Boss Roy Keane says contract talks have begun with skipper David Norris and key defender Gareth McAuley but hints that a large number of Town’s 21 out of contract players might not be kept on beyond the end of their current terms. The Blues manager says the club needs to undergo “big changes”.

Keane, whose own deal is up in June, said: “I think there have been negotiations with David Norris and Gareth McAuley, but I leave that up to Simon Clegg.

“There are other players and a lot of the younger boys but I think there need to be massive changes at the football club and hopefully I’ll get a chance to do that. Big changes. There has to be a massive rethink of the football club and how it’s run.”

TWTD revealed that talks had begun with 31-year-old McAuley on Wednesday, while Norris, 29, has confirmed that he intends to sign his new deal. We understand both players have been offered two-year extensions to their spells at Portman Road.

At last week’s AGM, chief executive Clegg said decisions had been made on who the Blues management want to remain with the club: “We know whose contracts are coming to an end and Roy, myself and the owner are agreed on who we want to keep, and those conversations are in train.”

Midfielder Carlos Edwards has revealed, in an interview with Radio Suffolk, that he is yet to be offered new terms: "I haven't heard a word. I'd love to stay on as long as possible. But with the situation maybe contract talk is on hold and until further notice my job is to concentrate on trying to get us back up the table."

Edwards, who played under Keane at Sunderland, says the Blues boss is showing no signs of the current pressure: "He's the same old Roy Keane that I knew from then until now. I've not seen any signs of him cracking.

"We were having him banter within training because he was cloaked up from head to toe. So obviously we told him he was a bit soft. It's a bit of banter between manager and player and when it comes to proper training we are professionals."

The 21 out of contract at the end of the season are Brian Murphy, Gareth McAuley, Damien Delaney, Carlos Edwards, David Norris, Arran Lee-Barrett, Ian McLoughlin, Alan Quinn, Luke Hyam, Troy Brown, Tom Eastman, Colin Healy, Billy Clark, Reggie Lambe, Ronan Murray, Jack Ainsley, David Cawley, Jamie Griffiths and Conor Hourihane, plus Pablo Couñago and Kevin Lisbie, who are out on loan for the season at Crystal Palace and Millwall respectively.

In addition, first-year pro Seb Dunbar is contracted until January, when Darren O'Dea, Jake Livermore, Jack Colback, Gianni Zuiverloon and Rory Fallon's loans come to an end, while Andros Townsend's spell from Spurs is up at the end of the season.

Photo: Action Images

MGNottsBlue added 13:08 - Dec 17 The biggest change we need is a new Manager.
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tractorboy2434 added 13:08 - Dec 17 Er, just tell me who signed most of the out of contract players mentioned, he says there needs to be big changes, he is probably right but it does'nt fill me with a lot of confidence when he is the reason they are here in the first place.
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I_8_NARWICH added 13:10 - Dec 17 Of those 21 how many do we actually need, i think we will probably buy Fallon in january (for some stupid reason) and maybe a couple of the other loanees. But out of our actual players we will only need 5 or 6 of them to stay on. First of all you would definatly want to keep Mcauly and Norris-which Keane has seemed to have noticed, maybe you would want to keep Delaney, Edwards and some of the younger players like Reggie Lambe, Tom Eastman and prehaps Ronan Murray, but apart from that i cant see any of the rest being able to be good enough to play for a team that wants to getting into the premier league (haha Premier League my @rse)

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tractorboy2434 added 13:10 - Dec 17 keep, McAuley, Norris, Hyam, Brown and Townsend, plus a few of the kids, let the rest go.
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whoppit added 13:12 - Dec 17 Will the new manager fancy any of them?
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Big_Foot_Blue added 13:13 - Dec 17 just to be sure tractorboy2434. I dont know about you but the only ones I would keep are Murphy, Norris, McAuley, Edwards, Delaney and Hyam. I think they deserve another chance. The only players Keane has brought it not in those 6 are Brown, Hourihane and Healey. Now bear in mind Brown has done ok and probably will get another deal. That is only 2 signings of Keanes that will/probably should go. Hardly MOST of the out of contract players ;) MERRY CHRISTMAS COYB

