Boss Roy Keane says he believes his Town side are making progress, even people might think he is mad for saying it. The Blues sit in 12th in the table, two points from the play-offs, which is where the Town manager feels his side currently deserve to be.

Underfire Keane says he will continue to strive to take the club forward for as long as he’s still at Portman Road: “I didn’t come down to Ipswich and move my family to be popular, I came here to do a good job. I’ve got to the 30th June and until that day I will do my utmost to take this club forward.

“And despite what anyone else is thinking, I think we’re making progress. I know people have said I’m a bit mad before and they’ll think I’m even madder after that statement.

“We are going to lose football matches, absolutely. We’re disappointed over the last six weeks in which we’ve gone two goals down in matches and not given ourselves a chance.

“We have to get rid of that we know, but I still think we’re on course for a good season. Judge us on where we are at the end of the season.”

Keane believes that he is becoming a better boss: “I see a manager who is making progress, a manager that will make mistakes, like everyone else, and a manager who is learning.

“But given the right support and respect, I will do a good job, if it’s not at Ipswich it will be somewhere else, simple as that. I will be a successful manager, guaranteed."

The Blues boss says he's in the dark about what might happen beyond his current contract but is enjoying day-to-day life at the club: “I don’t know what the future holds but on a daily basis I come here with my staff and I’m delighted with them, we’re trying our best. We lost a lot of players over the summer, players I didn’t think we were going to be losing, senior players.

“We’re now working with a lot of young players, it probably helps from the club’s point of view that they’re on small wages, but we’re battling on with it and the players are doing well.

“We’re now missing Gareth McAuley and David Norris and we were without Grant Leadbitter last weekend, three of our most senior players. We’ve got four of our kids from the youth team last year on the pitch plus the loan players, who are learning their trade, and they’ve got to listen to a lot of nonsense [from the crowd].”

Keane, who says he’s not targeting any further loan signings at present, is in no doubt that he can be successful with Town: “Absolutely. That hasn’t changed after losing one or two games and showing inconsistency like lots of teams in the Championship.

“Look at the squad we have and the players we lost in the summer and this is where we’re at. Where we are in the table, 12th, is where I think we deserve to be. We’ve got a long way to go, I’ve said that before and even with our strongest team I think we’d do well to get in that top six.

“Take two or three of the senior boys out and we’re short. We see that with other teams, we see that with some of the bigger teams.

“People have got to understand where we’re at. At this moment we’re mid-table and I think that’s where we deserve to be. I don’t think we deserve to be higher or lower.

“We’re a victory away from the play-offs still. We’ve got a good week coming up, a very tough game at Hull and a tough game against Norwich. But they’re two good games for us, particularly away from home so we don’t have to listen to any nonsense.”

Keane feels the club’s lack of success going back before his tenure may also have some bearing on the current pressure from supporters: “Possibly so, but there’ll be other reasons, sometimes your face doesn’t fit and they want instant results and that’s not going to happen, particularly when a decision is made that we’re going to take a policy of working a lot more with our younger players.

“We’re playing players from last year’s youth team, which didn’t pull up any trees. It helps them to be surrounded by three or four senior players, which we didn’t have last weekend.

“Last weekend was a disappointment, there’s no getting away from it, to concede goals like that at home, and the same against Derby. I think those goals could have been prevented.

“What we have to do, despite the nonsense that’s been spoken about tactics in the last few weeks, we’ve got to get back to basics, to what we were at the start of the season. We were hard to beat and I think we’ve been too open the last few weeks.”

Despite the booing and criticism from the terraces, Keane believes the man who counts most, Marcus Evans, gets where the club is at the present time: “The owner does, I’m pretty much sure. He understands what’s going on with the younger players, with the injuries, with the players we’ve lost.”

Meanwhile, midfielder Carlos Edwards says the booing and particularly the cheering of Barnsley's players were "disrespectful" in a Radio Suffolk interview.

