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

sonian_blue added 16:22 - Nov 10 So your friend was previously like a football agent then Radford?
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yorksblue added 17:05 - Nov 10 Looking forward to playing them next season, sadly not in Prem League.
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Garv added 17:18 - Nov 10 Respect for Roy Keane? Haha don't make me laugh so much. When rooney stacks up all those trophies and gets level with Roy will you respect him so?
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whoppit added 17:27 - Nov 10 What do Diego Maradona, Tony Adams, Bryan Robson, Bobby Charlton, John Barnes and Roy Keane all have in common?? Great players but failed to impress as managers. Bye Roy !!!!
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wisbech_blue added 18:23 - Nov 10 I think that Jon Walters is just an attention seeker who isnt doing well at stoke and is taking the attention away from his crap proformances. The only reason i bet he went is because he is a money grabbing tw@!!!!!!!!
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wisbech_blue added 18:36 - Nov 10 I think people forget that its not RK who is playing the games yes he is the manager and its his job to motivate the players which i think he does well but at the end of the day its the players on the pitch playing not RK. |I respect RK alot especisially for the walters saga. He was right to stip he of the captaincy and get ride of him because if any town fan really thinks about it would they want a player that heart isnt in the club?

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grumpyoldman added 18:43 - Nov 10 Every time we get a comment from Walters we get the same old arguments from the pro & anti Keane camps, about whether he is a good man-manager or not. If Keane is such a bad man-manager why is Walters the only ex-player to criticise Keane?, surely if he were that bad others would jump on the band wagon, they have nothing to fear as they are no longer reliant on Keane. The antis jump on any negative comment to further their beliefs & the pros then feel they have to defend their belief in Keane. Why do we take notice of, IMO, an over-rated, under-achieving, over-hyped, one season wonder?

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fourth added 19:44 - Nov 10 Why is walters the only one to criticise? Well, it's the difference between boys and men isn't it? Of course Keene has difficulty appreciating anyone but himself. No discussion there I suppose? Keene's only final defence will be from the young, the unknown, the rejected, and he will build his team around this. Which will lack balance.
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WickedBlue added 20:43 - Nov 10 Fans like ozzydog and devontractorboy you really are what is wrong with football today. You don't like Keane we get it, but he's here and I would rather have him as manager than you idiots as fans of this club....do us all a favour and pi$$ off....
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wisbech_blue added 21:43 - Nov 10 I reaaly can't see how people can say crap about keane yea we didnt have a great season last year but look on the bright side we are doing a dam site better this year!!!!!!!!! For god sake will the keane hatters get over themselves if you think ur could do better why don't you down to the club and see mr evans seee what he says????
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wisbech_blue added 21:44 - Nov 10 And as for keane getting players in its clegg who does the deals not keane!!!! he just tells clegg who he wants!!!!!!!!!!!!
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shoopdelang added 23:37 - Nov 10 f*ck up walters, move on!
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TractorRoyNo1 added 00:26 - Nov 11 shame a former captain will now get dogs abuse if he ever turns up at MY club again
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Plums added 05:02 - Nov 11 There must be something magical about our Roy; they're all obsessed with him and how he's doing.
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bobble added 06:58 - Nov 11 they don't like him 'do they ? cant see much in him myself as a manager hes below average and as a player he was just bloody dangerous.yes mr keane has a lot learning to do just a shame he's at ipswich while he's starting his learning
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ozzydog added 09:03 - Nov 11 SMS AND Wicked Blue actually I have pissed off. Having sold my own business, retired early at 48, I have my villa in the sunshine coming back for the odd game. I do know much more then you SMS about employer/employee relations. ITFC does need fans like me, I dug deep when the Club needed it, what it does not need is someone like Beano that would last 5 minutes in the real world. And fans that have their brains up their arse Sooner he goes the better.

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Bill_Hicks added 10:07 - Nov 11 What a tit...
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jamesy_itfc_keano added 10:09 - Nov 11 Well said SMS... keane is a winner whether people like it or not. Give his man time to get this team right and we will have a much better chance of not just getting in the prem .. ut remaining in the prem for a few seasons. Some idiots just want to get rid after a few defeats. If some like Curbs comes in .. he gets rid of all the players keane's brought in .. and we start from scratch again. WHat the point in that ?? He will make a brilliant manager one day. Mark my words .. and if we get rid .. well more fool us.

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BlueistheColor added 10:42 - Nov 11 Walters - It wasn't happening last year so something had to change, you being part of that and oh look it's much better this year, not perfect but better!! COYB P.S I have my tickets for Norwich - Come on TOWN!!!
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blue_floyd added 12:17 - Nov 11 I thought the way Walters engineered his exit was unprofessional, but I have to agree with him. Getting rid of two coaches who knew what Ipswich was all about was an extremely daft thing for Keane to do.
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h32 added 19:58 - Nov 11 Well said Jon Walters - guess many others may have the same view. We'll see if this man is right for our club eventually.
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