah, just 2 weeks ago, and 2 games...one of our signings didnt meet his new teammates until the morning of the 1st game, and then there has been just 2 days between his 2nd...sorry if it maybe a bit difficult to gel as a team in those 2 days!!! and the 1st half was best we have played for a long time, unfortunate edwards and rosenior got injured and therefore tied keanos hands with the subs he could bring on....throught all the new signings looked v good tonight, and that includes delaney. i actually though mcauley was having a half decent game up until the last minute, but then again he may have just saved us a point by fouling him and hopefully now it will speed up the process of bringing in a new defender which i feel we do still need!!

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WickedBlue added 04:38 - Sep 16 See the morons are out and about again. As for you Blue I'll say this as simply as possible so you can understand it. Last person to hold the worst start to a season was Sir Bobby Robson in his first season as manager. Not a bad man to emulate or perhaps you're of the opinion we should have fired him too?
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Stu_Magoo added 06:46 - Sep 16 "THE END IS NIGH!!" Oh do shut up you lot. Its been made clear from the beginning that this is a 2-year mission and if we have to go backwards to go forwards then Im all for it. Keane inherited a very strange mix of players ranging from Magiltons' golf buddies to men with ridiculous hair and I firmly believe that this year will be spent moulding a team that will either just squeeze a play-off place and go up this season or get auto-promotion next. Unfortunately its just a bit of a pain in the arse to watch at the moment!!

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mickeyjb added 07:30 - Sep 16 Sir Bobby Robson, Roy Keane No comparison. Can you honestly see in this day and age RK staying here for 14 years! So please lets get real.
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Mark added 07:38 - Sep 16 "Outstanding?!". I thought the first-half was encouraging, but the second-half was awful especially after the substitutions (again). Why so many changes, changes, changes? It is confusing for me as to who is playing where, and the players seemed equally confused. In the previous game at Portman Road, Colbeck and Counago were the best players on the pitch but this time but this time they didn't even start. Please can we have a settled team?! Postitives - Leadbitter looked excellent, and Edwards has a super throw and can cross.

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ordinarybloke added 07:39 - Sep 16 Thought we were excellent until the substitutions ... alot more to be hopeful about ... still, what is happening with Tamas Priskin ?? ... if you spend alot of money on a new car would you drive it now or leave it in the garage til your other one packed up ....
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Suffolk_n_Good added 07:56 - Sep 16 STRIKER, CENTRE FORWARD, FRONT MAN, GOAL GETTER, POACHER, I dont care what people want to call the bloke that plays up front, but we so desperately need at least 1 quality player in this position, Stead is uninterested, cant head a ball cleanly, cant chase down, cant pass, & has 1 shot on goal per game if your lucky. Counago (although didnt play last night) has a 1 good game in about 6, Priskin is not good enough (Watford up to 6th without him!) (£1.7m they must be pissing themselves laughing!) Connor Wickham, has a great future, but needs to play without the current pressure of leading the line. Dont start me on Mcauley!!!! DONKEY, at least he wont be able to make a cock-up on Saturday! I hear Keane's gonna replace him with a USED T-BAG, (although the T-BAG is more useful!) & NO I wont shut up!! I'm fed up of crap excuses for our now worst start to a season in 40 years, & for those on here that want to argue the point, bring it on! Keane needs to sort it out damn smartish.

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SomershamBlue added 08:01 - Sep 16 I can understand all of the disappointment and frustration expressed here - we all feel it. But were the same people who chanted 'KEANO' in the first half then booing at the end? Anyway, as I've said before now is the time to get behind our team and give them our support. Onward and upward (I hope!)
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COPOSTCODE added 08:26 - Sep 16 So who is going to replace Keano then, can w afford to buy his contract out, do we really need to NO IS THE ANSWER u lot Really are a bunch of Offskeys !!
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dirtydingusmagee added 08:27 - Sep 16 YES KEANO WE DO HAVE A LONG WAY TO GO , further now than when Dim was manager, you are in reverse gear ! You decided to get back into management and come to Town , just our bloody luck !.
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Titters added 08:30 - Sep 16 The first half was encouraging. The lack of confidence did show in the second half though because we could not hold the ball up front and then get behind Forest. We resorted to smacking the ball up in the air again. Stead may be built as a target man but he isn't, surely RK must now try something different. We do not seem to be able to adapt as other teams do. Forest sussed out their first half frailties and adapted accordingly. As soon as teams do close us down we run out of ideas. Second half chances were few and far between and what started promisingly returned to mindless pumping the ball straight down the field. Leadbitter was about the only player who showed any footballing brain although the other newbies also looked OK. Anyway RK, tactically you are falling well short at the moment. We need more thought and adaptability and a goalscoring option.

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james1989 added 08:31 - Sep 16 WE ARE NOT QUITE THERE YET BUT LAST NIGHT WAS A LOT MORE PROMISING AND THOUGHT WE PLAYED WELL MOST OF THE TIME JUST NEED ANOTHER STRIKER!!!!!!!! WE WILL BE UP THERE AT THE END OF THE SEASON TRUST ME!!!!!! I.T.F.C. TILL I DIE
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FormerlyCGS added 08:44 - Sep 16 Some of you lot are idiots and need to take your blinkers off. Do you actually know how many teams start of without a win for so long and then miraculously go on a wonder run and climb the table to be in promotion contention, ANSER - VERY FEW. I have said it before and I say iot again we are in alot of trouble - kean has a squad full of players, some of whom do not want to play for him and the ones that do are sh*t. Garvan dont play - dunno why! Macaulaey plays - Dunno why? And worst of all some of you think its a minor blip and we will be ok come christmas - NO WE WONT. You lot have to gfet used to the fact that we have alot of sh*t players, some average players and a coulpe of godo players which overall means we have a SH*T team. Get used to losing!

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bayblue added 08:44 - Sep 16 No "spine" to the team - Wright and Leadbitter maybe but still 2 players short 9at least).
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