Boss Roy Keane was frustrated that the Blues recorded yet another draw - their 15th in the league this season - as the home game with Middlesbrough ended 1-1. However, the Town manager conceded that it was a fair result.

Keane said: "Our performances generally haven't been too bad but it's another draw and draws don't get you anywhere fast.

"When you look back at all the draws we've had we might have been better to lose half and win the other half.

"Somebody must be making money out of us by predicting draws every week and we shouldn't begrudge them that.

"But this was a typical Championship game. Both teams had chances, it finished 1-1 and we all go home. Boring."

The Blues boss felt his side needed a better final ball: "Scoring goals has been a problem for us all season.

"In the second half we got in some really good positions but we just needed the final ball. The final ball is the most important one in football.

"If you look at what happens between the two boxes we do reasonably well. But what goes on in the boxes is what life's all about.”

Keane was pleased with his two new loanees: "It was a great start for us, the perfect start and we looked comfortable for the first half.

"It was a good ball in from David and Murph did well to get on the end of it. But we needed a second goal, particularly in the Championship where teams can score from set-pieces and we saw that again today.

"Middlesbrough gave us a few scares in the second half and, after they scored, they had the momentum, so the result was probably about right.

"I was fairly pleased with our performance generally. It was a disappointing goal to concede but we defended fairly well against a decent side.

"It was a risk putting David and Murph in because they've not had a lot of football and Jon Walters, who has been out with a hamstring injury and hasn't trained much, but they came through well.

"I was delighted with the two new lads, they linked up well and their fitness levels were excellent but we have another game on Tuesday and we will have to be careful with them."

Middlesbrough boss Gordon Strachan also felt a draw was the correct outcome: "I thought it was a fair result. Ipswich were the better team in the first half.

"We were getting used to a right-back playing in the middle of the park and a left-back playing on the left of midfield.

"We weren't ready for that type of game, with so many new players, and it was unsettling.

"Had it been a nice simple, passing game we might have been all right and we'd have settled in but it was ferocious to start with.

"The fact we then went a goal down so early on threw the guys who were playing out of position into a bit of shock.

"But our mental strength got better as the game went on. We showed we can play but we have to learn to be more professional in the first couple of minutes.

"Sometimes when a team score early on it's a brilliant goal and you can't do anything about it.

"But with this one we were so embarrassed, down the left-sided area, that we crumbled. It took us until half-time to settle everyone down."

Photo: Action Images

cbower added 13:21 - Feb 8 Everyone is entitled to their opinion but I don't like it when supporters appear to have given up. Yes it's not good at the moment and we ARE in a relegation fight but those who seem to have us ALREADY relegated with 18 games to go when we are five points off 12th place, that's the kind of negativity that we don't need. Schadenfreude at Keane's lake of achievement this season is also evident from some quarters on this site. Like him or dislike him, Keane is here for the very least until the end of the season. Don't forget - his success would be shared by ITFC. I am not particularly pro or anti Keane but just want my club to succeed.

0

NSL added 13:25 - Feb 8 Carrot Blue, agreed. It's not just the results that have been poor, the brand of football is the worst many have seen. I know Keane managed to kick his way into the premiership with Sunderland but they had much more physical players. Does'nt suit the likes of Norris, Garvan, Counago etc who like the ball at their feet, which is why we are not breaking teams down. Keane has only one tactic and we are only going one way.

0

Help added 13:31 - Feb 8 Okay, My thoughts. After the QPR game we will be in the bottom 3. reading at home to Plymouth, We away to QPR, a rudderless ship there to be beaten, but we wont will we. I hope this is not so but i fear the worst. All season I could not and still cannot see how we are going to get out of this mess. RK prove me wrong, get us clear. 20 points from 18 games is not drawing them all. We need wins, but where are tehy going to come from QPR, peterborough. Plymouth in March. The old northern enemy on the last day of the season?

0

WREXHAM_BLUE added 14:14 - Feb 8 Great to see that all the moaners are back since we've had a slight dip recently. Yes, I know we haven't exactly been on fire but the improvement has been there for all to see pre-Southampton. A few arguably poor results doesn't mean all the good work previously should be forgotten. Four massive away games coming up and I for one don't see any reason why we can't win them all. COYB!!

