Boss Roy Keane has warned some of his reserves side that they risk not just being released by the Blues but dropping out of professional football altogether if they repeat performances like Tuesday’s 2-1 defeat to Luton having been ahead at half-time. Town’s reserves are now bottom of the seven-team Totesport.com Football Combination East Division.

Keane said: “It was a very disappointing result and they’re on a bad run now. A lot of these boys who played in the reserves on Tuesday, their contracts are up in the summer and they’ll have a reality check over the next few months.”

The Blues boss says that for some of them it’s beyond just a case of having work to do to win themselves new contracts with Town: “I would say more than that if they want to be footballers, not just at this club, at any level. A lot of young boys and one or two senior players who played, their contracts are up.

“The reserves haven’t come on. We rewarded six or seven scholars last year when we gave them the deals and told them that they were now in the big league and wouldn’t be getting arms wrapped around them by academy coaches Sammy Morgan and Gerard Nash and have people like that baby-sitting them. They’re in the real world now and they’ve got to earn a living.

“Jack Ainsley’s gone out on loan to Histon and he’s had a reality check. It’ll be good for them, an interesting few months for them.”

Keane says it’s not so much about a lack of endeavour: “Their effort is fine, but you’ve got to win football matches, you’ve got to do the basics right. When you get in a winning position you’ve got to see the game through. They’ll have a reality check over the next few months.”

Asked about Argentinian midfielder Luciano Civelli, a member of Tuesday’s reserves side, Keane said: “Luca? He needs to do more.”

Meanwhile, Saturday's U18 and U16 games at Southampton have been postponed due to the poor weather.

Photo: Action Images

whoppit added 15:46 - Dec 10 Keano's man management and motivational skills at their finest !!!! And also, I stated that Luca was finished back in the summer and I got shot down. Let me just say again, Luca is finished and will be available on a free transfer. Apparently, this club in Argentina, Fray Bentos want to sign him.
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legoman added 16:04 - Dec 10 Whoppit. Bang your dead.
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devontractorboy added 16:19 - Dec 10 Shows how far the club has sunk under Messr's Keane, Clegg & Evans......we are fast becoming a joke.
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CambridgeBlue added 16:24 - Dec 10 We're bottom of a reserves league that includes Oxford, Stevenage, Luton, Southend and Colchester. I'd say he's quite right.
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Garv added 16:47 - Dec 10 I think you need a reality check keane!
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mripswichtown added 16:55 - Dec 10 devontractorboy: stop blaming evans! if it wasnt for him we would be in more of a mess than we are now! evans saved us from closing down!
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Suffolk_n_Good added 17:02 - Dec 10 Is this not a bit rich coming from Keane, when his bunch of useless to**ers have lost 8 in 10!!
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Back_The_Boss added 17:27 - Dec 10 Indeed Suffolk_n_Good. I would have thought so!
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bluelady added 17:33 - Dec 10 whoppit one day you will learn that no one likes an i told you so smart arse. This poor guy had an horrific injury, i was at the game and saw the pain on his face, yet for you its all about one up many ship, pathetic.
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bluelady added 17:33 - Dec 10 upmanship even
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Bluetone added 17:54 - Dec 10 Please can we get shot of this joke called Keane before he does any more damage to my once proud club.
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Bluecynic added 17:59 - Dec 10 I hadnt realised how weak the team Luton put out was until some Hatters fans told me- hardly any of their players are First teamers......
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itfc1981 added 18:04 - Dec 10 doubt we will ever see luca.
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Mark added 18:06 - Dec 10 The reserves form is very poor. However, Keane says their effort is fine so I am not sure what good it does to suggest some won't make it as footballers at any level. Perhaps all players at the club would do better if their confidence was lifted a bit?
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jas0999 added 18:18 - Dec 10 Do some of you people actually support this club? Roy is bang on with this one. The club showed faith in a number of youngsters and they haven't delivered. Losing to these lower league clubs is unacceptable. Keane is quite right to tell them that they are playing for a future contract.
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alfromcol added 19:27 - Dec 10 What's the point of telling lies to these youngsters. He tells it as it is. It is only mum and dad who continue to believe in 'their little Willy' when RK sees it how it is. No disrespect to 'little Willy'. It's a tough life trying to earn a living in the professional football world. For those that make it there are rich rewards, for those that don't, get a proper job and play for fun with your local team.

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Daleyitfc added 19:46 - Dec 10 Evans did not save us from closing down. We were in a stable financial position before he/it bought into the club. His/their tenure has been a disaster. Keane out.
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jas0999 added 21:17 - Dec 10 Daleyitfc - I assume you are being sarcastic? We were 44M in debt! Unable to pay it back - one step from administration!
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bobble added 21:38 - Dec 10 rosy losing culture has spread to reserves thats all but not quite as bad as his own team
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runaround added 22:48 - Dec 10 Its one thing for Keane to say this to them in private, but blabbing it to the press is hardly going to boost players morale is it, however truthful it is?! I just wish he would think before opening his mouth sometimes
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violablu added 07:54 - Dec 11 Did Keane think before tackling Alf-Inge Haaland?!
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bobble added 08:20 - Dec 11 Ah but did he tackle him and break his leg to give his own team time to regather and reorganise or just because hes a vicious psychopath?
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meekreech added 10:35 - Dec 11 Bobble Keep taking the rat poison or you may say something nice one day !!
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apm_77 added 10:51 - Dec 11 "We were in a stable financial position"...Daleyitfc, I think you need to check some facts out. As jas0999 rightly points out, we were £44m in debt and staring another trip to the administrators before Evans baled us out. He wiped that lot out in one go, and gave Magilton money to spend. Clearly you and a few other short sighted "fans" prefered it when we were pratically bankrupt, but, current results not withstanding, we're probably the most stable club after QPR in the league. Or maybe you'd prefere us to be in and out of court facing winding up orders like other clubs?

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corshamblue added 10:56 - Dec 11 C'mon Luca, we know you're better than playing in the reserves. Chuck those injury ghosts out of the locker and get back to the promising player we all looked at when you arrived. Happy Days. COYB. Mind, Keano's got a point about most of the Reserves, what a load of Sh** results.
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