Boss Roy Keane says he still hopes to see out his Town contract despite Saturday’s 3-1 defeat to Swansea taking the Blues’ league losing streak to five matches. The former Manchester United skipper is due to remain at Portman Road until June next year.

Keane said: “I’m under contract until the summer and I’d love to finish that. We’ve had a difficult few months in terms of decisions like we saw [on Saturday], injuries and setbacks like our captain David Norris being sick at the weekend.

“Having said that, we can’t keep making too many excuses and as the manager I take full responsibility and if I’m not given that time I’ll have no one to blame but myself.

“I’m always frustrated when we lose matches but the challenge is there and I want to try and see the job out at least until the summer. If you’re losing matches, the pressure builds and ultimately the person that pays the price is the manager.”

The Irishman accused his defenders of making basic mistakes during Saturday’s defeat but was also less than impressed with his strikers, who he felt ought to have taken their chances: “They were schoolboy errors and it was the same last weekend with the first two goals we gave away there.

“We can focus on the defenders, but we’ve got to try and score more goals as well. We’re constantly under pressure because we don’t score goals. I’d be as critical of my strikers as I would my defenders for not clearing their lines.”

Keane was at a loss to explain what his players were up to at times on Saturday but reiterated that the overall responsibility is his: “I could be here until midnight and I wouldn’t be able to explain some of the decision-making which went on.

“That’s not blaming the players, I pick the team, I pick the players, I bring players in on loan, I brought players in in the summer. It’s not me passing the buck. If anything I need to receive criticism because ultimately it’s me picking the team. It has to stop with the manager.

“[Saturday] was really disappointing, I have to say. I think the effort was fine, I actually thought we played OK. In the first half we were under pressure in terms of possession, but possession doesn’t win you football matches.

“We created chances and players missed opportunities. I still can’t understand how a player can miss the target and get a round of applause. You’ve got to be clinical and ruthless. It was the same the other night, but we got away with it against West Brom.”

Keane felt his friend Brendan Rodgers and his team will have returned to Wales having been given a helping hand by Town: “I don’t think Swansea had to work too hard for their goals. That’s the hard part for me to take — we gifted them two goals. OK, the third was a decent finish, I’ve no problem with that, but the last thing we need is to be gifting goals to teams like Swansea who are flying high anyway.”

The Blues boss felt there were at least some positives to be taken from the match: “I thought there were one or two very good performances. I thought Grant and Jack did well up against their three in the middle. I thought defensively we were doing OK in the first half in terms of our team shape when I think Murph had one save to make.

“At half-time we thought that if we could keep a clean sheet we were pretty confident we could nick a goal. We did that and the game plan was going OK for us, then we gave away a poor freekick and we didn’t defend a set piece once again.”

Meanwhile, Keane has put his Cheshire home up for sale. Chantry Dane, which sits in 1.2 acres of land near Hale, is available for £9.5 million, having undergone extensive renovations since Keane and his wife Theresa bought it for £3.2 million in 2005. The Town manager and his family now live in Woodbridge.

Elsewhere, former Premier League referee Graham Poll says his one-time colleague Andy D'Urso ought to have awarded the Blues that penalty on Saturday.

Photo: Action Images

Big_Foot_Blue added 01:13 - Dec 6 The one thing I like about Keane is his honest assessments like the one above. It at least reassures me he knows what is wrong and isnt completely oblivious. However Its been the same post match press conference for the last few months now. I'll always support the boss of town but I just feel as if his time is comming to a close. Whatever happens it looks like he's staying in suffolk now though.

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moomoosereni added 01:18 - Dec 6 I agree in most part with big foot blue. He at least is honest. But that doesnt change how poorly we have played lately and he knows that if it doesnt change hes history.
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ITFCAlex added 01:38 - Dec 6 Please don't.
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hulltractor added 02:33 - Dec 6 I'm not a fan of RK's tactics and have been critical of some team selections but surely the poor defending and lack of goals is in some part down to the coaching staff as well?. Maybe they need to be changed before the Manager is?. It would be refreshing to see them replaced and see what happens then. RK is correct in the fact Durso didn't cost us the game but you would like to think Leadbetter would have slotted the pen and we would have held out for a point. Not having the quality in depth is what will ultimately cost us though. It's clear by the repeated defensive errors that we need to buy some experience in the Jan transfer window to help out when the likes of Mcauley are injured. The youngsters try hard but they need a leader to organize them on the pitch and we lack that at the moment.

