Skipper David Norris felt the players let down the fans and Roy Keane and his management staff during Sunday’s 4-1 derby defeat at Norwich. The 29-year-old hopes they can go some way towards making amends when the Blues take on West Brom at Portman Road in the quarter-finals of the Carling Cup on Wednesday.

Norris said: “It was hard to even go over to the fans at the end of the game. They stood out yesterday and when a few of us went over to their section they clapped us. It was almost embarrassing to take it.

“We have got to start giving them something back starting with Wednesday’s Carling Cup quarter-final against West Brom.

“To the players it was probably just another game — another three points. But to the staff their jobs are on the line.

“And to our fans there was local pride at stake, and the derby really means a lot to them. We let them all down. It was an embarrassing defeat with no positives and us players have got to look at ourselves."

Norris, who is in talks regarding extending his time at Portman Road beyond the end of the season, says Keane and his coaches do everything to ensure positive results: “The manager and staff prepare us right on the training ground. They can change this and change that but once we cross the white line it is down to us.

“The manager is coming under increasing pressure, as we all do when you are losing games. We are playing for new contracts, and it is part and parcel of football, but we have to give ourselves a chance.”

The former Plymouth man says the derby was a chance to turn things around after the three previous defeats: “This was no ordinary game and after losing three on the trot this was a match that could have put right the wrongs of the three previous games.

“As mistakes go the first two Norwich goals were shockers. We are not picking on individuals and they were from players you can normally rely on, but they had no place in a game like yesterday’s.”

Photo: Action Images

lunatic38 added 12:41 - Nov 29 I do not accept this apology, it is absoloutely worthless and is causing very much more damage than that fat tached cheating yellow bellied bloke done Sunday, because as far as i can read that Norris is trying to take the blame away from where it should be Roy F.....G Keane, we could have a team full of Ronaldos and Messis backed up by Drogbas and Tevezes but if they are instructed to play in an confused and messed up manner or not even be selected or even played as full backs etc etc then i am sure the fat tached cheating yellow bellied bloke would score a hatrick (escuse me a minute just got to go and wash my mouth out).. would score a hatrick against a team full of world stars if it was manged by this cretin of a manger and i assure you i backed keane when we looked good but as i have said before when you get found out you adapt, not retreat and make descisions that baffle EVERYONE!! so Dave time to look after yourself because if you back keane then you are gonna get booed and abused tooo!!!!!!!!

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truckertractorboy added 12:42 - Nov 29 Blue velvet I do agree in some of what your saying but what excuse do u give for the home shockers we have seen Qpr derby barnsley if it is the players y are they at our club who signed most of them what else is there to say and before u say im a moaner I think we have got a right to moan I dont care who the manager is I dont even mind losing (apart from the scum) I just want to see ipswich play good footy again im sure it wasnt that long ago we were 1 of the best passing teams in the country

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cracko82 added 12:50 - Nov 29 "it was probably just another game". He is probably referring to all the loan players who don't have ITFC at their heart and are being payed elsewhere. Why would they care, they have no loyalty to the fans or ITFC and are playing to impress their parent club etc. Appreciated Norris apologising at the end and Fulop made the effort to come over, applaud & apologise - but not happy that only 4 or 5 players did this. Smith & Leadbitter were the only others I recall - the rest just trotted off down the tunnel How the likes of Hyam, Townsend, O'Connor, Peters are now been frozen out is beyond me. All our youngsters being pushed aside for loanees who will not be at ITFC come the summer or even January most of them. Fallon is the most recent example of this, pushing Connor down the list no doubt (know he was injured yesterday). Confidence at the club is at an all time low and I am really struggling to see the light until Keane goes - enough is enough now...

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kipper added 12:50 - Nov 29 Statements from the manager and from the captain as usual. Once again the silence from the people running the club is deafening. For all his faults Sheepshanks would have spoken to the press by now and also addressed the fans. The highly paid Clegg needs to do something and soon unless he wants the embarrassment of the whole crowd chanting Keane out live on tv this Saturday. For me he needs to let the fans know where the club stand on this. You were hired as the PR man Clegg, starting doing your job and fast.

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bluelady added 12:52 - Nov 29 i do think the to the players it was just another game is being taken out of context, he could well mean that players need to go in 110% each and every game irrespective of the opposition - i also think some are a little hard on him, pictures in the EADT show he looks pretty much reduced to tears at the end, for me that shows how much it meant to him. I think the players are accountable,and yes for the staffs jobs are on the line, Mr Keane and his merry band of useless back team should be on their way out of Portman Road today after that debarcle! I truely think with the right leadership we have a terrific team that will be able to challange, under the current regime they look beaten before a ball is kicked -thats were the leadership needs to be questioned!

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gibbo added 12:53 - Nov 29 What I won't to know is why the hell did we not bite at Holt, he was booked within the 1st 2 minutes and we never went near him again.
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truckertractorboy added 12:55 - Nov 29 Just a thought who thinks clegg is the biggest waste of space may b he should take the blame and leave
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pitseablue added 13:07 - Nov 29 "Just another game, Just another three points" So should I drive just another round trip of 150 miles and spend just another £50 to watch that crap!.......What do you think Mr Norris?
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cambsman added 13:12 - Nov 29 Football tips for beginners as from the Big Al coaching manual 1 Ball in crowd concede throw in Ball under feet with no cover concede goal Well played chuck at least you give your normal 110%
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Keaneish added 13:35 - Nov 29 This for me is the equivalent of a 'Vote of Confidence' speech only coming from the players and not the board. This all may be so Chuck but who made them pathetic substitutions changing the back line 3 times and bringing on a 'physical' aerial striker but having him replace the only person who looked capable of supplying him! I don't even think if you signed Mark Robins to get a late cup winner Wednesday night you'd be able to get out of this one Keane!

