Roy Keane’s future as Town manager is once again in doubt, according to a tabloid newspaper report this morning. Former Blues coach and skipper Tony Mowbray and ex-Notts County, Burnley and Cheltenham boss Steve Cotterill are said to be in the running to replace the Irishman.

Speculation regarding Keane’s position has quietened down in recent months since chief executive Simon Clegg dismissed widespread suggestions that his sacking was imminent back in March. However, Town are now claimed to have made discreet enquiries regarding Mowbray and Cotterill’s interest in taking over at Portman Road.

Cotterill recently left his job as manager of Notts County, having helped them into League One after taking over at Meadow Lane in February, and has also been linked with the vacant manager’s role at Portsmouth.

Mowbray was sacked by Celtic in March after an unsuccessful season at Parkhead and is understood to have turned down one or two management jobs since then.

Keane’s sacking now, as opposed to at the end of the season or once Town’s Championship survival was assured, would be a huge surprise with the Blues already well into their preparations for 2010/11. It seems unlikely that a £3.75 million bid would have been made to Cardiff for Michael Chopra if a change of manager was on the cards.

TWTD Message Board rumours over the weekend claimed that Mowbray had spent time at Portman Road last week, which may be where some of the story originated [Edit: According to one of the comments added to this story, see below, the ex-Blues skipper was spotted in Florida last week].

Meanwhile, Town target Marton Fulop has admitted that he’ll probably leave Sunderland during the close season: "I've a two-year contract with Sunderland but it's more than likely that I'll leave Sunderland this summer.

"I'm open to any possibilities, even those coming from out of England. I think my future will be decided after the World Cup ."

In addition to the Blues, Hungarian international keeper Fulop is said to be interesting West Brom and Italian side Udinese.

Sunderland are expected to complete the signing of Belgian U21 international Simon Mignolet, which would probably see Fulop relegated to third choice, or perhaps even fourth behind Northern Irish youngster Trevor Carson, in the pecking order at the Stadium of Light.

Photo: Action Images

mripswichtown added 10:22 - Jun 7 Bluetone it wont happen keane will be here all next season so sorry to disappoint you !
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sonian_blue added 10:39 - Jun 7 You would think that with a certain little tournament starting this week they would have something with a bit more substance to report on. Still it always was a poor publication……not even a page three bird.
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Monkey_Blue added 10:53 - Jun 7 This could well be paper talk, although consider this. Firstly clegg did say players had to go to help fund spending, it did seem that evans was perhaps reluctant to give keane more money...and not suprising when you look at the big money signings he's made that have been poor, like edwards, priskin and martin. Keane may be unhappy with a brake being put on his spending...keane is on record as saying he doesn't think he's spent that much, but in transfer fees and wages its far more than magilton spent. Evans may simply have had his head turned by whispers about better options and both options would come without the cost of paying compensation to a club...leaving evans just to settle one year of keanes contract. Bust ups happen, people fall out for various reasons. Maybe internally people are not happy with the way he's doing things, players have a lot of power now. I agree it would have made sense to sack keane at the end of the season if they were going to but circumstances change. Personally I worry about the effect of another year of keane, he seems totally incapable in the transfer market, my biggest worry when he arrived was that at sunderland he signed an awful lot of duds.

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nw10blue added 10:55 - Jun 7 Not that I think it will happen now, but Cotterill is a good bet as future boss. When he was Cheltenham boss I had a good mate who was Cheltenham mad and he told me that during a conversation Cotterill said Ipswich were a club he would love to manage in the future, bags of potential and he would love to prove himself further there. Not sure if this is true and a lot has happened to both parties in the last 10 years, but adds to the rumour mill

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Monkey_Blue added 11:11 - Jun 7 I'd prefer mowbray, but cotterill has something about him.... I'm not anti keane in the sense I am screaming for his head. What I am concearned about is that he took over from magilton and that side was a good base and needed a couple of really good additions, but he's taken it apart and built something that is distinctly inferior both in style and results. The decision to let david wright go was simply unfathomable, consistent, dedicated and better than most in the division. It smacks of a personal problem..especially as we are short in that position and left back where he can cover. I know this will get me shot down, but GB is available and I think you can be certain we'd be consistent, attractive and top six with him.

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TractorRoyNo1 added 11:22 - Jun 7 Elvis works down our chip shop, spitfire found on the moon, Keane to be sacked - it's silly season and this useless red-top obvioulsy has an agenda.
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ITFC1985 added 11:22 - Jun 7 not cotterill he's awful.....
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devontractorboy added 11:25 - Jun 7 Well the headline made me smile, it may not be true but it did make me smile!!!
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ChambersM added 11:26 - Jun 7 good, get rid
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Mungo added 11:29 - Jun 7 Good posts Monkey_Blue. A breakdown in the relationship between ME and RK would be totally understandable following last season and a potential need to cut back on expenses this season. The timing of this is a little peculiar, with several weeks of the close season gone, any new manager would have to start from scratch. RK said he had identified 5 or 6 targets. If these all cost big money (£3m plus), this may be influencing ME's thinking. ME has backed RK time and time again over the last year, and has received little in return other than a massive quote for bringing in new players. When Clegg first arrived, he stated the intention was to fill PR every week. At this time, is it possible that more tickets would be sold if RK were to continue, or whether Mowbray, with his attacking, entertaining style of football, might encourage season ticket sales? I suspect RK will continue for the time being, with some financial backing, but is likely to be shown the door if there is no significant improvement in form.