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whippet added 04:22 - Dec 6 Looks like we are heading towards relegation. Look forward to watching Sheffield Wednesday etc at portman road.
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Back_The_Boss added 05:46 - Dec 6 You will be a lucky man if you do Keane. As you often say, many managers would not have been given the length of time you have.
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ozzydog added 06:14 - Dec 6 What`s the point? Go now you have failed
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kentblue added 06:21 - Dec 6 It's going to be a long 6 months if he does stay ! Can't he do the right thing and go now ?!
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truckertractorboy added 06:46 - Dec 6 The daft thing is a feel sorry for rk how can u win when the defense is gifting goals every week .but as he says he picks the team and someone has to take the blame I dont like seeing any manager sacked by its time for a change
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truckertractorboy added 06:50 - Dec 6 Ok my grammar is terrible but my excuse is Ive been at work all night lol
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tractorboydan added 07:50 - Dec 6 Is that a bottle of vodka I can see in-shot with Mr Keane....?
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itfc1981 added 07:51 - Dec 6 Keep Wickham get a man in who knows how to play him, MARTIN O'NEIL would give you back your return MR EVANS!
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roytheboy added 07:57 - Dec 6 There are many more problems at ITFC which are costing us, Roy Keane can only buy or loan the players that his allocated budget allows, therefore he can only choose from those players, also we have been quite unlucky with injuries to key players, Macauley is dreadfully missed and without him Delaney does not seem so effective, I think they work well together, a bit like Kuqi & Bent ! also W

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roytheboy added 08:01 - Dec 6 There are many more problems at ITFC which are costing us, Roy Keane can only buy or loan the players that his allocated budget allows, therefore he can only choose from those players, also we have been quite unlucky with injuries to key players, Macauley is dreadfully missed and without him Delaney does not seem so effective, I think they work well together, a bit like Kuqi & Bent ! also Wickham is a big loss in a squad that has been trimmed, I personally would like the Manager to at least see his contract out, to change him now would in my opinion be a misguided action.

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nudge1977 added 08:02 - Dec 6 ITFC1981, I totally agree with your post, Martin O'neill would be the man to take over from RK, his experience, tactical nouse, man management and also he would manage to bring in the type of players that will take this club up the league during the transfer window. We need some experience at the back, some hard tough defenders, midfield does look good, we also need a 20 a season striker desperatly, if CW goes to spurs, why couldnt we do a swap for Dos Santos? COYB!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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evansblue added 08:05 - Dec 6 say what you want about keane but professional players earning a good wage are not doing their job. Strikers have to score and defenders can not make basic errors time after time. They all need to go out on saturday against preston regardless of team selection and give keane and us fans a proper performance. I know the buck stops with roy but players must also stand up and be counted

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Suffolk_n_Good added 08:06 - Dec 6 Keane out, Clegg out, Evans more noticeable........
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bluelady added 08:18 - Dec 6 we havent been scoring Goals Mr Keane because you have been playing a game of lets close up shop and we can nick it with the odd goal. That clearly didnt work so you change to a more attacking formation - the players do not know if they are coming or going!! Also what about JP? Against WB he created so many chances for our strikers yet to drop him put im that WBA reject or quite frankly was at fault for at least one of the goals as he had gone totally AWOL... wouldnt mind but when he had the ball he wouldnt cross the half way line and actually passed backwards to prevent himself from doing so!!!!! You want goals you need to ATTACK!

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Dissblue added 08:21 - Dec 6 Division 1 here we come!
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bluelady added 08:21 - Dec 6 hulltractor but arent the coaching staff people he brought in?????? I do feel for him, he is so passionate about the game of football, a natural winner and to be in this position must be a very tough pill to swallow........but it isnt working and something has to be done..
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bluearmy4life added 08:24 - Dec 6 I do like Roy Keane's honesty. At least he is in the real world. I don't think Keane is all to blame for are backward step in are club. Simon Clegg is Fcukn useless.What the hell does he know about football. Sweet F.A. I would be surprised if Keane is still in charge in the next week or so we have to win away to Preston nothing else is good enough. When Keane goes I hope Clegg goes with him.

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ozzydog added 08:28 - Dec 6 There is so much wrong that should he go now, and he should It is all going to take some repairing. We have an owner who knows little about football, went for a name,and then when he decided he could not trust him with money did not have the guts to sack him at the same time A CEO who knows little about football and has overseen a dramatic slide in attendance without realising why and doing something about it A manager who got away with murder during his playing career and now been found out. To many loan players that are a recipe for disaster and worse of all an Ipswich support that has become totally apathetic

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mickeyjb added 08:37 - Dec 6 I feel he will stay, we will win one or two games leaving us in the low end of mid table. Another year of dispointment and realistically two years and a lot of money waisted. This will be RKs last managerial job. Unfortunatly he just isn't good enough. He has caused even more division in the club that Jim did! I would love to see Martin O'Neal here, a guy who did it the correct way, learning his way in the lower leagues before moving up. Would he want Ipswich? Maybe if he felt it a winnable challenge. I think we have some very good players, its just the organisiation that is lacking. The false dawn that was the beggining of this season gave us a glimmer of the old days, I'm not even excited about the cup semi, I don't think we will get hammered, however does anyone actually think we will beat Arsenal over two legs? Why should we excited about playing a team from a league we should be playing in ourselves.....

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nobrain added 08:41 - Dec 6 When RK took over I was expecting him to build a team with a rock-solid defense and the desire to fight to the end of every game. Sadly this has not happened. We have players with ability, but they appear to lack confidence and/or commitment when the game starts. Some of them talk a good game, but..... Like others, I admire RK's honest responses, but it's not enough - he needs to produce results, not just talk about doing so.

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AB_ITFC added 08:57 - Dec 6 Anyone else think it'f funny that the other week he was moaning that we wern't supporting the team enough, now he's fed up of us applauding anyone prepared to at least try to have a shot on goal?!?
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