Town manager Roy Keane says his players need to improve the quality of their final ball after again failing to make their supremacy tell during the latter stages at Watford last night, having done much the same during the home defeat to Coventry on Saturday. The Blues boss also feels his side, who have scored only once in the first half in the league this season, need to be more consistent throughout matches.

Keane said: “I think our final ball could have been a touch better, but that’s the hardest part of football. We’re just not doing it well enough.

“As much as I was pleased with the players in the second half on Saturday and more so with the second half at Watford, we need to be more consistent over the 90 minutes, although very few teams play really well for 90 minutes at any level.

“I think even when we got in good positions the final ball [let us down], one or two players were taking that extra touch. That’s why it’s the hardest part of football - trying to pick the final pass, putting the right weight on it, decision-making.

“Connor got in a few positions, Jason was in good positions in the box, young Murray was in good positions, but there was that extra bit of quality that we lacked, although that will come. That will come with experience for the players, as long as they learn from it.”

Keane changed to a 4-4-1-1 formation after weekend criticism of his use of a lone central striker but the Blues boss insists that the number of frontmen is only part of the story: “As I keep saying it’s not necessarily about having the right strikers on the pitch or the amount of strikers, it’s a matter of when you get these chances taking them. Tamás had half a chance, Jason did but it’s up to other players to contribute as well.

“We had to change it a little bit because of one or two injuries and because we wanted to freshen things up.

“In the second half I thought young Murray and Connor gave us a bit extra and Carlos coming on towards the end.

“But ultimately we’ve lost the game 2-1. You can talk about systems and tactics until the cows come home, you’ve still got to defend a touch better and when you get an opportunity put the ball in the back of the net.

“Because we’ve not been scoring many goals, conceding two was always going to make it hard for us. Watford came at us strongly after the break but we felt that if we got the goal back we’d get back into it, but we’re struggling to score goals.

“Against Coventry we had 21 shots and only one goal, we probably had a fair few tonight. I’m not sure about the offside goal, but I think we’re going through that little sticky patch and we’ve got to keep working and it certainly isn’t going to get any easier. That is the nature of the Championship.”

Keane confirmed that keeper Márton Fülöp missed out due to an injury but says that he hopes the Hungarian will be back for the weekend trip to Nottingham Forest: “Márton hurt his back yesterday morning. He’s been feeling it since last Friday, since he came back from the internationals.

“He played the game on Saturday and then we had a light session on Monday, but it was too stiff. Márton’s missed out and we’re hoping that he’ll be OK after three or four days’ rest. We’re lucky to have good goalkeepers backing him up with Murph and Arran.”

Photo: Action Images

BlueArmy01 added 16:58 - Oct 20 Ipswich24 agree with you 100% there will be no skill or flair at PR as long as Keane is in charge, he may even pull a miracle and get us to the playoffs (i doubt it but miracles do happen) but Entertainment will be ZERO.........
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tom_the_blue added 17:55 - Oct 20 I think, without Edwards and Townsend, we were likely to struggle with the final ball as we did last season
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tom_the_blue added 17:56 - Oct 20 But I think if we create the chances, we now have players like Scotland, Wickham and even Priskin and Murray who could put them away. Its just a matter of serving them with the right supply. COYB
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Mungo added 18:38 - Oct 20 Sorry but if the team are lacking a cutting edge there is no one else to blame other than Mr Keane. He's had the time and resources to fix this problem and the next few months will dictate the success or failure of his tenure as manager... No need to hit the panic button just yet however, a very good start has been followed by a pretty poor run. Plenty time to turn this round although, by the looks of it, another season of mediocrity beckons...

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bluearmy4life added 19:11 - Oct 20 We can't expect to win matches only playing well for 20 mins out of the 90 it's simply not good enough. After a dream August where we were 2nd for a few games we have now seemed to slip a fair bit maybe not so much in postion but certainley in the quality of the football and results. Saturday's game at forest is almost a must win game now which so far is a poor october and not a brill september either. WE HAVE to improve we are not a play-off team yet no way.

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Back_The_Boss added 19:47 - Oct 20 Consistency is key and it needs to be improved if we are to have a good season.
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EatonBlue added 21:03 - Oct 20 Get a grip you lot. We lose two games and you want to sack the manager. No manager should be sacked 12 games into the season anyway. And there is no such thing as a 'must win' game, although there probably is such a thing as a 'must entertain' game.
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devontractorboy added 21:17 - Oct 20 Having been a Town fan for 40 odd years there have been many ups and downs and even the odd poor manager in the dark days after Sir Bobby left but I have always been proud to be associated with the type of football our team plays, good honest, fair attacking football, mostly played with flair & exciting to watch. Norwich beater put it well when he said we have become boring & he is right. Only ten years ago we were wowing the premier league until money & large ego's got in the way! I know things will improve people, be patient, give Keane the rest of the season, I will continue going to as many games as living in Devon allows & supporting the team I love..... I do this in the hope that the football will improve & I will be entertained as I have been many times in the past. Sadly, I honestly don't think it will improve until Keane and his 'strange' idea of management has gone!!

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ChambersM added 21:46 - Oct 20 we dont score good goals anymore thats the bottom line. Tell me someone when was the last time you saw a really good goal scored home or away by town? I think it would be back in the magilton era, T.W.T.D
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bobble added 21:52 - Oct 20 keanes been there a long time and there seems to be little improvement probably none.has this been 2 years wasted ?
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Berts_chin added 22:25 - Oct 20 No surprise with a central midfield packed out with spoilers. We crave a classy playmaker but I doubt one will materialise under Keane.
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Acen added 22:34 - Oct 20 PLay wingers then!
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Guthrum added 22:45 - Oct 20 ChambersM Norris' goal last night, I'd say, was a good goal. Seized the initiative during a goalmouth scramble which was beginning to go against us. Used his head (literally) and lobbed the keeper. Not a spectacular screamer, admittedly, but a good goal, well taken.
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bluedragon added 23:46 - Oct 20 All you have to do is look at Norwich. Sitting 5th in the league table on a shoe sting budget. It doesn't always take money to win the league as Norwich did last season in league one .All you need is a good manager I hate to say it like PAUL LAMBERT .I have been a town fan all my life and have a season ticket in the south stand with my two teenage sons .So I think I have the right to comment on the team went they let the fans down by playing poor football this is down to a BAD manager.Keane must go before we starting losing the fans at Portman road .If Keane stay to the end off the season we will be in the bottom three and going down And Mr Keane gets his 3 million pounds to walk away so Mr Evens please sack him now and save our club before its TO LATE

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bluedragon added 23:51 - Oct 20 pS sorry about the spelling this was my first time on here
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TractorBeezer added 02:08 - Oct 21 The issue is more complex than just the final ball. Playing the way we are especially against Watford our passing (or attempted passing) to the forwards is mainly down the middle or diagonal rather than horizontal or better still cut back from the goal line. This coupled with our bunching makes it much easier for the oppostion to defend against us. I would suggest that Keano or some of his staff watch from higher up in the stand to really see what is happening (or not happening). Watford were not necessarily a better team than us but they usually had more options for passing the ball especially on the flanks. Also, per their program they presently have a squad of 27...we have 34 and are still looking to add...what does that tell us? For goodness sake let's get the basics right and atart playing good football.

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