Boss Roy Keane says he’s weighing up whether to bring in a further loan player before Thursday’s emergency deadline. Meanwhile, the Town manager says there have been no further progress regarding Brentford’s offer for central defender Pim Balkestein.

Last Thursday, Keane revealed that he was considering whether to make another addition to his squad, but says that as yet there have been no developments: “I’ve made no progress, but it’s something in the back of my mind and I know we’re running out of days. We’ll see over the next few days. We’ll see after tomorrow night.”

Brentford have made an offer of a loan leading to a permanent move for Balkestein, who was on loan at Griffin Park earlier in the season, but Keane says there has been no progress on the potential move: “I’ve left it with the chief executive. They made an offer last week and I’ve left it with him.

"They’re keen on Pim, but he played for the reserves last week and trained with us yesterday and, as long as he’s here, like every other player he’ll have a chance.

“There’s no point in me speaking to the player as I don’t think anything’s been agreed [between the clubs]. I spoke to his agent briefly for a couple of minutes last week. Unless it’s taken further I’ll focus on working with the players.

“If something was agreed, then obviously I would speak to Pim. We’re fairly pleased with Pim, I have to say.”

Photo: Action Images

StowTractorBoy added 13:31 - Mar 22 I don't think we need to bring in any more loans this season although I do worry if anything happens to our central defenders as we have little cover particularly on the right side. As for the Keane argument - what would you rather Town playing brilliantly for 46 games and losing most of them or being ordinary but winning. I know I would prefer the latter but if you don't then brace yourselves because things are not going to change.

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Crock added 13:36 - Mar 22 Damn I was hoping Keane himself would bugger off.
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matt_the_blue added 13:40 - Mar 22 Lightningboy - Yawn. Anti-Keaners are just as guilty of doing that when someone dares to say something positive about Roy.
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BurleyForever added 13:40 - Mar 22 Why has Curbs been seen at a few matches recently. does he know something we don't or has he a soft spot for ITFC as he bought a few players from us when at Charton
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oldmantractor added 13:56 - Mar 22 If i was ME, I would weild the axe now. 47 points means we are more or less safe so the remaining games would give curbishley (the obvious choice and lets face it an infinitely better manager than keane) a chance to settle in and decide which players he rates and which areas he needs to strengthen. Keane doesnt offer and hope for the future. we have been lucky to climb away from our flirtation with relegation (murphy being more or less the reason for our upturn in fortune). ME isnt putting money in to accept mediocrity, so he should not wait for Keane to make an inevitably poor start to next season (having brought in yet more dross) before sacking him in november by which time promotion will have been delayed by yet another year!

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yorksblue added 14:36 - Mar 22 Tommy Smith from Pompey would be an ideal addition to the squad.
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keebs_itfc added 14:48 - Mar 22 if keane gets sacked now, i could see this club spiralling out of control, the problem with english football nowadays is that managers arent given a chance! all u anti keanos have ur opinion because of the start of the season, which is fair enuf, but we are doing alot better! if you bring curbishly in now he may get sum wins at the end of the season, alot like keane did but who nos wat will happen next season, he may have a rubbish start and we would be back square 1 and to 'curbishly out' because that is the kind of supporters you are! a manager has to have time to make his squad his own, fair enuf some of his signings are awful, get rid in summer, try again! if the same happens next year then im sure u will find the more patient town fans will understand, but if the middle part to this season combined with a couple of decent signings and im sure it will be a different story! as for the negative tactics, 4-5-1 is good defensive strategy to close a game out, ul find most teams use it in the last minutes of a game, would u rather see 4-4-2 n get caught on a counter, because im sure u wud moan alot more if it went 1-1 in the last 15! no more loan signings pls unless we get an injury or its a view to a permanent deal!!! KEANO!!!!!