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itfc1981 added 13:44 - Nov 29 To the players it was probably just another game — another three points. But to the staff their jobs are on the line. thicko
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Back_The_Boss added 13:51 - Nov 29 Shocking result. So glad I did not pay £33 to watch that rubbish.
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Vexorg added 13:52 - Nov 29 Dorsetblue LOL .. "did anyone shout man on to the defenders?" I would hope that in every case they saw him given that they started in front of their man who was facing forward!
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nthstd added 14:00 - Nov 29 Someone sadi that they should give a weeks salary to charity.........DAM good idea EACH could do with the money for the Treehouse appeal
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Bergholtblue added 14:13 - Nov 29 OK morale is so low it can only go higher. So lets start Wednesday. I am not expecting a win if we lose, we lose but lets lose fighting. Give us fans something to cheer, something so we can say we played well but they were better than us. The last 3 matches that I have seen Derby, Barnsley and Norwich I saw teams that were no great shakes but they knocked the ball around and we couldn't get near it. So come on and show some fight and start on Wednesday night and who knows ............. foorbalkl is a funny game, we could be in the semi finals of the cup and still calling for RK head.

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bluelady added 14:31 - Nov 29 Bergholt Blue i have seen enough these last few games to call for his head even if we won the chuffin cup!!! I have got tickets for wednesday, may not have got them if id seen sundays game first, but i am blue through and through and whilst i want that clown and his circus to go (and take Clegg with him), i also will still sing the Blues till they put me in my box (but at this rate its likely to be far sooner than was planned as my stress levels are sky high!!).

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Garv added 14:33 - Nov 29 Tbh all I want to see is the headline: "all I can do is apologize" from both players and manger. I don't have any time for "we will have to do better", because they don't. I want a fu*king apology from most importantly Roy sodding keane, that is before he kindly fu*ks off back to Ireland and stops ruining (yes ruining) our (yes our, not his) club. The players have been poor, but it is the managers job to motivate and ultimately tell the team how to play, and I'm afraid neither is working. Plus keane has bought most of this team and it really is quite a poor, lightweight group that shows no passion (even in the fu*king derby) or quality.

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whoppit added 14:33 - Nov 29 Repay the fans against West Brom???? We will be lucky to get nil. What will it be Keano?? 4-5-1 with that Plymouth reject Fallon up front?? It's a f%^king joke now. Keane OUT
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Portman_Terrorist added 14:43 - Nov 29 “To the players it was probably just another game ...." SERIOUSLY ?!?! David, as possibly the only player in blue yesterday to show the necessary commitment to the shirt, I find your comment unbelievable. Does anyone on this site actually think any player in green/yellow saw this as another 3 points, that anyone in the stands in either colours saw this as just 3 points, do you think the poor sods like me that have come into work to the expected barrage this morning think it was 3 just points. Let me tell you one more thing. My son is 5 years old and been a season ticket holder for 3 seasons already, and that performance live on terrestrial TV affected him, and lord knows how many other kids out there whose parents fight an uphill battle to save them from the Man Utds of this world, so that our club has a future. And that's the point really, the negative way the team is being set up each game, the clearly uncommitted attitude of some of the players (fair enough a number are just on loan), added to our manager's inability to galvanise his teams will having a LASTING effect on this wonderful club of ours if not addressed immediately. And make no mistake it is OUR club - the supporters - cos when you have gone to your next football role and the manager has accepted his inadequacies, we will still be here cheering whoever is wearing the shirt, and frankly whatever league you lot have left us in. COYB

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Topps added 14:49 - Nov 29 Dorest Blue... you are one of the biggest spanners I think I have come across on this site. How the hell can you have a go at Norris as captain when he ran his bloody socks off for 90 mins?! Were you even at the game? I can'tt believe you were as if you had been you would have seen the passion he displayed for the whole match. It was just a shame very few of the other players followed suit. What Norris has said is spot on and shows the character of the man. I'm embarrassed for the club that we have so called supporters like you that know nothing about football and find it easier to kick people in the teeth rather than getting behind the club. I'd suggest you go down the A140 and join Naaawrich as they deserve fans like you!

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truckertractorboy added 14:55 - Nov 29 If something aint done this week how the hell can we get fired up 4 wednesday so if we cant will the players ill b there with my kids I brought a new ipswich hat 1 for keeping my balding head warm and 2 to pull it over my eyes and pretend Ive not wasted another 30 quid plus missed out on a nights sleep when I have to start work at midnight to watch keane f**k our once beloved club again and please the pro keane lot yes we are in a quarter final but lets b really honest we have had a bloody good draw

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shoopdelang added 14:58 - Nov 29 I'm not sure if it was me, but it only appeared to be Norris, Leadbitter and to some extent Colback who played with any pride. What is everyone elses opinions on this? I would like to hear others opinions please.
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Topps added 15:03 - Nov 29 Totally agree with you shoopdelang. The others looked lost, disinterested and intimidated. Some of them - Delayney, Smith, ODea and Priskin, looked like it was their first professional game of fottball. What annoyed me more than anything was Priskin not chasing down enough. At times he looked disinterested and too often he seemed to wait for the ball to come to him rather than coming to get to the ball. His movement was OK but still a little lack lustre. Roll on Wednesday.

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truckertractorboy added 15:15 - Nov 29 The strange thing was I thought scotland look good pity the holt dive had to end it he might have done well
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Bluetone added 16:10 - Nov 29 I've heard of Managers having a bag carrier, Keane has a selection of can carriers.
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