Town boss Roy Keane said that the 2-0 home defeat to Derby once again showed that his side isn’t ready to seal a position in the top six. The loss saw the Blues drop to seventh in the Championship table.

Keane said: “I thought we threatened to win the game, we threatened to score goals, but on top of that we gave two really poor goals away.

“A couple of weeks ago when we had Coventry at home we thought ‘can we take the next step forward?’, but clearly we’re not ready for that. We’re not ready to cement ourselves as a top six team.

“It was an important game for us tonight and we didn’t take the opportunity. Credit to Derby, they defended well, they took their goals well and they’ll be happy with that. But from our point of view, you’ve got to take these opportunities.”

The Blues boss, who kept his players in their dressing room for just over an hour after the match, is concerned that the number of defeats has increased in recent weeks: “We’ve lost to QPR at home, Coventry, at Watford, at Reading. We’re losing lots of games. We’re winning a lot more than we were last year but we’re losing more as well. As much as we were disappointed with the run last year, a lot of those matches were draws.

“We’re a mixed bag at the moment. I think what we’ve got learn as a group is that when we’re not quite at it, like tonight when I don’t think we were, we have to grind out a result. And we’ve not done that.”

Keane says central defender Gareth McAuley will miss Saturday’s home game against Barnsley due to an achilles injury which had been affecting him prior to the game and forced him off in the second half.

Also out are skipper David Norris, who is a week away from a return due to the ankle injury he sustained in the game against Millwall, while Grant Leadbitter is suspended having reached five bookings.

The Blues boss says this will give other members of his squad an opportunity to impress: “There’s a lot of boys waiting in the wings - Luke Hyam, Troy Brown, Ronan Murray - and they’ll get their opportunity this weekend because we’ve got injuries and suspensions.

“And when we had injuries and suspensions at the start of the season these boys never let us down, so I look forward to these young boys playing on Saturday and putting a good shift in. It won’t guarantee we’ll win the game, but they’ll go out and give 100%, and it’ll be interesting.

“Darren O’Dea and Mark Kennedy were on the bench tonight, they’ll have a good training session tomorrow, go easy Thursday and I’ll have a look on Friday to see whether they’re ready to come back into the team because we need a few players who are streetwise, especially if we’re losing Grant and Gareth.”

Derby boss Nigel Clough was delighted with the win, but felt the opening period was close: “I think it was touch and go first half, very even. We had a couple of good chances, they had a couple of long range efforts, but I thought having gone in 0-0 at half-time we came out for 20 minutes or so and played very well indeed.

“That’s taking into account what we had out there, in terms of midfielders playing at full-back, full-backs playing at centre-half. A little lad from Ilkeston Town playing in midfield, Ben Pringle, making his fifth start and an injured centre-half coming on up front for the last 20 minutes.

“I thought it was an incredible effort by the players, given all that. Absolutely incredible, coming to such a good side and a difficult place.”

Photo: Action Images

the_gospel added 23:36 - Nov 9 mmm, we have the goalpost gone this time? Experienced assistant required.
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brendanh added 23:41 - Nov 9 Predictable lack of width tonight given the selection of four centre-backs and three centre-mids. I think the squad is ready for top-six, not sure about the manager.
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dan_itfc added 00:04 - Nov 10 Have to question why Townsend didnt start tonight as he was a real threat once he came on, thought colback came central far too many times restricing any width at all. Also wickham looked abouk 50K of his 10M price tag! But we've got to move on and accept it was a bad night. Once again Tamas Priskin threatened, was full of running and it genuinly looked like he was up for it! Still lots of things to work on and build upon but tonight was 'a bad day/night at the office' must do much better and get back to winning ways on saturday.

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JetaimePeters added 00:31 - Nov 10 If we're not ready for the top six then send the loan players back to their corporate reserve teams, they don't really care, just getting minutes innit to benefit their parent clubs. Get a proper committed squad together and give our own youth players gametime. Unless this is primitive reverse psychology... Don't understand why Scotland was dropped, sounds like Derby chucked any old muppet on and still easily contained us. Come on Keano we all love you but stop tinkering and let the lads settle and stop obstructing youth players opportunities with stop gap pointless loanies. COYB!

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TractorRoyNo1 added 00:37 - Nov 10 2nd half performance was dreadful. Substitutions made things worse. If someone comes in for Whickham TAKE THE MONEY!
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bobble added 02:59 - Nov 10 well if we are not ready whose fault is it ?
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wark_on_water added 04:09 - Nov 10 Tractor Roy - I agree completely! We've not got the width and ability to feed him effectively and more importantly have made the mistake before of keeping hold of 'the next big thing' before and it's slapped us in the face! Don't want to be in the bracket of being a selling club, but need to improve in many areas which £10m could do (providing money was made available). He is young, and hugely promising, but we must look at bigger picture.

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ozzydog added 05:11 - Nov 10 Experienced manager equired
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AshFinland added 07:26 - Nov 10 The thing that irritates me here is that he keeps ranting on about "not being afraid to change a winning team" and then every time he does so, we lose. We do not have a good enough squad to be tinkering with a first 11 that seems to be gelling; particularly when playing against teams of a similar standard. Can you imagine the team selection meeting? "Yeah, Jason...listen (Keane always says "listen"), I wanted a reaction from you and Tamas after the three straight defeats earlier in the season and you've both given me that. You have developed an excellent partnership and are both getting goals. So I've decided to drop you to the bench in favour of a teenager, low in confidence, who hasn't scored all season." The man defies belief.