Photo: Action Images

BrettenhamBlue added 20:06 - Nov 19 ip5w1ch- excellent post jayessesss- Keane needs time to make changes still legoman- in agreement with your statement.it will take time. Well said in your statements Keane. Say it like it is.
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moomoosereni added 20:09 - Nov 19 Every manager works differently, some make instant impacts and continue to do well in this way. Wherever Harry Redknapp has gone, besides Soton, he made pretty big impacts straight away. George Burley is a good example of someone building the club up over time, with little to no funds. Then some would say that when he got some funds he didn't manage as well. Neil Warnock is someone who appears to have worked very well at having his pick of who he wanted player wise in the championship and is proving to be a success, playing more attractive and interesting football than we are. I honestly cannot think of a game in recent memory since Keanes first couple of games in charge here that I went away feeling we totally dominated, totally outplayed and totally outscored the opposition. And like many my patience has worn thin after the embarassing run of results lately. The rest of the pro keaners on here are more than entitled to their opinions and I understand their frustrations at how the crowd have been acting and reacting at PR of late. But you know what, this is what happens when a club is losing its fans. ME needs to do something and fast. This great football club (and it is a great football club) is starting to lose its heart. Either sack Keane or get him a top quality assistant or this club is going to be mid table cannon fodder quicker than you can say "I think we're making progress."

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Bostonblue added 20:18 - Nov 19 Love him or loathe him keanes not going anywhere til the end of the season cos he's too stubborn to resign & the costcutting of wages over the past few months shows the board won't sack him cos they would have to pay him & the new man to do his job so they will just let his contract run out.The only thing we can do is get behind the team especially when things aren't going well but also let keane know it's him we are angry with not the players!

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dirtydingusmagee added 20:25 - Nov 19 Yep Roy you are continueing to make progress,all credit to you.its just that you are heading south,we were hoping to be heading North.but hey ho what do we know.
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BrettenhamBlue added 20:40 - Nov 19 We ARE making progress. FACT- Many of our players who were never going to get us anywhere are out of this club (Garvan, Counago, Lisbie etc) FACT- We have exciting young prospects coming through competing for places FACT- We have new tactics that are different from Magiltons FACT- We have a high profile manager in charge of our team FACT- When we are at full strength without injuries we are the best team in this division FACT- We have a Manager who constantly keeps us in the loop of what is going on We need to get behind our manager now. If you don't like his tactics or attitude,tough,he is here to stay

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reusersfreekicks added 20:49 - Nov 19 Is the last comment a joke!! FACT - Our current manager has bought in players who will never get us anywhere FACT - He has spent enough money for us to be in the top 4 at least FACT - We are nowhere near being the best team in the division whoever plays FACT- We have new tactics that are getting us nowhere FACT - early season fixtures against poor sides gave us all false hopes FACT - Stead was put on the transfer list and then it's been made to sound as if that was forced FACT - Having a high profile manager gets you nowhere on its own FACT - On arrival our current managers said he would take us up in 2 seasons or even 1. Now time is needed. FACT - Success at Sunderland was achieved with an experienced coach

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northernblues added 21:13 - Nov 19 youve got to question someone with the name Rkeaneisagod, how old are you 12?
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moomoosereni added 21:22 - Nov 19 reusersfreekicks makes the strongest argument that is rarely used. FACT - This manager has said he would have us promoted in two seasons, tops. Now look at us. And please no one come on here and tell me how Keane got sunderland promoted after they were bottom. That was from september time when taking over and from taking over a manager sacked. He has had one season already, and so far not proved to many people that there is progression. I hope he proves us all wrong but I don't think that he will.

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corunnaviking1759 added 21:54 - Nov 19 So nice to see so many loyal supporters to the Manager and his team. Come on lads and lasses, it ain't that bad, at least he is trying to explain and reason with the fans, I have no idea why! Get behind him and the team!!!!! COYB, KEANO!!!!!!!!
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Garv added 22:01 - Nov 19 As I've said before rkeaneisagod is a utd fan.
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Mark added 22:41 - Nov 19 > FACT- Many of our players who were never going to get us anywhere are out of this club (Garvan, Counago, Lisbie etc) They were given away or sold cheaply, and replaced by big money signings who are generally no better. > FACT- We have new tactics that are different from Magiltons Yeah, worse! Magilton wasn't the greatest, but he wouldn't field four centre backs and four central midfielders. > FACT- When we are at full strength without injuries we are the best team in this division Better than Cardiff and QPR? Didn't QPR beat us 3-0 at Portman Road? Let's face it, it isn't working under Keane and it is time to move on.

