Keane Hits Out at Critics
Tuesday, 19th Oct 2010 07:00

Town manager Roy Keane says some of those criticising his tactics in the wake of Saturday’s 2-1 home loss to Coventry know nothing about football. The Blues boss was disappointed with the lack of support given to his players, particularly the younger members of his side, during the weekend defeat.

Keane feels a lot of the criticism of his tactical approach of employing only one central striker has come from those who know little about the game: “I’ve no problem with people’s opinions, but a lot of people do not have a clue what they’re talking about in terms of football.

“I think a lot of people, particularly in this area and our supporters, are probably set in their ways. Instead of worrying about tactics and systems and moaning and groaning, I’d say get behind the players, particularly the younger boys.

“Not many of teams in the Championship are playing with two or three players from last year’s youth team. Get behind them and don’t get bogged down by tactics and systems, that’s up to me to sort out.”

Keane believes that there are fans throughout the country who don’t know what they’re on about: “A lot of supporters out there, not just at this club, don’t know too much about the game. They come and pay their money, they come in and they watch, but they get brainwashed by the ‘experts’ out there.

“They’ll all have their favourite players that they think should be playing or they think we should be playing with two strikers, whatever it might be, which is no problem. But the players we’ve been putting out every week have been doing a good job.”

Keane sees no problem with the formation he used against the Sky Blues with Jason Scotland as the lone striker: “The system’s OK, but you’ve heard the saying ‘tactics and systems don’t win you games, players do’. For some reason this weekend it’s come to the forefront about systems and midfielders or whatever.

“I think it’s worked OK for us, but having said that it doesn’t mean we’re set in our ways and we’re not prepared to change or that me and my staff don’t discuss what might be the best way to approach a game, and also that if we get it wrong we don’t discuss why we’re getting it wrong.”

The Town manager is unconcerned if fans take their frustrations out on him, as long as they back the players: “I don’t mind them having a go at me, that doesn’t matter.

“Get behind the bloody team. Moan and groan at the manager all you want. Don’t worry about tactics or systems, that’s my job. If I don’t get it right, I’ve got six months left of my contract and I’ll be gone anyway.”

The Irishman, who admits that like any manager he’s made mistakes, says fans have been quick to laud the achievements of other teams this season but have been harsh on their own side, despite the promising start: “We’re praising every other club in the top six, but with ourselves everyone seems to be saying it’s doom and gloom, even though we’ve managed to get through three rounds of the cup as well.

“There’s no doom and gloom coming from the players and the staff. Sometimes it comes from outside the club. Our supporters and the media will not really play a part in us getting promoted, that will come down to the players, the staff and myself.

“What we have to worry about is what we’re in control of. Football’s all about opinions, and as you know I’m quite happy to give mine.

“We can all see when the team is playing badly,” Keane continued, “but sometimes you’ve got to read the situation [and get behind the players] when it’s not quite happening. Maybe they were doing that earlier in the season and maybe it’s just me having my little tantrum today. Let’s get it out there and move on.”

Keane will be hoping that fans - clued up or otherwise - will be getting behind his team at Watford this evening as they look to get back to winning ways against the Hornets.

Photo: Action Images

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itfc1989 added 09:04 - Oct 19 why are people moaning about his comments? he's bang on.. apart from the away support, the home support is people whinging around wherever you sit
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BlueysNosebag added 09:05 - Oct 19 Keane can sod off. The tactics don't work, change them. One up front at home? You're a joke Keane. We are a mediocre mid table team who are going nowhere under this muppet. As he says, he's only here for 6 months and then he'll be gone. Thank God for that. Keane out.
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alfromcol added 09:10 - Oct 19 RK is bang on with his comments, but it doesn't change the fact that Scotland up front on his own in a home match isn't good tactics. If he was 6 foot six then fine, but he isn't.
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JTL279 added 09:12 - Oct 19

We pay our money and are entitled to our opinions.

Saturday was the equivalent of going to a Robbie Williams concert and hearing him sing big band swing tunes rather than Take That hits - you know the magic is in there but there is a failure to understand what keeps the fanbase entertained. (OK - crass example but you hopefully get my point.)

