Boss Roy Keane says he blames himself in part for midfielder Colin Healy’s failure to make an impression at Portman Road since making his move from Cork City in the summer. The former Irish international joined SPL side Falkirk on loan until the end of the season earlier this week.

Keane told the club site: "It's not quite happened here for Colin so far but that happens in football and I take some of the blame for that.

"I look at the games I played him in, against Palace when he hadn't played for months and then we went down to 10 men and I put him on the right. At home to Leicester, when he sat in midfield in a system I played that didn't work for us on the day.

"It's been difficult for him but it's not been his fault. It's been mine if anything. Maybe I've not really given him a good run in the side. One or two things went against him, even at the start of the season when he suffered from blisters after the army training.

"I've got a lot of time for Colin and I'll be watching his performances in Scotland because he's still under contract with us. He's got another year here and he's a good player.

"There were other clubs interested in him in England from the lower divisions but I'm glad he's gone to Scotland. He will be a great signing for Falkirk, I'm sure of that. I think he'll benefit from the buzz of playing against Celtic and Rangers."

Keane says he is looking at strengthening some areas of his squad: "We have got good competition for places in most areas of the team. There are one or two positions that I feel we need a bit more and if someone comes up then we will see, but the priority is getting games for some of the players here.

"We've had disruption with the weather and that's meant two reserve games being called off and players need to play. That's why we've let Liam Trotter, Tommy Smith and Colin go out.

"We've had one or two enquiries about players this week but no more than that. We've got a lot of players at this club and that needs tightening up."

Meanwhile, defender Pim Balkestein says he benefited from his spell out on loan at Brentford recently: “I was suffering from a little dip and not playing well and not training well. It was a great shout by the manager to arrange for me to go out on loan.”

Elsewhere, former Town loanee Giovani Dos Santos is again being linked with a move to Turkish side Galatasaray, who are managed by his old Barcelona boss Frank Rijkaard.

Town manager Roy Keane recently said Dos Santos returning to Portman Road was highly unlikely.

Photo: Action Images

SitfcB added 18:54 - Jan 14 GIO!! GIO!! GIO!!!
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dannym09 added 19:13 - Jan 14 yeah but imagine of gio did come back !!! should work out better than dozzells return anyway
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Bergholtblue added 19:17 - Jan 14 A refreshing piece of honesty there by RK!
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jas0999 added 20:23 - Jan 14 Gio won't be returning. It's not exactly Roy's fault that Healy failed.Healy is not good enough.
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Tractorog added 20:24 - Jan 14 A fair comment... if only the boo boys were as mature.
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Dowson added 20:31 - Jan 14 we want gio :(
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tractorboy_jack added 20:52 - Jan 14 Good job Keano keep the players on your side! COYB!
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WREXHAM_BLUE added 21:05 - Jan 14 Well said Roy. Things are not always as black and white as people often think, in terms of players performing well or not; there are ultimately many factors. In terms of Balkestien, it's good that he's used the loan move to his advantage and come back with more confidence. I thought he did very well at Leicester on Sunday.
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WREXHAM_BLUE added 21:05 - Jan 14 Well said Roy. Things are not always as black and white as people often think, in terms of players performing well or not; there are ultimately many factors. In terms of Balkestien, it's good that he's used the loan move to his advantage and come back with more confidence. I thought he did very well at Leicester on Sunday.
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Skip73 added 21:23 - Jan 14 For crying out loud stop harking on about Gio, can't you all read HE ISN'T COMING BACK!. Move on.
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naa added 21:34 - Jan 14 Yes, the Gio stuff on here is incredibly tedious. We have no chance of getting him back. Give it a rest. And if it's meant to be a joke you should look the word up in the dictionary. I suspect the word 'funny' appears there somewhere, which rules this out for a start. I have heard that Healy is actually half-decent but is more of an attacking midfielder, and not defensive which is where RK played him in the few chances he did have. So fair play to RK for admitting as much. Though by letting him out on loan he's also admitting that he's not really good enough.

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peterleeblue added 21:34 - Jan 14 It would appear that Roy Keane is execptionally good at using the Loan system to benefit fringe players in the long term. In most cases the Loan system is for players on their way out with a "view to a permenant move".
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slowerball added 21:50 - Jan 14 I agree with Wrexham Blue... this could have proved to have been a bargain buy. The real failures however have been Priskin & Martin. And the Gio thing - get over it; he ain't coming... The problem we have, for example, is that Boro have snapped up Flood & Robson - two very good players. Where was Keane? Celtic connection? We've not seen it. I realise that Strachan has a bigger link perhaps. But our rivals are buying folks. Its almost half way through Jan and there is no real links or strong possibilities. I'm a tad concerned. RK is saying we need to strengthen. Then do so.

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buryblue77 added 22:28 - Jan 14 Here we go, if Gio came out and said there's no way he'd even think about coming back here some people would be typing GIO GIO GIO on here. I'd love to see him back, but it's not going to happen. Healy was a half decent player until his two broken leg injuries, so a loan spell (if he gets regular action) will do him good, he could come back to become a useful squad player.

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Swailsey added 22:43 - Jan 14 a great piece of honesty. it's nice to hear.
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Dolly2.0 added 23:00 - Jan 14 Point of order - Keane has said Gio coming back is "very unlikely" but certainly hasn't said "no chance". Why are some of you getting upset that some of us dare to dream? You must lead very dull, unimaginative lives.
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slowerball added 23:27 - Jan 14 Hello Dolly - Good bye Gio.
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mickeyjb added 07:00 - Jan 15 maybe colin will do well up there, mind you what do you honestly think of the standard! a couple of poor Prem level teams who would be flirting with relegation, about 4 or 5 champ level and the rest league one at best.
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moyardmadman added 09:43 - Jan 15 now if only healy will take the blame for keanes failure to make an impression !
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Bergholtblue added 10:17 - Jan 15 Dolly - There is absolutely nothing wrong in dreaming...... Torres Torres Torres Gerrard Gerrard Gerrard Rooney Rooney Rooney
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Surco72 added 10:57 - Jan 15 Bergholt ... we dont want Gerrard and Torres they are far too injury prone !! On the Healy,Martin ,Priskin,Trotter,Quinn selections i think it shows what a strong character Keane is to admit that selections and players were wrong early in the season and he has changed them however much he spent ,this was something Jim failed to do sticking with his signings whatever to justify the money spent .Since Mac,Wright ,Garvan and Stead have all come back we look a much better side all round ,to me good management and honesty

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byebyesheepshanks added 12:07 - Jan 15 rhodes rhodes rhodes
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ShefTractor added 13:53 - Jan 15 Bastian Schweinsteiger and Zlatan Ibrahimavic Good for the club, my imagination and shirt printing sales.
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WickedBlue added 20:34 - Jan 15 I really shake my head in wanderment. 'Such and such has bought this and that player where was RK?' Well obviously RK wasn't interested in those players no matter how good you thought they are. Bottom line we have a large squad ans yes we need to ship some out but RK is not going to bring anyone in here that he doesn't want. He has targeted the players and now we play the wating game trying to get them as frustrating as it is be patiant. It would prove a lot more frustrating if he identified the players he was after and some plonker from the premier league team like Hull goes for him too oh wait a minute....

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