Boss Roy Keane conceded that the longer the Blues’ poor run of form continues, the harder it gets to turn it around. Saturday’s loss at Preston was the sixth successive league defeat and their ninth in 11 games.

Keane said: “The longer the run goes on the harder it is to turn around. That’s nine defeats in 11 and at any level in any league, in any country that is not good enough.”

The Town manager says his pride has been hurt by the current situation: “Unbelievably so. You wouldn’t believe how much it’s hurting, but you could try and guess. I’m a proud man and I don’t like getting beaten.”

Keane said he still felt he was capable of turning things around, but when asked how a manager retained their resilience in such circumstances added: “Good question that, sometimes you don’t.”

The Blues boss also hinted that he might again be having thoughts about an assistant manager when asked whether he had a mentor: “No, I should get one.”

Despite his side having had the better of the first half, Keane took only scant positives from the game: “I thought Rory Fallon did well. We certainly didn’t want keep Rory on the pitch for 90 minutes but I thought he was decent in both boxes, whether he was defending or attacking.

“Mark Kennedy got 60-odd minutes. We took a chance on Sparky and his hamstring, but it’s nothing to get carried away with, getting players back on the pitch for an hour or so.”

The Blues boss felt Preston’s centre-halves — former Blue Wayne Brown and Leon Cort — were had a significant effect on the game: “I thought their two centre-halves were outstanding. They know the league, know the game, know when to put their foot through it, attacked it well in both boxes. Their two centre-halves were a big difference in the performances.

“I’m not knocking my centre-halves, I thought they did OK, but they’re young boys and, I know everyone’s bored of me saying it, it’s about being streetwise. The boy Parkin was streetwise at the end of the game.

“When you consider all the late goals we gave away last year, it shows up in important parts of the game.

“Even when we went a goal down we went a bit gung-ho and were ball-watching and they could have nicked a second goal.”

Keane says the club has not yet discussed what sort of money might be available for additions to his squad in January: “I’ve not really had those discussions with the owner or the chief executive.

“The priority was not to get beat at Preston and we try and win every game. We’re getting dragged into it and we were down there all last year, so it’s been an ongoing problem.

“It’s not necessarily about having good players at the moment, it’s about having good characters, and there won’t be that many good characters available in January, even if there’s money available and they want to come to Ipswich. Those are massive question marks. Don’t think there’s a quick fix out there for us.”

With the Blues now down to 18th, Keane concedes that his side are now very much in the relegation battle: “We are at the moment, of course.”

The 39-year-old says there’s no excuse for the Blues getting into the current position after their good start to the season: “That’s nine defeats in 11. I’ve been involved in football since I was eight or nine years of age, whether it be at amateur level, I played semi-professional, played with top players at Forest and United and Celtic, good players at Sunderland.

“The run we’re on is not acceptable, let’s not kid ourselves. Forget about giving time or mentors or getting players who are streetwise, getting injured players back. That is a poor run in anyone’s book.”

Meanwhile, midfielder Grant Leadbitter says the players are backing their boss: “Of course we still have the faith in him, every single player in that dressing room wants him to stay and everyone’s behind him.

“We want him to stay and the players have got to do better because it’s us losing the games, not the manager. We’ve got a couple of big games coming up and we want to bounce back next week. It’s a big disappointment.”

Photo: Action Images

Keaneish added 09:12 - Dec 13 This isn't the statement we wanted. We know all this s**t, we're the ones paying to watch it each week!! FORK.
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itfc1981 added 09:12 - Dec 13 make like a tree...
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blueblood66 added 09:15 - Dec 13 I'm not knocking my centre-halves, I thought they did OK, but they're young boys and, I know everyone's bored of me saying it, it's about being streetwise. The boy Parkin was streetwise at the end of the game. So why didn't you play Delaney instead of 2 young boys??
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dirtydingusmagee added 09:21 - Dec 13 f'#ckin great, and Leadbitter drew the short straw for the ''gunpoint apology'',every bloody Monday same sh#t.
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bradforblues added 09:22 - Dec 13 I'm stating the obvious but the only way any team in a situation like ours can turns things around is to get a new manager !!! look at Leicester - had a dreadful start and Eriksson has turned it around. Keane can't get us out of it otherwise he'd have done it by now. No manager can last in this mess.
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Cotton_eyed_joe added 09:23 - Dec 13 Is it just me or does every monday morning feel like Groundhog day? same old Keane excuse after excuse, repeatative boring Keane blah blah blah
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PSGBlue added 09:29 - Dec 13 Not sure when these comments would have been made. Cannot believe it was this morning (story 09.01), priorty is not interviews its the training pitch. Regardless of all this dribble that comes out of Keane's mouth its time for a change (again). Keane Out!
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Bluestu added 09:29 - Dec 13 If Keane is still here in January would you honestly trust him to spend any money he gets wisely?
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petermorris added 09:32 - Dec 13 Same old rubbish. “It's not necessarily about having good players at the moment, it's about having good characters" ....You let most of them go (escape?) to other clubs and the rest you had on the bench v Preston - what are you doing? You should get a mentor? Yes because you sacked the experienced ones you had. And you haven't discussed how much will be available to spend on new players. All I hope is that your replacement has. FORK.