0

AJblue added 14:35 - Feb 8 Reckon we will win on Tuesday... Just feel confident about it, QPR having a bad run, and with Healey and Murphy up front just feel goals will follow. Would like to see Gravan in for Norris, just to see if he will create for the two front boys. Anyway lets hope that they do win, otherwise all you cretins will be on here harping on again, and lets face it, a good result is something to be pleased with, and the vast majority of you just disappear int the woodwork. I mean this sincerely, i understand frustration, i have to try and decipher callums posts, trust me trying to find sense in them is very frustrating, but if you love this club so much and it hurts you to watch them, then moan away, but dont moan about people like me moaning about people like you!!!!!!!!!!!!! You want to be negative, i want to remain positive, and i find that difficult when there are so many moaners about.Sorry but thats the truth.

0

dirtydingusmagee added 16:19 - Feb 8 COYB ........HAPPY DAYS !
0

dobbie73 added 16:33 - Feb 8 WREXHAM_BLUE - my thoughts exactly! Yes we are having a wobble at the moment, but the improvement compared to the start of the season cannot be denied. Sadly because we did have such an awful start, we have a helluva lot of ground to make up! And we haven't made up enough to compensate for the current wobble, hence we are being dragged back into teh mire, especially with Reading starting to get a few points. But .... we have to keep believing, we have to keep hoping, and we have to keep supporting. For what its worth, my predictions for the next 4 games are: QPR - WIN Peterborough - WIN Sheff Weds - DRAW Scunny - DRAW Wouldn't be so bad, would it? COYB!!!!!!!!

0

NSL added 16:43 - Feb 8 We love you Ipswich, we do . . . . . . .
0

BeeneyITFC added 17:11 - Feb 8 we love you ipswich we do........ we love you ipswich we do........ ooo ipswich we love you and 7+ points from the next 4 and i believe we will stay up, as 5 out of 7 after them are at home COYB
0

bluetoba added 19:50 - Feb 8 Sorry Dobbie but I disagree (or maybe i'm just plain daft). QPR (good record against) - Win. Peterborough (new manager but the worst in the league) - Win. Sheffield Weds. (the sticky one but v.poor when we drew with them) - Win. Scunthorpe (definite league 2 side) - Win. ITFC owes us all now and i'm cashing in! I reckon it's a 50/1 - 60/1 accumulator..Get onboard.
0

dirtydingusmagee added 20:27 - Feb 8 for what its worth i reckon- lose-win- draw -draw but you must take into account im a moaning,whinger ! [but id like to think 12 points will come from them ]
0

dirtydingusmagee added 20:38 - Feb 8 SORRY off thread but,watching Col U v Shrimpers, bloody hell all that money spent on new stadium and hadnt money left for pkt grass seed !
0

bennyblue added 23:57 - Feb 8 i reckon 2 losses and 2 draws and keane finally gets boot. new manager comes in but too late save club. we go down for one season come up again mess around bottom or middle of table for a couple of years before we finally get semi decent and start to challenge for the playoffs. and finally arrive at the sort of position we were in last year before keane arrived
0

bennyblue added 01:33 - Feb 9 well said benny
0

section_six_sam added 08:19 - Feb 9 shut up benny blue few bad results and all the moaners come out, and all the happy chappy's dont post at all, and the exact opposite happens on a good streak. Please get some consistancy and try to keep the faith and if not getbehind the team, but for someone to say its the keane loyalists fault in my opinion is a f*cking stupid idea, some maybe trying to just stay positive and try to help. Having a go at those sort of fans makes me think you may as well not support town, we'll be better of without you, some of the other negative comments are constructive and fair enough but i cant resist biting at that one, jesus christ lads

0

dobbie73 added 09:05 - Feb 9 Bluetoba - like the optimism! Beers on you then (hopefully), lol ... mine's a pear Magners cheers!
0

bluetoba added 10:41 - Feb 9 Got to be optimistic... Out of the 4 teams we next play, QPR are placed highest and only 4 points above. I'm telling you...Get on.
0

Blogs 295 bloggers

Ipswich Town Polls