I am encouraged by playing younger players but at the end of the season we won't all be saying 'Oh well, another year in the Championship but hey we played more young players than any other team' - results are the only measure. I felt Coventry were easily there for the taking and no amount of fan support would have changed the ability of the players to conjure something from that formation. Outplayed in the first half tactically, surprised it took Roy to half time to change it.

Anyway, be very interested to see if we persevere with 1 up front against Northampton!

sonian_blue added 09:14 - Oct 19

Well said Keano and agree with you Keanish.
The 'atmosphere' for home games is not existent, cant wait for tonight when I am confident we will outsing the Hornets and give our team the backing they deserve.
6th in the league last 16 in the League Cup, Ill take that. There will be other defeats this sesason no doubt but its all poisitive for me so far.
Onwards and upwards.
COYB Boys

brittaniaman added 09:23 - Oct 19

Scotland up front on his own did not work out, as it proved in the second half,
the Coventry defenders were eating him up, and then looking for something else to do, as soon as he got a partner he scored !!!!!
I think what peed a lot of people off is that Norwich came away from QPR with a point and would have had all 3 if the penalty had gone in,yet QPR thrashed us at PR.
FOOTBALL IS A FUNNY OLD GAME
So come on Keano get us going and keep us in the top 6 at least COYB !!!!!

callmeted added 09:25 - Oct 19 BLUEYNOSEBAG - He did change them in the 2nd half. Went two up front 2nd half as you hopefully saw. As said previously on here "you pay your money so entitled to opinions" but the point is getting behind the team
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TractorRoyNo1 added 09:25 - Oct 19 well said keano, i don't hear many Spanish or Arsenal fans complaining about 'only one up front' it is ALL about players performance.
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BlooooCD added 09:29 - Oct 19

Once again Keano is spot on! Our fans are so fickle and their expectation is as high as that of those that follow Man Utd or Chelsea! We are a decent club steeped in tradition and history... However our fan's do have a tendency to turn their moods on a sixpence at matchdays. The silence that falls in the ground is deafening - Did anyone else notice on Saturday the only voices you could hear were the players on the pitch - Thats surely not right???? We as followers of this club are commonly referred to as supportres - And that is just what we should be!!! Keano's point is that if he doesn't succeed in 6 months then he will be gone - Until then we all need to get behind him and the lads... Its easy to jump up and down when we are winning (How brilliant did we all feel during and after the Leeds game) But when the chips are down we still need to be there.... COYB's! In Keano we have faith! Blooooooo Army!

jonnysuave added 09:30 - Oct 19

Ipswich fans are the reason I don't got to home matches any more. I found it rather depressing the silence, the grumbling and general drivel that comes with a visit to Portman Rd, I remember dropping off once at a game and I wasn't even in my dotage then.
I would suggest, barring a couple of decent seasons, that the atmosphere and support died the day the seats went in and the away support went to the other end of the ground.

GlenPennyfather added 09:34 - Oct 19 "I've got six months left of my contract and I'll be gone anyway.” - GOOD BLOODY RIDDANCE!
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Ipstones added 09:39 - Oct 19

Moaning the one thing that everyone does and the one thing that gets everyone down!!! I too like many town supporters yearn for the free flowing football on the deck and freescoring forwards a la ten years ago but alas those days and players have gone. What we have is a team assembled to do a professional job on teams sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't. One or two or even three up front wont make a difference if they aren't getting regular quality ball in to them. The main thing missing for me is a 10 to 15 goalscoring midfielder for the season in the mould of miller, magilton, holland, zondervan, reuser and so on!!!!
All in all a good start to season keep on as you are you blues AS all is well on the non 'colmans' front!! coyb SING UP.

depressed added 09:41 - Oct 19 He's right far to much negativity amongst our supporters. 6th in the league, last 16 of cup, young players given the opportunity of 1st team football,its not all doom and gloom. Look at the bigger picture,support the team, sing your hearts out and the good times will return.
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itfc4eva added 09:44 - Oct 19 awful goals to concede and no surprise we lost. looks like colback is needed. my team for today is Fulop peters mcauley smith oconnor edwards colback leadbitter townsend wickham scotland coyb blues 2-! town
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Gilesy added 09:49 - Oct 19 I was at Portman Road for the first time in eight years at the weekend, and I was shocked by the atmosphere. How 19,000 people can make so little noise, other than "urgh"....I'll never know.
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Millsey added 09:51 - Oct 19 Our home support is bloody #rap, he's spot on.
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bluelady added 09:55 - Oct 19