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Mark added 07:46 - Nov 10 We were not quite ready for the top six when Keane took over and it seems we are now in a similar position. I thought we started well yesterday, but Derby passed it better than us as time went on and deserved the win. After recent results I wondered if I was wrong about four centre backs, but for me Smith and Eastman just don't give us enough options going forwards and they do not pass well. As has been written above, with three central midfielders too we really only had Edwards as width. I was surprised that Scotland did not start yesterday, as he nearly always scores at Portman Road. Sad to see such a low crowd last night. What a depressing evening. Only Millwall's late equaliser cheered me up a tiny bit!

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GiveusaWave added 07:49 - Nov 10 Deeply annoyed by our second half. Surely now its obvious we need to sign a Right-Back? We can't expect GM to perform both roles.... Derby saw a weakness and exploited it. Priskin, Townsend and (perhaps?) Fulop= good game. Everyone else= improve your performances now or we are going to enjoy a season of mid-season mediocrity. Why on earth does Keane persist in letting Leadbitter take set pieces? He obviously sees something that none of the rest of us can see in training....

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dirtydingusmagee added 07:50 - Nov 10 hit nail on head there ashfinland,when i read RKs comment yesterday i thought exactly the same,weve been wanting a settled side,he says hes not afraid to change a winning one !.........he did we lose ! we wont be going up ,his two year dream of promotion is looking well ''shot'', dont think rk will be here next season .
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BYRNE_16 added 08:01 - Nov 10 cash in wickham while you can.....i would take 8 million for him
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svendust added 08:19 - Nov 10 We have the players to cement a top six place, maybe even top two but whilst the manager continues to play players out of position and continues to show how inept he is when it comes to tactics we will go nowhere. Wickham was dissapointing last night but he hasn't got the match sharpness and he didn't exactly get great service!
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HartyITFC added 08:25 - Nov 10 Why dont we ever play Edwards and Townsend together. both got good skill and pace!!!
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Ipswich24 added 08:36 - Nov 10 I was there last night and I wished had stayed at home. Keane got tactics all wrong again we have absolutly no width in our play and every time colback or edwards get it we cut inside Derby used the whole pitch i am sad to say savage ran the game. They had a central midfielder playing right back why oh why is our best player and attacking threat townsend on the bench it beggars belief really does! Our standard of football is the championships equivelant of a stoke long throws long balls it is so depressing we are Ipswich Town a proud footballing side!!!!

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Keaneish added 08:38 - Nov 10 In all honesty...thank f**k Mav, Norris and Leadbitter are all out this weekend. That way we can stop playing with f**king centre backs as full-backs and centre mids in wide midfield positions! Honestly, we lambasted Magilton time and time again for square pegs in round holes and no Keane is just as guilty. IT DOESNT WORK! Tonight was the season's most disappointing result, a game we could really have kicked on and told the rest of the division that we're serious contenders, a game under lights at home against an in form team. Sadly, we haven't put in one of those big shifts all season. Have to agree with dirtydingusmagee, we're not going up this season. We've already lost 3 games at home which is unacceptable. Who knows what the team is going to be saturday!? I'll have a stab whether i agree with it or not. Losing a lot of patience and interest with this tenure now... Fulop Eastman Delaney Smith o'dea/kennedy Edwards Colback Livermore Townsend Scotland Priskin

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bobble added 08:42 - Nov 10 keane is the most disappointing and has been since after the first 2 games he managed us. we are absolutely the same or slightly less "if you include style " than we were when he took over. get rid must be 20 better managers out there
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shropshiretractor added 08:47 - Nov 10 Can Keane just shut up with commenting om everything every few days, and just get on with his job getting the town to the Premiership!!
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Boz581 added 09:09 - Nov 10 Dear Roy. Why don't you go and manage Norwich and leave the job to someone who knows what they are doing. You mentioned last season that "maybe I've been found out , maybe I got lucky at Sunderland " well I think you have been found out mate, you don't know what you are doing do us a favour and walk. Pejic would do a better job as caretaker.... patience has run out now and if it goes tits up at Crow road there will be no hiding place for you . Boz.

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bluelady added 09:14 - Nov 10 well i see the boo boys are out in force after one loss, shame you were not around after the recent run of wins!!!! Anyways Keanish have to disagree with your team choice, do feel that he will stick with the centre backs across the back (something i disagree with) and Colback on the left (again something i disagree with!)....... this is the team i forsee Fulop Eastman

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blue_em_away added 09:17 - Nov 10 I get the feeling that Saturdays game is Keanes biggest yet for Ipswich. I have been a RK fan all along but I am now losing patience. Last night he was completely out thought by Cloughie. Because again we was playing centre halfs at full backs, they played full width football with thier full backs pushing forward without the fear of our full backs doing the same. I would have done the same, well done Cloughie.

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BlooooCD added 09:18 - Nov 10 Thought we looked good first half... Just missed that final ball/shot! Wickham had a mare and why Keano didn't start with Scotland I just do not know?!?!?! Thought Andros looked sharp when he came on and Priskin was a pest.. I expected us to come out strong in the 2nd half and it just didn't happen - Really disappointing to be brought back down to earth with such a BANG!! Gutted but still Blue! Puts more pressure on us for Saturday... COYB's!

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blue_em_away added 09:19 - Nov 10 bluelady We wont win with 2 players ;-)
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bluelady added 09:21 - Nov 10 ohps too excited! Fulop Eastman Brown Delaney Smith Edwards Hyam Livermore Colback Prisken Scotland the team i'd like to see is Fulop Peters Eastman Delaney O Dea Edwards Livermore/Hyam colback Townsend Prisken Scotland bringing on like for like subs so Reggie for Edwards for fresh legs wickham for Scotland and also giving Murray a go!
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