Boss Roy Keane says he is yet to work out his pre-season plans for 2010/11 or talk to chief executive Simon Clegg regarding his budget for the season ahead. Keane says he has spent the last few weeks concentrating on securing the club’s Championship status.

Keane says he’ll start to work on setting out the pre-season programme in the next few days: “We’ll probably look at it next week. There are plenty of offers there for games.

“We had an excellent training camp in Portugal last year, we’ll probably look at that again, so hopefully there’s good options for us out there. We have had different priorities over the last few weeks — getting victories.

The Blues boss will consider whether to make changes to last season’s preparations with the Blues failing to win any of their first 14 matches: “That’s something we’ll have to consider without a shadow of a doubt.

“Pre-season’s all about getting fit for the start of the season but, going back to the first few games, the Coventry match, for example, the chances we had in that game and the goals we gave away, there was no question about our fitness levels.

“I think we are the fittest team in the league and that’s a plus. You may say that that doesn’t win football matches, I know it doesn’t, but it gives you a chance.

“Pre-season last year you have to remember [fitness coach] Antonio Gomez had only just come to the club, as had myself and Tony Loughlan. It was our first pre-season and we’ve learnt a lot more about the group. There will be changes to pre-season, of course.”

Keane also says he will soon be discussing his summer transfer budget with Simon Clegg: “Again there was no point in talking about that until we had more wins under our belt.

“Two weeks ago I wasn’t going to be sitting down talking about budgets when everyone else was saying I was leaving, so I thought I’d wait until we’d won one or two! That will take care of itself over the weeks and months ahead.

“Identifying players and budgets is the easy part, it’s going and getting the players, attracting them and giving them the right deals that’s the hard part.

“I know there are clubs out there in the Championship who give particularly big, big wages and we won’t be prepared to do that, so like everybody else we’ll have to wheel and deal.”

Photo: Action Images

oldbarrackdan added 10:03 - Apr 10 Yes indeed any talk of pre season would have been very premature before last weekends six points. now we can plan and hopefully have a much better season next year. I would suggest not going to Ireland on two separate occasions this time, a pre season tour should be just a few days in one place!
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tom_the_blue added 11:12 - Apr 10 I think Keano knows what needs to improve to insure we don't have an as disasterous start as last year. I not sure exactly what went wrong but it must of been a poor pre-season which may have left players either unfit or unmotivated before the season. This time I think Keano knows his team better and so the will definatly help. Lets get a pacey striker and midfielder to replace Colback, plus a good, experienced left back, and make Murphy's and possibly Rosenior's and Healy's loans perminant and we'll have a good side for next season.

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Lightningboy added 11:35 - Apr 10 Darren Ambrose,Peter Whittingham,Michael Chopra,Dan Harding.
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bennyblue added 11:56 - Apr 10 just cause he thinks he knows what s wrong doesnt mean he knows how too fix it now would be an excellent time to give him the flick
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Notts_tractor added 12:09 - Apr 10 Are you the same Benny as the bloke with the woolly hat on Crossroads? You speak with the same level of intelligence and lucidity.
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TRUEBLUE1974 added 12:34 - Apr 10 bennyblue we all know you dont like keane but please it give a rest he here to stay so live with it and get behind the team
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Mark added 13:51 - Apr 10 It will be interesting to see what sort of transfer budget Keane is provided with, although we won't know until the deals start to happen I suppose. Evans is a brave man if he hands over multi-millions based on the management's past transfer record, although if he does not then I can't see us progressing much. Let's hope the funds are found for a quality striker and some decent wingers / attacking wide midfielders.

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Blue4life added 14:25 - Apr 10 I think that in order for our pre -season to be a success then we need to bring in the new players quickly during the start of the summer and pre season, as last season we brang them in late and this most likely would have been a factor to why we started s badly as that had next to no time to gel together and learn how each other played.
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naaridge1coly7 added 15:07 - Apr 10 its easy and im with you benny,get rid to avoid yet another nothing season.
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Mungo added 15:55 - Apr 10 Fittest team in the league my pipe! Last years pre-season was a shambles and is largely to blame for a lot of our troubles this season. A well thought out pre-season with some friendlies against reasonable opposition is a must if we are to progress next season. With regards to players coming in, defence wise we are pretty sound but I think Herman Hreidarsson would be worth looking at (getting on a bit but available for free, versatile and would still be very good at this level, plus a good role model for the likes of O'Connor, Smith etc). The striking dept needs a bit of an overhaul (two or 3 new faces, depending on who we keep) and a wide midfielderwould also help. Might also need another centre mid depending on who stays/goes.