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Ryorry added 13:18 - Dec 17 I'm afraid statements like RK's here simply smack of him re-arranging deckchairs on the Titanic.
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Suffolk_n_Good added 13:19 - Dec 17 Didn't Keane say that "We needed change" when he walked into the club 18 months ago? £8million later, we still need big changes. The biggest change we need is a new manager. 7 of the players listed are Keane's own signings!! what does that tell you!! Please just go..... Fork.
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btrevelyan added 13:26 - Dec 17 What a flattering picture of Keane XD
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MyBlueHeaven added 13:29 - Dec 17 @suffolk_n_good - with you on this one. when Keane talks about the 'football club needs big changes' the implication is that be means from top to bottom - ressies and academy. so he's not been paying attention to the bigger picture while screwing up the first team. Nero... burns... Rome...
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blueherts added 13:30 - Dec 17 'THE CLUB NEEDS MASSIVE CHANGES' No S@#t sherlock So , Mr keane you have been hear 18 months spent not insignificant money , earn a good wedge and you have now decided due to us going backwards we need some changes - Yep I am sure other 'bosses' would love the blind loyalty showed to you by the Owner . What a stupid comment to go with all his others So what have you been doing the past 18 months - kicking yer heels As Rowan Atkinson once said 'I wouldn't trust you to sit the right way on the lavatory' As far as players to keep - Agree that Mac , Chuck , Hyam , Brown and Murray

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petermorris added 14:01 - Dec 17 Last season Keane said G McAuley would never play in an Ipswich shirt again, didn't he? Is this the same McAuley or a different one?
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itfc1981 added 14:06 - Dec 17 for god sake offer Gareth McAuley anything he wants!
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itfc1981 added 14:11 - Dec 17 only three more years of Martin! bloody hell!
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Lightningboy added 14:47 - Dec 17 Out of that lot i'd keep: McAuley edwards norris lee-barrett hyam brown lambe murray counago townsend ..obviously the main thing we need to change is the manager,coaching staff & the chief exec.
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Brockleyblue added 15:01 - Dec 17 Out of that lot I'd keep Brian Murphy and Arran Lee-Barrett (decent enough as 2nd and 3rd choice keepers, though not sure they'd be satisfied with that), Gareth McAuley, Damien Delaney, David Norris, Luke Hyam, Troy Brown and Ronan Murray And due to age and/or lack of ability I'd say adios to: Carlos Edwards, Ian McLoughlin, Alan Quinn, Tom Eastman, Colin Healy, Billy Clark, Reggie Lambe, Jack Ainsley, David Cawley, Jamie Griffiths, Conor Hourihane, Pablo Couñago and Kevin Lisbie. However, we seem to have a big clear-out every summer but still things don't improve!

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Brockleyblue added 15:01 - Dec 17 Out of that lot I'd keep Brian Murphy and Arran Lee-Barrett (decent enough as 2nd and 3rd choice keepers, though not sure they'd be satisfied with that), Gareth McAuley, Damien Delaney, David Norris, Luke Hyam, Troy Brown and Ronan Murray And due to age and/or lack of ability I'd say adios to: Carlos Edwards, Ian McLoughlin, Alan Quinn, Tom Eastman, Colin Healy, Billy Clark, Reggie Lambe, Jack Ainsley, David Cawley, Jamie Griffiths, Conor Hourihane, Pablo Couñago and Kevin Lisbie. However, we seem to have a big clear-out every summer but still things don't improve!

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matrixspeed added 15:18 - Dec 17 I thought Keane was doing that when he first arrived at the club. Ipswich need a settled team. All Ipswich need is a Manager who can make the correct decisions to win games, and to play the best players every week without keep changing the team. How many times does he need to ship players in and out of the team before he gets it right!!!
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Bluetone added 15:18 - Dec 17 The Blues manager says the club needs to undergo “big changes”. So is he off to pack his bag and collect his P45? I sincerely hope so.
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thechangingman added 15:32 - Dec 17 I haven't even got the energy to make the, "change the manager..." comment. This 'joke' isn't funny anymore. Is the club REALLY going to give this 'manager' more money... ?????
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PimsNumber1 added 15:45 - Dec 17 why does he think we need massive change. Is he qualified to even know . poor signings, players in form for championship matches dropped for no reason , players left in the cold,poor tactics , poor ability( corners/freekicks) poor layout of the team , poor substitutions and then he recons things need changing. they do but not by him . I really dont know what he does ? manage what ? who plays , thats about it from where Im looking. The rest is all guess work and pot luck.

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juniorblue added 16:01 - Dec 17 I think Keane has lost the plot. He has had quite a bit of time already to make 'big changes'. I will support Ipswich through good times and bad times but am getting rather fed up with too much of the bad.....Come on Town - get a win tomorrow!!
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Ipswich24 added 16:19 - Dec 17 We need a massive clear out I think Norris is overrated I would keep Mcaulay and sign Townsend is a must also Brown and Hyam are worth another year
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WickedBlue added 16:43 - Dec 17 @tractorboy2434 out of that list there are three players Roy signed...not counting Del Boy as that deal was actually done before Roy arrived.....now you can take your foot out of your mouth....
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fourth added 16:55 - Dec 17 The "manager" making uninvolved third party statements again. Nothing to do with him. So this is a good opportunity to drift away
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