Boss Roy Keane felt 3-0 was harsh on his side but admitted that the Blues have a long way to go before they can compete with the likes of Nottingham Forest for the play-off places. The Town manager says Damien Delaney might miss the rest of the season after injuring his ankle at the City Ground.

Keane said: "I think 3-0 is a little bit harsh but that's football, that's the reality of it if you don't take your chances.

"The first goal was always going to be vital. I'm not sure about the decision that led to it and the deflection didn't help.

"But I was disappointed with our response - we played naive football after that and obviously Forest picked us off as you would expect with the great home record they've got.

"I thought we reacted poorly in terms of shutting up shop for five or 10 minutes.

"We don't score enough goals - Forest are where they are because they've got good attacking options, they've got strikers and can change things around.

"Our leading scorer has got six or seven goals and you're not going to get anywhere fast with that. We saw where we're at today.

"Forest showed how far we still have to go but I knew that before kick-off. We have a lot of hard work in front of us but Forest have shown what can be achieved after the progress they have made over the last year."

The Blues boss says Damien Delaney’s ankle injury may force him to miss the season’s remaining games: "It looks a sore one. He will have a scan on Monday but it looks as though there is ligament damage and that means he could be out for the rest of the season.”

Delaney’s possible absence could give Tommy Smith a run of games ahead of joining up with New Zealand’s squad for the World Cup.

Forest assistant manager David Kelly hailed boss Billy Davies’s efforts in taking another side into the play-offs: "The gaffer has produced the goods yet again.

“The players have been absolutely brilliant all season and we're delighted. I think a teetotal Scotsman [Davies] might have a glass of champagne tonight.

"He's very good at his job. He's meticulous in his preparation and he's meticulous in the information he gets on opposing teams and the players we will be up against.

"We work very hard on the training ground all the time - we train as we play, at a high tempo."

Kelly felt Forest’s second half display would have beaten anyone: "I thought we played quite well in the first half and had a few chances.

"We settled down a little bit after the break and would have beaten anybody on our second half performance today. The football was absolutely superb."

Photo: Action Images

scottmdp added 13:41 - Apr 11 Enough is enough! I was excited when we got Keane as manager but we've had a worse season than with Jim Magilton. So Alan Curbishly isn't Mr. Exciting but at least we'd probably be a half decent premier side under him.
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PSGBlue added 14:08 - Apr 11 The only progress we have seen this season is the inability to beat anyone, to at least being able to hold our own against lower and mid table teams. Where we have failed this season is not being to compete against top six teams. Only Blackpool (home) and Cardiff (twice) were the only occasions this season we have done so. Admittedly there have also been draws, but the bottom line is to get where we want to be, i.e top six, then we must be competing and winning against these sort of teams. When we lose the likes of Colbeck and probably Murphy our squad is going to look pretty thin as an attacking force, Roy is going to have to work miracles between now and Christmas if he is to achieve his two year goal to get us up.

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jbb added 14:17 - Apr 11 With regard to len brennan comments above, RK has already shown that he knows how to put a team together that can win the championship. The fact is that the team assembled by JM had too many flaws in its make up to get into the play off positions. Too many inconsistent players who went missing when the going got tough. There will always be a rebuilding phase under a new manager, and sometimes you have to take a step backwards before moving forward. I think the corner has been turned with this team. With regard to not knowing his first 11, I think it is very obvious what he considers his best team at present. At this stage of the season though he is right to be giving an opportunity to the young players - Wickham, O'Connor, Peters. Assuming that Civelli comes back fit, and D.Murphy is signed, I expect a play off position next season. If funds can be generated from selling some fringe players he may sign a full back (maybe Bardsley from Sunderland, a very solid defender) and a pacy striker, but I dont think that many new additions are needed.

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blues1 added 15:09 - Apr 11 yet again on here ne1 daring 2 voice an opinion that the keane lovers dont lyk gets slagged off without ne justification. Yes, forest have a great home record, but lets look at the facts. Keanes justification 4 the poor start 2 the season was it takes players time 2 gel. Forest bought 11 players in the summer , yet have ben up there almost the whole season. Why? Because they have a gud manager who knows how 2 get the best out of his team, unlike ours.

