Boss Roy Keane says he plans to start work this evening on improving his Town side ahead of next season. The Town manager says he was disappointed to end the season with Sunday’s 3-0 defeat to Sheffield United.

Keane said: "My work starts this evening. I'll be on the phone tonight and I'm not a great one for speaking on the phone. My wife will tell you that.

"But hopefully the biggest bill the club will get from me this summer will be my phone bill. My work starts now. Most definitely. There's no switching off.

"I don't even like talking about summer holidays. We don't deserve a holiday. Of course you need to switch off physically and mentally, but this idea of people off gallivanting for eight or nine weeks isn't going to happen.

"No one likes losing but imagine if we'd won today. I might have thought maybe 'we're not that bad'.

"You always have doubts in the back of your mind - shoes, cars, holidays, your marriage - but this has confirmed it in my mind, especially those last 20 minutes. I'll be bringing in characters.

"Forget stats, ages, the country they're from or what size boot they wear. It's all about characters."

Keane, who has already confirmed that his players will be back for pre-season on June 28th, says a home loss was not the way he wanted to end the season: "It's unbelievably disappointing to finish the season like that.

"We wanted to go out on a high and our home form has been pretty decent but what could have gone wrong, did go wrong.

"The first goal was a really bad goal to give away and after going down to 10 men, we never looked like getting back in the game.

"It was very disappointing for Tom obviously, getting the red card. I had no complaints over the first booking but he got the ball for the second and sometimes you are looking for the referee in those situations to help you out but he didn't. He's a good lad though and he will bounce back.

"I looked around at the end and we looked a small team compared to Sheffield. We need big, physical men and it makes me appreciate the challenge we have here and the job I have and that job starts today."

Blades boss Kevin Blackwell feels his side’s failure to compete at the top of the division was partly down to their unsuccessful play-off campaign a year ago and it putting them behind as he sought to add to his squad: "We always feel we're a club that should be going for promotion but at the end of last season we found ourselves with 15 players out of contract.

"It left us with a big hole to fill and we'd already missed six weeks of the transfer window. We've been trying to catch up ever since.

"We couldn't get the type of player we were looking for and we had to rely on loans That leads to instability and a lack of consistency but to finish eighth is still a terrific achievement for the players.

"It'll be good to get a solid squad together and start again from scratch. We've had a colossal number of injuries and 24 debuts.

"That's completely different to having a squad of players you know and when situations are controlling you, rather than you controlling them, it makes it very hard."

Photo: Action Images

SurreyITFC added 19:51 - May 2 To ALL, I fully accept the season has not been good but what I am trying to point out is LETS SUPPORT THE MANAGER! If we gain promotion next year will you all be saying how wonderful Keane is? I think so, but as we have had a poor season you are slating him. The way to move forward is to get behind Keane, have faith that he will get the right players in this summer and that he will deliver promotion to the Premier League which is what we all want! COYB & Keano Keano Keano

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ITFCed added 19:54 - May 2 It's a shame the work could not start a year ago when you first joined the club you numpty
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OrkneyBlue added 20:01 - May 2 Agree with suffolk n good. I think we can all agree this season has been, well poor. However i think if you are in the anti Keane OR pro Keane camp please try your hardest to wipe the slate clean, stop the Keane out he's the devil stuff and also the sun shines out of Keanes backside stuff, see what happens who comes in, leaves over the next few weeks and pre season and then if, say come October next season its not happening fair enough we may need a change or alternatively if we are top 6 and looking good then would it hurt to say he's starting to do ok?. This season has finished, nothing more can be done and as much as it annoys me aswell we have to move on.

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kentblue added 20:17 - May 2 Stead14- Give me some credit ! I make my judgements on the evidence of the season - on and off the pitch . I've been a loyal ITFC supporter for a long time. I don't think Keane's man management,style of play and general handling of affairs is taking the club forward . All those fans who state that if you criticise the management you are disloyal and can ..... off etc are wrong . It is because we care about the club that we maqke these comments! You ask who I would like as a manger .I don't know who is /will be available . In "theory "I would like a manger who has a combination of Arsene Wenger 's qualities (for style of play ) and Roy Hodgson's ( for strong, quiet yet successful leadership ) .In my mind Keane lacks both of these men's qualities.

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havinit69 added 20:41 - May 2 ChambersM - You remind me of Merv who calls in ALL the time on radio suffolk, no one gives a sh*t about your thoughts, but you just cant help commenting on every post with your negative views. You actually believe that this place wouldn't be the same without your views, but really mate, change the record, because I am sure i speak for the majority of us... You are boring us.

