Roy Keane said Town had no one to blame but themselves after their 3-1 home defeat to Swansea. Keane refused to criticise referee Andy D’Urso despite the Billericay-based official turning down what appeared to be a certain Town penalty.

The Blues manager, whose side have now lost five in a row in the league, said: “No excuses, we have no one to blame but ourselves, not just the defending but the chances we missed and not dealing with the setback of the first goal.

“Obviously the first two goals were hard to take, but there are no excuses. We’ve got to do better, simple as that.”

Keane’s team looked to be on their way to a win when Andros Townsend put them in front but he says his side couldn’t secure the result: “When you’re comfortable, that’s when you get into trouble. That brings a different type of pressure — trying to kill the game off. When we didn’t get the second goal we were constantly under pressure trying to keep a clean sheet.

“The first goal was a soft one, but even then you’ve got to steady the ship and keep your head and we didn’t do that. The second goal was comical, I suppose, but I’m pretty sure I had the same conversation with you last week.

“It’s a bit like Groundhog Day — doing the same thing over and over again. You’ve all seen that movie, it’s quite good I know, but we’re doing the same thing over and over again and I keep coming up here saying the same stuff. You’ve got to draw the line somewhere on it.”

Despite having what looked to be a solid claim for a penalty turned down by Andy D’Urso, Keane kept to his usual policy of not criticising referees: “The official didn’t cost us the result today. Let’s not try and find another excuse for us losing the match. It would be too easy but it would be wrong.

“Remember, we were 2-1 down at the time. Who’s to say we would have scored the penalty? We’re pretty sure it was a penalty, but who’s to say we would have scored it?”

The Irishman accepts that five league defeats in a row simply isn’t good enough: “It’s unacceptable and we’d had two or three before that, then we had a couple of wins in between. But it’s eight defeats in 10, which is unacceptable.”

Keane confirmed that David Norris missed out because he has a virus, while Damien Delaney was fit to be called upon if needed. Darren O’Dea picked up a hamstring injury and is a doubt for next week’s trip to Preston. The on-loan Celtic man was already set to go home to Glasgow early in the week with his girlfriend still to give birth to their first baby.

Swansea boss Brendan Rodgers was delighted with the win: “It was very, very pleasing. I heard the players talking and they said that maybe a season or two ago we would have lost the game.

“It shows the mentality in the group at the moment that we’ve got the belief to keep going. We’ve shown a number of times that we want to control and dominate games with the ball and our ability to keep going has served us very well. It’s a fantastic result for us at a place where it’s always difficult to come and get a result.”

Rodgers says he feels for his friend Roy Keane with several of his senior squad members missing at present: “I look at the team that he’s got and he’s missing his experienced players and this is a league in which you need these players.

“Look at Norris missing today, Delaney, Gareth McAuley out for a while. These are stalwarts of the group. I don’t think there’s any better man to be here in a fight to pull the team out of it.”

Rodgers was not unsympathetic to Town’s claims for a penalty: “I don’t think it was a turning point in the game but if you judge it on the situation, if you’re the home manager you are disappointed if you don’t get it.

“Having then seen it afterwards on the replay I can see why Andy D’Urso doesn’t give it. There was a slight touch, he’s maybe thinking that the guy can go through and get his shot off and finish. Mark Gower’s just coming across, there’s no doubt that there’s contact.”

Photo: Action Images

Hatman added 17:34 - Dec 4 Hard to explain why players make the same mistakes week after week, i.e. once again not clearing the lines first time, and it costing goals. Keane says he's telling his players, I'm sure he is. But we're at that point now where pressure and lack of confidence are taking their toll. If I played for Keane and kept hearing him say in the press 'we're not a team that scores lots of goals...', I'd feel afraid to make an error! There has to be change. The rot has set in. It's not too late to do something this season but it soon will be and we could be in too deep before long battling at the bottom. Keane, ok not had rub of the green today, but it's time to go. I remember Spurs switching to Harry Rednapp when bottom of the table with no wins, feeling the pressure and not performing. Bring in the right man, and look at the difference. Keane's had a go, now he's got to go. Someone proven as a Manager please - Curbs, and some passion for the Town - Holland as no. 2. Come on ME and Cleggy - save our season.