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WadzillaBhoy added 15:41 - Apr 11 MAckemYank is Keanotheclowno and to think I thought it was a budgie, its all clear now!
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MACKEMYANK added 15:49 - Apr 11 WadzillaBhoy - Yeah, prob gave that impression didn't I? Well, I am not that idiot I assure you.
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Len_Brennan added 15:51 - Apr 11 jbb, The Championship team that RK "put together" at Sunderland was pretty much the one that had won the Championship the previous season before getting relegated. In fact it had been added to (although not enough for Premiership survival) when they went up & again on coming down before he became manager. Clearly Quinn was no manager & they started off with a shocker akin to what we did this year, but let's not kid ourselves, RK did not take over the equivalent of Peterborough either then or now with us. He came to big clubs with ambition, a good strong squad & significant financial backing that were underperforming. He spent a fortune at Sunderland, on a lot of players who didn't work out. By the end of the season he had resorted to playing a team, most of which he inherited. Without doubt he was massively important in Sunderland's Championship winning season, however I believe there was a "Keane Factor" then that no longer exists. His stock was high as a winner that got the best out of people - the number of late goals they got shows this. He was a name that could get other names to come & play for the club. He is certainly not the draw he was then & while some players have come to us from his former clubs, others have decidedly not. His reputation is, at the very least, as much of a negative as a possitive for potential signings. How he has treated players, whether they have played poorly or not, has sent out a very loud signal as to his temperament and many footballers do not respond well to that. Ferguson may be a bully, but he knows when to put his arm around a wayward kid or defend a player to the media, rather than saying stuff like 3 players on longish contracts will never play for the club again etc. I saw someone pointing out that Connor Wickham has signed his contract thus showing that RK mustn't be a a factor to make him to go elsewhere ... well I should bloody well hope so! We can't have ourselves in a position where our players are signing DESPITE the manager, he should be inspiring them to stay at a great club like Ipswich that values youth development and have a fantastic pedigree for bringing them through. There should be no doubts for Connor, or any of our young players.

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dirtydingusmagee added 20:11 - Apr 11 I still cant believe that there are people saying to lose to the likes of Forrest isnt a bad result ! the same people who slag off the so called whingers,!,TO GAIN PROMOTION ,CUPS,ANYTHING,YOU HAVE TO WIN , regardless as to oppositions reputation,or form .First is first,second is nowhere. Until we get a team / manager who believe that, and play accordingly, we will always be nowhere .

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jbb added 20:13 - Apr 11 If RK was such a bully or bad man manager you wouldnt have seen the response his players have given to recent reverses, and to their disastrous start to the season. They clearly are very much behind their manager. If he treats players so badly isnt it very odd that so many of the Sunderland players he managed are more than happy to sign again for him. Whitehead & Murphy would have signed during the summer only for premier clubs coming in. One of the main reasons Wickham was prepared to sign was that he knows that he will get first team opportunities under RK, as did Waghorn at Sunderland and many others. RK is never afraid to leave big names on the bench and play the youngsters. A lot of players on long contracts were in a comfort zone, disappearing when battles needed to be won,taking the club nowhere. Counago, Garvan, etc just havent got the belly for the fight. RK signed 12/13 players during his first season at Sunderland. None went there for big fees. Among them David Connolly (their top scorer), Liam Miller, Carlos Edwards, Dwight Yorke (free), Wallace (free, now preston), Stern John, Kavanagh, Fulop . Very few of his signings did badly. They were brought in to help achieve promotion, which they did. He didnt consider many of the team good enough for premiership survival and a lot of the new players he later bought still form the nucleus of their side - Kenwyne Jones, Richardson, Malbranque, Bardsley, Gordon, Ferdinand, Meyler, Reid (now injured) were all signed by him. Other players signed who have since left Etuhu (Fulham) and Chopra, are doing ok with their new clubs. He had the Bent signing in the pipeline before departing, having attempted to sign him on 2/3 occasions, before the club eventually came up with the money after Bruce took over. Like every manager he makes mistakes, but anyone with the best interest of club at heart should appreciate that a third manager in the space of 2 years is no way to run a club. Any half decent manager deserves 2/3 years, and should be supported. He has shown he is a leader who is capable of driving people on, both as a player and manager. One criticism I would have is that he possibly could have been more supportive this season of his big money singings, as they sometimes feel the pressure of their fees, the kind of patience he has shown with Wickham, who earlier in the season looked a bit out of his depth.