As I said the other day a lot of our supporters are bi-polar! Win and keane iis god lose and its all about sacking him!!! I sit in britannia and got told off by the guy in front for shouting too loud!!!! Anyway I do have an oppinion, I don't like one up front, clearly keane saw it wasn't working saturday and changed it, just hope he isn't too proud to change things again..... I've always said I like keane, I want to see him suceed but I also pay my money to be entertained, that wasn't the case first half saturday. That said other games this year I've returned homw with a big grin on my face!!!!

bluelady added 09:55 - Oct 19

bluelady added 09:58 - Oct 19

cracko82 added 10:01 - Oct 19

Haven't posted for a while but totally agree with Keano - well said sir. Can imagine this dividing supporters opinion....

I was sat in the front row of the Sir Bob Upper on Saturday and couldn't believe the couple of old f#rts sat behind me who didn't shut up the whole game. I will not be sitting in that seat again! 2 minutes in and the first misplaced pass and they were straight on the players backs, shouting at the young players like Smith & Hyam saying they are F'ing useless.

We are in the play-offs FFS after a tough start, and yes should be beating teams like Cov at home but we have a young team and after last year just support the boys and the team. I agree I would like to see 4-4-2 at home and more goals, but I will always get behind the lads - and for the old couple of men behind me who would probably bang on about how long they have supported town - you don't, not from what I heard Saturday anyway.... They were even slating Connor when he came on saying he should be sold. The bit that summed it up for me was when one said to the other "I think they have done enough to be boo'ed off today, shall we?".

And we wonder why there is no atmosphere at PR!!!

south_aussie_blue added 10:07 - Oct 19 Haha gold - gotta love Keano he sums up what I remember about Portman Road quite well
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ElvisMariner added 10:13 - Oct 19

The vocal support at Portman Road has been poor for a while now.I sit in the Sir Bobby Robson Lower and all I heard was moaning and whingeing on Saturday yet 2 weeks previously everyone was pumped up and positive for the Leeds game...and singing !!

We go a goal down and the atmosphere drops like a sack of S##T !!

COME ON TOWN FANS - SING YOUR HEARTS OUT AND KEEP POSITIVE....after all we are in a play-off place and the 4th round of a cup at the moment and have everything to play for.

Titters added 10:14 - Oct 19

Yes, I understand what Keane is saying but when you strip it down to the basics, putting a lone forward (average height as well) up front and then banging the ball up to him so big defenders (Naylor etc) can just head it back is surely not a good idea. This is the reason we have created few chances at home. It seems we are depending on set pieces and mistakes by defences. This, or the team are not adaptable enough to play to the system.

thechangingman added 10:15 - Oct 19

I really, REALLY do wish that it were different but I have to say that of pretty much ALL the fans I've EVER seen Town fans are the quietest, most reticent and, well, to be honest - seemingly embarrassed...
I don't know what it is, I've thought about this for some time - but it's kinda weird that Town fans seem to find it difficult to chant and cheer and make noise for their team. I guess we're just a very small town, in a tucked-away-from-it-all county, lacking a strong sense of identity and therefore not feeling strong enough, sure enough to make a mark.
We even fell for the hideous 'Tractor Boys' description, made up when we arrived in the Premiership, a term coined by some football 'pundit' just to give some sense of image and identity to a team they can't relate to, from a place they know nothing about.

I realise that this sounds pretty scathing - the thing is that I speak from WITHIN, not as an outsider - I was born and bred in Ipswich and I am therefore only too well aware of our parochial outlook and lack of dynamism.

After Man U and Sunderland Ipswich must seem like the most stagnant of back-waters and one that I am sure Roy will quickly forget once he gets the chance to move on shortly...

Just a few thoughts - don't shoot the messenger... ;0)

SammyT added 10:15 - Oct 19 Leaving to go to Watford at 2pm. Buzzing. Anyone know any good pubs to got to? Also any parking tips. Am told the best place to park is the town centre. First vist to Vicarage Road in a long while, hope we can break the Hodoo.
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