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GiveusaWave added 17:36 - Dec 4 jas0999-totally agree with your previous comments about Murphy on other post (abysmal). can't see ME sacking Keane either. Though I don't want to rant and rave I was waiting for this news section to open so I could post this (YES,IT IS A RANT AND RAVE!) God, can't believe how bad Murphy was today. I have never really rated the guy (thought he was ok) but oh dear.... Murphy was clearly out of his depth,looked like a Sunday league player at best and looked a diiferent goalkeeper to the one we had against the brom. Everytime Swansea took a shot they scored! WHY WAS HE WALKING UP AND DOWN HIS GOALLINE LOOKING AWAY FROM PLAY AND RUBBING HIS HANDS AND TALKING TO HIMSELF- YOU COULD SEE THAT CLEARLY ON LIVE COVERAGE ON GOAL TV 2!!! Was he trying to psych himself up? If so,- didn't work! That goalkeeping performance will give me nightmares tonight... Overall,-thought we played well. Priskin, Scotland, Edwards and Townsend were really good. Defence was poor- but got away with it at times (more through luck than anything else. When your goalkeeper performs like that though,- you have no chance. Lot of longballs- but some passing down the wings tonight also. Priskin and Scotland kept the ball up well. Unfortunately it will be the ref who will be blamed this time. The guy who chopped down Priskin in the first half should have been sent off and a penalty was denied..... Is this the end for Keane? Few managers have ever had this set of league results in a row and survived... OVERALL ASSESSMENT Goalkeeper 0/10 Defence 5/10 Midfield Centre 6/10 Wingers 8/10 Strikers 8/10 (I know they didn't score, but I thought they played well) We obviously have a relegation battle on our hands. Its difficult to know if Keane could take us through this...(he was successful at avoiding League 1 last year?). Personally, I think it best if he went on his merry way.

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Suffolk_n_Good added 17:40 - Dec 4 Keanes departure is well overdue...... We need a fresh manager with fresh ideas, fresh players that WANT to prove themselves & who aren't just here for the ride, a fresh chief executive who knows what running a FOOTBALL CLUB is all about. Its no wonder fans are staying away, money is tight, entertainment is poor, what is the point in spending hard earnt money just to see more dross. I'm not a current season ticket holder, due to work commitments, but I do regularly attend, (mainly week day games) however, I haven't been for a while, I'm not prepared to chuck money away....... KEANE OUT, CLEGG OUT.

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bluelady added 17:41 - Dec 4 I said the jury was out after Wednesday!!! Sorry keane has to go what's peters don't wrong? Fallon what a joke, he ran around like a headless chicken, prisken is world class in comparison. we have no guts in the team when we go behind we have no idea how to get back into the game. we showed some nice touches at times better manager will do something with this squad.
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bluearmy4life added 17:42 - Dec 4 Another crap result and it had to be at home. There we parts in the game where we looked good with crisp passing and created chances to score more than 3 or 4. The negatives poor defending which is costing us dearly, and the strikers for not taking there chances. We are deeply in the sh!t again. We survived it last year and I really did'nt think this is where we are yet again. Everyone is to blame Keane for selecting his team and the team not doing there jobs on the pitch simple as that. I think Keane knows it's almost time, that's something he has had more than other managers in similar situations.

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bluelady added 17:42 - Dec 4 I said the jury was out after Wednesday!!! Sorry keane has to go what's peters don't wrong? Fallon what a joke, he ran around like a headless chicken, prisken is world class in comparison. we have no guts in the team when we go behind we have no idea how to get back into the game. we showed some nice touches at times better manager will do something with this squad.
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ipswichfrancis added 17:46 - Dec 4 Keane should not been appointed as manager some 18 months back, that was the start of the problem...... till now with the grouses from the ground..... this squad assembled by him is no better than the old one, probably the wage bill is lower but that's up to the management to contain. As far as results are concern, we are still a below average team. Thank you Mr Roy Keane. Bye Bye....

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KenDubZ added 17:51 - Dec 4 Keano your subs are stupid !!!! Reli tamas off ?? Scotland was dieing as his lack of fitness is crap!! Tamas should of stayed on and so should have townsend your decisions are crap mate...... Scotland for fallow and shane O,connor for dea SORTED !!
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GiveusaWave added 17:52 - Dec 4 Apparently Norwich fans are putting up a video of "comedy defending by Ipswich Town" showing all our terrible defending since Keane took charge. Fair amount of coverage I would think.... Our club has become a joke. When this happened at QPR they changed Manager and it made all the difference (not Magilton-the other guy who was in charge for 4/5 games?) Other clubs are laughing at our incompetence. Keane OUT!

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grubbyoik added 17:58 - Dec 4 BLOOD ON HIS HANDS>>No other manager in history has been given so many stays of execution as Keane... He is totally guilty of the 1st degree murder of football at Ipswich town fc.. I know it .. He knows it .. and you know it ..
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Acen added 18:00 - Dec 4 D'Urso won that game not, Swansea.
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GiveusaWave added 18:01 - Dec 4 By the way- "shocking" mini-debut by Fallon. Looked like a headless chicken (as above..) Fallon- 0/10 And we are going to SIGN this guy permanently? Why?
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fourth added 18:03 - Dec 4 It's surprising that someone as rich as Keane doesn't buy himself a bit of marketing. His self promotion is dreadful. He comes across as a thick squaddy, completely out of his depth. Then he would be well advised to bring on board a MANAGER at his own cost to do his job for him. There is still time to make something of this strange squad of players, plenty of talent. It just needs someone to put it all together, get rid of the Old Irish Mates and give a bit of INSPIRATION.