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naa added 22:02 - Apr 11 len_brennan: regarding your first post. Agree with every single word. Very well put, thoughtfully explained. The second post is a bit less fact-based (though I tend to agree as well). But the first post is entirely correct. Regardless of our recent results no-one seems to be considering performances which have, on the whole, been pretty poor. Certainly uninspiring. Then RK comes out with stuff implying we should foul and timewaste to stop conceding late goals and I just shudder at what he could do to our club. Lets not forget ME is a businessman, his transfer funds must be running low by now do we really think he'd be happy to splash a load more in the summer for more of RKs scattergun transfer approach (sign five players and you may get one good enough). It'd certainly be a risk. Besides, he's used up Sunderland rejects now, so what's he going to do? With the loan players returning and the failures this year, he's looking at signing at least 4 players I think. I'm seriously unconvinced he's capable to doing that and improving the team succesxfully.

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bennyblue added 23:41 - Apr 11 your a pretty poor fan if you think forest winning is ok ............keane out lets get a manager and start winning our way into div1....accepting losses and making excuses unlucky poor start blah blah we are sick of it there doesnt seem too be any progress under roy we didnt really expect him too get us up in the first season but by now 3 games from end of season i expected too see town fighting for a playoff position.. he is not doing it seems to have had money' fan support' tv exposure everything he wants and the team will be treadind water from last season when under jim we were supposedly a useless team going nowhere according to the keanites well guess what it looks like keane can match jim but only with a lot more money...........?

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bennyblue added 23:42 - Apr 11 your a pretty poor fan if you think forest winning is ok ............keane out lets get a manager and start winning our way into div1....accepting losses and making excuses unlucky poor start blah blah we are sick of it there doesnt seem too be any progress under roy we didnt really expect him too get us up in the first season but by now 3 games from end of season i expected too see town fighting for a playoff position.. he is not doing it seems to have had money' fan support' tv exposure everything he wants and the team will be treadind water from last season when under jim we were supposedly a useless team going nowhere according to the keanites well guess what it looks like keane can match jim but only with a lot more money...........?

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moomoosereni added 23:44 - Apr 11 It's a shame not all our fans can be patient but I guess thats football fans for you. Everyone is entitled to their opinions. I've said it before and I'll say it again. I'm not a fan of football clubs that sack every manager that doesn't manage an instant fix, even with money, full support etc. Ultimately long term, it doesn't bode well. It's not been the season we hoped for, far from it. But I've said it so many times, we could be in such a worse off position. Saying this is the worst season ever is pretty harsh. Defensively we've looked very solid last few months. Granted yesterday was disappointing but we are playing a side storming towards play off victory and been playing fantastic all season and are massively underrated. They have a top line up, but it didnt come easy for them. Just last season Forest battled with relegation just like us. Success doesnt come cheap, but it also doesn't come quickly. Case in question: What is it that all Chelsea fans want that they haven't had yet..........Champions League glory. Bit different I know but just have patience. If he properly f#cks it up next year, he'll be on his arse!

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nthstd added 07:15 - Apr 12 Score line was unfair my backside. They had their chances as we did, they took them. And as for the improvement over the years, not so long back we battered them 6-0 I suspect they learned a lot from that kicking and did something about. Great manager Bill Davies a PROPER manager
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wiggymcbigalow added 08:26 - Apr 12 If keane ends up being a town legend, some people will look so silly. Not saying he definately will, but role your negative little necks in and support.
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naa added 08:38 - Apr 12 moomoo: you mention Chelsea. Did 't they sake a manager after less than a season? Seem to recall they did and are doing an awful lot better for it. I do agree with stability and give people chances but sometimes they really are the wrong person and giving them more time will allow them to lead the club further in the wrong direction. If RK is the wrong person (and obviously none of us knows if he is or not at this point) then he will spend a lot of money taking us in the wrong direction. That will make it very hard, or impossible, for someone else to fix it later. That's my worry. If we were on a tight budget and he had to wheel and deal (as Magilton did in his first years) then I'd be happy to see what he could do, as there's limited damage that can be done. But I do not want to see him splash all our transfer budget on a another set of failures, loans, and players we didn't need in the first place. Especially if a new guy is told RK has used up all the funds. They are not never-ending.