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Monkey_Blue added 11:31 - Jun 7 But stranger things have happened Tractor Roy....clegg said he is under pressure to sell before we sign players....Keane doesn't think he spent that much at sunderalnd or here, so he may well be kicking off. It may also suggest that he is trying to avoid letting keane spend because he plans to replace him. Sell before we spend is not what we heard a month ago from clegg or keane Its also a new position from the owner. The stories about bids for chopra suggest either cleggs lying or we should ignore those paper stories as well? I would be suprised if keane were to go but we have no idea of what conversations or arguments go on behind closed doors and an assurance of a managers security in his position is worth about as much as a dodgy tabloid story

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Lightningboy added 11:38 - Jun 7 It would be nice if true..but think we're stuck with him for a few more months. Marcus/Clegg - GO FOR GEORGE BURLEY!!!
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denhamblue added 11:40 - Jun 7 only one man for the job,its (the legend that is,graham harbey).
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PeteTheTractor added 11:53 - Jun 7 Cant see this happening! Cotterill is PANTS!
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Steve_ITFC_Sweden added 12:00 - Jun 7 andygizmo, I think it must be your fault! Obviously one of the dolphins at Seaworld heard you talking to Mogga and passed it on to the local press. From there it was a short step to world-wide headline news in only a few hours. (Wouldn't mind Mogga as boss though!)
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Monkey_Blue added 12:06 - Jun 7 Would you give keane more money to spend? ignore the stupid decisions on players he let go. Healy, priskin, edwards and martin, thats almost 5m worth of fees..started 47 games for town between them..... jon walters a 100k signing by jim made 45 starts on his own for town. Net on fees magilton spent about 5m in three seasons, keane has spent that on players who he doesn't rate enough to play regulalrly. Then theres the loans which would have cost us significant wages, leadbitter who was a good signing and delaney who was also a good signing but not by design.. Add to this the fact he has a pretty appalling record at sunderland in spending money..... If keane is going to learn from his mistakes, then fine, but being a bad judge of a player might be a permanent problem, Jim certainly seems to have been better in that department, but not many aren't.

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mockerygap added 12:19 - Jun 7 Agree with Monkey Blue. Magilton's signings (some good, some duff) level out to a far, far better achievement in this area than Keane.
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mockerygap added 12:21 - Jun 7 Also agree with Monkey Blue's earlier point about the changed messages coming out of the club about selling to spend etc. The club has not exactly rushed to pour cold water on this new bit of speculation either; at least not as quickly as they have in the past.
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Monkey_Blue added 12:31 - Jun 7 I think the sell before we buy message is very significant and i can imagine keane not being too happy, but you really can understand the club and in particular evans wanting him to fund his new signings to an extent considering the money he has spent on players he doesn't even pick. Also imagine evans hearing that the right back he wants to sign is going to cost him 700k plus higher wages than the perfectly good one he's just let walk away. Keane might end up a good manager, i just don't think thats going to happen at a club like Ipswich. Having said all this I would be genuinely delighted if he proves me wrong...but awful signings, bad decsions on who to let go, boring football, depressing performances and horrible results means he has a long, long way to go.

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mockerygap added 12:34 - Jun 7 Also agree with Monkey Blue's earlier point about the changed messages coming out of the club about selling to spend etc. The club has not exactly rushed to pour cold water on this new bit of speculation either; at least not as quickly as they have in the past.
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bluebriggy added 13:06 - Jun 7 I do not think the problem is between RK and the press. It is ME and Mirror group. Lots of stuff on the net as to how ME seriously hacked someone off in Mirror Group, seems that ME leaves disgruntled people in his wake, that's if you believe what is written.
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generalpublic added 13:11 - Jun 7 sounds like a good idea.i think keane has proved himself inept at town and mowbray would certainly be worth hiring
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TractorRoyNo1 added 13:12 - Jun 7 I suspect it is more likley that an ex-player who used to walk in and out of Playford Road as he wanted; he was 'discouraged' by the new regime from doing that; and that ex-player is very close to a Mirror 'journalist'. bluebriggy added 13:06 - Jun 7 I do not think the problem is between RK and the press. It is ME and Mirror group. Lots of stuff on the net as to how ME seriously hacked someone off in Mirror Group, seems that ME leaves disgruntled people in his wake, that's if you believe what is written.

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Monkey_Blue added 14:12 - Jun 7 Bloody hell, thats a huge jump from this story to talking about a player who's nose has been put out of joint telling lies to a mirror journalist.... What is there to suggest thats where this story came from. My specualations and thats all they are are based on some evidence and reasonable scenarios from that. Whether this story is true or not, when you have such a shocking season and such a shocking transfer record unfortunatley for keane specualation about your role is going to be a companion...clubs utterings about a man being safe are unreliable and managers have been sacked with much much less justification. You can't blame the papers if they are giving keane a hard time, he has been far from worthy of the job so far, its a game of results he has made the club worse in all aspects since his arrival...do you think he should be getting a pat on the back?

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shoopdelang added 14:29 - Jun 7 Typical red tops. Although there maybe some truth in it, maybe as an assistant?
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