Boss Roy Keane says fellow Cork man Damien Delaney is the player he is least likely to fall out with in the wake of the dismissed claims of a training ground bust-up involving the two earlier in the week. Delaney is a doubt ahead of today’s game with a virus which saw him miss training on Thursday.

Keane said: “If I have a bust-up with Damo I am in trouble because I have a lot of time for Damo. It’s the usual rubbish. I think I had it a few weeks ago with Connor Wickham.

“If there’s one player I’m not going to fall out with then that’s probably Damien because he’s a fellow Cork man.”

The Blues boss says this type of story often appears during the kind of run the club is currently on: “That’s lazy journalism again. The usual stuff when we lose a match - people writing headlines about myself. I get bored answering these questions.

“Where some journalists get these stories from I do not know. It’s disrespectful. It’s unfair on Damien, it’s unfair on myself.”

Keane is sure that if he remains at Portman Road similar reports will appear: “I’m sure there’ll be another story in the next few weeks about something else, about me going missing or bust-ups with people. It’s just lazy, but I’ve had it throughout my career, to be fair.

“It’s unfair to Damien because he’s not that type of lad. I’ve said it before, he’s a good professional, he’s missed out on the last few games, but there’s a good chance he’ll be involved on Saturday.”

“I’ve experienced it before at my previous club. When the team aren’t winning matches people will say stuff about bust-ups, about managers going missing. I’ve been down that road before, so it’s water off a duck’s back.”

Meanwhile, midfielder Grant Leadbitter has insisted that the club is in good shape despite the poor recent form: “Definitely so, we have the right people and good people who all want to go upwards. We have good players and it’s up to senior players to help the younger ones out and get us through this silly period.

“We have been the better team in the last few games, but have not been getting results. I’m confident it will change and we must learn from situations like Swansea when we were ahead and on course to win.”

Photo: Action Images

Hamish1979 added 08:45 - Dec 18 Translated as... "If you're not irish, I will fall out with you." Good luck today boys.
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Bergholtblue added 09:32 - Dec 18 If Keane hasn't had a falling out with Delaney, would he please explain why he was not put back in the side after his suspension? I appreciate he now has a bit of an injury, but Keane says "he is a good professional", blames the youngsters in the side for their lack of professionalism, yet Delaney can't get a game.
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Karlosfandangal added 09:40 - Dec 18 Think Delaney has not been in the side due to the fact of his poor form of late, compleate nightmare at Norwich, the rest will have done him good and he will come back with a point to prove Agree with him being dropped but i felt to the bench for a couple of games
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PimsOclock added 09:41 - Dec 18 Bergholtblue, I can explain why he's been left out. It's because at this moment in time and without MacAuley next to him, he is utter shoite! Not defending keen, but Delaney must do better than he has been prior to getting dropped. Too many silly goals given away and the Barnsley game was a shocker for most of the players but Delaney was the pick-of-the-plebs.
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Back_The_Boss added 12:05 - Dec 18 The irish connection was a dead give away. Love is in the air!
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WeWereZombies added 12:32 - Dec 18 Or Delaney, knowing the environment they both grew up in, is the most likely to fathom Keane and tell him exactly where he has gone wrong - and to know how to emphasize the points.
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arc added 16:47 - Dec 18 That's right, because it's well known that Irish people don't fight each other.
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hollywoodginge added 17:20 - Dec 19 Perhaps he was left out as the defence had a blinder against west brom and he doesn't have the devine right to walk into the team, nothing sinister in this I'm afraid for all those that think every decision has a juicy story!
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