Roy Keane has refused to comment on former Blue Jon Walters’s continued criticism of his management style. The Town boss says he may respond to the Stoke striker's claims in the future but was concentrating on today’s home game with Barnsley when asked at yesterday’s pre-match press conference.

Keane said: “You’ve asked me before about comments from players who have left the club and I suppose you’re expecting a reaction. I don’t want to disappoint you, but you’re not getting one. My job is to work with the players that are here and focus on Saturday’s game.”

The Blues boss says he’s becoming tired of being asked to react to reports questioning the spirit of the players, having rebuffed claims of a row with Connor Wickham a week ago: “I shouldn’t have to come on every week and defend the spirit of the players. It’s wrong and it’s boring. Last week it was about Connor Wickham.

“If you think I’m going to defend the group of players or the spirit in the group every week… what’s the point?”

However, Keane hints that he may come back to the matter at a later date: “I’m not getting bogged down with it. It’s for another day. People can have their say, and it’s cheap and it’s lazy. I’ve had it before with ex-players I’ve worked with who have done books, Yorke, Quinn, good luck to them.

“Today is a day for me to focus on my job. There might be another day for that, as obviously I’m no pussy cat myself and if I have to defend myself I will.”

Keane suggested that journalists were better off talking to current squad members about the spirit than those who have moved on: “Ask the players who are at the club.”

After David Norris backed the Town manager earlier in the week, Damien Delaney added his support, admitting that things got feisty when the players were kept in the dressing room for just over an hour after Tuesday’s defeat to Derby: "Yes, it was heated, but that's just a measure of his ambition.

“The day the manager stops having a go at the team is the day I'll be worried because that's the day he thinks 'I can't get any more out of this group'."

"It doesn't bother me, you don't take it on a personal level. If he's having a go at you, it means he expects more from you. He never carries into the next day or holds it against you.

"He likes laying down challenges for players and he likes questioning people and getting a reaction out of them."

Regarding Walters, Delaney added: “Jon should concentrate on his current club Stoke City. He’s a good friend of mine and entitled to his opinion, but not to go public on what he thinks about a team seventh in the Championship.”

Meanwhile, Keane says the Blues’ recent habit of attacking the Sir Bobby Robson Stand in the first half when they win the toss rather than the South Stand as has traditionally been the case wasn’t his decision: “You’ll have to ask the captain that! I don’t instruct him to do that type of thing.

“Some teams have a preference, sometimes it’s windy or sunny on certain days, there might be a number of reasons for that.”

Photo: Action Images

Acen added 10:00 - Nov 13 Nicely Roy
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corshamblue added 10:24 - Nov 13 Quality, no knee jerk reaction. I'm getting to like Mr Keane. Has a hard task today, hoping the Defence will be solid without Macca. COYB, Keano Keano
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Mark added 10:46 - Nov 13 Very sensible comments from Roy Keane here. I wish we could revert to kicking towards north stand end in the second half, as not doing so is making the stadium even quieter second half.
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Back_The_Boss added 10:50 - Nov 13 Considering Roy played a key part in getting Walters into the premier league I am surprised at Walters' comments.
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ArnieM added 11:17 - Nov 13 Nice one Roy. Showing YOUR true professionalism....unlike that scrag-end Walters. OOOOOOOH I cant wait to "welcome" Walters back here when Stoke are eventually relegated. How to go from hero to villain , eh Jon!
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leadbitter6 added 11:18 - Nov 13 professional response from the man in charge, but he will have his say about Walters again, no doubt about that.
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Wickets added 11:21 - Nov 13 As someone who probley feels Keano will never make a good manager, though i hope he does and hope he has success with us,at last i enjoyed his comments this press conferance. Walters should have kept his unwarrented comments to himself, no one likes a whinger!!!
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PutYaBootsOnKeano added 11:27 - Nov 13 Walters forgets that not everyone in in the world is a big of a wimp as he is. The boy is pathetic. I'm not surprised he's terrified of Keane, when to be fair, he's as soft as sh@t.
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Wickets added 11:32 - Nov 13 Bluelady if you read this, i happen to think it is very important to support the team, especially at the business end of the match, so many games are won in the last half hour, i feel we need to be kicking towards the North stand where the vocal support is. Can you not remember the North stand sucking in Jim Magiltons Equaliser in the play off semi, in stoppage time, and all the joy that goal brought, a play off final win and we all remember the following season.Would he have scored that goal kicking towards the south stand?????