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welshtractorboy added 14:50 - Mar 22 Yorksblue----Totally agree i posted a comment before he left Watford saying this,yet we bought Priskin for more. Tommy Smith would fit into the team,and more than most of our midfield,score goals. Loan him and give him the left midfield role for our final games. If not lets get Ambrose back,at least then we will have a player in our team who has reached double figures in the goal tally!!!!

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RevAdrian added 14:53 - Mar 22 I can't say I generally like playing around with stats but the point made earlier about the points we had when we played Plymouth last is interesting. SINCE then we have played 24 points and got 39 points - that is an average of 1.625 points per game. If we had played at that rate for the whole of the season so far we'd have 61/62 points and be well into the playoffs. That sounds like improvement to me.

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Golaboots added 15:09 - Mar 22 I'm just impressed there are no morons spouting 'Gio Gio Gio' Makes a nice change.
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Blue_Showboat added 15:13 - Mar 22 oldmantractor...you're saying get rid of Keane but state the reason we are pulling away from the relegation zone is one of his signings?!? People seem to have a very confused opinion on some things. Lets not forget that Murphy was one of Keanes original targets and could have made a massive difference to our start of the season. In my opinion the club had been treading water for a number of years and needed a massive shake up to start things moving in the right direction. With such a drastic change (getting rid of 15-20 players in the summer) of course it would take some time to let the dust settle, ok nobody thought it would take 14 games to get going, but after that our form has been respectable without being fantastic. If we can have a strong finish to the season, get a few pacey playmakers in the summer we will be in a much stronger position than we have been in years. People expect instant success but all the great teams have been built over time, to get rid of Keane now would just delay us further as a new manager would need next season to get his team in and playing the way he wanted. ME gave Keane a 2 year contract and I fully expect him to be given that long (barring another poor start next year which I dont believe will happen), so lets just get behind the boys until the end of the season and see where things are then

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peakyboy added 15:14 - Mar 22 let pim go, not gd enough at championship level
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devontractorboy added 16:18 - Mar 22 Improvement under Keane Mmmmmmm? I can only think that some of you would support Keane no matter what, we have lurched all season from 'half decent' displays to abysmal in the extreme & yet some of you call this progress, there has been little progress and often two steps forward followed by two back. Keane was an experienced player but plainly throughout his career he has had problems with people, lost his temper frequently and resorted to violence too often. There has been no stability this season, frequent team changes and frankly daft tactics and substitutions. We need an experienced manager to sort this mess out, Keane has shown he lacks the skills to do that, he should go, he's let us and himself down.

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ITFC1985 added 16:28 - Mar 22 i love how everyone thinks Curbishley would definately be the man to come in and take over if Keane got the axe, i cant see it happening to be honest, he has a decent record at this level but it did take him 10 years to achieve that and then look what happened once he was given some cash to play with, poor poor siginings and he almost drove West Ham to on the brink of full scale collapse. Personally i would rather have Burley or Royle (if he hasnt retired) back if ME was to wield his axe (which he wont) Im a fan of Keane and i think he is the man to improve the fortunes of the club, but it takes time. We have been consistently poor for the last 4 seasons and it wasnt going to change overnight. lets just get behind the team sing our hearts out every game and finish in a respectable position COYB

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runaround added 16:34 - Mar 22 In reply to above moans about the lack of creative football and the negative 4-5-1 formation. A lot of clubs recently promoted from this league have done so on the back of a solid defence and winning matches 1 nil. Birmingham, Wolves and Sunderland being prime examples. While we would all love to see ITFC passing teams off the pitch and winning by 6 every week, it just isnt going to happen. To prosper in this league you have to be hard working and players who have skill but cannot battle get kicked out of the game against the Sheff Utds of this world. I think Keane is getting a solid base, next season will be the time to kick on

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tom_the_blue added 16:54 - Mar 22 Keane is here to stay, a good thing for the future of the club. Negative posting won't change that and, although even I find some of it very annoying and childish at time (*cough*bennyblue*cough*),all have a right to voice their opinion and, even if it is extremely idiotic, the majority of them have what is best for ITFC at heart . We will see a lot of change in the summer, but the manager won't be one of those things. Next season we will be a much stronger side and, with the correct signings, could take the division by storm as the sides coming down (Pompey, Hull and Burnley) are unlikely to offer much of a threat. Back on the topic, I believe that Tommy Smith would be a fantastic signing, adding some much needed creativity and pace to the wings.