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AlwaysBlue added 21:02 - May 2 I think the work should have started six months ago - when we'd already written this season off. Most Town fans would not have brought Priskin, let alone paid £1.7m for him - proof that Keane doesn't watch lower league football. I think Keane was sold a dud by his old manager in Martin, reports from Plymouth when he was on loan there was that he faded away after the first month on loan there. D Wright going is crazy he is arguably our best defender and definitely the most consistent in the back line over the last 2 seasons plus he can play either side of the field. I want to like Keane but he's done nothing yet to convince me that my initial misgivings when he was appointed are wrong.

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moomoosereni added 21:29 - May 2 In short, disappointed in the season. But in all honestly I've preferred travelling away this season. I think its disappointing when when fans get on to the backs of all the players because they dont like the manager. I'm saying that if our fans were better this season we'd have won the league, but we really have been poor when it comes to our level of support. We get a decent enough crowd at home and away but its so quiet at times, and as soon as we go a goal down, im sorry, but some fans might as well just leave because they either go completely quiet, or just get on the players backs as much as they possibly can. Just try and cheer up some of you. Fine you dont like the boss, I think we all get that and a lot of us can completely understand it. But that doesnt mean that everyone is going to join your witch hunt. I think the vast majority of fans have realised, he isn't going, he is not getting the sack and he's not quitting. This may seem like a moan but im just pleading for fans to just come on here and try, just try to think a little more positively. We all know that if next season even starts like a washout, Keano is gone. So just wait for that moment if you thinks going to happen. Then you'll be able to say I told you so and theres nothing we can do about it. But lets all club together now and get behind the town. This club has gone through much darker times and always came out stronger, so COYB lets get behind the boys and hope for a great next season, PLEASE!

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edd16 added 21:34 - May 2 if we want to go up next season we need to get a new manager I.e. Alan Curbishley and lower the season ticket prices and match day prices.
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edd16 added 21:49 - May 2 all of those people who thinks that Keane is great open you eyes we finished 15th and we spent 8million.
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sonian_blue added 22:10 - May 2 So KentBlue where is your 'evidence ' that Keano has fallen out with some?...or is it because he has dropped them? They need a kick up the asre and I reckon he is the man to dio it, a born winner COYB...Keano
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BeeneyITFC added 22:18 - May 2 some people on here really p... me off,
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Lightningboy added 22:24 - May 2 I base my evidence on what we've seen,where we are and what I keep hearing. 1- all i've seen is poor tactics,awful signings,poor team selections & abysmal football. 2 - we've finished the season 15th,46pts off the top!,14 off of blackpool and 4 behind doncaster rovers..we haven't even made it into the top half..lol! 3 - all I keep hearing is "in keane we trust" & "keane needs time". ..basically pathetic ,as are keane's fan club...he's turning us all into a bunch of whinging losers. If he had any self-respect he'd walk off (again) & let someone capable get on with the job.

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north_stand77 added 22:30 - May 2 Largely agree with Retroblue and moomoosereni. Yes, we all know it has been a very disappointing season, especially when it seemed so much would be offered. But I would like to make the following points;- 1. Cut through all the pre season spiel, the bottom line was that we had a new manager who was taking over a team who had failed to produce very much under a previous manager, whos head was called for after every game. A new manager needs time to get it right, IMO not just to pick ' good players', but that the balance and understanding between them works. Until they actually play together, how does any manager def know how it will go? 2.I have not missed a home game this season. The football has been generally poor but I never quite understand the thing of booing.What is it supposed to achieve? Everybody in the ground knows if things are going badly, so how does booing help the players? 3.Today was never going to be a game where anything important depended on it. It was clear that Keane intended to take the opportunity to give the young boys some experience on the field.There were a group of 'fans' sitting behind me today (they loudly proclaimed they go to 2 games a season,) who slated the game from the word go. Why did they bother to go at all? It was also clear that they had little understanding of the choice of players etc.My point is that although they are entitled to their opinion, I dont enjoy hearing 90 minutes of negativity being shouted in my ears when I am willing my team on. It can spoil the match for other people around them. So, after all my ramblings, wouldnt it be nice if we look forward to next season and start with a positive state of mind. We were not relegated, nobody died and theres no reason to think that we cant do better next year.

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blueherts added 22:41 - May 2 Always blue - Spot on We all wanted to Keane to be a success - we may not 'like him' as a person and frankly he doesnt care in that department But as a Manager of the club we all support he is just not getting it right He is not some 'rookie' learning his trade on a low basic - He was bought in on a big old wedge to turn the club around Now if you think this is being done - fine - but there is no evidence in a year he has moved forward Great we had some youngsters out today but dont kid us that it didnt matter The performance today was very very poor Of course 'no one died' expect for some of the poor colleagues in the stands from the forces - you might have thought that may have motivated some of them Keane is not a MAN MANAGER and never will be - He is his own man , does things his way Now he is bringing in an Asst Manager - great news - maybe someone who can talk to someone apart from Dogs I wonder whose idea that was eh???