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BrettenhamBlue added 22:48 - Nov 19 Garv-i am not a Utd fan. I am a realist who knows Keane isn't going anywhere and realises that we as a group need to get behind our manger and team.The board and players and backroom staff are behind him,why aren't we? Or alternatively shall we just continue fighting amongst ourselves? (which will get us all nowhere fast) moomooosereni- keane made a mistake there,we all make mistakes northernblues- we pick names as we see fit. I am 100% Ipswich and proud of our team and manager. my avatar shows this clearly. i am not 12. reusersfreekick- 2 much there to comment on at this time of night.to be fair i understand some of your reasoning but PLEASE see that we need AS A GROUP to get up and support our man and team.this is a glass half-empty/glass half-full situation. lets think as one and go for the glass half-full

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BrettenhamBlue added 22:56 - Nov 19 Mark- we have 3 rights backs (eastman,troy b and Peters) and in an emergency Chuck can play there.we don't need more. we need players to stop getting injured in training and on international duty (what happened with o'dea was totally unacceptable)
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meekreech added 23:10 - Nov 19 Ryorry Last season I was sitting in the Sir Bobby stand as usual watching ateam starting to go through the start of a massive change of culture from slap dash happy go lucky club to having a more professional approach and disciplined structure imposed . When that happens , after many years of lets just get along , it comes as a massive shock and some cannot accept that things are changing and have to change to survive ! Yes players were released , some for low sums , but finance in our level of football is a lot less than the premier , the owner has decided that the club has to be financially stable , so as player costs needed to be reduced the higher earning players were shipped out . Not many clubs had lots of money to spend so any return for players ( some of them unwilling to accept the changes )was to be accepted , with the reduction in wage bill also helping ! The talk of getting promotion in 2 years was silly and probably came before the full extent of the state of the financial and playing side had been settled . No I am not happy seeing the football being played at PR and wish for the better standard to return but until the changes going through ( with young players coming in and having to adapt to a higher level more intensive game ) I am prepared to wait and see and support my TEAM in their efforts !

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Garv added 23:24 - Nov 19 Rkeaneisagod is a utd fan. Three right backs? Try, none! Tom eastman is a centre back - an inexperienced young one at that. Troy brown is a centre back. Jamie peters is most certainly not a right back - the fact that I am forced to pick him as my favoured 'right back' at the club is a joke! The guy is a winger, against Leeds at home he played just behind the striker for goodness sake (and did a good job, he is wasted at full back). Get a grip and get out of your messiah's ar*e and face the fact he is not up to it, doesn't give two hoots about the club or the people in the area or the area itself and picks up his pay packet quite happily at the end of the week. I think Marcus Evans and cleggy weggy need to come out and admit they were wrong in appointing the bloke and sack him in the same process.

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Ryorry added 00:13 - Nov 20 Meekreech - well done for completely swerving the only 2 things I actually commented on in your post - ie us fans' alleged short-term-ism; and our supposed inability to attract any future managerial interest
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meekreech added 00:40 - Nov 20 Ryorry As to the short termism think on how some of the players are regarded . Not so long ago Priskin was " not worth a place in the side " , 2 - 3 weeks later he is seen as irreplaceable but if he fails to score he will again be rubbished ! Where I sit in the north some of the " fans " are saying why is Wickham playing as he is " no good in the air " and cannot score but last year he was the best thing since sliced bread ! They are also saying we should accept one of the " 8 - 10 million " offers before he is found not to be that good ! That is some of the short termism I see and hear . With all the media attention on the fans attitude to RK and the team it makes our club a less attractive place to come ( for players too ) because we are showing a complete lack of appreciation for what the club is trying to do , whether it is being successful , at the moment , or not ! If we continue in this vein the fall off in respect for us as a good club to be part of will accelerate and we will end where ?