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Crock added 17:21 - Mar 22 Gio!!!!!!!!!
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alfromcol added 17:38 - Mar 22 Anyone at the Bristol City and Barnsley (1st half) would see how well Keane's team is playing. OK so they couldn't put the ball in the net, but they passed their way through the opposition on numerous occasions. The more that the confidence of individual players increases the more the team will do this. The team now has a defence second to none and are beginning to show signs of being difficult to beat. OK the second half of the Barnsley game was not pretty but Murphy's goal was not really threatened. With the addition of 2 or 3 players to strengthen the squad I'm looking forward to a good start to the 2010/11 season

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MarkITFC added 17:43 - Mar 22 i would like to see a winger that can cutt in and score goals as the amount of time we spred the ball out to the wings and nothing comes of it , we need a player like Wayne Roautledge who has moved to newcastle , all the decent / top teams have wingers. walters anit a winger but he will do intill we get one . I liked the look of that Ruben Ried guy from Peterbough utd , but we need someone to play out on the wing. Martin was a let down doesnt know what to do in the final 3rd but then most of out players our the same. we cant have more then 1 come in , we have a settled sqaud now so lets get a win tomorrow which should make us safe of relegation , then build for next season. get rid of dead wood , Bruce , martin , healy , trotter , quinn , priskin , stead or pablo ? coyb !! KEANOOOO ! also lets get behind the team tomoz and SING !

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jas0999 added 17:45 - Mar 22 Yet again the earlier posts on here begs the question: Do you actually support ITFC? As I have said before, everyone is entitled to their opinion - if we lose and play badly i.e. Watford, Peterboro, then the moaning is justified. But some moan day in day out even after a win. Very sad.
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keebs_itfc added 17:52 - Mar 22 devontractorboy, u could also say that it seems there are people who will not follow keane no matter what, unless we get promoted ofcourse via playoffs or maybe even getting into playoffs, but that wouldnt be fickle would it?!
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DidcotBlue added 18:02 - Mar 22 Lets all just get behind the Players,Coaching Staff, Tea Lady and see the season out, I know people who have worked for ME and if he wants to change things he will, Lets put everything into perspective, we probably wont get relegated and we will finish between 10th and 14th so everyone cheer up, we could be Darlington fans!!! Keep Smiling
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jamesy_itfc_keano added 18:23 - Mar 22 I expect us to finish between 10th - 15th place this season, considering we was rock bottom and without a win in 2 months. I think thats pretty decent. Yes its been a dissapointing season, but sometimes that happens. We have to get behind the players and manager and see this season out. Then next season keane can sort his squad out and we can start the season flying !! Consistency is the key !!! sacking gets you nowhere ! KEANO !!! COYB !!

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Steve_ITFC_Sweden added 18:26 - Mar 22 IF we extrapolate from our last three home matches, we would finish the season with 138 points: promotion and a points record!
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Guthrum added 20:59 - Mar 22 Just a thought, for those considering replacing Keane - and it relates to loan players, so is still relevant to the article ... If Keane leaves and is replaced by, say Curbishley, what happens with the players who have come on loan from Sunderland, have played under Keane, say they enjoy working for him, and may be (or are) considering staying. Daryl Murphy - our joint leading goalscorer. Jack Colback - one of our more effective midfielders, who also knows how to put ball in net. David Healy, not yet proven but has a goal from just 4 appearances. Will they then change their minds and go back? Will other players who state they came to Ipswich to play under Keane also be seeking to go? In the current climate, will Curbishley (or anyone else) be able to attract players as good, or better? Will they be faced with trying to replace key players and starting again?

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