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bluebell32 added 18:06 - Dec 4 Yes Murphy made a mistake for the 1st goal and yes Tommy Smith did for the 2nd but smith has been one of our most consistent performers this season. everyone makes mistakes but the majority go unnoticed. i dont see people having a go at zuiverloon for giving the ball away so cheaply in the lead up to the 2nd goal.
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Mark added 18:08 - Dec 4 > It does make me laugh that virtually everyone on TWTD called for Roy to sign a right-back and when he does, they call for him to play a midfielder at right-back!! The problem is that Roy has signed a right-back on a one month loan, so by the time he has settled in and learned about the players around him he will be off. If Keane was unable to sign a new permanent right-back in the summer, then he should not have released Wright and Rosenior. Wright was a solid defender who never let us down and was glad to play for Ipswich, not just using us as a stepping stone. I am not sure Peters is strong enough defensively to be our long term right-back, but he was superb on Wednesday and so should have kept his place today. What can it do to a player's spirit to be dropped after trying so hard and playing so well?

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Keaneish added 18:21 - Dec 4 Murphy at fault for the first, Tommy at fault for the second and D'urso at fault for the third. Can't pin too much blame on Keane for today's performance in all honesty but it's time now isn't it? We all know, the attendances are pathetic, the team looks fraile when it concedes and we're sliding big time. Evans, come out of your little Chelsea mansion and give us our f**king statement, i'm losing patience with you or Keane, do the right thing and resign. No Preston last chance, we're breaking all the wrong records, do it now.

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streety86 added 18:24 - Dec 4 What was the attendance today?
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KangarooBlue added 18:28 - Dec 4 Just had enough really... :(
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Hereford_Blue added 18:29 - Dec 4 Attendance was just short of 17000. Very worrying.
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AshFinland added 18:31 - Dec 4 I don't mean to keep ranting on about the same thing but...there were six loanees today in our squad of eighteen. Presumably Keane must know more about football than I do. He has captained Manchester United, won the Champion's League and played for his country on numerous occasions. I am a trainee teacher. That said, how many successful sides do you know of that include such a disproportionate number of players that do not even belong to the club? Our squad lacks numbers. Who sold a shed-load of players without bringing in adequate replacements ? We have no one in the middle of the park who is able to pick a pass. Whose fault is that? The first 11 lacks cohesion. Who changes the team for no apparent reason? Crowds are dropping alarmingly? Who is quite happy to take thirty quid out of our pockets but deny us the right to voice an opinion that differs from his own? I attended my first Town game at the age of six. It was against Bradford City in 1988, and Dalian Atkinson equalised in the last minute. My father is Town through and through, as was my late grandfather. It breaks my heart to have to criticise the club but it is no good burying my head in the sand. This is, without question, the worst Ipswich side I have ever seen. I accept that we will probably never again be up there with the Uniteds and Chelseas of this world, but what I will never accept is the disgusting anti-football foisted upon us by Keane. It is utter tosh to suggest that we cannot be successful in this league by playing good football. We managed it under Burley and Royle, and plenty of teams manage it now (our local rivals being the obvious, albeit painful, example). He needs to go. It is no exaggeration to say that the life is being sucked out of our football club. Come On You Blues.

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choprawontcome added 18:32 - Dec 4 tractorboyholmes......u need to seek some help.......urgently.......
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blueherts added 18:34 - Dec 4 Keane and the clowns need to leave now - he coaches the team - he gives them the defensive guidance - I cannot believe the mistakes we meet
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Shauny78 added 18:36 - Dec 4 i just dont know @ the moment,i really want Keane to suceed but the style of play is all wrong. watching swansea today(tv-) it was like watching TOWN circa 2000 when Burley took a team of players and made them believe they had what it takes to make the GRADE!!! i've ran out of excuses now so ........................
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grubbyoik added 18:37 - Dec 4 Not only has Evans lost his face.. somebodys cut out his tougue.. drained his heart... and thrown away his guts... Somebody from Portman rd tell us something .. or is it a case of ..Last one out turn of the lights...
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whippet added 18:40 - Dec 4 Agree Blueherts. Terrible league display after terrible league display. tractorboyholmes- don't feel sorry for Keane.he has plenty of money and won't resign because he wants his compensation settlement! guentchev- said all along that Fallon was lacking in confidence. Main boo-boy at Plymouth. Sensible signing by Keane "Lets put a player with really low confidence into a side with really low confidence". Fallon was struggling at Plymouth and darlington were the main club fighting against us for his signature. Kangarooblue- you say it exactly like it is.Feel exactly the same,this was the important game,couldn't give a damn about the cup.if we go down,fear we may do a Southampton or worse. FORK

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