Former Town skipper Jon Walters has criticised boss Roy Keane for amongst other things his decision to axe veteran coaches Bryan Klug and Charlie Woods. Klug left the club in January, while Woods was let go in the summer of 2009 having been a consultant to previous manager Jim Magilton.

Speaking in an interview with the Irish Independent, Walters says that the coaching duo were part of what made Town the club that it is: “Bryan had been at the club for probably 20 to 25 years and there was Charlie Woods, who was Bobby Robson's number two. Good coaches and good people to have around who were all let go for one reason or another under Roy.

“That was disappointing. They were good people to work for and part of what the club is about. Ipswich is a bit unique, it's in the middle of nowhere and it means so much to everyone in the town. When they got let go... all the lads respected them quite well... and that was Roy's decision.”

Walters, who fell out with Keane in the summer for trying to engineer his Town exit before the club had agreed a fee for him, says he has compared notes with the ex-Sunderland players at Stoke since his £2.75 million move to the Britannia Stadium: “As soon as I got here, everyone asked what I had done.

“Liam Lawrence was here before he went to Portsmouth as well. They were laughing because they knew exactly what I'd been through.

“Even now I speak to the lads at Ipswich and when they get beat, well, we know what's been said before we even speak to anyone. We guess, ‘Aye, this is what's been said this week' and we ring all the lads and that's what happened. It's eggshells all the time.”

Meanwhile, a report has linked the Blues, Cardiff City and West Brom with Southampton midfielder Adam Lallana. The 22-year-old, who played against Town in the 2005 FA Youth Cup final, has previously been mentioned in connection with Stoke and Birmingham and a move to the Premier League appears more likely than a switch to a Championship club.

Photo: Action Images

Blueknight85 added 12:01 - Nov 10 Middle of nowhere!!!!!! Obviously his wife's comments
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Happy2bBlue added 12:04 - Nov 10 Pathetic, what an idiot. Walters has no class either as a player or as person.
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whoppit added 12:10 - Nov 10 While Walters has a good point about Woods & Clug, he shouldn't have aired his dirty washing in public. However, he did say that and I actually believe him. I do not think Keane is a good man manager (OR MANAGER FOR THAT MATTER)
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ozzydog added 12:22 - Nov 10 Happy2bblue Have you ever meet Walters? Great bloke down to earth,thought the world of Ipswich, thought it was an honour to play for ITFC and he may spend the rest of his career here. Something happened to change his mind
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Vexorg added 12:24 - Nov 10 Can't understand why some people are being so precious. If I think someone's a tw@t I'll tell them to their face and I'll tell anyone else who cares to listen and I'll give my reasons why. If it saves someone decent from going through hell then it's worth it. Walters isn't the only one who felt/feels like this. Jon Stead telling Billy Sharp to stay away from the Club was also a pretty damning indictment of Keane's popularity.

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Karlosfandangal added 12:31 - Nov 10 Devontractorboy What rubbish How do you know what Keane is like, Why would Colbeck come to a crap club like Ipswich with a bully as a manager for a second time if he had all these offers from other clubs then, What about Garvan little wobble 2 years ago when he was going to give up football, sending Cillivi back because he was home sick. Supple left football because he did not like the way the players just took the money and did not care nothing to do with the manager. Keane has managed the players and not let them just sit there taking the money. Walters throught he was better than the club and thats why he is having a go because Keane stood up to him, Walters did this before and Magilton gave in and a new contract. Walters should thank the club for helping take him from a nobody to a prem player on 20k a week. Jog on Wlaters and Devon tractor boy we dont need or want you

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Lightningboy added 12:40 - Nov 10 He's spot on..not quite sure what he's got a gripe about it now for though.
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old_and_blue added 12:40 - Nov 10 For all those that support Keane and disparage Walters in this matter, how do they explain that Walter's opinion of Keane seems to be widely shared among footballers who have played for Keane? Keane can not : A) Buy Players B) Sell Players C) Motivate Players D) Choose a winning Formation E) Choose a winning Squad. F) Get his sides to play attractive football g) Get Town into the Premier League.. There have been too many comments from so many different players about how difficult he is to work for for these comments to be pique. He need to sort his own failings before lambasting his players in public BTW,, did you see Garvan scored twice for place and Rhodes twice for Huddesfield last night? Was it not keane who sold them? Did any of his buys score last night? The writing is on the wall, Town will continue to fail while he is manager and it's only a matter of time before he goes.. let it be soon..

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svendust added 12:43 - Nov 10 If it's that bad why did Leadbitter and Edwards and Colback etc come to play for Keane after playing for him at Sunderland?? Keane might be a hard boss but I think Walters and Lawrence are the one's at fault here, both are hardly model professionals, it probably won't be long before Walters falls out with Pulis and ends up back in the championship.
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stupidbigmouthhead added 12:46 - Nov 10 what a dropkick! this Jerkoid needs to get a life and take a long walk off a short cliff (eg: fall off).
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whoppit added 12:47 - Nov 10 Colback comes to the club because he knows he will get to leave eventually. Leadbitter, Fulup and Edwards are clearly masochists !!!!
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Umros added 13:05 - Nov 10 Like last night another 'pointless' excercise and irrelerant debate abou a departed player. Who cares?.
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simonsays added 13:09 - Nov 10 Move on Jon. We all have and were better off without you. See you next year in the Championship!
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bluelady added 13:14 - Nov 10 Jon whatever we think of Keane, i lost repsect for you when you refused to appear in the team photo this year, with bigger and better things in mind, ah yes like warming the Stoke Bench. Remind me how many goals have you scored this season?
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elmswellblue added 13:42 - Nov 10 Wake up and smell the coffee, can you not see any further then the Messiah alias Roy Keanne. Under RK we are not going any where, he has bought in a new squad of players and after watching last nights display they seem like strangers. When was the last time you walked away from Portman Road saying that was an entertaining game full of committment. Hence the reason why the attendance figures are going down, this is not down to the price of tickets. To mould this team together we need a new manager and fast before we start dropping down the league.