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Lightningboy added 16:32 - Apr 10 He's not here to stay is he?!..he's got 1 year left on his contract and he may not even get that unless he pulls his finger out. This season has been a massive flop..Keane shouldn't have started mouthing off last summer that he was going to do this and that and that any "half decent manager" could finish in the top half..he's made himself look a complete numpty. Hopefully Marcus Evans will open his eyes and see that there are 2 or 3 top quality managers (more suited to our brand of football) available at the moment,all more than capable of shaping this squad into promotion contenders without the need for more major upheaval (cos that's what'll be happening again this summer under keane). The standard of football and some of the tactics/team selections this season has been amateurish...it'll be more of the same next season under keane.

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WadzillaBhoy added 18:22 - Apr 10 The squad might physically have great stamina but their mental stamina needs to improve. The amount of games where we dropped vital points in the last 5 mins just from switching off is awful plus in some games we play really well in the first half and then dont turn up in the second half. Hopefully ME will open the coffers next season to further strenghten the squad.

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devontractorboy added 18:27 - Apr 10 Well said LB Keane has been rubbish and our results now just flip-flop all the time. Get him out before he ruins the club!!
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ChambersM added 18:32 - Apr 10 i agree bennyblue, now we're safe its agood time to get rid, who do you think evans would be prepared to give a bigger budget to? A manager who has been very poor in the tranfer market this season (keane) or a new manager who most likely wont constantly be looking to get in sunderland rejects, irish players or reserve man utd players :/ and whoever said we should buy healy...no thanks x

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Moisha added 19:20 - Apr 10 it's interesting that the Keane outers have waited until after todays result before posting on a item that was there this morning.
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hamster153 added 19:23 - Apr 10 Ebanks blake, Ambrose and a few of the lads we have on loan e.g. Murphy and roseinior. I'm really satisfied!
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grumpyoldman added 19:29 - Apr 10 Moisha they waited as they think that a poor result helps them to justify their blinkered views, only thing is I don't believe ME actually cares what the minority of supporters think. And before the outers take me up on this point, I do not just mean them, how many of those who attend PR actually comment on this site?, probably under 10%, of which for arguments sake 50% are for 50% against RK, so the comments of approximately 5% of the supporters do not mean a lot to the man who holds the purse strings of the club

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Woodbridgian added 19:58 - Apr 10 Todays results V Forset sums up just how far we are away from top 6 finish. RK a great player but sorry not going to make it as a manager. Poor season but now safe, time to realise that the first investment for next season is to pay off RK and start building from there.
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ChambersM added 20:59 - Apr 10 errr i have a season ticket and make comments so dont judge me
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naaridge1coly7 added 21:49 - Apr 10 where does it say you have to be season ticket holders to post on here anyway???? For god sake there really are some saddos on here,generally the pro-keane type who would much rather put up with yet another season of complete toot under him. You are the blinkered ones,the type that think after 2 games that the roses are back on the garden.Sad,Very sad days indeed. I gave up going to Portman Road a few seasons back now,the main reason being was I went to a game in the old north lower where a row of 'numpties' were discussing politics behind me for the whole games.Im sorry the true fans have gone,the atmosphere is no longer there.The real passion was there in the Lyall and Burley eras when we actually played some really decent football,of which i class as entertaining. I go to a football match to be entertained not to visit a place that resembles a morgue.

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WadzillaBhoy added 21:50 - Apr 10 I cant believe some people still want Keano out. Think about it if we bring in another manager it will take them a season to build their squad and realise players strengths and weaknesses. It would be like groundhog day all over again. Keep Keane, he is getting better as are the team, despite todays result. Even though we had back to back wins everybody knew it would be a tall order to get 1 point away from home to Notts Forest. Keano in, $hit fans out. Next season will be much better and I bet you any money Lee Martin will shine next season, just like a certain Paul Anderson. Stop doubting and start shouting for the boys. COYB

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buryblue77 added 00:05 - Apr 11 Hopefully it'll be a good one and the money well spent. I feel that despite Rosenior falling out of favour recently he's been one of our best performers all season and should be offered a contract. Murphy should also be high up on the list of purchases (although wages could be a problem) maybe a central defender, left back and a holding midfielder. Michael Chopra tops my list though!

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grumpyoldman added 09:12 - Apr 11 My observations were still right, even if you are a season ticket holder, an occasional visitor, a stay at home Radio Suffolk listener or any combination, this site only attracts a minority of the supporters, so ME does not have to take much notice of our comments.
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tom_the_blue added 09:14 - Apr 11 This time last season we were in a similar position to where we are now. If we hadn't won our final 3 games (2 of which Keano was in charge for) then we'd have finished lower in the table than we will this season. A few more points could drag us up to ninth, a respectable position after a poor season, but a promising end could give us somthing to build on.
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bedsitfc added 11:13 - Apr 11 to all the keane haters - your comments will never change what M.E thinks or what anybody else thinks. so support the team i for one would always support the team even if brian gunn was appointed manager. keane will be here next season like it or not. i think he will get it right next season but if he dont i will want a change but i will still be behind him untill the change. i support the club not people at the club

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