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Calmingwind added 00:54 - Nov 20 ive been a keane backer since roy joined the club, tryed to keep a bit of faith in him when all around were calling me a fool through last season. the start of this season i dared to dream and thought myself vindicated given our start - but for this man to make such comments about the fans after all the support he was given last year through some awful games has made me sick!!! yes the ole'ing of the barnsley players in my opinion was a bad thing, and i would never do such a thing myself...but can i understand it? - yes. completely. its born out of frustration.... frustration of watching the football that we have all had to endure for the majority of his time here. frustration at tactics we cannot understand, and players played in positions that do not suit or compliment the team..injuries aside, but then thats why we have a squad? I think the support at matches definatly could be more vocal and its been said all season (by us the fans) we as fans have to play our part and try to get behind the players but If Roy wants to have a 12th man then he needs to stop critisising us like he would his own players after a match. what i do find interesting is that very little has been heard from the clubs captain... surely it should be chuck talking to the media not edwards, but then i suppose edwards is a keane stalwart. do i have faith in keane now? - it is severely and soundly shaken - yet i do hold out a small portion of hope, all i want is success for my beloved football club and its all ive ever wanted under any manager.... but i do have to feel that some backers of keane on this forum are overley blinded in their pro-opnions to not see some of the severe failing's Roy currently has.

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tedmaul added 02:05 - Nov 20 Embarrassed to read this thread. This is reactionary stuff and odd considering the support that Keane received last year. I find his statements quite refreshing in this media-driven age. Admittedly the last two games have been poor, but the day I call for the resignation of a town manager after two losses, when sitting two points adrift of the play=offs, is the day I feck off and buy a Chelski top and conduct my love of football through the Sun's Star Man ratings and Rupert Murdoch.

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GiveusaWave added 02:18 - Nov 20 Nice to see everyone getting on so well on this thread!
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bobble added 07:11 - Nov 20 the vultures are circling..... the end is nigh for a very below average manager with a huge ego and a total lack of footballing brain.he won't be missed we will look back in 4-5 years time and just see his reign for what it was...treading water at best 'sliding slowly into a boring playing style with very real chance of promotion.maybe he will be a great manager one day like his ego tells himself but that is no use for town right now bye bye mr keane . never really thought much of you as a player or a manager..

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Blue041273 added 12:08 - Nov 20 I can understand that many consider this latest offering from RK to be the ramblings of a foolish and desperate man simply stoking the fires to provoke the kind of polarised infighting evident from reading the resultant comments on this thread. A wildly contradictive man some of his comments come across as petulent because contrary to his arrogant belief that as he was Roy Keane success was guaranteed if not in one year then definitely in two, the wheels have come off the wagon and we find that progress has slowed considerably. Not that it's RK's fault. Sure he admits to making mistakes (like anyone) but the real causes are down to other circumstances beyond his control. But the message to take from this latest diatribe is that 'we are where we are; it's not where we want to be but we must move on'. It's clear, like it or not, he is not going to walk. He still believes he can do a job for us and that progress can be made. If that is the case he needs to re-energise the team and deliver the kind of performances that will thrill and excite the people that pay the money to watch. This may yet be a lost cause for him but he is surely doomed now if he fails. More importantly we need to arrest the alarming slump of form we are in at the moment. 5 defeats in 7 league games is relegation form and the fixtures between now and Christmas are do not make comfortable reading if we play like we did against Derby and Barnsley. So Mr Keane, your mission, if choose to accept it, is to give us a team that plays stylish confident football in an enterprising manner, that understands the teamwork philosophy required to achieve required standards, and delivers a reasonable level of success in order to restore some faith to the angry, bewildered, and sorely unhappy ITFC faithful. Today is a new day. A new start is required. A good performance at Hull is the minimum acceptable requirement. Please don't waste the opportunity.

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lunatic38 added 15:35 - Nov 20 To rub salt into the wound i think Keane is on the Drugs now! Noticed the team selection versus Hull and if i pray long and hard enough we might come away with a o-o draw!
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dirtydingusmagee added 18:41 - Nov 20 RKeaneisaSod ,despite your rambling ''FACTS'' the decline go's on !.
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nitractorboy added 22:34 - Nov 20 GET THIS JOKER OUT NOW
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