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Len_Brennan added 11:53 - Nov 13 I really hope RK does not come back to comment on JW's interview. As others have said, this was a sensible, professional approach so leave it at that. They have both had a go in the press at this stage, but RK is the bigger man by the above response, he has nothing at all to gain by returning to it, and the club certainly doesn't.
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roytheboy added 11:57 - Nov 13 Well said Roy Keane and very good relevant support from Norris and Delaney, I've always recognised our Manager's overall Football quality and professionalism, I really like his style and commitment and I sincerely hope that he is with us for the long haul, irrespective of whether or not we make the Premiership this time or not, in time, given the necessary support, I am more than convinced that he will become a very successful and sought after Manager, I appreciate the views of those on here that do not agree with me, however that is the way I see it and have done so since we were fortunate enough to secure him as Manager.

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stinkiusminkius added 12:17 - Nov 13 Well done Mr K for keeping your trap shut. ... for once. Although he cant really complain about people from outside of the club making comments where they are not welcome, as he's spent his career mouthing off and commenting about things where his opinion probably isnt welcome.
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Dolly2.0 added 12:45 - Nov 13 Roy Keane really should insist we attack north in the second half . It really makes a difference having the vocal support close to the action at the business end of a game (one would hope that's where most of the action would be for a home team. It's something we've done for years and the change makes no sense to me
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Big_Foot_Blue added 12:50 - Nov 13 with respect stinkiusminkius Roy Keane is a very high-profile manager and it's almost impossible for him not to answer questions about other teams due to his connections with clubs such as man utd and the amount of journalists who constantly ask him. However Jon Walters is just a normal player and for him to have a go at the club and manager who took a risk on him and played a major part of getting him into the premierleague is out of order, however now he done this 2 or 3 times he needs to get a life. He used to be my favourite player but I've lost respect for him now

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bluebrit added 12:56 - Nov 13 Surely Jon Walters has a right to express his views. Presumably the reason why several experienced, succesful backroom staff have left is because Roy has his olpinions and is not interested in the view of other people. Anybody who has worked in this type of 'bully boy' environment will know that it is extremely unhealthy and likely to lead to only limited success. I suspect the reason our team is made up from so many youngsters is because a number of 'senior' professionals have decided to stear clear.

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hollywoodginge added 14:44 - Nov 13 if walters cares about ITFC as much as he makes out then he wouldnt be spouting all this and risking unsettling the players here (his so called mates) and putting them in such an awkward position, all just to try and justify himself, Keane was right to be shot of him, wev not much missed him thus far. oh and bluebrit i think the so called senio pro's were coasting here at best, and i agree with keane that they were taking us nowhere under the previous manager and couldnt face the challenge laid down by Keane in getting us up, i happen to think that Keane is not a bully, he just wont suffer slackers, much the same as sir alex, Cloughie or any other great manager, he is trying to instil disciplin, something i feel has been lacking in recent years.

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SurreyITFC added 14:53 - Nov 13 Well done Keano for not lowering to the standards of an Ex player. I was a big fan of Walters when he was with us, but all this slating of Keano since he left has left me to see that he was not the person i thought he was. JW - If I was you I would concentrate of getting in the 1st eleven @ Stoke rather than talking all this S..T! COYB
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theresonlyonekeano added 18:45 - Nov 13 Walters should just leave it, Ipswich made him, we took him from nowhere and made him a decent player, thought stoke paid too much and that fee is making walters think he is better than he is, he should just drop it and get on with trying to make stoke's bench
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devontractorboy added 01:27 - Nov 14 Walters is obviously right, some of you also have very short memories about Walters always gave 110%, could do with him now!!!!
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IITFC1948 added 13:38 - Nov 14 See he played 3 minutes plus added on time yesterday
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TractorRoyNo1 added 18:03 - Nov 14 That's the best quote i have read, it is coded for '£$%k off'. The bottom line is if Keane was as bad as 'rumours' suggest then why would Sunderland players be so keen to come here, surely Colbeck wouldn't come back a 2nd time, surely Spurs wouldn't send a third player on loan. Some of these whimps should try working for a real b@stard boss in the real world. Regarding Walters, Delaney added: “Jon should concentrate on his current club Stoke City. He's a good friend of mine and entitled to his opinion, but not to go public on what he thinks about a team seventh in the Championship.”

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tom_the_blue added 16:15 - Nov 18 Grow up Walters
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