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naa added 08:53 - Apr 12 I'll put it a slightly different way. The current period of Ipswich Town's life is not normal. It is an absolutely key period. Someone has come in with a substantial (for this division) transfer kitty. But it is still limited. We have a four or so season period of money to spend. No other manager before or since has had this luxury. Giving one manager this entire time period to work means that if he is unsuccessful we will have wasted all these funds and lost the chance to make a difference. That is why just blindly giving RK time is not the same as giving Burley or Bobby Robson or any previous manager time. If he turns out to be unsuccessful we do not just carry on from where we left off, we are back to square one. What I am saying is, we need to be sure (or as sure as you can be) that he is the right man if we are to let him carry on using up all the funds. Can anyone truly say, after this season, that he is definitely the right man? No, we can't. Oh, and with the proposed extra parachute payments from Premier league, it will be even harder to get out in a couple of years time. The next two seasons are crucial. Superflude a while back stated that this was a hard division this year. What a joke. This year the division has been one of the weakest on record. Why else are Doncaster, Swansea and Blackpool doing so well? The division won't always be so easy to get out of, so again, the next season or two is crucial.

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ITFC1985 added 09:21 - Apr 12 how can this be the worst season in 37 years? what about being relegated with (at the time) the worst points haul ever and losing 9-0 to Man Utd, then being relegated again after finishing 5th and spending millions on horrendous players? this season has been no better or no worse than the last 4 seasons, inconsistent and average. Keep Keane let him try and build on the progress he has made since October, if we change now then we're starting from scratch and it will be another 2 years before we're ready and then the question is if we do change a manager and say Curbishley comes in and we're no better off are the "fans" going to be calling for his head at the end of December?

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Lightningboy added 09:37 - Apr 12 Big reality check for the Keane worshippers this weekend....still can't crack the top half of the table can he?!...you've been in cloud cuckooland this week cos he's steered us to 2 wins (both against 10 men),when the sad reality is we've picked up 7 points from the last 18 and that's one of our best runs of the season. We didn't win week in week out under Burley,Royle or Magilton but at least we were always there or thereabouts with the play-offs and mostly played good attacking football. Keane's moaning that we don't have the attacking options!?..well he's had Healy,Counago,Wickham,Murphy,Stead,Walters,Martin,John & Priskin at his disposal this season - all crap are they? (and he let Rhodes go - could you imagine Burley doing that?)...or is it anything to do with the fact that Keane (after 12 months here now folks) still can't decide on a front 2 pairing - anyone knows that strikers need to gel - why doesn't our "manager"? We are 99.9% safe - get rid and bring in a quality manager instead of this amateur. Keane worshippers - you are far too dazzled by having a big name at the club in favour of someone who knows how to manage us properly...and that seems to go for Evans & Clegg too.

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kentblue added 09:57 - Apr 12 Totally agree withthe above comment . Get rid of Keane NOW . He has had many options this season and has either fallen out with the players, let them go or not played them . Get rid of the miseable man now so we can start the new season with optimism . Bring back style , hope and optimism to the club .
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ITFC1985 added 09:59 - Apr 12 for the last time he didnt let Rhodes go, Rhodes chose to the leave the club, we had a good offer come in for him and Jordan Rhodes was given the choice you can stay or leave, he chose to leave it was his choice. God i wish people would get over it
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ITFC1985 added 10:03 - Apr 12 if we change now then we're starting from scratch and it will be another 2 years before we're ready and then the question is if we do change a manager and say someone like Curbishley did come in and theres no improvement what then? are the "fans" going to be calling for his head at the end of December?
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naa added 10:18 - Apr 12 ITFC1985: nope, completely wrong. Firstly, Keane had to accept the offer and decide he was happy for Rhodes to go before Rhodes was even told about the deal. I also happen to know that Rhodes was desperate not to go and phoned Keane repeatedly to try to talk to him but RK refused to take the call as he wasn't interested. And the reason we haven't got over it is because we have struggled for goals all season. If we had been OK up front I'm sure hardly anyone would have mentioned it. And I've also explained why I think there's a valid argument why managerial stability might not actually be the best option at this time.

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corshamblue added 10:56 - Apr 12 So we're all Ipswich Town Managers now! We all know it shot conversion that's the issue, we're topping the shot on goal for the league but the ball isn't hitting the back of the net? Simple Question: You've £3m to spend, who do you bring in? [Remember, the player would want to come to a Mid Table Championship Team with a ball breaker of a manager!] I'm struggling to think of any class striker that would come and b, we can afford.

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ITFC1985 added 11:08 - Apr 12 naa - im sorry but i dont believe that you "know" what happened with the Rhodes, if you "know" this how come its never been mentioned? but surely if the player doesnt want to leave he doesnt have to i.e. Pablo with Swansea.
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