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joeylarts8 added 23:49 - May 2 What you lot on here know about football, you could write on the back of a postage stamp
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bennyblue added 00:44 - May 3 same as it ever was head down dissapointed with game players his self blah blah blah blah more than a year worse than before loads of money down the drain doesnt know how to fix it blah blah exremist keanites still prostrating themselves before his feet yahooo lets all go down to south ameria and build our roytown so we can him properly with out interferance from those nasty realists who dont understand that teams cheat by scoring more goals than us and keano is part of the holy trinity of jesus krsna and mohemad who are actually all representations of are allmighty roy

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Dogsy40 added 01:28 - May 3 How about we start pointing the finger at the over paid blokes who play the 90 mins every weekend???? Keano has made some bad signings, but has made some brilliant ones. Who would have thought Colback would be one of the finds of the year, albeit a loan signing, a young kid with no real history, struggling to make an impact at Sunderland. Lee Martin, Man U pedigree, wouldn't have been at the club for as long as he had if Ferg didn't see something in him, but..... unfortunately a flop. Priskin, ditto!! I know I was excited when he was signed, if he banged in 25 goals Keane would be a hero! Its such a lottery. All managers have their moments, Keano is no different. But in my eyes its about time the players take a bit more responsibility and for fickled so called Town fans to realised who pulls on the boots and gives us pitiful performances week in week out.

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bennyblue added 01:56 - May 3 i think several players have been flops alright but keane is the biggest flop for picking them you cannot escape the fact that he picks the teams they dont throw nearest to bull to get out on the pitch on a game day roy should have gone long ago but these keanite extremists kept fervantly supporting him the more we didnt win the louder they got idiots now we look like we are stuck with him for a while longer cause maybe he will take us to the promised land i think its called division 5 / the insert slogan here / conferance league

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Dogsy40 added 03:22 - May 3 Benny blue, I think that is the longest sentence I have ever read...
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bennyblue added 03:34 - May 3 thank you
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jayessess added 08:42 - May 3 Isn't the above Keano basically saying "back to square one"? We spent last Summer and most of this season undergoing a massive overhaul and all we've got to show for it is being told once again "we need a massive overhaul in the Summer"? Why are we assuming he'll get it right this time?
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brockleyblueboy added 10:13 - May 3 Third time I have asked this, how many seasons did Keane first say it would take to take us up? On another point and I have made this a couple of times as well, I love this site. On one side you have the pro-keaners (Including myself) making valid reasons to support the club thick or thin and then you have the anti keaners thinking that the Pros are out of order for telling them to love the club etc. Bottom line is both sides are right and both sides love the club and arguing against your own fans just shows the passion we have for the club. It all boils down to whether you are an optimist or a pessimist (And don't come back at me with "I'm a realist" garbage) Love the club and support them and keep this site being interesting (Maybe calm down on telling pros or antis to eff off to Norwich or wherever) End of a season we all want to forget so lets enjoy the world Cup (Support Tommy for New Zealand) and lets get ready to rumble next season. COYB and Come on you Blues fans

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naaridge1coly7 added 10:21 - May 3 YOU LOT ARE INSANE BACKING KEANE,IT MAKES ME CRINGE,SAD & VERY PATHETIC,the comment about Priskin really does spell out the magnitude of brains you pro keaners obviously have,KEANE SIGNED HIM REMEMBER DOF DOF!!!! Yeah but im still 100% behind him.....FFS WHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHAAAAAAT!!!!!!
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thechangingman added 10:48 - May 3 So we finish a miserable, embarrassing season in turgid fashion and then limp lamely off into a summer break - but guess what? It's all going to be okay cos Roy is gonna bring in some 'characters' (for 'characters' I guess we'll assume that he means little versions of himself: thuggish louts...) Sigh... I think no-one will be winning any prophecy prizes for predicting another less-than-mediocre season with little to celebrate, much to bemoan and, at best, a similare league position to the one we finished with on Sunday. Anonymous, pointless Town - managed by a naive, hapless thug who's proved himself incapable of diplomacy, tact, astute buys and is always quick to run to the press and confirm his 'hard man' credentials by loudly denouncing our own players. He is the man least likely to fulfil our rather modest hopes and dreams and (not just on one last irrelevant game, but on one whole grind of a season) one who should do the honourable thing IMHO and run up that phone bill in order to tout his services to some other nasty club who'd embrace his thuggish ethos and outlook (the numbers for Sheffield United, Leeds United and Celtic are in the phone book...) Of course none of this will happen and so I'll see you again here next season for more of exactly the same... BIG SIGH....

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Dogsy40 added 11:12 - May 3 thechangingman: those modest dreams we have are unfortunately the same "modest dreams" that 23 other clubs have in the championship!!!
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