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ThatMuhrenCross added 13:52 - Nov 10 I do like Roy Keane - but Walters is talking sense here. People need to listen to him - he is letting the truth come out. There have been too many secrets around Portman Road recently. Even during the later days of Jim Magilton. Jim and Roy are very similar characters. Perhaps we should look for more the motivational type in our next appointment.
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sonian_blue added 13:57 - Nov 10 'Compared notes with the ex Sunderland players at stoke'... The ones Keano got rid of then and not those that followed him to Ipswich... Colback, Edwards, Leadbitter,Fulop They are hardly going to praise a man who considered them surplus are they? Grow up Jon boy and instead of 'ringing your mates at Ipswich when they get beat' try to win yourself a place in your own team of cloggers. Meanwhile we will 'have a good laugh' about how we conned 2.5m for a second rate player. Keano!!!!

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Wickets added 13:58 - Nov 10 Jon you have done yourself no good in making these comments, if your comments are true, i am sure M Evans will be well aware just what is going on and if he is not happy with it or our progress, we all know just what is likely in a few months time!!
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bluepeter added 14:17 - Nov 10 This Mondays Daily star had a report on the Stoke game and named him as the most shocking (bad) player in the match, saying that he should have no complaints at being substituted during the game.
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HampshireBlue added 14:28 - Nov 10 Becoming rather irritating now Walters. Good riddance.
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SMS added 15:34 - Nov 10 Ozzydog - "Would you want to work for him?" Yes. 100%. No questions. People are talking about respect. There are a lot of fans that should pay RK much more respect than he gets. When you've won the things he's won in his career, then fair enough, pipe up. But the best you can hope for is employee of the month at AXA! The guy is a winner and doesn't take any sh*t, which in a world where players dictate everything is refreshing. Walters just proved that Keane was 100% right to get rid. That's without the 3mill profit made on a very average player who has had one good season as a pro. Walters, win one of the throphies below and then come back and have a go: Manchester United Premier League (7): 1993—94, 1995—96, 1996—97, 1998—99, 1999—2000, 2000—01, 2002—03 FA Cup (4): 1993—94, 1995—96, 1998—99, 2003—04 FA Community Shield (4): 1993, 1996, 1997, 2003 UEFA Champions League (1): 1998—99 Intercontinental Cup (1): 1999 Celtic Scottish Premier League (1): 2005—06 Scottish League Cup (1): 2005—06 Individual FWA Footballer of the Year: 2000 PFA Players' Player of the Year: 2000 Strogaldo De Legendary Award: 1999 & 2007 Premier League 10 Seasons Awards (1992—93 to 2001—02): Overseas Team of the Decade English Football Hall of Fame: 2004 Premier League Player of the Month (2): October 1998, December 1999 FIFA 100 Jog on....... In Keane We Trust

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jas0999 added 15:42 - Nov 10 Very poor show this from Walters. I fear Jon thought he was going to go to Stoke and take the world of football by storm. It didn't happen. Rather than talk to the media about Roy (at a club HE wanted to leave) he should focus his efforts on Stoke City.
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whoppit added 15:42 - Nov 10 Hey SMS, he is not playing for us so we need his managerial achievements 2006-2007 - 1 promotion after spending 80m 2007-2008 - Barely escaped relegation 2008-2009 - Walked while team in relegation spot 2009-2010 - Barely out of the bottom half of the Championship 2010-2011 - Hovering about the same place with no improvement In Keane we trust ??? LOL Yes, if you are happy to be a mediocre mid table side we can trust Keane to deliver that but nothing else !!!

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radford added 16:16 - Nov 10 I will put it simply. Klug legend, woods legend, keane not a legend. I was a huge fan of keane but he has failed since arriving here by not attracting the right players and annoying the only useful contacts he has left ie ferguson. A friend of mine was as a football agent and he states it is coomon that players do not want to play for keane. Fact. Walters can now criticise as he doesn't have to be scared like the others. Walters is a stand up guy and it is still clear he cares for Ipswich so much, he is still prepared to stand up to keane and his bully boy ways. It doesn't work in football anymore. Ian holloway is a clasic example of the modern day manager.

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naa added 16:17 - Nov 10 whoppit: I too find that amusing. We keep hearing about what a great player he was, and that he learned under the two best ever (though Clough was hardly at his finest when Keane played for him) but when has that had anything to do with anything? Ferguson was a very average player. Wenger was a nothing player. Mourinho didn't even play! Since when has playing career ever had any bearing on managing? Answerm, it doesn't! Keane's managerial record is very short and has one good (and possibly lucky) season in it. Anyway, as for the story. Jon should probably keep quiet, though the person who suggested that Keane had never said anything on the subject clearly has a selective memory! Jon is probably keen to let everyone know how bad he thinks Keane is as a manager. It's not very forthcoming, but you probably can't blame him. If he feels that strongly about it, he must have a good reason.

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