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BlooooCD added 09:51 - Dec 13 Its now becoming offensive the crap that we are getting fed every week! The team are poor and the manager and Clegg are worse still! Christ, why can't we have someone with the balls to come out and make a decision that could save us. We are a bleedin' laughing stock of the lands! If it ain't broke - don't try to fix it! I get that... But this... It is broken, infact it is in pieces on the floor and definately needs fixing! Another week of crap and a meeting with Leicester on Saturday to look forward to! NOT! FORK! COYB's! - Never been so low as a supporter or fan of the club/team!

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HKBlue added 09:51 - Dec 13 Ah ffs another loss... Oh well whatever the clubs situation i still support for what we have even though Keane is doing absolutely sh*te i still feel that i need to support the club no matter what including the manager as our board are f'ing blind. I only support Keane (well support is too strong of a word) however by now ME and Clegg still haven't realized anything about Keane and i feel they're going to do nothing about it... i guess we support for what we got? COME ON YOU BLUES! WAKE THE F**K UP! KEANE GET THIS STRAIGHT! COME ON TOWN!

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naa added 09:54 - Dec 13 This still just depresses me. He refuses to acknowledge that football is about scoring goals (I know he keeps saying we need to score more, but he never plays a formation or line-up capable of doing so). Kennedy has offered nothing all season for us, yet Roy seems to think he's essential. I guess because he's experienced. He drops our best striker, our most attacking midfielder and any full-backs who have a chance of aiding the attack. Then he wonders why we can't score against a team who've been shipping 2 a game. I understand that he isn't deliberately losing these games, but I just can't understand what he sees when he picks his teams, I really can't. And if goes on one more time about needing to foul, or kick the ball away or generally play anti-football at the end of games one more time, I'll scream. We're not losing because we didn't foul someone Roy, we're losing because you constantly play boring defensive football with a defensive line-up! Please, just go. the longer this goes on the more embarrassing it gets to see how clueless you are.

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bluelady added 09:54 - Dec 13 bluebloody 66 thats the first thing i thought when i read that, youve got a damn good experienced centre half so why didnt you play him???? Your hurting Keane, so are the thousands of fans that support this wonderful club you are slowly destroying!
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bobble added 10:05 - Dec 13 has anyone in this club got the balls to get rid of the useless tumour before we go down or are the rest of them as useless as keane
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bobble added 10:08 - Dec 13 sack leadbetter and keane
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byebyesheepshanks added 10:10 - Dec 13 ITFC have let RK down badly. You can't run a multi million £ business with a junior manager left on his own, entirely absent owner & non footballing, inexperienced chief exec. The whole place has gone wrong. He never had a chance. We needed a steady, self motivated, mature grown up to manage the club. Someone to also help Clegg, not the other way around. A junior appointment like Hughton will lead us to the same place. Sad thing is, if someone strung a dozen wins together, owner probably couldn't wait to stand on Cornhill & claim it all! The ego would be awake & that's a whole new set of problems.

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bluelady added 10:12 - Dec 13 yes saw on sky that Leadbitter is this weeks Roy Keane puppet.......... not interested Grant, I will always get behind my team at a game, but players backing the manager is not what i want to hear anymore, i want the owner or Clegg to come out and say a. if they are backing the manager how is that (i.e money in transfer window, etc) and also WHY they continue to support a sinking ship or that he has been sacked, no other reports from players keane or otherwise will surfice......

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bluelady added 10:14 - Dec 13 ive just been told ITFC have a press conference at 2.00.. it doesnt come for a particularly strong source but we can all live in hope!!!!!!!!
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devontractorboy added 10:21 - Dec 13 byebyesheepshanks whilst there is some truth in what you say about the mis-management of the club, performances on the pitch are the responsibility of Roy Keane, the buck stops at his door! It's the same the whole world over in football. At the time Keane took over, I think & he said, that the squad was a good one with good players, but needed one or two additions . Look where we are now!! It is Keane who has fallen out with players and sold them on, brought in mostly average at best players, some really are poor, spent millions and got us into a near relegation spot. No excuses Keane should pay with his head, we need an experienced manager who can get the best out of and motivate our current squad, who with a bit of self belief can do OK. I'm deeply saddened by the mess we are in, but we are stuck with Marcus Evans & co, stand up Mr Evans and sort this mess out!!!

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bluearmy4life added 10:26 - Dec 13 Lets all hope it is true bluelady!!
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itfc1981 added 10:38 - Dec 13 bluelady your nose is growing
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bluelady added 10:41 - Dec 13 itfc1981 i did say it wasnt from a great source..... i have tried to find out where this knowledge came from.. Was maybe more of a wishful thinking moment, but hey if it happens you know where you heard first!!! (im hedging my bets here!)
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BlooooCD added 10:44 - Dec 13 Bluelady - you may have to change your name to blue fairy!!! all my wishes could come true based on your info! Pleeeeeeeeeeeeeeease!
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bluelady added 10:49 - Dec 13 BloooooCD id change my name to anything you wanted if it turned out to be true!!! i am still trying to find out from my friend exactly where the information came from... cant see anything on the website so i guess its a case of watch this space!!!!
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johnwarksshorts added 10:53 - Dec 13 There is a famous Moody Blues song entitled "Go Now"...........Please RK just do it.
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